Shopping small is a wonderful way to support Allegany County’s vibrant community and explore the unique businesses that call it home this holiday season.

Among the many local gems, two exciting new businesses have recently opened their doors: the Mountain Maryland Trading Post in Cumberland and Frostburg Fitness. These establishments not only offer unique products and services but also embody the entrepreneurial spirit that makes Allegany County special.

Mountain Maryland Trading Post, located at 60 Baltimore Street, is brimming with Cumberland and Maryland pride!

Husband and wife duo Cody and Allie Morgan grew up in Cumberland and met while attending Fort Hill High School. After moving away for college and beginning their early careers in Central Maryland, the couple started making digital designs to feature on clothes, bags, hats, and other apparel. 

“Growing up and living in what’s considered ‘mountain Maryland,’ I took a lot of inspiration from home for the designs featured on our apparel and accessories,” said Co-owner Cody Morgan.

Officially starting the Mountain Maryland Trading Post brand, the team sold their designs online and eventually at farmers markets and other in-person events, such as the annual Heritage Days Festival. Nearly ten years after leaving Cumberland, the couple moved back to Allegany County to raise their family and transformed the business into a brick-and-mortar shop on Baltimore Street in October 2023. 

“Having grown up here and moved away, [Allie and I] realized there is a lot we took for granted in our community while growing up,” said Cody Morgan. “Now that we've moved back, we're experiencing our hometown with a fresh perspective and working to be a positive force in our downtown community.”

Beyond print merchandise, Mountain Maryland Trading Post offers locally made goods from Basecamp Coffee, Chew on This Jerky, Frost Bite, and more to the store—expanding its offerings and deepening its reputation as a supplier of local wares. 

“Tourists and visitors often visit our store because our products are unique to the experience of being in Allegany County,” Cody emphasized. “You can wear the ‘Cumberland Cityscape’ t-shirt and pay homage to your trip to our historical town, or brew a delicious cup of Basecamp coffee in your kitchen, reminiscing the tastes and sights of your most recent stroll down Baltimore Street.”

Following this principle, Mountain Maryland Trading Post is moving its print operations from large-scale, on-demand vendors in favor of local print providers, screen printers, and t-shirt makers. 

Cody continued, “My wife and I work to pull in as many local and Maryland-made products as possible. Community is a big aspect of our business, and we want to keep as much revenue within the local economy as possible.”

“Having a local store is a good opportunity to talk to people. We try to be a big champion of Cumberland and everything we have around us, like our outdoor attractions and natural landmarks,” he added. “A lot of people come in and ask about the developments in Downtown Cumberland—that's definitely a big point of pride for us to share how our community is evolving."

The store also supports a number of charitable organizations. Ten percent of their October 2024 profits were donated to Hurricane Helene relief efforts. Mountain Maryland Trading Post also participates in the Toasty Toes Sock Drive and sponsors The Fitted Joint’s Golf Classic, which raises money for hungry families during the holiday season.

Their most recent partnership gives back to the institution where their relationship began, Fort Hill High School. A new collection of apparel, home goods, cups, and much more feature Fort Hill’s logo, boosting hometown spirit and contributing a portion of each sale to the co-owners' alma mater.

Give the gift of wellness this holiday season with classes at Frostburg Fitness—a new fitness center prioritizing community connection and health.

Owner Audrey King has long been passionate about helping people of all ages improve their health through exercise. With a background in physical education and years of experience offering personal training in her home gym, King had her first taste of running a brick-and-mortar business through FrostburgFirst’s “PopUp Frostburg” program.

PopUp Frostburg ran from early 2021 to late 2023 and utilized different locations downtown to help businesses hold short-term ventures to get their products and services launched on Main Street. FrostburgFirst covered the rent cost and supplied general liability insurance to help business owners refine and test their operations without significant financial risk. King launched her pop-up at 2 W Main Street in early 2023.

“There are limited group fitness classes in Frostburg outside of martial arts, so I transitioned the focus of the pop-up to fill that gap,” King said. “The pop-up was super popular!”

Months after the successful pop-up, FrostburgFirst began searching for businesses that could benefit from their recent Project Restore 2.0 grant. The $240,000 grant aims to help small businesses reactivate vacant buildings for commercial use to improve the local economic climate. Funds can be used for start-up costs, including rent for the first several years, interior renovations (including new flooring and paint), furniture, fixtures, and exterior signage.

Frostburg divided the grant money between Frostburg Fitness and She’s So Pretty clothing boutique to help them renovate and modernize downtown establishments.

“We opened in September 2024 at 27 E Main Street, still with some improvements to make,” said King. “There is absolutely no way I could have gotten this far without the grant. Starting a business is expensive, and getting out of debt is hard once you’re in it. This funding allowed us to start Frostburg Fitness from a more financially manageable place.”

Frostburg Fitness now offers three primary class types: quick-pace high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts; weight lifting classes that target muscle development; and pilates for flexibility and gentle strength training.

“People of all ages come to our classes. They’re ready for a good workout and also like the community aspect of what we offer,” she shared. Further embracing that spirit of community, Frostburg Fitness welcomes members to bring their children into class.

“Unlike most gyms, we don’t exclude kids, which is often a huge barrier to working out,” King explained. “We hope to eventually offer daycare at the center to make fitness even more accessible for parents.”

As you shop for last-minute gifts, remember the hidden gems in Allegany County and consider supporting these and other small businesses. 

Read other business stories from Allegany County here.