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96-629: The Pennyfield Lock (Lock #22) and lockhouse are part of the 184.5-mile (296.9 km) Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (a.k.a. C&O Canal) that operated in the United States along the Potomac River from the 1830s through 1923. The lock, located at towpath mile-marker 19.7, is near River Road in Montgomery County, Maryland . The original lock house was built in 1830, and its lock was completed in 1831. The name "Pennyfield"

192-498: A charter to the first Lord Baltimore , the head of the Calvert family. The county's creation was a focus of Thomas S. Wootton who, on August 31, 1776, introduced a measure to form a new county from Frederick County, Maryland to aid area residents in simplifying their business affairs. The measure passed, creating the new political entity of Montgomery County in what was then the colonial -era Province of Maryland . According to

288-420: A 608-foot (185 m) difference in elevation between the two ends of the canal—an average of about 8 feet (2.4 m) per lock. From Georgetown to Harpers Ferry , which includes Lock 22 (Pennyfield Lock), the canal is 60 feet (18 m) wide at the surface, and 42 feet (13 m) at the bottom. Including walls, lift locks are 100 feet (30 m) long and 15 feet (4.6 m) wide—usable lockage is less. Portions of

384-442: A day, vegetables, and a "reasonable allowance of whiskey", $ 8 to $ 12 per month, $ 20 for masons. Still, many were dissatisfied with the slave-like conditions. Friction between the largest groups, from Ireland and Germany, meant they had to be kept in different crews. The width of the canal prism above Harpers Ferry was reduced to 50 feet (15 m), which saved money and was also appropriate from an engineering standpoint. In 1832,

480-534: A falling down of the bottom of the Canal into limestone caverns that are lower than, and extend out under the bed of the river: — in consequence of which the water from the Canal is at first conducted down below the canal bottom perhaps twenty or thirty feet and thence out along under the bed of the river ... It has been a matter of surprise to me that our Canal thus far has suffered so little from limesinks. We may yet however have much trouble from this source near and above

576-402: A family was $ 111,737. Males had a median income of $ 71,841 versus $ 55,431 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 47,310. About 4.0% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line , including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2000 United States census , there were 873,058 people living in the county. The racial makeup of

672-411: A light boat was 62 hours, set by Raleigh Bender from Sharpsburg. Dent Shupp made it from Cumberland to Williamsport in 35 hours with 128 tons of coal. Following the disastrous flood of 1889, the canal company entered receivership with court-appointed trustees. The trustees were given the right to repair and operate the canal under continued court oversight. The trustees represented the majority owners of

768-542: A network of roads grew that enabled farmers to get their crops to the mill and canal. The same 1865 map shows a lock keeper named G. W. Pennifield for a lock west of Selby's Lock 22—probably Lock 23. In 1875, the Lock 22 keeper, unnamed in the report, was dismissed after he drunkenly "opened the lower gate paddles before the boat was in place", causing the boat to break apart and sink with its 113-ton cargo. George Washington Pennifield became lock keeper for Lock 22 sometime during

864-608: A public bi-county water and sewer utility in the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC). In October 2020, the Montgomery County Council unanimously passed an ordinance that implemented an LGBTIQ+ bill of rights. Montgomery County is an alcoholic beverage control county. Beer and wine may also be sold in private stores. Until 1964, only three restaurants in the county had liquor licenses to serve liquor by

960-425: A single point at Parr's Spring on Parr's Ridge .     Montgomery County lies within the northern portions of the humid subtropical climate . It has four distinct seasons, including hot, humid summers and cool winters. Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, with an average of 43 inches (110 cm) of rainfall. Thunderstorms are common during the summer months, and account for

1056-583: Is a nationally accredited U.S. law enforcement agency and acts as the enforcement arm of the courts in the county. All of its deputy sheriffs are fully certified law enforcement officials with full authority of arrest. The office was created in July 1777 and is the oldest law enforcement agency in Montgomery County. It is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland . It was nationally accredited in 1995,

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1152-723: Is a favorite of bird watchers , and the Pennyfield Lock Neighborhood Conservation Area and Dierssen Wildlife Management Area are both accessible using the lock's towpath. Ground was broken for construction of the C&;O Canal on July 4, 1828. One of the early plans was for the canal to be a way to connect the Chesapeake Bay with the Ohio River . The canal has several types of locks , including 74 lift locks necessary to handle

1248-669: Is a misspelling of the Pennifield family name. The lock was described as "Pennifield's Lock" in George Pennifield's 1911 obituary. However, the name was being misspelled as early as 1918. Today, the Pennyfield Lock and restored lock house are part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park . The C&O Canal Trust describes the lock as a good example of "the basic types of structures" built along

1344-433: Is a misspelling of the family name of long-time lock keepers George and Charles Pennifield. George, and then his son Charlie, operated the lock from the 1880s until it was permanently closed. George was an avid fisherman, and once hosted President Grover Cleveland for several days of fishing near the lock. Today, the lock and restored lock house are part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park . The area

1440-669: Is an important business and research center. It is the epicenter for biotechnology in the Mid-Atlantic region. Montgomery County, as third largest biotechnology cluster in the U.S., holds a large cluster and companies of large corporate size within the state. Biomedical research is carried out by institutions including Johns Hopkins University 's Montgomery County Campus (JHU MCC), and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Federal government agencies in Montgomery County engaged in related work include

1536-460: Is listed as lock keeper on July 1, 1841. Another locktender, R. Selby, is listed for 1865. A map of Montgomery County, Maryland , shows Selby as the "L.K." (lock keeper) and a nearby wharf owned by John L. DuFief. DuFief built a mill around 1850 on the Muddy Branch, and it had a road that connected to Lock 22. His mill had the capacity to manufacture 10–12,000 barrels of flour per year, and

1632-480: The American Revolutionary War . The county's nickname of "MoCo" is derived from " Mo ntgomery Co unty", in use as early as 2001. The county's motto, adopted in 1976, is "Gardez Bien", a French phrase meaning "Watch Well". The county's motto is also the motto of its namesake's family. Prior to 1688, the first tract of land in what is now Montgomery County was granted by Charles I in

1728-933: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research . Many large firms are based in the county, including Coventry Health Care , Lockheed Martin , Marriott International , Host Hotels & Resorts , Travel Channel , Ritz-Carlton , Robert Louis Johnson Companies ( RLJ Companies ), Choice Hotels , MedImmune , TV One , BAE Systems Inc. , Hughes Network Systems and GEICO . Other U.S. federal government agencies based in

1824-839: The Gulf of Mexico at New Orleans . In 1785, Washington founded the Potowmack Company to improve the navigability of the Potomac River. His company built five skirting canals around the major falls: Little Falls (later incorporated in the C&O Canal), Great Falls in Virginia , Seneca Falls (opposite Violette's lock), Payne's Falls of the Shenandoah, and House's Falls near Harpers Ferry . These canals allowed an easy downstream float; upstream journeys, propelled by pole, were harder. Several kinds of watercraft were used on

1920-721: The Lehigh Canal for their full year of business in 1820. Yet in 1850, the B&;O Railroad had already been operating in Cumberland for eight years, and the Canal suffered financially. Debt-ridden, the company dropped its plan to continue construction of the next 180 miles (290 km) of the canal into the Ohio Valley. The company long realized (especially with the experience at the Paw Paw tunnel) that construction over

2016-615: The Ohio River at Pittsburgh was never built. The canal is now maintained as the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park , with a trail that follows the old towpath. After the American Revolutionary War , George Washington was the chief advocate of using waterways to connect the Eastern Seaboard to the Great Lakes and the Ohio River , which flows into the Mississippi River and ultimately to

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2112-555: The Patowmack Canal and in the Potomac River . Gondolas were 60 by 10 ft (18 by 3 m) log rafts, usually sold at journey's end for their wood by their owners, who returned upstream on foot. Sharpers were flat-bottomed boats, 60 by 7 ft (18 by 2 m), usable only on high-water days, about 45 days per year. The Erie Canal , built between 1817 and 1825, threatened traders south of New York City, who began to seek their own transportation infrastructure to link

2208-468: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 507 square miles (1,310 km ), of which 491 square miles (1,270 km ) is land and 16 square miles (41 km ) (3.1%) is water. Montgomery County lies entirely inside the Piedmont plateau . The topography is generally rolling. Elevations range from a low of near sea level along the Potomac River to about 875 feet in the northernmost portion of

2304-632: The Washington City Canal , which extended through the future National Mall to the foot of the United States Capitol . A lock keeper's house at the eastern end of this Washington Branch of the C&O Canal remains at the southwest corner of Constitution Avenue and 17th Street, N.W., at the edge of the National Mall. In 1834, the section to Harper's Ferry opened and the canal reached Williamsport. In 1836,

2400-724: The Youghiogheny River ; and the western section from there to Pittsburgh. The total estimated price tag, more than $ 22 million, dampened the enthusiasm of many supporters, who were expecting an estimate in the $ 4 million to $ 5 million range. At a convention in December 1826, they attempted to discredit the engineers' report, and offered lower estimates: Georgetown to Cumberland, $ 5,273,283; Georgetown to Pittsburgh, $ 13,768,152. Geddes and Roberts were hired to make another report, which they gave in 1828: $ 4,479,346.93 for Georgetown to Cumberland. With those numbers to encourage them,

2496-404: The tenth-highest median household income in the United States, and the second highest in the state after Howard County as of 2011. The median household income in 2007 was $ 89,284 and the median family income was $ 106,093. Males had a median income of $ 66,415 versus $ 52,134 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 43,073. About 3.3% of families and 4.6% of the population were below

2592-514: The 184.5-mile (296.9 km) canal and ended in 1850 with the completion of a 50-mile (80 km) stretch to Cumberland, although the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad had already reached Cumberland in 1842. The canal had an elevation change of 605 feet (184 meters) which required 74 canal locks , 11 aqueducts to cross major streams, more than 240 culverts to cross smaller streams, and the 3,118 ft (950 m) Paw Paw Tunnel . A planned section to

2688-498: The 1880s. Pennifield became well known in Montgomery County, especially among fishermen. Grover Cleveland , while president , spent several days at Pennifield's Lock for a fishing trip—staying at Pennifield's home near the lock house. Pennifield's son, Charles, eventually replaced him as lock keeper although the elder Pennifield continued to live at the Pennifield House near the lock house. George Pennifield died in 1911 and

2784-432: The 2009–2010 season. Since the 1970s, the county has had in place a Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit (MPDU) zoning plan that requires developers to include affordable housing in any new residential developments that they construct in the county. The goal is to create socioeconomically mixed neighborhoods and schools so the rich and poor are not isolated in separate parts of the county. Developers who provide for more than

2880-405: The 4-mile marker. Building the last 50-mile (80 km) segment proved difficult and expensive. Allen Bowie Davis took on the role of management. In Cumberland, Dam No. 8 and Guard Lock No. 8 had begun construction in 1837 and the final locks (70–75) to Cumberland were completed around 1840. That left an 18.5-mile (29.8 km) segment in the middle, which would eventually require building

2976-547: The B&O Railroad took over receivership of the canal and began operating it under court supervision, but canal use had already peaked in the 1870s. The C&O Canal closed for the season in November 1923, and damage from flooding prevented it from opening in spring 1924. The damage and continued competition from railroads and trucks led to the decision to close permanently later that year. Work on Lock 22 began in April 1829 and

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3072-577: The B&O from trying to sell it. In 1936, the B&O attempted to sell part of the canal from Point of Rocks to the District line. This was blocked by the courts which had continued to oversee the C&O trustees with the court saying "It is of course well known that the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company is not the owner of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal." At that time, the court also stated that

3168-734: The Beltway and I-270 , and they assist county and city police in investigation of some major crimes. Montgomery County has a budget of $ 2.3 billion. Approximately $ 1.48 billion are invested in Montgomery County Public Schools and $ 128 million in Montgomery College . Montgomery and Prince George's counties share a bi-county planning and parks agency in the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) and

3264-590: The C&O Canal Company bonds issued in 1844. While the B&O owned the majority of the 1878 bonds, the B&O did not own a majority of the 1844 bonds as of 1890. However, by 1903, the B&O had acquired sufficient bonds to become "a majority holder", the reported reason being "to secure for the Wabash [railroad] system a foothold on the Atlantic seaboard" which had only been incorporated in February 1903. Over

3360-487: The C&O Canal and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) began fighting for sole use of the narrow strip of available land along the Potomac River from Point of Rocks to Harpers Ferry . After a Maryland state court battle that involved Daniel Webster and Roger B. Taney , the companies agreed to share the right-of-way . In August 1829, the canal company began importing indentured laborers to Alexandria and Georgetown. These workers were promised meat three times

3456-482: The Company; many of them had become entirely unfit for use and were becoming worthless, rendering it absolutely essential to the requirements of the Company to have them repaired." Still, some improvements were made in the late 1860s, such as replacing Dams No. 4 and 5. The early 1870s, which Unrau calls the "Golden Years", were particularly profitable. The company repaid some of its bonds. It made many improvements to

3552-662: The Maryland Constitutional Convention, to create lower Frederick County as Montgomery County. The name, Montgomery County, along with the founding of Washington County, Maryland, after George Washington , was the first time in American history that counties and provinces in the Thirteen Colonies were not named after British referents. The name use of Montgomery and Washington County were seen as further defiance to Great Britain during

3648-629: The Patowmack Little Falls Skirting Canal) was sufficient since that literally fulfilled the charter's condition of reaching the tidewater, but people in Washington wanted it to end in Washington, connecting to the Tiber Creek and Anacostia river. For that reason, the canal originally opened from Little Falls to Seneca, and the next year, was extended down to Georgetown. The Little Falls skirting canal, which

3744-407: The Paw Paw tunnel, digging the deep cut at Oldtown, and building 17 locks. Near Paw Paw, the engineers had no good solutions. If they followed the river, they would have to cross over to West Virginia to avoid the cliffs, and an agreement with the B&O Railroad specified that the canal would avoid the south side of the river, unless it was a place where the railroad would not need it. So they took

3840-522: The U.S. state of Maryland . As of the 2020 census , the county's population was 1,062,061, increasing by 9.3% from 2010. The county seat is Rockville , and Germantown is the most populous place in the county. The county is adjoined to Washington, D.C. , the nation's capital, and is part of the Washington metropolitan area and the Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area . Most of

3936-492: The additional benefits of the use of the lock house and the right to use the canal company's land between the canal and the Potomac River below a creek known as the Muddy Branch . By June 1832, a 22-mile (35 km) section of the canal was operating between Georgetown and Seneca , which includes Lock 22. Another early keeper for Lock 22 was M. F. Harris, who was lock keeper (a.k.a. locktender) on July 1, 1839. John Fields

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4032-407: The age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.4% were non-families, and 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.22. The median age was 38.5 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 93,373 and the median income for

4128-400: The board to change their plans, routing the canal through the center of town. The canal was opened for trade to Cumberland on Thursday, October 10, 1850. On the first day, five canal boats, Southampton, Elizabeth, Ohio, Delaware and Freeman Rawdon loaded with a total of 491 tons of coal, came down from Cumberland. In one day, the C&O carried more coal in the first day of business than

4224-422: The boats extra cargo not listed on the waybills to avoid tolls. In 1873, for instance, one boat got from Georgetown to Harpers Ferry with 225 hidden sacks of salt before the company found out. The items transported on the canal varied. In 1845, for instance, before the canal's completion, the shipments were as follows: Montgomery County, Maryland Montgomery County is the most populous county in

4320-483: The breach at Lock No. 37. For about a mile, there is scarcely a hundred feet in length of the canal in which there are not several small lime sink holes...". He recommended costly but necessary repairs, which were done by 1840. Since it was difficult to obtain stone for the locks, engineers built composite locks , sometimes of kyanized wood. In 1843, the Potomac Aqueduct Bridge was built near

4416-540: The burgeoning areas west of the Appalachian Mountains to mid-Atlantic markets and ports. As early as 1820, plans were being laid for a canal to link the Ohio River and Chesapeake Bay. In early March 1825, President James Monroe signed the bill chartering the construction of the C&O Canal as one of the last acts of his presidency. The plan was to build it in two sections, the eastern section from

4512-555: The canal (close to Georgetown) began operating in the 1830s, and construction ended in 1850 without reaching the Ohio River. The canal ran from Georgetown to Cumberland, Maryland . Because portions of the Potomac can be shallow and rocky as well as subject to low water and floods, the river could not serve for reliable navigation and a continuous canal on land was necessary. The canal opened the region to important markets and lowered shipping costs. By 1859, about 83 boats per week were using

4608-412: The canal company prohibited liquor in a bid to improve the speed of construction, but soon repealed its ban. In August or September 1832, an epidemic of cholera swept through the construction camps, killing many workers and leading others to throw down their tools and flee. By 1833, the canal's Georgetown end was extended 1.5 miles (2.4 km) eastward to Tiber Creek , near the western terminus of

4704-400: The canal could not be sold in pieces but only in its entirety. In 1938, new trustees were appointed by the court to handle the sale under the court's continued oversight. Tolls were charged for cargo on the canal. In 1851, for instance, the toll rates on the Canal were set as follows: Tolls varied greatly, and frequently the board adopted new toll rates. Some boatmen would try to ship in

4800-501: The canal to transport coal, grain, flour, and farm products to Washington and Georgetown. The canal faced competition from other modes of transportation, especially the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O Railroad). Starting in Baltimore and adding line westward, the B&O Railroad eventually reached the Ohio River and beyond. In 1889, a flood damaged the C&O Canal and caused the C&O Canal Company to enter bankruptcy. Operations stopped for about two years. Trustees nominated by

4896-480: The canal towpath. The area has numerous birds and waterfowl and is a favorite of bird watchers . Additional bird watching is available nearby along the towpath at the Pennyfield Lock Neighborhood Conservation Area, a 1.9 acre (0.77 ha) park with boat ramp maintained by Montgomery County. The 40-acre (16 ha) Dierssen Waterfowl Sanctuary is also adjacent to the canal towpath and a favorite of bird watchers. Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Construction began in 1828 on

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4992-472: The canal was used by canal packets as a Star Route to carry mail from Georgetown to Shepherdstown . The contract was held by Albert Humrickhouse at $ 1,000 per annum for a daily service of 72 book miles. The canal approached Hancock, Maryland , by 1839. In March 1837, three surveys were made for a possible link to the northeast to Baltimore: via Westminster, via Monocacy -Linganore, and via Seneca, but they were all deemed impractical due to lack of water at

5088-476: The canal, and the furnishings in the lock house are representative of the mid-1830s to mid-1840s. The Pennyfield Lock House is one of seven restored lock houses on the C&O Canal available to the public for overnight stays as part of the Canal Quarters Program managed by the C&O Canal Trust. The Muddy Branch, a tributary to the Potomac River, is less than a half mile (0.8 km) walk on

5184-486: The canal, including the installation of a telephone system. Yet there were still floods and other problems. By 1872, so many vessels were unfit for navigation that the company required boats to undergo annual inspections and registration. In July 1876, the crew of the Lezan Ragan stayed afloat while loading in Cumberland only by her crew's pumping. She hit some abutments of the locks near Great Falls, and finally sank at

5280-579: The council are Democrats. The council meets weekly at the county seat of Rockville—the 6th Floor of the Stella B. Werner Council Office Building. The members of the County Council as of 2023 are: The most recent Republican serving on the Montgomery County Council, Howard A. Denis of District 1 (Potomac/Bethesda), lost re-election in 2006. Since then, all Council members have been Democrats. The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) provides

5376-418: The county has several U.S. government offices, scientific research and learning centers, and business campuses. The Maryland state legislature named Montgomery County after Richard Montgomery ; the county was created from lands that had at one point or another been part of Frederick County . On September 6, 1776, Thomas Sprigg Wootton from Rockville, Maryland, introduced legislation, while serving at

5472-652: The county include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Downtown Bethesda and Silver Spring are the largest urban business hubs in

5568-404: The county north of Damascus. Relief between valley bottoms and hilltops is several hundred feet. Earthquakes are rare; the most recent one, on June 24, 2024, had a 1.8 magnitude and was centered near Spencerville, Maryland . When Montgomery County was created in 1776, its boundaries were defined as "beginning at the east side of the mouth of Rock Creek on Potomac river [sic], and running with

5664-561: The county was 65.0% white, 15.1% Black or African American, 11.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 5.0% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 11.5% of the population. There were 324,565 households, of which 35% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. Of all households, 24.4% were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who

5760-435: The county's population. Over 52,000 people of Salvadoran descent lived in Montgomery County, with Salvadoran Americans comprising approximately 32% of the county's Hispanic and Latino population. People of South American descent make up 3.8% of the county, with Peruvian Americans being the largest South American community, constituting 1.2% of the county's population. Of the 357,086 households, 35.7% had children under

5856-520: The county's residents are affiliated with a religion . Montgomery County was named the most religiously diverse county in the United States in 2023 by the Public Religion Research Institute 's census. Counties were given a diversity index between 0 and 1, with 0 signifying no diversity, and 1 signifying complete diversity. Montgomery County earned a .886, higher than the national average of .615. Montgomery County has

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5952-485: The county's residents live in Silver Spring , Bethesda , Germantown , and the incorporated cities of Rockville and Gaithersburg . The average household income in Montgomery County is the 20th-highest among U.S. counties as of 2020. The county has the highest percentage (29.2%) of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate degrees . Like other counties in the Washington metropolitan area,

6048-470: The county; combined, they rival many major city cores. According to the county's comprehensive annual financial reports , the top employers by number of employees in the county are the following. "NR" indicates the employer was not ranked among the top ten employers that year. Montgomery County was granted a charter form of government in 1948. The present County Executive / County Council form of government of Montgomery County dates to November 1968 when

6144-458: The cross section of the canal prism in difficult terrain. This reduced maintenance expenditures but increased construction costs. In the end, two slackwaters (Big Slackwater above Dam No. 4, and Little Slackwater above Dam No. 5) and multiple composite locks (Locks 58–71) were built. At first, the canal company planned to use steamboats in the slackwaters, since without mules, the canal boats had to use oars to move upstream. After much discussion of

6240-475: The dangers of early steamboats, the company provided a towpath so that the mules could pull the boats through the slackwaters. From Lock 5 at Little Falls to Cumberland (as mentioned above, the canal started at Little Falls, and was later extended down to Georgetown), the canal was divided into three divisions (of about 60 miles (100 km) apiece), each of which was further divided into 120 sections of about 0.5 miles (800 m). A separate construction contract

6336-596: The first county sheriff's office in Maryland to be so. The MCSO has authorized over 165 employees consisting of sworn law enforcement officers and civilian support staff. The office is headed by the sheriff, who has been elected every four years since the 1920s. The current Sheriff is Maxwell C. Uy (D), elected in 2022. Uy is the 62nd Sheriff and the first Asian American to hold that office. Several cities including Rockville and Gaithersburg maintain their own police departments to complement MCPD. Maryland State Police patrol

6432-469: The fiscal year ending June 30, 2021. The office of the county executive was established in 1970. The first executive was James P. Gleason. The current executive is Marc Elrich, who was sworn in for his first term on December 3, 2018. The County Council is the legislative branch of Montgomery County. It has eleven members who serve four-year terms. All are elected at the same time by the voters of Montgomery County. As of January 2023, all 11 members on

6528-712: The full spectrum of policing services to the entire county. It was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland . It consists of around 1,300 sworn officers and 650 support personnel, split into 6 districts throughout the county. The department also provides assistance to other nearby departments, such as the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia and the Prince George's County Police Department , if requested. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office (MCSO)

6624-528: The largest Jewish population in the state of Maryland, accounting for 45% of Maryland Jews. According to the Berman Jewish DataBank , Montgomery County has a Jewish population of 105,400 people, around 10% of the county's population. The Washington metropolitan area , with 295,500 Jews, has become the third-largest Jewish population in the United States. As of 2020, Montgomery County is home to 776 religious congregations. Montgomery County

6720-749: The majority of the average 35 days with thunder per year. Heavy precipitation is most common in summer thunderstorms, but drought periods are more likely during these months because summer precipitation is more variable than winter. The mean annual temperature is 55 °F (13 °C). The average summer (June–July–August) afternoon maximum is about 85 °F (29 °C) while the morning minimums average 66 °F (19 °C). In winter (December–January–February), these averages are 44 °F (7 °C) and 28 °F (−2 °C). Extreme heat waves can raise readings to around and slightly above 100 °F (38 °C), and arctic blasts can drop lows to −10 °F (−23 °C) to 0 °F (−18 °C). For Rockville ,

6816-598: The mid-1870s that improved technology, specifically with larger locomotives and air brakes , allowed the railroad to set rates lower than the canal, and thus seal its fate. Sometime after the canal opened in 1850, a commemorative obelisk was erected near its Georgetown terminus. The canal deteriorated during the Civil War. In 1869, the company's annual report said, "During the last ten years little or nothing had been done toward repairing and improving lock-houses, culverts, aqueducts, locks, lock-gates and waste weirs of

6912-420: The minimum amount of MPDUs are rewarded with permission to increase the density of their developments, which allows them to build more housing and generate more revenue . Montgomery County was one of the first counties in the U.S. to adopt such a plan, but many other areas have since followed suit. Montgomery County is by far one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse counties in the United States; four of

7008-406: The more expensive decision to build a tunnel through the mountain. The initial cost estimate of $ 33,500 proved far too low. The tunnel was completed for $ 616,478.65 Among the components of the project, a kiln was built to provide bricks to line the tunnel. Originally, the company intended to go around Cumberland, behind the town of Wills Creek, but complaints from the citizens and the city caused

7104-541: The mountains going to Pittsburgh was "wildly unrealistic". Occasionally there was talk of continuing the canal, e.g. in 1874, an 8.4-mile (13.5 km) long tunnel was proposed to go through the Allegheny Mountains. Nevertheless, there was a tunnel built to connect with the Pennsylvania canal. Even though the railroad beat the canal to Cumberland, the canal was not entirely obsolete. It wasn't until

7200-407: The next decade, and particularly after 1902, boats on the canal shifted from independent operators to company-owned craft. Boats with colorful names ( Bertha M. Young or Lezen Ragan ) gave way to numbered craft ("Canal Towage Company" with a number) run by a schedule. Despite the B&O's status as a majority bondholder, the B&O can not be said to have ever owned the C&O. This did not stop

7296-461: The only minority-majority state on the East Coast. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 971,777 people, 357,086 households, and 244,898 families living in the county. The population density was 1,978.2 inhabitants per square mile (763.8/km ). There were 375,905 housing units at an average density of 765.2 per square mile (295.4/km ). The racial makeup of the county

7392-412: The opening Lock 15 (at the head of Widewater). For a brief period in the 1860s and 1870s, the company attempted to prevent boating on Sundays. But boatmen broke padlocks on the lock gates and turned to violence when confronted. The company gave up trying to enforce the rule. The trip from Cumberland to Georgetown generally took about seven days. The fastest known time from Georgetown to Cumberland for

7488-486: The poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over. Of Montgomery County's residents, 14% are Catholic , 5% are Baptist , 3% are Methodist , 1% are Presbyterian , 1% are Episcopalian , 1% are part of the Latter Day Saint movement , 1% are Lutheran , 6% are of another Christian faith, 3% are Jewish , 1% follows Islam , and 1% are of an eastern faith . Overall, 41% of

7584-477: The present-day Francis Scott Key Bridge to connect the canal to the Alexandria Canal , which led to Alexandria, Virginia . In April 1843, floods damaged much of the finished portion of the canal between Georgetown and Harpers Ferry, including the Shenandoah river lock. One flood suspended navigation for 103 days. The company raised the embankments around Little Falls, and made a "tumbling waste" near

7680-440: The record high is 105 °F (41 °C) in 1954, while the record low is −13 °F (−25 °C). Lower elevations in the south, such as Silver Spring , receive an average of 17.5 inches (44 cm) of snowfall per year. Higher elevations in the north, such as Damascus , receive an average of 21.3 inches (54 cm) of snowfall per year. During a particularly snowy winter, Damascus received 79 inches (200 cm) during

7776-583: The said river to the mouth of Monocacy , then with a straight line to Par's spring, from thence with the lines of the county to the beginning". The county's boundary forms a sliver of land at the far northern tip of the county that is several miles long and averages less than 200 yards wide. In fact, a single house on Lakeview Drive and its yard is sectioned by this sliver into three portions, each separately contained within Montgomery, Frederick and Howard counties. These jurisdictions and Carroll County meet at

7872-455: The stockholders formally organized the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company in June 1828. In the end, the final construction cost to Cumberland in 1850 was $ 11,071,075.21. Compared to the original cost given by the engineers in 1826 of about $ 8 million, removing things not in the estimate such as land purchases, engineering expenses, incidental damages, salaries, and fencing provision, the cost overrun

7968-475: The summit level. The Canal reached Dam No. 6 (west of Hancock) in 1839. As the canal approached Hancock, more construction problems surfaced. Limestone sinkholes and caverns caused the canal bottom to cave in near Shepherdstown, near Two Locks above Dam No. 4, around Four Locks, Big pool, and Roundtop Hill near Dam No. 6. On 6 December 1839, Chief Engineer Fisk wrote, "These breaks have all evidently been occasioned by limestone sinks which exhibit themselves by

8064-491: The ten most culturally diverse cities and towns in the U.S. are in Montgomery County: Gaithersburg , ranking second; Germantown , ranking third; Silver Spring , ranking fourth; and Rockville , ranking ninth. Gaithersburg, Germantown, and Silver Spring all rank as more culturally diverse than New York City , San Jose , and Oakland . Maryland overall is one of six minority-majority states, and

8160-472: The tidewater of Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Maryland; and the western section over the Allegheny Mountains to the Ohio River or one of its tributaries. Free from taxation, the canal company was required to have 100 miles (160 km) in use in five years, and to complete the canal in 12 years. The canal was engineered to have a 2 miles per hour (3 km/h) water current, supplying the canal and assisting mules pulling boats downstream. The eastern section

8256-406: The voters changed the form of government from a County Commission / County Manager system, as provided in the original 1948 home rule Charter. The County Commission/County Manager system was seen as inadequate for the growing population of the county who wanted more services assistance and accountability from the government. The Montgomery County government had a surplus of $ 654   million for

8352-542: Was 57.5% White, 17.2% Black or African American, 13.9% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 7.0% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 17.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 10.7% were German , 9.6% were Irish , 7.9% were English , 4.9% were Italian , 3.5% were Russian , 3.1% were Polish , 2.9% were American and 2% were French . People of Central American descent made up 8.1% of Montgomery County, with Salvadoran Americans constituting 5.4% of

8448-522: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.19. 25.4% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males. In 2000, there were 334,632 housing units at an average density of 675 per square mile (261/km ). Montgomery County has

8544-544: Was about 19%, which can be justified by the inflation rate of the period. The cost overrun of the other proposal (Geddes and Roberts) was about 51% thus showing that the original engineer's estimate was good. In 1824, the holdings of the Patowmack Company were ceded to the Chesapeake and Ohio Company. (Rejected names for the canal included the "Potomac Canal" and "Union Canal". ) By 1825, the Canal Company

8640-642: Was authorized by an act of the General Assembly of Maryland in the amount of subscriptions of $ 500,000; this paved the way for future investments and loans. According to historians, those financial resources were expended until the State had prostrated itself on its own credit. The C&O's first chief engineer was Benjamin Wright , formerly chief engineer of the Erie Canal . A groundbreaking ceremony

8736-559: Was buried at the Darnestown Presbyterian Church cemetery. Charles remained as lock keeper until the canal closed in 1924. He lived with his wife at the lock house for over 50 years. In 1938, they moved to Travilah, Maryland , and Charles died in 1941. Although the Pennyfield Lock House remains, the larger Pennifield House fell into disrepair and was torn down in 2009. Today's Pennyfield Lock

8832-507: Was completed in May 1831 at a cost of $ 7,969.29 (equivalent to $ 228,021 in 2023). Construction of the lock house began in October 1829, and was finished April 1830 at a cost of $ 853.20 (equivalent to $ 24,412 in 2023). On August 7, 1830, an individual listed only as "Wright" was recommended and approved as lock keeper . His annual compensation was $ 100 (equivalent to $ 2,861 in 2023) with

8928-464: Was held on July 4, 1828, attended by U.S. president John Quincy Adams . The ceremony was held near Georgetown , at the canal's eventual 5.64 miles (9.08 km) mark near Lock 6, the upstream end of the Little Falls skirting canal, and Dam No. 1. At the groundbreaking, there was still argument over the eastern end of the canal. The directors thought that Little Falls (at the downstream end of

9024-481: Was issued for each section. Locks, culverts, dams, etc. were listed on the contracts by section number, not by mileage as is done today. For instance, Locks 5 and 6 are on Section No. 1, all the way to Guard Lock No. 8 on section 367. Sections A–H were in the Georgetown level below lock 5 In November 1830, the canal opened from Little Falls to Seneca. The Georgetown section opened the following year. In 1828,

9120-523: Was part of the Patowmack Canal, was dredged to increase its depth from 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 m), and became part of the C&O Canal. The first president of the canal, Charles F. Mercer , insisted on perfection since this was a work of national importance. This would cost the company more money to build the canal. During his term, he forbade the use of slackwaters for navigation, the use of composite locks (see section below), or reduction of

9216-620: Was the only part to be completed. On October 23, 1826, the engineers submitted the study, presenting the proposed canal route in three sections. The eastern section comprised Georgetown to Cumberland; the middle section, Cumberland (going up Wills Creek to Hyndman then across the Sand Patch Grade crossing the Eastern Continental Divide to Garrett ) to the confluence of the Casselman River and

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