A young George Washington once roamed the peaks, Civil War soldiers battled along the ridges, and bloody Prohibition skirmishes echoed among the dark hemlocks of Maryland’s Appalachian Highlands. Local columnist and outdoorsman Tim Rowland introduces the remarkable history of the mountains of Western Maryland, from the rocky relations of Native Americans and early settlers and the Battle of South Mountain to the faded elegance of Gilded Age resorts and the coming of the B&O Railroad. With a keen eye and dry sense of humor, Rowland regales readers with tales of mischievous ghosts, presidential retreats, and intrepid hikers while celebrating the breathtaking beauty and unique culture of Maryland’s Appalachian Highlands.