1.
Maryland
–
The states largest city is Baltimore, and its capital is Annapolis. Among its occasional nicknames are Old Line State, the Free State, the state is named after Henrietta Maria of France, the wife of Charles I of England. George Calvert was the first Lord of Baltimore and the first English proprietor of the colonial grant. Maryland was the state to ratify the United States Constitution. Maryland is one of the smallest U. S. states in terms of area, as well as one of the most densely populated, Maryland has an area of 12,406.68 square miles and is comparable in overall area with Belgium. It is the 42nd largest and 9th smallest state and is closest in size to the state of Hawaii, the next largest state, its neighbor West Virginia, is almost twice the size of Maryland. Maryland possesses a variety of topography within its borders, contributing to its nickname America in Miniature. The mid-portion of this border is interrupted by Washington, D. C. which sits on land that was part of Montgomery and Prince Georges counties and including the town of Georgetown. This land was ceded to the United States Federal Government in 1790 to form the District of Columbia, the Chesapeake Bay nearly bisects the state and the counties east of the bay are known collectively as the Eastern Shore. Close to the town of Hancock, in western Maryland, about two-thirds of the way across the state. This geographical curiosity makes Maryland the narrowest state, bordered by the Mason–Dixon line to the north, portions of Maryland are included in various official and unofficial geographic regions. Much of the Baltimore–Washington corridor lies just south of the Piedmont in the Coastal Plain, earthquakes in Maryland are infrequent and small due to the states distance from seismic/earthquake zones. The M5.8 Virginia earthquake in 2011 was felt moderately throughout Maryland, buildings in the state are not well-designed for earthquakes and can suffer damage easily. The lack of any glacial history accounts for the scarcity of Marylands natural lakes, laurel Oxbow Lake is an over one-hundred-year-old 55-acre natural lake two miles north of Maryland City and adjacent to Russett. Chews Lake is a natural lake two miles south-southeast of Upper Marlboro. There are numerous lakes, the largest of them being the Deep Creek Lake. Maryland has shale formations containing natural gas, where fracking is theoretically possible, as is typical of states on the East Coast, Marylands plant life is abundant and healthy. Middle Atlantic coastal forests, typical of the southeastern Atlantic coastal plain, grow around Chesapeake Bay, moving west, a mixture of Northeastern coastal forests and Southeastern mixed forests cover the central part of the state
2.
United States
–
Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
3.
Patapsco River
–
The Patapsco River is a 39-mile-long river in central Maryland which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. The rivers tidal portion forms the harbor for the city of Baltimore, with its South Branch, the Patapsco forms the northern border of Howard County, Maryland. The name Patapsco is derived from the Algonquian pota-psk-ut, which translates to backwater or tide covered with froth, the Patapsco proper begins at the confluence of the North and South Branches, near Marriottsville, approximately 15 miles west of downtown Baltimore. The 19. 4-mile-long South Branch rises further west at Parrs Spring, where Howard County, Carroll, Frederick, the North Branch flows 20.9 miles southward from its origins in Carroll County. Through most of its length, the Patapsco is a minor river, the last 10 miles, however, form a large tidal estuary inlet of Chesapeake Bay. The inner part of this provides the harbor of Baltimore, composed of the Northwest Harbor. The Patapsco estuary is south of the Back River and north of the Magothy River, the Patapsco has a watershed area of 680 square miles, or 632 square miles of land. Thus, its watershed area is 7% water. Patapsco Valley State Park is adjacent to 32 miles of the Patapsco and its branches, the river cuts a gorge 100–200 feet deep within the park, which features rocky cliffs and tributary waterfalls. Liberty Dam and its reservoir, located on the North Branch, is a component of the Baltimore city water system. Besides Baltimore, the river flows through Ellicott City and Elkridge. John Smith was the first European to explore the river noting it on his 1612 map as the Bolus River, the Red river, was named after the clay color, and is considered the old Bolus, as other branches were also labelled Bolus on maps. As the river was not navigable beyond Elkridge, it was not a path of commerce with only one ship listed as serving the northern branch. The Patapsco valley was used as the route of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroads original main line west constructed from 1829 onwards, many old railroad bridges were constructed in the valley, most notably the Thomas Viaduct and the Patterson Viaduct, of which ruins remain. Flour mills and a dam were formerly powered by the river. The valley is prone to flooding, though at long intervals, in 1972 as a result of rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Agnes, in which Ellicott City and the Old Main Line sustained serious damage. In July 2016 a historic flood ravaged Main Street - leaving two dead, the mouth of the Patapsco River forms Baltimore harbor, the site of the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. This is where Francis Scott Key, while aboard a British ship, wrote The Star-Spangled Banner, today, a red, white, and blue buoy marks the spot where the HMS Tonnant was anchored
4.
Patapsco Valley State Park
–
Patapsco Valley State Park is a public recreation area extending along 32 miles of the Patapsco River south and west of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. The state park encompasses multiple developed areas on over 14,000 acres of land, in 2006, it was officially celebrated as Marylands first state park and is managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. 20th century Formation of the park started with provisions in the Forestry Act of 1906, the completion of Bloedes Dam in 1906 required the implementation of protections to prevent silting from nearby farm erosion. Patapsco Valley State Park was established as Patapsco State Forest Reserve in 1907 to protect the valleys forest, the first 43 acres were donated by Russell Sage Foundation director John Mark Glenn from his Hilton estate. In 1912, Maryland delegate Carville Benson promoted expanding the Patapsco Forest Reserve as a park to support his suburban development initiatives, as other sections along the river were added, Patapsco Valley State Park became one of the largest parks in Maryland. In 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps opened State Park Project 2 work camps 336 and 356 at the park, CCC workers created recreational facilities and performed tree plantings for erosion control and silt management around the dam from adjacent overworked farms. Keeping the shores and hillsides vegetated minimized erosion, thus minimizing the amount of silt that could clog the turbines of Bloedes Dam which generated electricity for surrounding communities. In 2015,24.6 square miles includes an portion of the Patapsco Valley State Park, was certified as the Maryland’s 13th Heritage Area by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority. The parks recreational opportunities include hiking, fishing, camping, canoeing, horseback riding, mountain biking, the Baltimore City Paper named the park as its Best Place to Hike in 2007. Daniels Area, Once the site of a milltown called Daniels, the Daniels dam here backs up the Patapsco River providing smooth water for canoeing and kayaking, fishing, and swimming. Hollofield Area, The parks center features a 73-site campground, hiking trails. Pickall Area, Picnic shelters and playgrounds, Hilton Area, Located near Catonsville, the area has a small campground with mini-cabins, a nature center for children, and access to the Saw Mill Branch Trail and other trails. The Avalon Visitor Center is housed in a remnant of the milltown of the name that once served the Avalon Nail. Swinging bridges There are two swinging bridges that cross the Patapsco River, the first spans the Patapsco at Orange Grove,1.6 miles northwest of Avalon following the Park Road in Howard County beyond shelters 104 and 105. A. Gambrill Manufacturing Company that burned to the ground in 1905, visitors can cross the bridge to discover the ruins of the mill site that extended from the railroad tracks to the Swinging Bridge abutment. A second swinging bridge opened November 4,2006 and it is located at the end of the Grist Mill Trail and crosses the Patapsco River to connect with Ilchester Road. This new bridge allows easy entry for residents living in Ellicott City, Cascade Falls Cascade Falls is located in the Orange Grove area of the park. It gently descends a 10–15-foot face and can be reached by way of a trail at the last parking lot in the Orange Grove area
5.
Ellicott City Historic District
–
Ellicott City Historic District is a national historic district in Ellicott City, Howard County, Maryland. The Ellicott City Station is a National Historic Landmark located within the district, the district encompasses a predominantly 19th century mill town whose origins date to 1772, including more than 200 18th- and 19th-century buildings. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, the district was severely impacted by the 2016 Maryland flood on July 30,2016. List of Howard County properties in the Maryland Historical Trust Patapsco Hotel Ellicott City Historic District, Howard County, Inventory No
6.
Ellicott City, Maryland
–
Ellicott City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place, along with being the county seat of local government in Howard County, Maryland, United States. It is part of the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area, the population was 65,834 at the U. S. Decennial Census of 2010. It is the county seat of Howard County, founded in 1772, the town contains the B. & O. Railroad Museums branch at the Ellicott City Station, built in 1830, and the first terminus of the initial line. The downtown historic district is located in the valley of the Tiber River, as of the 2000 U. S. Census, Ellicott City surpassed Towson, Maryland for the first time, as the largest unincorporated county seat in the country. The town is prone to flooding from the Patapsco River and Tiber Creek and these floods have had a major impact on the history of the town, often destroying important businesses and killing many. Ellicott City has had devastating floods in 1817,1837,1868,1901,1917,1923,1938,1942,1952,1956,1972,1975,1989,2011 and 2016. The 1868 flood washed away 14 houses, killing 39 to 43 in and it wiped out the Granite Manufacturing Cotton Mill, Charles A. Gambrills Patapsco Mill, John Lee Carrolls mill buildings, and dozens of homes. One mill was rebuilt by Charles Gambill, which remained in operation until a fire in 1916, a 1923 flood topped bridges, in 1952 an eight-foot wall of water swept the shops of Ellicott City, and a 1956 flood inflicted heavy damage at the Bartigis Brothers plant. A severe flood occurred in 1972 as a result of rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Agnes, in which Ellicott City, on 27 Sept 1975, flooded 9.0 feet from Hurricane Eloise. And floods occurred Sept 22,1989 from Hurricane Hugo, and also on Sept 7,2011, on July 30,2016, a storm dropped six inches of rain in two hours on the city. The resulting flash flood caused damage in historic Ellicott City. Many homes, roads, businesses, sidewalks, and more were destroyed by the flooding, including the landmark clock. A state of emergency was declared, and two died as a result of the flooding. In 1766 James Hood used the Maryland Mill Act of 1669 to condemn 20 acres for a site adjacent to his river-side 157 acres property. His grist mill was built on the banks of the Patapsco River where the Frederick road crossed and his son Benjamin rebuilt the corn grinding mill after one of the frequent Patapsco floods in 1768. Benjamin Hood then sold the mill to Joseph Ellicott in 1774 for 1,700 pounds, in later years the B&O railroad ran through the property, with track laid over the graves of the Hood family. In 1775 they expanded their holdings with 30.5 acres from Bartholomew Balderson, John, Andrew, and Joseph Ellicott founded Ellicotts Mills, which became one of the largest milling and manufacturing towns in the East. Nathaniel sold his partnership in 1777, Joseph sold all but his Hoods Mill ownership the next year, the town retained the name Ellicotts Mills when the U. S. Postal stop opened on October 7,1797
7.
Catonsville, Maryland
–
Catonsville is a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 41,567 at the 2010 census, the community lies to the west of Baltimore along the citys border. Catonsville contains the majority of University of Maryland, Baltimore County, europeans were the second group to settle the area now known as Catonsville. It is generally believed by historians that native tribes, known as the Piscataway and this tribe occupied the land between the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay and up the Patapsco River. Catonsville was located along the Piscataway Trail, the colonists and the tribes got along until the mid-17th century, when the English government ended the practices of Catholic missionaries in the area. It is believed that the tribes were driven from their villages, as happened in many areas of early colonial America, diseases unknown to the tribes were spread by the colonists. Eventually, the tribes moved north under the protection of the Iroquois, with most of the natives scattered, the colonists expanded across Maryland. Present-day Catonsville was settled in the 18th century, Catonsville as we know it today was settled along this route by Richard Caton, under the authority of his father-in-law Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Travelers along the turnpike rested and conducted business in the area, the large Victorian and Colonial homes located in Catonsville were built by wealthy Baltimoreans. Originally, these communities were used as residences to escape the heat in Baltimore. Eventually, as in communities with the introduction of the automobile and electric trolley. Baltimore attempted over the years to annex Catonsville, the last attempt in 1918, the community remains an unincorporated town in Baltimore County. It is home to Spring Grove Hospital Center, the second oldest continuously operating psychiatric hospital. Catonsville was briefly made quite famous during the 1968 protest by the Catonsville Nine, in 2007 Money magazine ranked Catonsville the 49th best place to live in the USA, third best in Maryland and Virginia. Catonsville is located at 39°16′26″N 76°44′17″W, according to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 14.0 square miles, all of it land. It is centered along Frederick Road, formerly the main road from Baltimore leading to points west, johnnycake Road and Academy Road form the northern and northeastern borders of Catonsville. Catonsville is bordered by Woodlawn to the north, Baltimore to the east, by Arbutus to the southeast, by Ilchester to the southwest, the main north-south roads in the area are Rolling Road, Ingleside Avenue and Bloomsbury Avenue. Catonsville is a terminus of the Trolley Line Number 9 Trail, Academy Heights, a residential community surrounding Mount de Sales Academy
8.
Arbutus, Maryland
–
Arbutus is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 20,483 at the 2010 census, the census area also contains the communities of Halethorpe and Relay, in which all three names were used during the 1960 census when the area had a population of 22,402. Residents of Arbutus are often called Arbutians, the Thomas Viaduct railroad bridge over the Patapsco River was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. Arbutus is located at 39°14′40″N 76°41′38″W, according to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 6.5 square miles, all of it land. Herbert Run, a stream, runs through Arbutus and surrounding areas, as of the 2010 census Arbutus had a population of 20,483. As of the census of 2000, there were 20,116 people,8,120 households, the population density was 3,093.8 people per square mile. There were 8,380 housing units at a density of 1,288.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the CDP was 85. 21% White,6. 27% African American,0. 28% Native American,6. 10% Asian,0. 02% Pacific Islander,0. 48% from other races, and 1. 63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1. 53% of the population,27. 6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9. 6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the family size was 2.99. In the CDP, the population was out with 22. 2% under the age of 18,8. 5% from 18 to 24,33. 5% from 25 to 44,21. 3% from 45 to 64. The median age was 37 years, for every 100 females there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males, the median income for a household in the CDP was $47,792, and the median income for a family was $54,003. Males had an income of $37,766 versus $29,129 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $22,456, about 4. 5% of families and 6. 8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6. 5% of those under age 18 and 6. 1% of those age 65 or over. Fire and emergency services are provided by the Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department Baltimore County Station 35. This station provides fire protection, heavy rescue, swift water rescue, and paramedic-level emergency medical services to the citizens of Arbutus, mutual aid is provided by the surrounding Baltimore County stations as well as the Baltimore City and Howard County fire departments. Police protection is provided mainly by the Baltimore County Police Department, additional police service is provided by the Baltimore County Sheriffs Office, UMBC Police, Maryland State Police, and the Maryland Transportation Authority Police
9.
Elkridge, Maryland
–
Elkridge is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland, United States. The population was 15,593 at the 2010 census, founded early in the 18th century, Elkridge is located at the confluence of three counties, the other two being Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties. Elkridge qualifies as the oldest settlement in its present county, when Howard was a part of Anne Arundel County and its location on the Patapsco River was a key element in its growth. The Maryland General Assembly elected a law to erect a 30-acre, in 1738 an attempt to formalize the town failed with the death of the commissioners before passage. In 1750 a second attempt to formalize the town was attempted around the lands of Phillip Hammond, by comparison, Baltimore Town consisted of only 25 dwellings at that time. A third petition was filed in 1762, the settlement was founded as a place where planters, who each had a wharf along the river, could bring their tobacco crop to be loaded on English trading ships. Later, Elkridge Landing was built as the dock for the community. The millrace that fed water to the furnace was filled in in the 1920s to create the current Race Road, the Hockley Forge and Mill were created upstream in 1760. In 1781, Lafayette camped light infantry at Elkridge Landing en route to Virginia during the Revolutionary war, in 1825, Jansen Town burned, taking out all of the oldest buildings at the Landing and 9 out of 10 houses in the village. The same year, on October 12,1825, the Elkridge Landing postal stop was created, Elkridge has historic churches, including Melville Church on Furnace Avenue. Its original building was the first Methodist church built and was visited on the rides of Francis Asbury. Saint Augustine Church, on Old Washington Road, was built in 1845, Elkridge had a rich history of industries, including pig-iron forging, basket weaving, paper, cotton and grist milling, as well as employment from the B&O Railroad. The Thomas Viaduct, located over Levering Avenue at the entrance to the Patapsco Valley State Park, is the oldest multiple-arched curved stone railroad bridge in the world, built in 1833, its architect was Benjamin Latrobe, Jr. The B&O first used horse-drawn coaches in relays, hence Relay Station was added, the viaduct also carried the Tom Thumb, and the first telegraph message from Washington, D. C. stating What hath God wrought. was wired across. Elkridge did not escape the Civil War, some of these families had slaves. Their estate cottages were built along the top of the Lawyers Hill, including along Old Lawyers Hill Road and this community hall, built in 1871, was a neutral meeting place for entertainments for Northern and Southern sympathizers of the neighborhood and owned by them as stockholders. Neighbors did not betray neighbors and each protected others property from advancing troops, many homes remain, while others burned and have not been rebuilt, such Fairie Knowe in 1850 and 1900. The Lawyers Hill Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993, the Washington Turnpike Road Company built what is now Washington Boulevard between 1796 and 1812, creating a major north–south land route that is now U. S. Route 1
.jpg)