File:03 Abraham Pennington was the first settler near Eel Pot, 1728.jpg

Summary

According to this display at the Heritage Museum, "Abraham Pennington was the first settler near Eel Pot". He arrived in 1728.

Pennington was a trader attracted by Native Americans and "the steady stream of predominantly German farmers from Pennsylvania making their way across the stretch of the Potomac in search of new lands in Northern Virginia.

"These immigrants gave Eel Pot its next two names: German Crossing and by the late 1700s, Berlin."

According to Reuben Moss: "Pennington's cabin was believed to have been located somewhere around the west side of Catoctin Creek's mouth. There was also a major trading post at the mouth of the Monocacy which I believe operated around the same time, so he probably got business from there as well as directly to his cabin.

Plots of the land grants which made up what is now Frederick County were relatively inexpensive. Those 'prime' land had been granted to, like Benjamin Tasker who was granted the land that is now Frederick, tried to get high prices and couldn't compete with the surrounding cheaper grants such as Hawkins' Merry Peep O'Day which is now southern Frederick County. Tasker sold much of his land for almost nothing to a man who called it "Tasker's Chance" (where the name of the subdevelopment behind the golden mile comes from) and founded Fredericktowne...and through that purchase ended up making a fortune selling off farm plots to German farmers for much less than Tasker had been asking."

(Photo credit Brunswick Heritage Museum)

Reuben Moss: Pennington's cabin was believed to have been located somewhere around the west side of Catoctin Creek's mouth. There was also a major trading post at the mouth of the Monocacy which I believe operated around the same time, so he probably got business from there as well as directly to his cabin.

Plots of the land grants which made up what is now Frederick County were relatively inexpensive. Those 'prime' land had been granted to, like Benjamin Tasker who was granted the land that is now Frederick, tried to get high prices and couldn't compete with the surrounding cheaper grants such as Hawkins' Merry Peep O'Day which is now southern Frederick County. Tasker sold much of his land for almost nothing to a man who called it "Tasker's Chance" (where the name of the subdevelopment behind the golden mile comes from) and founded Fredericktowne...and through that purchase ended up making a fortune selling off farm plots to german farmers for much less than Tasker had been asking.

Pepper Scotto: South of the mouth of Catoctin Creek (MD), land granted to John Magruder "Kittoctin Bottom" for 250 acres - not all lying along the river - but diverted up Catoctin Creek on the east side then up to the higher land toward Point of Rocks. Magruder was a businessman, with ferries, taverns, and land speculations. He gave 150 acres to James Hook in 1740, who lived in that area for at least several years before. James immediately gave 50 acres to his younger brother John. Both built homes by 1740 in that area we call 'Lander' today.