Most people think Accident is an interesting name for a town. Just yesterday I was asked about it by a CBP officer on my way home. Not too many residents know the story of the name though. As what many could call a suburb of the lake, Accident is a small town with its own history to it. The Drane family received this land as part of a grant program that dates back to right after the Revolutionary War. They wanted to find the best tract of land in all of Western Maryland. So, they sent out two different surveyors. When the surveyors returned to have Drane choose his tract, they discovered they had surveyed the same exact tract of land, from the same tree to rock. This land was chosen and named the Accident Tract. Their original log cabin remains standing on the edge of the current town, and is open on holidays and during special historical society events. Now accident is just a quaint main street town. The homecoming is on the Fourth of July, and a parade and town social is held with contributions from local businesses and churches. For further reading on Accident, and the area known to some as Flowery Vale, look for Flowery Vale: a History of Accident, Maryland by Mary Miller Strauss.
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