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Population 2,103
The town of Clear
Spring, founded by Martin Myers in 1821, sits 12 miles west of Hagerstown on US
Highway 40. Myers, impressed by the natural beauty of the countryside and a
nearby spring of sparkling water, envisioned a town which could grow and
prosper. The spring which attracted the town’s founder eventually prompted the
renaming of Myersville to Clear Spring. The historic National Pike runs through
the center of town. Linking the port of Baltimore to the western frontier of
Ohio, the National Pike brought business and prosperity to Clear Spring. Today
skiers, bound for Whitetail Resort in nearby Mercersburg, PA, can take the Clear
Spring exit off Interstate 70 and drive through this quiet little
town–population about 415–on their way to the resort.
Some Clear Spring area attractions:
C&O Canal - Historic canal built in 1828 to link the
nation’s capital with the Ohio River. Locks, buildings and echoes of the past
can still be found here.
 Whitetail
Resort - 13805 Blairs Valley Road, Mercersburg, PA. It has more than
a 900-foot vertical drop and 19 trails. Whitetail has the only high-speed quad
lifts in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Now offered are tenting, fly fishing and
casting school. Phone 717-328-9400 for information.
Fort Frederick State Park–A massive stone fort built in 1756
as a defense during the French and Indian War. It also served as a prison camp
for Hessian soldiers during the Revolutionary War. Living history programs are
scheduled throughout the year. The park is open year-round. For information on
exhibits and events, phone 301-842-2155.
Camp Harding County Park–Named after President Warren G.
Harding who, along with notables such as Harvey Firestone, Thomas Edison and
Henry Ford, camped there in the 1920s. Gone are the days when local residents of
Pectonville could stroll about chatting with the President of the United States.
Phone 301-791-3125 for information.
Plumb Grove Mansion–Built in 1831, by Jonathan Nesbitt. The
Clear Spring District Historical Association began restoring the property in
1980.
Brown
Meeting House
- 11 South Mill St., Clear Spring, MD
Being refurbished, will be open by appointment.
301-842-2342
Location
Indian Springs Wildlife Management
Area (ISWMA) is composed of four tracts of land situated in the Western portion
of Washington County, Maryland. It is located approximately 12 miles west of
Hagerstown, near the neighboring towns of Clear Spring and Indian Springs. Many
people from the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area are regular visitors to
the ISWMA since it is only a two-hour drive via Interstate 70 to this scenic
wildlife management area.
History
The ISWMA was
named due to its proximity to the nearby town of Indian Springs. A variety of
fossils and artifacts such as arrowheads or primitive stone tools have been
found on the management area and reflect the history of Indian settlements in
this region. Family names identifying specific sections of the ISWMA relate back
to early settlers that cleared land on the area for grazing and orchards. Old
home sites, foot trails and graveyards established by these pioneers are still
evident on the area. During the Civil War, the crest of Fairview Mountain was
used as a military signal post to flash messages across the Cumberland Valley to
South Mountain. Initial land acquisition began in 1940, with monies paid by
sportsmen via federal taxes on hunting equipment provided by the
Pittman-Robertson Act. From this first purchase of 1,264 acres the ISWMA has
grown to approximately 6,363 acres. A total of 6,800 acres will be owned by the
State when acquisition is complete.
Topography
The
mountainous slopes and agricultural lands of the ISWMA are part of the Ridge and
Valley Province of the Appalachian Mountain area. The major portion of the
slopes are forested with oak-hickory hardwoods, typical of this region. Little
Conococheague Creek furnishes water for the thirty-one acre impoundment
designated as Blairs Valley Lake. | 
