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Somerset, Maryland (U.S.)

Montgomery County

image located by Valentin Poposki, 19 June 2007

Description of the flag

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Description of the Flag

The flag can be seen on a photo at http://townofsomerset.com/office.html and it looks like the image that appears on a front page: http://townofsomerset.com. Somerset is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, near the District of Columbia border. The population was 1,124 at the 2000 census.

History:
Although Somerset was originally incorporated as a town in 1906, its history dates back to 1890 when five government scientists purchased a 50 acre parcel of tobacco farmland from the government for the purpose of setting up a residential community. This land was originally part of the Friendship Tract, a 1713 gift of 3,000 acres (12 km²) to a couple of early Maryland colonists which is now the basis for the nearby Friendship Heights area. Five early streets were arranged and remain to this day: Dorset, Warwick, Surrey, Cumberland, and Essex after the English counties. The first home in Somerset was occupied by Dr. Charles A. Crampton in 1893 and by 1905 there were 35 residences. Despite being promoted as an area of "tranquility and refinement", the original Town was plagued by inadequate water drainage, a makeshift sewage system, and no local fire protection or schools. These problems prompted the local citizens to petition the State of Maryland for incorporation into a township so that taxes could be levied to provide these basic services. The Charter was issued in 1906, forming the community of Somerset Heights and the surrounding areas into the Town of Somerset. The first Town Council was elected on May 7, 1906, and Dr. Crampton was elected as the first mayor.
Valentin Poposki, 19 June 2007