 |
| Mason-Dixon monument on Brown's Hill |
THE TWO-MILE BROWN'S HILL TRAIL NEAR Mount Morris, Pa., a drive of roughly 15 miles northwest of Morgantown, W.Va., makes for an ideal short, family hike on two accounts.
First, it traverses a low, narrow ridge typical of the countryside west of the Monongahela River. In this sense, it serves as a classroom for elementary Appalachian geology. Second, the summit of the ridge, known as Brown's Hill, was the westernmost point reached by astronomers Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, who in 1767 were plotting the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania. The threat of Indian attack caused them to conclude their survey here, 23 miles short of its intended end.
The trail may be easily managed by most hearty hikers, though several hundred feet of its western course are steep. Benches have been furnished intermittently along this grade, and visitors in good health should have little problem in the ascent or descent. High water may present problems on low-lying areas of the trail along Dunkard Creek, on the trail's eastern reach, and hikers should be prepared to avoid the margins of the stream when flooding is a threat. The trail rarely suffers the heavy winter snowfalls typical of West Virginia's more lofty mountain ranges, and cell-phone service is available along most of the trail,
 |
| Ascending path to ridgetop |
Though the trail is a two-mile loop, many visitors hike only the eastern third of the route from the parking area to the monument and then return. This segment includes the steep and invigorating ascent over more than 200 vertical feet from valley and the level, narrow ridge atop which the monument sits. An Adirondack-style shelter is located on the ridge several hundred feet beyond the monument, and further along the trail descends eastward and southward toward the creek and its return to the parking area.
I'm also recommending this hike as part of our "best winter hikes" series as access is relatively easy year round: even in the most snowy weather, its situation off W.Va. Highway 7 renders it easy to reach, though at 1,306 feet above sea level, its highest elevation, at the summit of Brown's Hill, is more likely to witness snow than are the surrounding ridges
Location: Mason-Dixon Park
2 Wilderness though it seemed, bands of Indians roamed the region in the 1760s. In one passage, Danson notes that representatives of five tribes were encountered during the party's passage through the Monongahela Valley, though members of the Mohawk and Onondaga peoples, traditionally from New York and Canada, had accompanied the survey party.
"Two miles beyond the [Monongahela] river, Crawford and his scouting party reported that another band of Delaware had appeared. Their leader, accompanied by his wife, was Catfish, whose band of warriors included his nephew. Work stopped, and the Indians called for a diplomatic council. The Indians, Mason, Crawford, and the surveyors sat in a circle around the campfire while the pipe was passed from hand to hand... Mason and Crawford presented strings of wampum and some trinkets to Catfish as tokens of peace and goodwill, which for the time being seemed to satisfy the Delaware chief. The Indian visitors departed peacefully with a promise to return.
"A few miles later the obliging behavior of the Delaware was explained when a war party of eight Senecas appeared out of the trees. The Seneca were members of the Six Nations Confederation and received a warm welcome from Crawford's Onondagas and Mohawks. The Senecas, armed to the teeth with bows and arrows, tomahawks, and muskets, were headed south for a confrontation with the Cherokees. Their passage through the forest had intimidated the foraging Delaware. The Senecas stayed with the surveyors for a few days; in return, the received gunpowder and war paint for the grateful Mason."
Links
Danson, Edwin, "Drawing the Line: How Mason and Dixon Surveyed the Most Famous Border in America," Wiley & Sons, 2001.
Dunkard Creek Map (pdf)
Dunkard Creek Watershed Association
Mason-Dixon Line: Western Crossings
Mason-Dixon Historical Park
National Geographic Magazine: Saving the Mason-Dixon Line (2002)
National Register of Historic Places: Inventory-Nomination Form
USGS Topo: Blacksville (WV) Quad. NE (1902)
