closed its Cumberland plant in 1983. Post-industrial The 20th century witnessed major changes in Cumberland's economy. Losing out to competition from the faster-moving railroad, the C&O Canal declined in importance until it closed in 1924. The railroad industry also suffered from competition from other modes of transportation in the 20th century. Traditional industries such as glass making, textiles, and breweries lost ground or disappeared. Nevertheless, manufacturing remained the major source of employment in the city and Allegany County as a whole until the mid-1980s. Plant layoffs and closures during the 1970s and 1980s signaled industrial decline for the city, reaching its nadir with the final closures of the Celanese and Kelly-Springfield plants. A major reason for these closures was the emergence of new technologies that rendered older industrial processes and equipment obsolete. In the 1990s, Kelly-Springfield was absorbed by parent company Goodyear and moved its corporate headquarters to Akron, Ohio, another setback for the city’s economy. The last of the "Big Four" employers, the NewPage (formerly MeadWestvaco) which operated the paper mill southwest of Cumberland in Luke, Maryland. closed in June 2020. Cumberland experienced the same fate as many American cities in the latter quarter of the 20th century. Many industries closed their doors, leading to significant out-migration during this period, but Cumberland natives remained resilient. Today, the population of the Cumberland area has stabilized, with a small decline in the city's population due primarily to sprawling of residents into the rural areas outside the city limits. Many service-related industries have emerged over the past 20 years, particularly in the areas of tourism and entertainment, focusing around Cumberland's rich history, natural beauty, and cultural resources. Between 2001 and 2005 alone, the Cumberland arts, entertainment, and recreation industry has grown by 29.2 percent. Cumberland's economy has yet to significantly recover from the setbacks of the late 20th century. The Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area is one of the poorest in the nation, ranked 305th out of 318 metropolitan areas in per capita income. Timeline for Cumberland 1728: Earliest record of a settlement along Wills Creek named after Indian Will 1749: Ohio Company establishes small fortified posts at Wills Creek Nemacolin's path blazed and cleared by Nemacolin, a Delaware chief, and Thomas Cresap, a Maryland frontiersman for the Ohio Company 1754: Fort Cumberland constructed by militiamen. French and Indian War begins 1755: Braddock Expedition launched from Fort Cumberland to capture Fort Duquesne