Vale Summit is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) in Allegany County,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 139. Local lore indicates that the community was so named in the mid 19th century, founded by the local population of

coal miners People have worked as coal miners for centuries, but they became increasingly important during the Industrial revolution when coal was burnt on a large scale to fuel stationary and locomotive engines and heat buildings. Owing to coal's strategic ro ...

. Previously, however, it was locally known as "Pompey Smash", the origin of which is commonly believed to have come from a slave named Pompey crashing his wagonload of coal. A main road through the village still bears the name "Pompey Smash Road". A paved road reached the town ''circa'' 1921, from Clarysville, along

Route 40 The following highways are numbered 40: International * European route E40 Argentina * National Route 40 Australia * NSW State Route 40 (Windsor Road and Victoria Road in Sydney) * Victorian State Route 40 * Mulligan Highway (Queensland) Br ...

Demographics

References

Census-designated places in Allegany County, Maryland Census-designated places in Maryland Coal towns in Maryland {{AlleganyCountyMD-geo-stub