Westminster Depot: Pressed into Service

History: During the Civil War, railroads became strategically important for transporting troops and equipment. On July 1, 1863, Union Gen. Herman Haupt, Chief of U.S. Military Railroads, controlled the Western Maryland Railroad here to supply the army at Gettysburg. Haupt quickly created a military supply depot here and Railroad Construction men arrived with supplies. This single track carried 150 cars daily from Baltimore to Westminster, while previously it carried only four trains a day.

More to Explore: Downtown Westminster is brimming with tea houses, coffee houses and pubs that feature a vibrant music and arts scene. Take in a film or theater production at the Carroll Arts Center or check out a concert or workshop at Common Ground on the Hill, a traditional arts festival held in early July at McDaniel College. After exploring Westminster's bustling downtown, step back in time at Union Mills Homestead and Grist Mill, another Maryland Civil War Trails site, just a short drive north of town. Considered a national treasure, the homestead and grist mill are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The mill produces stone-ground corn meal, wheat, and buckwheat flour.

Photo Credits:

1. "Westminster, Main Street, looking east, ca. 1868, along the route of Corbit's Charge." Courtesy of the Historical Society of Carroll County.
2. "Photograph of Union General Herman Haupt." Courtesy of Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division