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Maryland Cracker Barrel Magazine
Celebrating 50+ Years
Reflections: Where is the General Lee Stepping Stone?
By Suanne Woodring
Reminisce with us as we look back on the memories of a few of Washington County's residents. Excerpts featured here are from the current Fall 2025 issue.
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Maryland Cracker Barrel Magazine: Sentinel of Washington County's Heritage
"...If anyone knows what happened to the mounting
stone that General Lee stepped on in 1863 we would
appreciate an update. The stone was still in place in the
1970s when Mary Michael took the photos that were used
in our spring issue. It’s whereabouts today might be a
mystery waiting to be solved."
"....The agricultural roots in Washington County, Maryland are deep, and an integral part of the county’s history. From the earliest days of settlers coming into the county, farming was a mainstay. In the eighteenth century (1700s), Washington County was populated by various Indian tribes, and settlers began to move south from Pennsylvania and west from the central and eastern parts of Maryland. Thomas J.C. Williams, in his classic
History of Washington County, Maryland (Volume 1), describes the scene as settlers crossed over South Mountain. The settler, 'must have been indeed insensible if he did not pause here, spell-bound at the scene which presented itself to his eyes. The mountains and the rugged part of Washington County were covered with timber, but the main valley was largely without trees, except along the water courses…high grass covered the country.' As settlers poured into the area, and farms and settlements took hold in the land, Williams notes, 'In the main valley the scenery is that of a rich agricultural country displaying fertile fields, well cultured farmhouses, with landscapes of magnificent beauty…' 'The great industry of this magnificent county is agricultural, and the staple crops are wheat and Indian corn…oats, rye, and barley are also grown.' This farming heritage continues
to this day in the county, with over 45% of the county’s acreage in farmland, and over 900 farms still in operation...."
Country Gentlemen:
Ancestral Farming Roots --
The Sinnisens of Beaver Creek
and the Kendles of Cool Hollow Road
By Carl Byrd
