We love hearing about towns with silly names, and our fan Scott S. just told us about one we didn’t know: Accident, Maryland. How did it get its name? Apparently back in 1774, Lord Baltimore told people they could move onto his land in western Maryland. Two guys named William Deakins and Brook Beall started marking off the space they wanted — only to find out that they’d grabbed the same land “by accident.” They were buddies, so Deakins let Beall take the land. But it also turned out to be only 682 acres, not the 778 that Beall was supposed to get – so there was a math accident in there, too!
Wee ones: The town of Accident is roughly a rectangle. Can you find 2 things in your room that are rectangles?
Little kids: If there are 5 trees on your street block, and you pick out one for your treehouse, how many trees are left for other kids? Bonus: If you start building your treehouse on a Tuesday and finish 3 days later, when do you finish?
Big kids: If there are 24 trees in the park, and 10 kids come along and each picks a tree for a treehouse…then 18 more kids pick trees, at least how many “accidents” of picking the same tree have to happen? Bonus: The Accident accident happened in 1774. How long ago was that before the year 2017, when we heard about it here?
Answers:
Wee ones: Answers might include a shoebox, a book cover, a door, or the front of a dresser drawer.
Little kids: 4 trees. Bonus: On Friday.
Big kids: At least 4 accidents. Bonus: 243 years before.
