User:Spamabannana/Boyds, Maryland

Boyds, Maryland is an Unincorporated area|unincorporated community in rural Montgomery County, Maryland, located north of Washington, DC. Its ZIP Code is 20841.

According to the United States 2000 Census, the ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) for the town of Boyds covers an area of 71.3 square miles (185 km²) and has a population of 926. Black Hill Regional Park, and most notably Little Seneca Lake, are part of Boyds.

History

The community was named for Colonel James Alexander Boyd (1823-1896), a Scottish immigrant who was a construction engineer for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O). He built a temporary village to house construction workers as the B&O built the Metropolitan Subdivision Branch line after the Civil War. The railroad line began service in 1873. A mill, stores and other businesses were established in the area after the railroad station opened. The B&O opened a brick railroad station in 1887, and demolished it in 1927 to make way for installation of a second rail track|track. A wooden station was built as a replacement, but was later taken down. Passenger train service is still provided at Boyds by the MARC system.

James Boyd established dairy farming in the area and lived in the town until his death in 1896.

More recently, in the late 1970s, there had been some discussion as to the exact southern boundary of Boyds. Boyds's survey maps showed that the town's southern boundary ran along an old fence south of Little Seneca Creek. Since 32 people lived north of this fence, this meant that technically these were part of Boyds. However the fence was bulldozed during the construction of another house, fueling Germantown arguements that the fence never existed. In addition, holding these communities had always been part of Germantown's Master Plan to dominate the area. So, on August 8th, 1982, although the ZIP code of these houses was 20841 and was served by the Boyds post office, the Germantown government declared the communities part of Germantown and sent it's police to enforce this. This caused much hatred and resentment from the people of this area, and from the people of Boyds itself because farmer Danial Marous, who lived in that area, made "some of the best moonshine in town" according to Adams Polk, a post man at that time.

Diplomatic relations broke down on August 9th, after the mayor of Boyds challenged the mayor of Germantown (who refused) to a duel. Hostilities commenced 40 minutes later outside a bar in Germantown when a groupe of drunken men from the recently annaxed area, disguised as typewriter salesmen, set fire to a mailbox. An act hailed as "absolute, selfless bravery" by Boyds's mayor. Naturaly, they were arrested by the Germantown police. The next day, at 9:30 AM, August 10th, 1982, Boyds declared war.

At first, the war looked to be more of a verbal one, since neither side had an army and Boyds didn't even have a police force. However by night fall, all of Boyds was rallying under the cry "christinise the heathens" (due to a misunderstanding of the word 'gay' which is what the mayor called Germantown). By morning, all tractors in Boyds were drafted for the war effort, all stills were were converted to making alcohal bombs, crop dusters were fitted with shot guns, donated by eager citizens and fire works crafted to function as explosive missiles, and dozens of men sighned up for the new Boyds militia. On August 11th, the Germantown government was still unawere of it's part in the war because the mail truck carrying the declareation of hostilities broke down on Clopper road.

Fighting broke out at 2:28 PM, August 11th 1982, when crop duster pilot Bever Morris dropped two lit firework bombs over the Germantown MARC station in an effort to deny Germantown one of the busiest stations on the Brunswick Line. Both bombs missed the target, and struck nearby cars instead. On a return pass, Morris fired three rounds out the side door at the station with his 22. gauge shot gun before returning to Boyds to be hailed as a hero. Nine people were injured in the attack, Germentown's mayor stated that this "... was an unforgivable act of treachery", and called for 200 vulonteers and an invasion of Boyds.

The U.S. government did nothing to interfere throughout the first three months of the conflict. Senator Colplay Cumberland later said "We didn't know entirely what was going on with those towns, or why they were killing each other. None of it made any sense". After a heated debate, Ronald Reagan decided to "...let those hilbilies fight out there differences" rather than risk one or both town's sucession. On August 12th, newly recruited colonel Badford S. Williams led the Boyds militia into the disputed zone declaring "Y'all 's now free. By th' way, where's Danial Marous?". The 4 Germantown police officers stationed in that area surrendered after they received word of the capture of farmer Pitts's silo and the seven crates of whiskey hidden under the grain, and a walki talki, enabling the Boyds militia to listen in on their radio. After surrendering, they were taken to tho Boyds post office, of which the cellar had been converted into a temporary internment building, with the promise of beer and pretzels upon arrival. However, in the words of one of the prisoners, there "...was no beer in there, not a f*cking drop". Arthur Virts, who was in charge of the facilities stated afterwards that "There was a war going on, we needed all the beer for distilation to make whisky bombs for use at the front".

Encuraged by recent victories, the Boyds counsel decided to occupy south Germantown up to the Brunswick Line, and sent 31 militia men supported by 3 armered tractor and 2 fitted pickup trucks down Clopper road. The G.L.F. (Germantown Liberation Force) became aware of these activities and sent 53 soldiers supported by one armored S.W.A.T. car to intercept them. The opposing militias met north west of Germantown road, and the fighting lasted 18 minutes before tractor tank driver Berks Carnegie, dropped his ciggrette on a sack of explosives causing a blast that killed 1 man and injured 4. The rest of the Boyds force retreated through the woods and back up Clopper road. The G.L.F. losses amounted to 2 killed and 5 wounded. The Boyds militia losses amounted to 4 killed, 6 wounded, and 1 captured in addition to the loss of one armored tractor and one fitted pickup truck because in ran out of gas. After the battle, the commander of the G.L.F. said to his men, "And that's why 'smoking is stupid'".

By August 13th, the majority of the Boyds militia survivors had regrouped at Remus Hungerford's saw mill and fortified it against attack. Word was sent back to the Boyds Presbyterian Church, the headquarters of the war time government, of the defeat. The mayor ordered the destruction of a nameless tunnel under the Brunswick Line and the Boyds militia fall back to 10 Mile Creek road. On August 14th, G.L.F. entered south Boyds and burned down the Boyds store. Sporatic gurillia fighting occored for the next two months along what would be called the 10 Mile creek front, extending north to the swamps of 10 Mile Creek, south along 10 Mile Creek road to White Ground road, with neither side gaining a clear advantage.

After five days of fighting, the soldiers hold up in Remus Hungerford's saw mill withdrew under cover of darkness to 10 Mile Creek valley. The fort was then occupied by GLF.

On October 31st, 1982, a Boyds offensive took place along Hoyles Mill road to recapture key moonshine stills in the area. This operation saw the first aerial combat of the war as two crop dusters engaged a former news helicopter fitted with nail guns, that was called in to aid G.L.F. forces on the second day of the offencive. By November 2nd, GLF forces had been split in two, division II had been driven into 10 Mile Creek valley where, surrounded on three sides, they suffered forty percent of the casualties they receivied during the war. Write Blair, a sniper stationed at the Winderbourn Mansion during the battle of the valley, said of it "They was all treed up down der. It was like shootn' deer 'cept they wasn' deer; they was people n' they fought back". Franklin Carbon, a former bum who was wounded in that battle retold "If it wern't for that dang forest surrounding the valley we might have made it out in better shape. Also if it wern't for that D*nm sniper on the roof of this creepy looking mansion".

Division I was pushed back as well but was able to hold back Major Spangler's bregade of tractor tanks by destroying the bridge over Seneca creek, and took up positions behind a fence that ran south along Seneca creek. It was here that construction engineer Buck Mayers discovered that the fence existed after all and famously said "We are fighting over nothing but a downed fence and here it is still standing amidst all the bloodshed." . Unfortunatly, while he was talking, he was hit by a wrecking bar fired from a make shift cannon and died of his wounds.

A November14th GLF counter offensive down Old Baltimore road failed because someone had dumped their trash all over the road rendering it impassable.

On November 21st, Ronald Reagan offered to mediate between the two towns saying, "This is ridiculous, your little war is making America look lake an idiot". The first peace talks went badly as Boyds's mayor kept referring to the other towns people as croats. In addition, that house that keeps burning down burned down, an aerial Germantown attack was suspected by many in Boyds, but a fire inspection proved that it was not. A cease fire was arranged for the Christmas season. However, Santa Claus had to be escorted by two guards for protection. In an effort to keep things in the Christmas spirit, the guards were dressed as elves.

Peace talks recommenced on January 5th, 1983, the Germantown representative speaking "It's so darn cold out here. Lets just apologize and get it over with". After some disagreement, it was decided that, since the disputed area was leveled anyway, Germantown could have it. The second agreement was that no Germantown suberbs could exist within Boyds, Its mayor saying "We ain't got no use fer no suburbs nohow". It was also decided that, to keep the towns from fighting any time in the future, a lake would be created to act as a buffer between the two towns. It was completed in 1985 and is called Little Seneca Lake.

Boyds casualties for this conflict were 81 killed and 139 wounded. Germantown casualties were 125 killed and 167 wounded. With around 30% of Germantown's casualties occuring in the seven day battle of 10 Mile Creek valley.

Boyds has until recently been a predominantly rural area. However, since the 2000 Census, there has been enormous population growth. Large, multi-thousand home developments such as "The Vistas," near the intersection of Route 118 and Richter Farm Road, have rapidly replaced farmland and forest throughout the Germantown and Clarksburg areas bordering sections of the town.

The racial demographics are: 88% white, 4% Hispanic, 7.5% black, 0.5% Asian.

Boyds Mercantile and Stores

The first Boyds Country Store was opened in 1873 (the same year that the railroad was connected to the town) and run by Mr. James E. Williams. It served not only as a market of goods for both citizens and passers-bye in Boyds, but also as a meeting place for the townspeople in the afternoon. Colonel Boyd built a second store across the road in 1895. It housed the general store and post office on its first floor and a town hall on the second floor along with a dance hall. As time went by, the town hall became smaller and smaller as the building was used for additional purposes until it was finally torn down for salvageable lumber in the early 1940's. In the evenings families would gather on the front porch of the general store; the parents talking and their children playing out on the lawn in front of the store. After the first country store became vacant in 1946, it was bought in an auction by Mr. Brice P. Selby. He was known to often keep his customers on tab, resulting in not much profit for him and his store. However, he was well known as a kind and generous soul. A third store, known as the Boyds Country Market, exists on Barnesville road across from the site of the old town hall. It was built by Mr. Will Williams in 1933. The first two grocery stores, as well as the town hall, old Hoyle's Mill, and a hardware store were all destroyed in the development of the surrounding area. A small post office was located at the back of the country store from the early 1930's until 1974, when it was relocated to a new building on Barnesville road, where it still sits today.

Notable People Associated with Boyds

• Arthur Virts
• Colonel A Boyd
• Senator Joe McCarthy

External links

• Map of Boyds
• Black Hill Regional Park – Montgomery County Department of Parks
• Boyds Civic Association
• Boyds Historical Society