Ridgeley

History

The land on which the town is built was originally conveyed from Thomas Lord Fairfax to George Mason in 1749. In 1750, the first frontier fort, Fort Ohio, was built at Ridgeley. It was, at the time, the westernmost outpost of colonial civilization and was most commonly referred to as the "New Store" settlement at the time. The New Store was primarily a trading post created by the Ohio Company which included prominent members including George Mason and Lawrence Washington. Christopher Gist was in charge of construction of "New Store" which was just over what is now the Blue Bridge leading into Ridgeley from Cumberland. The settlement was used as a headquarters for traders and trappers from 1750 and 1763, and also served as a local fort outpost to shelter travelers or workers in the event of an Indian attack. Early Ohio Company residents who worked at the settlement (and who explored the surrounding countryside) included Hugh Parker and Christopher Gist. According to a history of the time, there were no white settlers in the area at this point. In May 1754, George Washington led a company of troops to meet Joshua Fry at the storehouses at Fort Ohio. Fry was a colonel and commander in the Virginia Militia. He was to take command of the forces sent to the frontier. Fry was thrown from his horse on the way to the fort and died. Washington's notes reflected that Fry was carefully tended to but died, and was buried "on the hill", which is what the area around Fort Ohio (now Ridgeley) was referred to at that time. Washington then took command of the troops, his first military command. Washington staged an attack from Fort Ohio against a French detachment of 40 men that resulted in the death of French diplomat Ensign Joseph Coulon de Jumonville, who had been alleged to be a…

Geography

Ridgeley is located along the North Branch of the Potomac River, opposite Cumberland, Maryland. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  8,953
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  8,670
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  8,615
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  7,576
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  7,097
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,605
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  5,908
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  5,772

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2020-10-06
  5 km WSW of Bolivar, Pennsylvania
• M 3.03 — 2016-01-17
  3 km NE of Ranson, West Virginia