Maryland Municipal League Geotrail - Bladensburg Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

MML Geotrail: Thanks to everyone who participated and helped with the MML Geotrail. The coin promotion has now ended. Please look for a future MML Geocache project.

Thanks,
Calvertcachers

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Hidden : 12/31/2008
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:


The Maryland Municipal League Geocache Trail
Celebrating Maryland’s Cities and Towns.
MML District 9

The printed MML Passport is no longer available. However, you may download a copy from the MML website here.

The trail consists of 11 MML Districts (regions).
The MML Geocache Trail project will launch January 1, 2009 with 78 participating cities and towns. A trackable geo coin will be given to the first 500 geocachers as an incentive for locating at least 2 municipal caches in each of the 11 districts. To be eligible for the coin, geocachers must pick up a Passport at any of the designated county visitor centers. Geocachers must use the stamp in the cache on their Passports and write down the cache code word listed in each cache. After at least two municipal caches in each district are discovered, geocachers may return to one of the county visitor centers and have their Passports validated to receive their collectable coin.

For a complete list of participating visitor centers visit the MML web site at http://www.mdmunicipal.org/mmlhome/index.cfm or MGS web site at www.mdgps.org.






Bladensburg was named in honor of Sir Thomas Bladen, whose term as Provincial Governor began in 1742, the year that the town was established. It was an important port in colonial Maryland; by the time of the Revolution it was handling an ocean tonnage larger than any port in the colonies with the exception of Yorktown, Virginia. The harbor was reported to have a depth of forty feet and could easily accommodate ocean-going vessels.

The port’s chief commodity was tobacco, and when the area’s overworked fields became less fertile and serious silting of the Anacostia River began, the town’s fortunes slid into a decline that lasted for a century and a half. In 1940, the population was less than 400 people.

The town flourished briefly as a passenger and freight transfer point when in 1832 the U.S. Congress refused to permit the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to enter the National Capital, considering the iron monster too dangerous an intruder. Bladensburg became the southern terminus for the discharge of passengers and freight until the ban was lifted in 1835. Samuel F. B. Morse strung the first telegraph line along that railroad right of way and is reported to have received the world’s first telegraph message in Bladensburg in 1844—before he sent his famous “What Hath God Wrought” message.

The present town of Bladensburg was incorporated in 1854 and retained its commission form of government until 1947. In that year, the town was enlarged by the addition of the Sunnybrook subdivision and, under a new charter; a Mayor and Council form of government was established.

The town is aggressively pursuing the economic revitalization of the business district, promoting its historic sites, and redeveloping the Bladensburg Waterfront Park as a marina and tourist destination. The town welcomes neighbors and visitors from afar to discover its trail system, historic sites, and the beauty of the Anacostia River, and to consider living in Bladensburg.

The cache is located at the beautiful Bladensburg Waterfront Park. You are seeking a small lock and lock container painted to fit into the surroundings. Be sure to rehide the container exactly as found.



The Town of Bladensburg thanks you for visiting!



Thanks to Calvertcachers for helping with this hide!






Thanks to the Maryland Geocaching Society for assisting with this project!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Puhtn Puhtn Pubb Pubb.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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