Day 1403: May 19, 2018 Middletown This beautiful small town is located in western Frederick County, Maryland. It was first surveyed by a young George Washington. The main street is laid out along the old National Pike, the first route west through the Appalachians. During the Confederate invasion of Maryland in 1862, Confederate cavalry divisions attempted to hold the town "hostage", telling the town leaders that if residents did not pay them exorbitant amounts of money and supplies the town would be destroyed. Only partial payment was made before an advancing Union army forced the Confederates to move on. While eating crab cakes in a very nice local restaurant I discovered to my great amusement the appearance on the town's Wikipedia page of the "Snallygaster", "a mythical dragon-like beast said to inhabit Central Maryland." The name is thought to be an Americanization of the German name "Schneller Ghast", meaning "quick ghost." Seven-pointed stars are said to repel the creature, some of which can still be seen painted on local barns. In 1909, there were several reported local sightings, leading the Smithsonian Institution to offer a reward for the creature's hide. They turned out to be a hoax perpetrated by the local newspaper in an attempt to increase readership. Main Street, Middletown, Maryland