Page Contents for Westernport, Maryland

Statistics & Facts

History & History-related items

---

Statistics & Facts

The Maryland state capital is Annapolis.
The population of Westernport is approximately 2,454 (1990), 1888 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 1,065 (1990), 810 (2010).
The amount of land area in Westernport is 2.284 sq. kilometers.
The amount of surface water is 0 sq kilometers.
The distance from Westernport to Washington DC is 121 miles.
The distance to the Maryland state capital is 148 miles. (as the crow flies)
Westernport is positioned 39.48 degrees north of the equator and 79.04 degrees west of the prime meridian.

History & History Related Items

Westernport's first settlement is identified on a French military map dating from 1758. The map is currently on display at L'Ecole Militaire in Paris. The settlement at that time had no name. By 1774, it was known as Hardscrabble because the rocky soil made planting difficult. Some time in the mid 1790's, the name was changed to Westernport, with the town being the western-most navigable port on the Potomac River. In the late 18th century and early to mid part of the 19th century, coal and timber was loaded onto flatboats where George's Creek empties into the Potomac, then floated down to near Great Falls, where the goods were unloaded, the boats broken up to sell as lumber, and the operators walking back to Westernport. The town was incorporated in 1859.
Return to Index

The incorporation of Westernport

1859

---