What is the history of North Bethesda, Maryland?

North Bethesda shares a common history with most of its Montgomery County, MarylandMontgomery County neighbors. Archaeological evidence suggests that Paleo, Archaic, and Woodland Native Americans lived nearby, along the banks of the Potomac River. These peoples traveled along an ancient route known as the Seneca Trail (which is today approximately followed in North Bethesda by Old Georgetown Road). Like many ancient roads, the Seneca Trail followed a ridge line – in this case, the high ground between the Potomac River and Rock Creek (Potomac River)Rock Creek. Much later, development would spring up along this route.

The recorded history of the area commences with the colonial era. Settlements formed along Rock Creek and the Seneca Trail in the 17th Century, with recorded land grants in this area known originally as “Dan” and “Leeke Forest.”

In the early 19th century, much of the area was part of a 3,700 acre tobacco plantation owned by a slaveowning family with the surname of Riley. One of the Rileys' slaves, Josiah Henson, is thought by historians to be the inspiration for Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. During this period, the Washington Turnpike Company was founded to improve the old Seneca route, by then known as the Georgetown-Frederick Road. The road was opened in 1828, but had nearly washed away by 1848. The Riley plantation house was located on this road, and the plantation house's kitchen (in which Henson is known to have slept) still stands near the course of this road.

By the late 19th century, the area was privileged with stops along a train route, and by the early 20th century with its own trolley tracks on the line connecting Georgetown and Rockville (along current-day Fleming Avenue). During this time, development bloomed around train and trolley stops, and a number of wealthy families, including those of Captain James Frederick Oyster and Charles I. Corby (who developed methods that revolutionized the baking industry), lived or summered in the area. Nonetheless, the area remained sparsely populated through the 1920's.

The arrival of the automobile eventually transformed the area into a commuter suburb of Washington, D.C. By the 1950’s, the area had sprouted a number of developer-conceived neighborhoods with tract houses for the middle-class.

Today, the area remains largely a commuter suburb, with most residents traveling an average of 30 minutes to their workplace. While some traditional neighborhoods remain, other areas have struggled with issues related to suburban sprawl. Over the last few decades, the area has become increasingly affluent and, like most areas in southern Montgomery County, MarylandMontgomery County, has attracted a highly educated and older population.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Bethesda%2C_Maryland