Typed from original in possession of Miss Nancy Lee DeBerry
Detour, Maryland 21725
by Miss Hettye A. Hahn, 224 Dill Avenue, Frederick, Maryland 21701
10 August 1967
DETOUR
BY
Nancy Lee DeBerry
DETOUR
LOCATION
The tract of land known as Detour is located at approximately 77°15' West longitude and 39°35' North latitude.
The town is at the western tip of Carroll County, Maryland, in a triangular cove of land * mile on each of the three
sides, Detour is bordered on one side by the Western Maryland Railway and on the other two sides by creeks. Big Pipe Creek comes in from the southeast. Little Pipe Creek comes in from the southwest, and the two creeks merge a few hundred yards south of the village.
Detour is located beside the Frederick County line and the neighboring towns of Taneytown, Union Bridge, Thurmont and Frederick.
The elevation of the area is about 400 feet, and the land rises about 100 feet on all sides of the town. On the south for several hundred yards is a perpendicular rock ledge 100 feet high. The other elevations of the tract of land are tillable. The surrounding land is a dark red land, very productive, and mostly rolling to level land.
HISTORY
Settlement of the tract of land upon which Detour arose began in the late 1700's when Indian tribes still occupied the creek banks. The earliest form of business known was the bartering of settlers' axes, hoes, and blankets for furs and fish. With the coming of the settlers, the Indians moved downstream. The actual beginning of the land as a town seems to have come into existence in 1794 when Joshua Delaplane purchased a tract of land containing 600 acres surrounding the town's location. A large dam was built across Double Pipe Creek about 200 yards below the mouths of the two Pipe Creeks and a stone grist mill was erected. With this mill and a woolen mill, the town's business turned to milling. The Western Maryland Railway was built to Double Pipe Creek in 1868. The building of the railroad and a large warehouse brought a larger amount of business to the town, and from that time on the town became a business center. With the burning of the grist mill in 1883 and the loss of the dam, the history of Detour's waterpower ends, for the town turned to other industries.
It was during these years that Elder Daniel P. Sayler came to Detour. A bishop of the Monocacy congregation of the Church of the Brethren at near-by Rocky Ridge, he soon became a leading citizen of the town. He was strongly opposed to slavery and did much to have slaves emancipated. As a good friend of Abraham Lincoln, Sayler made many trips to Washington to consult with Lincoln in reference to slavery and to having his churchmembers exempted from the draft during the Civil War. During his years with the town, Elder Sayler had the town laid out into building lots and a plat made.
In 1872 an iron bridge was built across the creek and stood until March 12, 1920, when it slid into the creek. High water and heavy ice knocked out part of the middle pier and caused the bridge to buckle. The three-span concrete-arch bridge which was then built still stands today.
Fire destroyed the remaining mill in 1883, and now the town's industry became keyed to dairying and farming. The warehouse was rented to a millionaire business firm from Philadelphia, which built up a large trade in grain, feed, Hay, coal, lumber, fertilizer, and machinery. But in 189', and again in 1898, fire burned the warehouse; therefore, a grain elevator warehouse was erected.
Other industries of the town at this time included wheelwright and wagon maker's shop, saddlery and harness maker's shop, blacksmith, repair and cabinet maker's shop, and a huckstering arid produce business.
The earliest reference of a post office in the town is 1864, when it was located in a store room. Since that time a post office has existed in Detour.
In 1905 the Western Maryland Railway made it known to the town that the name Double Pipe Creek was too long to carry on its forms and requested that the name be changed to a shorter one, or else it would change the name of the station to something of its own choosing. The town's people assembled to select a name, and instead of choosing the name of an old regional family, they did something completely different and decided to call their town Detour. Two stories are connected with this name. One has it that the name was proposed by Dr. Charles Diller, who pointed out that both the creek and the railroad detoured around high places nearby. The name is also attributed to Bishop Sayler who had traveled extensively on the old roads of the Middle West, where the detour sign was a familiar sight. At any rate, the new name of Detour was given to the town.
During these years new businesses began to emerge. The undertaking business, a hotel, saloon, livery stable, garage, grocery store, tin shop, and barber shop brought new business to the town. A brick industry also existed, and in 1904 a brick schoolhouse was erected.
In March, 1919, a state bank was organized and later re-organized in 1932.
Fairfield Farms Dairy erected a large three story milk plant in 1924, giving employment to many in the surrounding area and bringing Detour's commerce to encompass a larger area, In the middle 1950's the dairy consolidated with another and left Detour; thus, Detour was again without any of its own large employment facilities.
In addition to floods, Detour's history also tells of a scarlet fever epidemic in 1872 and numerous fires which have destroyed many of the town's business establishments. On October 24, 1894, one of the worst fires in its history hit the town; two houses, two stores, and a blacksmith's shop were destroyed.
The history of Detour shows many industries that have emerged, run their cycle, and died out, thus being replaced by new ones. A cycle of fires and floods also appears in the town's history.
CLIMATE
Detour has a humid, temperate, continental climate. Summers are short and rather warm, and winters are rigorous but not severe. The average annual temperature is about 58°F. The average low for January is about 25 and the high 42 degrees. In July the average low is approximately 64 and the high 87 degrees.
Winters are usually open and fairly mild with occasional short, cold periods. Some snow does fall, but usually does
not last long. Summer is fairly short with moderate temperatures. Occasionally maximum temperatures in the 90's and low 100's occur for several days. During this time the humidity is high in the afternoon and evening.
The average frost-free growing season is 175-180 days. Predipitation (rain and snow) averages about 43 inches annually, and is evenly distributed throughout the year; thus? extended droughts are not common. Most rains in winter, spring, and fall are slow and steady; whereas, thunder showers and heavy rains usually occur in August.
The town's vulnerability to floods is demonstrated by past history. Three severe floods have occurred with many, many lesser floods. In the late 1830's the town was under water up to where the railroad is built. During the Johnstown Flood of May 31 and June 1, 1889, water was up to the counters in the stores and halfway to the ceilings in some homes. On August 23, 1933, the cement bridge was entirely submerged and the water level was twelve inches higher than it had been in 1889. This flash flood also was almost to the first-floor ceiling in the houses. During the nineteen years that I have resided in Detour, I have witnessed many floods, in fact, usually one or two each summer. Most of the floods occur in August and are usually flash floods. Thus it can be demonstrated that there is a tendency for Detour to experience flash floods and rainy seasons in August.
PROBLEMS OF EROSION
Erosion is a problem right along the creek where the water floods over the land. During the past fifteen years the bank along the creek has washed away considerably. when flooding occurs, the area .Along the road and creek is under water, and such good soil is lost, thus resulting in mud. Water erosion in connection with the other land of Detour is slight. Wind erosion in the town is also no major problem, for being down in a hollow, the wind is not as prevalent in the town as it is in the surrounding higher areas. During the flooding some good silt is also left along the area around the creek,
especially in the large meadow to the south of the town.
GROUND WATER
The area of Detour is well supplied with ground water, for every home has its own well. Only about once or twice in the last fifteen years has a well gone dry. The water table is relatively high, for few of the wells are very deep. The water table averages about three to six feet.
SOIL
Detour lies in the Piedmont Plateau and in the triassic upland section of Carroll County. The soils of the area are developed from red shale and sandstone and are known as the "redlands". The town is actually the flood plain of Double Pipe Creek, and some of the soil along the creek banks has been deposited by the creeks. The bottomland soil of Detour is the Bermudian-Rowland-Bormansville series.
The basic soil type found in Detour is the Bermudian series soil. These soils are deep, well-drained soils. The area is very well drained by Double Pipe Creek and the Monocacy River. The soil consists of some silt washed in by the frequent
flooding. The soil is moderately fertile, easy to manage, and can be very highly productive.
The surface soil in this series is from 0 to five inches reddish brown silt loam, medium crumb structure, hard when dry, friable when moist, plastic and stickey when wet, roots abundant, many pores, and medium acid content.
The subsoil is from six to 27 inches - reddish brown, heavy silt loam to silty clay loam, weak and fine crumb structure, hard when dry, friable to firm when moist and sticky when wet, few roots, abundant fine pores, and medium acid content.
The soil is 28+ inches in yellowish red silty clay loam that had a weak crumb to granular structure. The soil is very hard when dry, firm when moist, and sticky when wet. It contains practically no roots and has a few fine and medium pores; the soil is strongly acid.
The soil of Detour has a great moisture supplying capacity, and it is easily penetrated by roots and is fairly fertile.
The soils are well suited to most common crops and to pasture. Of the crops that are grown, corn and hay are the principal crops.
Small patches of Bowmansville and Howland soils are found, but basically the soils of Detour are Bermudian with some narrow strips of water-carried silt.
COMMUNICATIONS AND ROADS
Detour is in contact with its surrounding areas both by its roads and by its methods of communication. In 1923 a three-phase electric power line was erected, bringing to the town its modern conveniences of electricity. The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company also serves the area. Three different roads lead into the town.
Very seldom does the town get snowbound, but with the floods in the summer, transportation does become a problem. By lying in a hollow, Detour is frequently flooded with only one road open. The road along the creek becomes entirely flooded, and the road leading over the railroad and to Keymar is unable to be used, for the creek and bridge on this road also become flooded. The only way to gain access to the town during a flood is by route 77 over the bridge. Thus, the town can and does get "water bound".
POPULATION AND FUTURE POTENTIAL
One of the best ways to elaborate on Detour's population and future potential is to compare the town as itvas in 1935 with the town as it is now in 1965.
In 1935 the town consisted of 24 homes, three stores, a post office, a grain elevator and coal yard, a bank, a garage, a blacksmith shop, a church, and a closed school. Most of the town's populous worked in Detour, for industry was present in Detour in 1935 with the dairy.
In 1965, the town includes 19 houses, of which four are two-family houses, a former church and schoolhouse which have been converted into homes, a post office, a feed mill (Key Grain and Feed Co.), a furniture store, a general store, two garages, a bank, and a used car-junk dealer.
Today there is no industry in the town; thus, people must work in surrounding areas. Out of a present population of approximately 75 persons, sixteen persons work in factories in surrounding communities, four work in offices in the near vicinity, and six work in the businesses of the town.
The persons working in the town's stores, bank and one garage live outside the town and come into Detour to work. Thus, the town does offer a few jobs.
1935's population of 100 as compared to 1965's population of 75 indicates the fact that Detour is slowly declining. In considering the present year's population I did not consider three homes which lie just beyond the railroad and the creek. Even this added population of seven would still make the population less than it was thirty years ago. Several factors can possibly account for this fact; many of the homes house elderly people who reside alone; the children are growing and moving away; with no industry and no job opportunities in the town, inhabitants are forced to seek work elsewhere, and as a result many have moved to new job locations.
The town can never physically expand any more than it is now for it is hemmed in on all sides by the railroad and the creek. The uplift of the land bordering the town also acts as a barrier, and no new homes can be built in the town.
Detour cannot be classified a rural area, for no farming is done by residents of the town. One family has a very small farm, but only have a few cattle. A few families do raise their own livestock, but just for personal consumption. But Detour cannot be classified as an urban area either. It is true that most of its labor population works in other areas, but the town is hardly a thriving metropolitan area.
Another factor possibly affecting Detour's potential growth is the factor that it is an unincorporated town. The nearest form of government is the Detour Improvement Club which sponsors a street lighting program.
With no potential expansion possible the area is dependent upon the surrounding area. Detour's citizens depend on the neighboring vicinity for jobs and recreation. The town itself offers no recreational facilities. The people of Detour depend on outside areas for marketing and shopping purposes. So, for economic, social, and religious reasons, the people of Detour are dependent upon other areas.
Being a little town hemmed in by water, railroad and hills, Detour cannot move forward. In fact, when looking back on the last thirty years the town appears to be receding somewhat. Its main industry - the dairy - closed; and a decline in population has added to Detour's recession.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Agriculture Carroll County, Md. Carroll County Planning and Zoning Commission, November, 1961.
Personal contact with Mr. Raymond C. DeBerry, resident of Detour, Maryland.
Personal contact with Mr. Bill Boothe, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Westminster, Maryland
Soil Survey Frederick County Maryland. Washington, D. C.: Department of Agriculture, U. S. Gov't. Printing Office, September, 1960.
Sunday Sun Magazine, January 14, 1962.
U. S. Bureau of the Census, U. S. Census of Agriculture, 1959, Maryland.
Weybright, Jesse P. A History of Detour Carroll County, Maryland, Formerly Double Pipe Creek, 1915,
NOTE:
The town has assets:
1. Water in good supply
2. Transportation
3. Prosimity [sic] to markets.
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