Hancock

History: After the outbreak of the Civil War, the town of Hancock became a true border town, and saw a constant flow of troops. Confedrate General "Stonewall" Jackson laid siege to the town on January 5, 1862, and over $500,000 of supplies were requisitioned by Confederates from "Alpine Station" on the West Virginia side of the river. Inclement weather prevented Jackson from completely taking over the town, however. The Confederates soon held the town of Hancock for ransom, but it was never paid.

More to Explore: Not far from town is the C&O Canal Towpath Trail, which extends all the way from Cumberland to Washington D.C. Here you can bike or hike, camp out in numerous locations, and enjoy the convergence of history, scenery, wildlife and adventure that the trail has to offer. The Cumberland stretch runs along parts of the Potomac River and enters the Paw Paw Tunnel, a famous canal tunnel. Conditions are most ideal in the fall when the weather is cooler.

Photo Credits:

1. “Hancock Main Street.” Photo courtesy of, Kmf164 Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 2.5; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hancock_main_street.jpg
2. “Hancock Canal Bridge.” Photo courtesy of, Kmf164 Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 2.5; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hancock_canal_bridge.jpg