Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland, USA

Cumberland is the county seat of Allegany County and a historic regional center in Western Maryland. Established as a town in 1787, it grew rapidly during the 19th century because of its location along the National Road, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. At its height, Cumberland was Maryland’s second-largest city after Baltimore and became known as the “Queen City.” Its economy was built around transportation, coal, railroads and manufacturing, and its population reached nearly 40,000 in 1940. Today, Cumberland remains a center for government, health care, commerce and tourism in Western Maryland, with its transportation history reflected in the C&O Canal, the Great Allegheny Passage and the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.