Town History

 

Native Americans
Montgomery County's earliest residents were the Piscataway Indians who lived in villages dotting the Potomac Valley. They enjoyed a dense primeval forest, mostly deciduous poplar, oak, maple, ash and hickory trees populated by deer, bear, turkey and wolves. They left a legacy of names for towns and rivers. Barnesville is located near the junction of two of these: the Potomac and Monocasy.

1700's
European settlers first established a community at the present site of Barnesville late in 1747. A number of lots were surveyed for Jeremiah Hays with colorful names like "Hopson's Choice" and "Jeremiah's Park".  Barnesville was located along the Baltimore Road, essentially a dirt path from the Potomac River (near the current Montgomery and Frederick County border) and Baltimore. To service the farmers moving stock and produce to the city for sale, a tavern and a livery stable were established along the Baltimore road near the crest of the hill.

The town was named for William Barnes who built the first town within its Boundaries. Among the other early settlers were James Barnes, John Plummer, Zachariah Knott, and Capt. James Gleeson. The early settlers of Montgomery County were a class of cultured families seeking freedom of thought and a recreation of the social life they had abandoned. The early residents of Barnesville mirrored that view. In addition to houses and farms and the previously mentioned businesses, the town also boasted a tannery, a doctor's office , a furniture dealer, the "Barnesville Academy", and a magistrate whose court was his parlor.

During its first century, Barnesville's history mirrors that of the United States. Skirmishes in the young nation's wars were fought in and around the village. Gleeson fought in the Revolution and was reported to have participated in 100s of battles with Indians .

1800's
The early part of the 19th century saw Barnesville grow as a community. The local farmers' primary crop was tobacco.

 

In May of 1988, Barnesville was incorporated by the Governor under the name " The Commissioners of Barnesville, which has all the powers and privileges of a body politic and could sue and be sued, plead, and be impeded, and have a common seal." Dr. R. Vinton Wood, William T. Hilton, Richard T. Pyles, Nathan E. Miles, and Charles S. Nichols were elected as the first Commissioners of the town. Among the first acts of the newly incorporated town was an assessment of taxable property (at $0.10 per each $100), establishing remuneration of the Town Clerk at $10.00 per year, and drafting by-laws and ordinances.

The new laws prohibited the following: