Life here in Maryland is pretty good, but we all have the desire to expand our horizons every now and then, don't we? If you've wanted to head north of the border and explore the country of Canada, well, we've got an idea. Why not take a visit to New Maryland?
Yep, if you make your way across the Maine state line into Canada and head east into the province of New Brunswick, you'll meet another Maryland, one that gets its name from the state we all know and love.
It all started, according to the village's website, when a settler named Mr. Arnold left our own Maryland in 1817 and moved up to Canada to begin a new life. It was called both Maryland and Maryland Hill, but finally took on its current name of New Maryland -- pretty accurate, since nothing could replace the original Maryland in our eyes!
Still, it's pretty cool that our neighbor to the north has such love for us here in the States. In fact, the village takes its own Maryland heritage so seriously, its coat of arms even borrows from the Maryland flag design that we see all over our state! You'll notice the colors and design, while not identical, clearly shows an homage to the colorful Maryland flag. It's featured on the local flag, which also has blue stripes to pay homage to the village's Scottish roots.
This place even has a claim to fame as the location of the province's last fatal duel. A case of mistaken identity sent a pair of attorneys into a battle that ended with one of them gunning the other one down in 1821. (The village's website recounts the event in vivid detail!)
Luckily, you're in no danger of being in a pistol duel when you visit these days. If you feel like driving for around 14 hours, this little village is nearly a straight shot north -- maybe a road trip for the ambitious Marylander is in store!
