The South Mountain Hennery Company

*This story originates from the community of Locust Valley, a small village centered on the fork of Mountain Church and Marker Roads about two miles north of Burkittsville.

The Marker Family played a leading role in the growth and development of Locust Valley as a thriving center for agribusiness in the early-twentieth century. John H. Marker moved his family from the Myersville area to Locust Valley in 1911 when he purchased the large dairy farm of the late Daniel Sigler. Within four years, he and his sons William and Dorye opened a general store at the entrance to the farm which would go on to serve Locust Valley for the next half century. The brothers expanded the services of their business through adding machinery to grind cornmeal and hominy, building an ice cream plant, and providing long and short distance hauling. They also butchered hogs at the store for local families.

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