A Change of Scenery

by Jeff Yocum

“A Change of Scenery” focuses on day trips from Thurmont that are within 150 miles (give or take). These trips will not include “Disney-level” destinations, but rather, lesser-known points of interest. The purpose of the article is to suggest venues for folks seeking a short, easily accessible change of scenery. In the process, hopefully something will be learned. Some will be historic, some cultural, and others just plain quirky. I confess an ulterior motive for writing this article:

I have a wanderlust addiction.

Happel’s Meadow

You’ve probably driven by it a hundred times without giving it a thought. As you head west on Route 16 toward Waynesboro from Blue Ridge Summit, just as you pass the Little League fields, is an 85-acre stretch of cattails and other wetlands species bisected by Route 16. Did you ever stop to ponder why there is such a sizeable wetland on top of a mountain?

The natural history of Happel’s Meadow has intrigued folks for ages. Is it the remains of an ancient volcanic vent? A meteor impact site, perhaps? Or just an anomaly of the erosive force that wore away the rest of the Appalachian Mountains? Current thinking points to ancient volcanic activity. As you drive along Route 16, you can see a slight ridgeline that forms a rough ring around most of the wetlands, creating a basin.

The history of the meadow is closely tied to the resort boom that hit the area in the latter part of the nineteenth century. The Washington and Baltimore elite had discovered the cooler summer climes of the mountain top. Excursion trains brought thousands of tourists from the sweltering metropolitan areas. More than a hundred boarding houses and summer camps sprang up. Many embassies built massive summer retreats. Many of these still exist in the form of apartment buildings. Seven large hotels opened to offer respite.

All of those visitors brought their appetites with them, and the demand for produce exploded. The Happel family acquired the wetlands (known as Bear Swamp) and installed a tile drainage system. Albert and John Happel began farming produce, and their business thrived for many years, supplying up to 90 percent of the needs of the resorts. Horse and buggy transportation gave way to the automobile, which eventually killed off the demand for excursion trains. The resorts declined into the 1930s, forcing the Happel brothers to sell their produce in the metropolitan areas. When Route 16 was built in the late 1930s,  it bisected the farmland and cut the drain field. The Meadow began a slow reversion to its original condition as a marsh.

The Meadow is now owned by Washington Township. Trails are currently open, with more planned by the Happel’s Meadow Wetland Preserve Committee. There are more trails to explore just across the road at the Monterey Battlefield Park. The Battlefield will be the subject of a future article.

For more information, visit https://happelsmeadow.org.