It is a far cry from the present modernized conditions and appearance of things in Thurmont, to the times when, not only the mountains, but the valleys on each side also, were entirely covered with the forest that extended far and wide in every direction. The landscape was broken only by the farms and little log cabin homesteads of the early pioneer settlers who were engaged in their arduous daily labors. When going to their log built churches or elsewhere for that matter, they carried rifles in defense against the wild beasts and Indians who might unexpectedly attack them.

Long before any white man invaded the peaceful valley at the foot of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, Mechanicstown had its real beginning - in Germany. The earliest records consulted shows that Daniel Weller, of the province of Berleberhischen, Germany, had three sons, Jacob, Joseph and John. Wishing to escape the religious persecution, which was a by-word in Europe during the early 18th. Century, Daniel Weller invested his life savings into passage for his wife and sons, to the fabled land of freedom on the other side of the Atlantic. It was quite an investment, but Daniel Weller knew that he was investing his money in a future for his loved ones. The Wellers landed in Philadelphia, and immediately pressed on to a rural area, in hopes of finding a spot at least reminiscent of the mountain-fast valley of their native Wurtemburg. So it was that Daniel Weller chose Berks County, Pennsylvania, where adjustment to the New World was made easier by the fact that 10,000 Germans had already settled there, banding together with the common ties of language and customs.

Six years later, however, Daniel Weller realized that he must leave the security of that already over-crowded German community and push on into the wilderness, if he was to wrest from this new land the opportunities and advantages that he had gambled for in leaving his native country. Then too, there were many disputes

arising over boundary lines, more especially between Lord Baltimore and William Penn, over the boundaries of the Pennsylvania and Maryland line. And so, in 1742, the Wellers and several other families set out over the Pennsylvania-Virginia Road (later to be known as the Woodsboro Pike), which was frequently used by General George Washington, when he traveled between Philadelphia and Mount Vernon. The Wellers pressed on to the intersection of the pike with the Baltimore and Pittsburgh Road.

There a thriving little settlement had already been established by Lawrence Creager, known then as "Monocasie" because of its proximity to the river known by that Indian name ("river of many bends"), but later renamed "Creagerstown". Creager at the time owned all of the land from his settlement west to the mountain, and was eager to attract new settlers; so the Wellers tarried for a while.

Still determined to have his own land, Daniel waited until his sons, Jacob, John and Joseph, were full-grown and able-bodied men. In 1748 the Wellers reached that parcel of land which now comprises the northern part of Frederick County. This land was held under patent from the King of England by Lord Baltimore, who in turn sublet a great part of it to Daniel Dulaney, a land promoter in Baltimore City. As an inducement to attract settlers, married couples were offered 200 acres rent-free for the first three years of their tenure, after which a maximum rent of four shillings per 100 acres was charged annually.

Though it is not certain whether all three of Weller's sons were married at the time, it is still an unquestioned fact that the Wellers had a right to claim several hundred acres of land. So, looking for an ideal spot, the Wellers finally arrived in the valley at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. They were immediately impressed by the beauty, the luxuriant growth of the virgin timber, the fertility of the soil, and the plenteous supply of water, so they decided to stake their claim and stay.

The Wellers looked around for a spring by which they could make temporary camp - and found the cradle of clear, cold water which they immediately referred to as Cold Spring (known today as the Webster Spring and located near Route 77 just west of Thutmont).

A tragic circumstance furthered the decision of the Wellers to make Thurmont their permanent home. Although complete details are unfortunately not available today, it is believed that a child, the daughter of one of the Weller sons, was taken ill as a result of the trip through the wilderness and died in the crude shelter of their make-shift home by the spring. Records do not indicate the name or age of the youth, who died a victim of frontier privations.

According to tradition, five families, the Wellers, Creagers, Wilhides, Firors and Eylers were the early settlers of Thurmont and vicinity. Many of these early pioneer family names are still found in our community today, but among the very earliest was one Jacob Weller.

There is a tradition that a grant of land given to Jacob Weller must have been given by one of the Lord Baltimores, and it was from this grant of land that the will of the first Jacob Weller gave to Jacob Weller.

The Wellers built several houses at scattered locations to permanize their settlement. Their first home was erected adjacent to the spring, which has long since been reduced to rubble by the ravages of time and weather, so that only a crumbling stone wall remains bordering the spring. Less than a hundred feet away, however,

stands another Weller home, built around 1751, when other settlers began moving into the valley to make their home here.

The town that the Weller family started was destined to grow because of its location along the road leading to Hagerstown. An influx of carpenters, blacksmiths, mechanics and farmers in 175i gave it its first claim to "town" status, as all sorts of shops were opened in the settlers' homes.

The practicality of these early settlers, resolved to supply all of their own needs, is demonstrated by the versatility of one James Creager, a cabinet-maker by trade. Much of his skill was required in the making of coffins, so he became an undertaker and, with the help of his sons, Wesley and Luther, cornered the funeral market for

miles around.

A second-generation Jacob Weller (son of John Weller who is often recognized as the founder of Thurmont) married an Anna Krall n 1774. The oldest son of this union, also a Jacob, became an outstanding leader, recognized for his wisdom and vision. He considerably enhanced the respect which he already commanded by suffixing his signature with the initials, "8.S." He had reason enough to do this, just to distinguish himself from the many other bearers of that popular name in and about the settlement at that time. But he was well aware of the importance it gave him, too, in the ken of those who did not know that "8.S." stood for "Black-smithÓ. He was in truth, though, a skilled blacksmith and mechanic, having served an exacting apprenticeship in the tilting-hammer forge of his father, Jacob, Sr. had built. The pride he took in the hatchets, axes and other items he produced was borne out by the inscription carefully cut on every piece that he forged - "Jacob Weller, B.S."

It was this Jacob Weller, B.S., who, with his brother Joseph' was engaged in many activates at one time established a match factory on West Main Street and thus became the first in America to make Lucifer Matches. (I will cover that in Chapter 8)

The name Jacob Welier strides across the pages of Frederick County's history as a vivid figure, a man-whose interests and attainments were notable in frontier period'. It was he who built the first hotel to accommodate the travelers' As a result of his deep interest in drugs and medicine, Jacob Weller was also known to have had a large library of medical books.

As this little community began to grow it became known as Mechanicstown, having received its name from the many mechanics that lived here. There were potters, tanners, cabinet-makers, carpenters, wheelwrights, shoemakers' blacksmiths' machinists and others.

Jacob Weller can be truly looked upon as having done more for his community than any other citizen of his day. One often wonders where he found the time to accomplish the many worthwhile projects, which have been credited to his name. He is known to have started the first Post Office as well as erecting a number of substantial dwellings and he was the moving spirit in donating land for the erection of a church and cemetery, and, strangely enough, was the first person to be buried there.