A history of Oakland,
since 1862
Postcards, papers and photographs of Oakland from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story so far
from Wikipedia & the U.S. CensusOakland is a town in Garrett County, Maryland, United States, and its county seat. The population was 1,851 at the 2020 census. Oakland was founded in 1851 and was incorporated in 1862 Oakland is often referred to as, “A great small town!” Oakland was formally incorporated as a town in 1862. The town is home to the historic Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Oakland Station, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and restored in the 2000s. Today, the station is mainly used for special organizations or gatherings, although trains still run on tracks behind the station. A gift shop is located within the station. Seasonal decorations and events, such as a Christmas tree,…
Oakland was established in 1862. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 1,925 to 1,851 (-4%). Half of its homes were built before 1960.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Oakland yet — the old photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Intro from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Population and housing: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Oakland’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewOakland Hotel, 1892: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Oakland
See all 9 →
Oakland, decade by decade
![Oakland Hotel. Glade of the Alleghanies [i.e. Alleghenies]](https://images.towntapestry.org/story/7475/e792cc368d9853e9c16d-s.jpg)
1990s
3 historic places in Oakland
Oakland has 3 listings on the National Register, and they protect 177 historic buildings, because Oakland Historic District alone counts 175.
Where they are
When they were listed
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Oakland Hotel (1892) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (2) and the Library of Congress (4). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.