Cumberland

Cumberland, former county, England

Cumberland, former county, N England. In 1974, Cumberland became part of the nonmetropolitan county of Cumbria.

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Cumberland, river, United States

Cumberland, river, 687 mi (1,106 km) long, rising in E Ky., and winding generally SW through Ky. and Tenn., then NW to the Ohio River near Paducah, Ky.; drains c.18,500 sq mi (47,910 sq km). The development of lakes and canals make the river navigable for small craft for much of its length. The river's upper course flows through the rugged, forested coal-mining region of SE Kentucky. The central section of the river passes through the Nashville Basin, an agricultural region and the site of Nashville, Tenn. The Tennessee Valley Authority markets hydroelectric power produced by dams on the Cumberland and its tributaries, including Dale Hollow, Center Hill, and Barkley dams, as well as Wolf Creek Dam, Ky., which impounds Lake Cumberland. The Cumberland valley was the scene of several important Civil War battles (see Fort Donelson).

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Cumberland, cities, United States

Cumberland.

1 City (1990 pop. 23,706), seat of Allegany co., NW Md., on the North Branch of the Potomac; settled 1750, inc. 1815. It is an important railroad and shipping center for a coal-mining area. Its manufactures include textiles, rubber, glass, paper products, and plastics. Cumberland grew around the site of a trading post established (1750) by the Ohio Company at a natural gateway through the Appalachians to the Ohio valley. Fort Cumberland (built 1754) was the base of operations for the ill-fated Braddock expedition (1755) against the French and Native American forces and the site of Washington's first military headquarters (1757). The city became the eastern terminus of the Cumberland Road, or National Road; a division point for the Baltimore & Ohio RR; and the western terminus of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (completed 1850), which runs through Green Ridge State Forest. Other local attractions include the old toll gate house (1833) and the Narrows, a magnificent gorge through the Appalachians to the Ohio valley. Frostburg State Univ. is to the west.

2 Town (1990 pop. 29,038), Providence co., NE R.I., on the Blackstone River and the Mass. line; included in Massachusetts until 1746, inc. as a R.I. town 1747. Its manufactures include textiles and metal and fiberglass products. The Ballou Meetinghouse dates from c.1740.