Frederick, city (2020 pop. 78,171),
seat of Frederick co., NW Md.; settled 1745, inc. 1817. The processing
center of a fertile farm and dairying area, it makes beer, household items,
optical and glass products, leather goods, clothing, and electronic
equipment. The largest employer, however, is Fort Detrick, a U.S. Army
medical research center. Frederick was an important grain-trading center and
a stop on the road west to the Ohio valley. In the Civil War, Confederate
troops passed through the city en route to the battle of Antietam (see
Antietam
campaign). Points of interest include the grave of Francis
Scott Key, author of
“The Star-Spangled Banner,” and the house of Barbara
Frietchie, legendary Civil War heroine. Hood College and a campus of the
Maryland School for the Deaf are in Frederick. Monocacy National Battlefield
is nearby.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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