Allegany County (Maryland)

ALLEGANY COUNTY (MARYLAND)

Origin/meaning

Introduced in 1976.

The Allegany County seal was redesigned for America’s bicentennial.

The line pointing to the left is an arrow to the west — Allegany is the second most western county in Maryland and was the “Gateway to the West” through a natural gorge, where the county seat, Cumberland, is located.

The county was founded in 1789.

The arrow also represents the county’s Native American influences.

The wheat, at the intersection of the lines, was on the first seal and represents the county’s agricultural heritage.

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (railroad car) and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (canal barge) transported raw natural resources, coal (pick and shovel) and timber, from the mountains for use in the metropolitan areas.

Architecturally distinctive buildings and steeples represent the cultural and religious heritage. Today, the steeples, outlined in white lights at night, are a focal point in downtown Cumberland.