Lonaconing, Maryland Snapshot Collection

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The town of Lonaconing, population of about 1200 in 300 families, is in the George's Creek Valley of Allegany County, 1500 feet up in the western Maryland mountains. A small town, it was started as a company town for an iron and coal company. With a single main street which is also state route 36 and with only one stoplight in the town, its quiet "suburb" provides residences for retirees and workers who commute to nearby Frostburg and Cumberland. Surrounded by forest and creeks, even deer and black bears are sometimes wandering within the town limits. As an incorporated town, it is governed by a mayor and four elected town commissioners. An ambulance service and a fire department, an Allegany Public Library branch and a city hall provides useful services to the residents. Flags decorate the main street on holidays and event days. Just beyond main street is the residental area - a mixture of old and new housing. A veterans' memorial graces Main street. While a side street offers an industrial section. A "suburb" of older houses along Main street. Summer and spring moves into autumn and the surrounding forest moves into colors. Many of the newer houses are farther up hill where the streets are narrow and drivers are friendly. The days grow shorter and more picturesque and the woods become enveloped in snow. The forest blends into the town, laced together by innumerable small brooks and streams. Deer are inadvertent pedestrians on the outlying streets with black bears as self-appointed trash can inspectors. text text text text text text text text Library services are provided by a branch of the Allegany County Library System Lefty Grove of baseball fame grew up in Lonaconing and his trophy is on public display at the local library branch. One room in the library is set aside to house the Lonaconing area history collection, which is open to the pubic during regular library hours. Lonaconing is the site of the still-standing Iron Furnace used in 1840s to produce cast iron ingots from local iron ore deposits.