Baltimore County History

The 350th Anniversary of Baltimore County Celebrating a Legacy, 1659-2009 The Historical Society of Baltimore County, in partnership with Baltimore County government and author Dr. Barry Lanman of UMBC, produced this commemorative book. Hundreds of the most historically significant Legacy Web images appear in the book. Softback copies are on sale in all BCPL libraries and bookmobiles. Hardback and softback editions and related maps are available from the Historical Society.

A special web site has been created for Baltimore County's 350th anniversary celebration at http://www.bc350.org/ The site includes information on upcoming events associated with the commemoration of this milestone in Baltimore County's history.

Baltimore County Executives
 

D=Democrat R=Republican.

Baltimore County was governed by County Commissioners before 1956.

Sources for County Executive information:

• Brooks, Neal A. A History of Baltimore County
• Maryland Manuals
• Baltimore Sun

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Baltimore County Symbols

Baltimore County Flag Picture and history. County Council site
Baltimore County Seal Picture and History. County Council site.
Baltimore County Seal Newsletter of the Maryland State Archives provides seal history
Large color picture of the Baltimore County Seal Also includes government information

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Community History
BCPL is pleased to provide these area histories by local contributors. However, the information has not been verified by BCPL for accuracy or omissions.

Eastern Region

Battle of North Point in the War of 1812
Dundalk...Did You Know? Facts about Dundalk's History
History of Essex and Middle River
History of Loch Raven Village
History of Rosedale
History of White Marsh One of the newer of Baltimore County communities

Central Region

Carney History including 'Hamburger Junction'
Glen Ellen A historian's essay on the ruined local mansion
History of Anneslie [PDF] - Early planned community near Towson
History Time Line of Towson created by the staff of the Towson Library
Lutherville, Maryland Begun in 1852 on land originally part of the Ridgely Estate
Parkville Area History First surveyed in 1735
Perry Hall About the community, from the Perry Hall Improvement Association
Perry Hall Area History From early settlement to contemporary times
Perry Hall Brief History From the Perry Hall Improvement Association
Perry Hall Mansion From the Greater Perry Hall Community Alliance
History of the Ruxton-Riderwood-Lake Roland Area
Sanders' Corner began as a blacksmith shop in 1880's, it also housed the Loch Raven post office
West Towson David A. Loizeaux's A Brief History of West Towson

Western Region

Arbutus Area Lansdowne, Relay, Farm School, Arbutus Oak
Brief History of Randallstown
Castle Thunder Catonsville
Catonsville History provided by CatonsvilleWeb
Fire and Faith: The Catonsville Nine File from the Maryland Digital Cultural Heritage project
Granite Area History from Granite Historical Society
Granite National Historic District Quarrying community; from Granite Historical Society
Lansdowne - A railroad town
Relay The Thomas Viaduct, Why the name Relay?
Relay and Vicinity - Personal recollections of a local resident in 1911
Reister's Town Reister family, founding of Reisterstown, 1st church and school
Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area history, by Claudia J. Floyd

General History

Baltimore County This short history includes a color picture of the Baltimore County Seal
Baltimore County History Brief (1650-1854)
Bibliography of Baltimore County History [PDF]   Extensive listing of historic publications available regionally Compiled by the Baltimore County Department of Planning.

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Historical Associations in Baltimore County

Historical Society of Baltimore County
Baltimore County Historical Trust, Inc.
Baltimore County Landmarks Preservation Commission
Catonsville Historical Society
Dundalk-Patapsco Neck Historical Society, Inc.
Granite Historical Society
Heritage Society of Essex and Middle River, Inc.
Historic Glyndon, Inc.

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Home Rule Charter for Baltimore County Established

"In November, 1954, the voters elected a Charter Board to draw up a proposed Home Rule Charter for Baltimore County. The Charter recommended by that body was approved by the electorate on Nov. 6, 1956.

In a technical sense, the new Charter became effective on December 6, 1956, the thirtieth day following its adoption. The special election for the first County Councilmen was not held until Jan. 23, 1957, and their terms of office did not commence until Jan.28 of that same year. During the interim period the incumbent Board of County Commissioners constituted the County Council, and when the newly-elected members of the Council took office, the Board of County Commissioners in Baltimore County ceased to exist."

excerpted from "Baltimore County and its Suburban Communities", compiled by W. S. Hamill, Director, Maryland Development Bureau, Baltimore Association of Commerce, in the Introduction, p. XXII of Polk's Baltimore Suburban (Maryland) Directory 1957.

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Local History Materials at the Baltimore County Public Library

Special Collections

Legacy Web
Search or browse a growing archive of annotated, digitized photographs of Baltimore County as well as Baltimore Magazine from the early years. All aspects of Baltimore County life for the last 130 years are contained in BCPL's photo archives, estimated to hold at least 15,500 images. Included are most aspects of rural living including photographs of people, building sites and events in the Baltimore County area. These photographs can be used for presentations, displays and publications and also make fine additions to personal collections. Prints are available for sale.

Local History and Maryland Collection

Whether delving into history, locating government information, answering school assignment questions, or just browsing for photographic albums, and more, this collection includes a broad spectrum of material. All libraries maintain collections.
The Arbutus Library, the Catonsville Library, the Reisterstown Library and the Towson Library maintain historical archives on the local communities they serve. The historical information consists of rare and out-of-print books, newspaper clippings, and historical prints of local sites. These materials are non-circulating and may be accessible by appointment only; please call the branch to determine whether you need an appointment to use the historical collection.

Microfilm Collections at BCPL
A few branches maintain historical collections of newspapers and other archival material pertaining to Baltimore County and Maryland.

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Museums and Historic Sites

(More complete information may be found on some of the organizations by searching our Arts and Entertainment InfoCenter).

Ballestone Manor Museum of 1780-1880 period. Located at Rocky Point Golf Course, 1935 Back River Neck Rd, Baltimore MD 21221.

Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum

Fire Museum of Maryland Hand-pulled, horse-drawn and motorized fire equipment dating from 1822

Hampton National Historic Site Georgian mansion with original furnishings.

Heritage Society of Essex and Middle River Museum Situated in a 1920 fire house, museum features general store, candle shop, music shop, toy shop, schoolroom, and drug store
516 Eastern Blvd., Essex, MD 21221

Glenn L. Martin Aviation Museum Aviation history in Maryland

Museum of the Historical Society of Baltimore County 1659 to present. Six museum rooms in former Almshouse include country kitchen, bedroom, children's room, country store, schoolroom, as well as agricultural related materials in the Farm Museum.

Townsend House and Pullen Museum Townsend House has an eighteenth century floor plan and includes a variety of antiques from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, historic Homewood replica model dollhouse, Knot Garden. The Pullen Museum is currently the headquarters of the Catonsville Historical Society.

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Registered Historic Places in Baltimore County

National Register of Historic Places Baltimore County property placed on the National Register; compiled by the Baltimore County Historical Trust

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Selected Bibliography For Baltimore County History

An extensive bibliography of Baltimore County history is available on the Baltimore County Planning Department's [PDF] website

Anson, Melanie D.  Olmsted's Sudbrook: the Making of a Community.  Baltimore, MD: Sudbrook Park, Inc., 1997 Md 975.271A

Arbutus, a Historical Scrapbook.  Baltimore, MD: Greater Arbutus Community Alliance., 2001. Md(Ref) 975.271A

Baird, Hulett C. Edgemere. 1988. Md(Ref) 975.271B

Bartels, Fran. Violetville, the History of a Neighborhood. Baltimore, MD: Fran Bartels., 2002.  Md(Ref) 975.26.B.

Blum, Gayle Neville. Baltimore County. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Press, 2009. Md 975.271B

Board of Education of Baltimore County. Baltimore County in the State and Nation Towson, MD: Board of Education of Baltimore County, 1957 and 1962 Md 975.271 B

Bonnett, Logie. Baltimore County, its history, progress and opportunities.  1916  Md Ref 975.271B

Bready, Mary H.  Through all our days: a history of St. Paul's School for Girls. Baltimore, MD: Braun-Brumfield, 1999.  Md(Ref) 371.822B

Brinkmann, Walter S.  Never-to-be-forgotten tales of Catonsville. 1942  Md (Ref) 975.271B

Brooks, Neal A. and Richard Parsons. Baltimore County Panorama. Towson, MD: Baltimore County Public Library, 1988  Md (Ref) 975.271 B

Brooks, Neal A. History of Baltimore County. Towson, MD: Friends of the Towson Library Inc., 1979.  Md (Ref) 975.271 B

Brooks, E. Nelson. It couldn't have been better than this: memories of the childhood, family, and background of a fortunate boy  MD: E. Nelson Brooks, 1995. Ref B Brooks

Bunting, Elaine. Counties of Northern Maryland. Centerville, MD: Tidewater Publishers., 2000. JMd 975.27B

Clemens, Shirley B. From Marble Hill to Maryland Line: an Informal History of Northern Baltimore County. Baltimore, MD: Professional Printing Services., 1976, 1983, 1999.. Md(Ref) 975.271C

Coale, Joseph M. Middling Planters of Ruxton. Baltimore, MD: Maryland Historical Society., 1996. Md(Ref) 975.271C

County Directories of Maryland, Inc. 300th anniversary book of Baltimore County. 1959. Md (Ref)975.271C

Crewe, Amy Copper. No backward step was taken: highlights in the history of the public elementary schools of Baltimore County.  1949.  Md 379.75271C

Davidson, Isobel. Real Stories  From Baltimore County History. Hatboro, PA: Tradition Press, 1917 and 1967 Md 975.271 D 1967

Diggs, Louis S. From the Meadows to the Point: the Histories of the African American Community of Turner Station and what was the African American Community in Sparrows Point. Baltimore, MD: Louis Diggs., 2003. Md(Ref) 975.271D

Diggs, Louis S. Holding On to Their Heritage. 1996 Md 975.0049 D

Diggs, Louis S. It All Started on Winters Lane: a History of the Black Community in Catonsville, Maryland. 1995 Md 975.271 D

Diggs, Louis S. In Our Voices: a Folk History in Legacy. 1998  Md (Ref) 975.271D

Diggs, Louis S. North County: the History of African American Settlements in Northern Baltimore County's Scenic Horse Country.  Baltimore, MD: Louis S. Diggs., 2005. Md 975.271D

Diggs, Louis S. Our Struggles: Historic African American Communities in Southeast Baltimore County. Owings Mills, MD: Uptown Press., 2007. Md 975.271D

Diggs, Louis S. Since the Beginning: African American Communities in Towson . Owings Mills, MD: Uptown Press., 2000. Md(Ref) 975.271D

Diggs, Louis S. Surviving in America: Histories of 7 Black Communities in Baltimore County. Owings Mills, MD: Uptown Press., 2002. Md(Ref) 975.271D

Dundalk, the First Hundred Years 1895-1995. Baltimore: Patapsco Neck Historical Society., 1997.Md (Ref) 975271D

Essex 1909-1999: 90 Years of Yesterdays. Essex, MD; Essex Revitalization and Community Corporation,Inc. 1999.  Md (Ref) 975.271E

Esslinger, Dean. Towson University. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Press, 2005.  Md 975.2E 

Forbes, Marie. Speaking of Our Past (Owings Mills). Baltimore, MD; 1988. Md(Ref) 975.271F

Fox, Jimmy. Legacy of a Country Boy: Life on the Farm. Falcon, CO: Fox Meadow Pub., 2007 BFox

Frank, Beryl. A Pictorial History of Pikesville, Maryland. Towson, MD: Baltimore County Public Library, 1982 Md 975.271 F

Frank, Beryl. Way Back When in Sudbrook Park. Baltimore, MD: Sudbrook Park, Inc., 1997.  Md 975.271F

Gontrum, Edwin K. Sidelights on the History of Baltimore County. Towson, MD: Edwin K. Gontrum 1966 Md (Ref) 975.271 G

Green Spring Valley, its History and Heritage, vol.1: a History; Historic Homes. Baltimore, MD: Maryland Historical Society 1978 Md (Ref) 975.271 G

Green Spring Valley, its History and Heritage, vol. 2: Genealogies. Baltimore, MD: Maryland Historical Society 1978 Md (Ref) 975.271.G

Hahn, Henry George. Towson, a pictorial history of a Maryland town. Norfolk, VA: The Donning Company, 1977.  Md (Ref) 975.271H

Hastings, Lynne Dakin. Hampton National Historic Site. Baltimore, MD : 1986.  Md( Ref) 975.271 H

Helton, Gary. Dundalk. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Press, 2005. Md 975.271H

Historic Long Green Valley, Baltimore County, Maryland: architecture, history. Cockeysville, MD: Baltimore County Historical Society, 1981.  Md(Ref) 975.271H

Hollifield, William.  Difficulties made easy: history of the turnpikes of Baltimore City & County. 1978.
Md (Ref) 388.1H

Horine, Paige. Maryland State Fair: Celebrating 125 Years.  Charleston, SC: Arcadia Press., 2006. Md 975.2H

Huttenhauer, Helen G. Historical Resume: Baltimore County, Md 1659 Towson, MD: Office of Research and Public Affairs. 1977 Md 975.271 H

Jessop, Jennie E.  Origin names in Baltimore County. 1968   Md (Ref) 975.271J

Kaufman, J.G.  Growing Up In Catonsville in the 1940's: a Home in Eden Terrace.  2001.  Md(Ref)975.271K

Keidel, George C. Early Catonsville and the Caton Family. Baltimore, MD: 1944.  Md(Ref) 975.271K

Keidel, George C. Colonial History of Catonsville. Catonsville, MD: American Bicentennial Committee of Catonsville, Bicentennial Edition 1976 and 1983. Md(Ref) 975.271 K 1983

Lanman, Barry Allen. Baltimore County: Celebrating a Legacy 1659-2009. Cockeysville. MD: Historical Society of Baltimore County, 2009.  Md 975.21 L

Lanman, Barry Allen. Halethorpe Heritage: Story of a Maryland Community. Halethorpe, MD; Halethorpe Improvement Association., 2006. Md(Ref) 975.271L

Leifert, Donald L. Riggie: Journey from 5th Street. Parkville, MD: Donald L.Leifert.,2004. Md(Ref)BM

Marks, David. Crossroads: History of Perry Hall.  Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, Inc., 1999. Md(Ref) 975.271M

Marks, Lillian Bayly. Reister's Desire. Baltimore, MD: Garamond/Pridemark Press, Inc., 1975 Md (Ref) 975.271 M

Martinak, M. Linda and Angela Martinak Sutherland. Essex and Middle River. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Press, 2007. Md (Ref) 975.271M

McGrain, John W. A Glossary of Place Names in Baltimore County. Towson, MD: Baltimore County Office of Planning, 1999 Md (Ref) 917.5271 M 1999

McGrain, John W. Grist Mills in Baltimore County, Maryland. Towson, MD: Baltimore County Public Library, 1980 (Md 664.72 M)

McKee, Ann Milkovich. Hampton National Historic Site. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Press, 2007. Md 975.271M

Mueller, Kevin A. Bay Shore Park: Fun on the Chesapeake.  Kevin Mueller., 2001.  Md(Ref)791.068M

Nickel, Jackie. Essex.  San Francisco, CA: Arcadia Press., 2007. Md 975.217N

Nickel, Jackie. "Old" Middle River: a Loving Look Back. Easton, MD: Chesapeake Publishing Company, 2002 Md (Ref) 975.271 N

O'Donovan, Molly. Towson and the Villages of  Ruxton and Lutherville. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Press, 1999. Md(Ref) 975.2O

Orser, Edward and Joseph Arnold. Catonsville 1880 to 1940 From Village to Suburb. Norfolk, VA: Donning Co., 1989 Md (Ref) 975.271 O

Perkins, I.B. Picturesque Catonsville.  Baltimore, MD: I.B.Perkins, 1895.  Md Ref 975.271P

Perry Hall, reflections from the past.  Perry Hall, MD: Mercantile Bank & Trust, 1979.  Md(Ref) 975.271P

Pollack, Carol.  Reisterstown.  1976 and 1986.  Md(Ref) 975.271P

Reflections, Sparrows Point, Md. 1887-1975. Dundalk, MD: Dundalk-Patapsco Neck Historical Society, 1976 Md (Ref) 975.271 R

Roberts, L. Keith. History of the Back River Neck Peninsula. Baltimore, MD: Best Press, 1993. Md (Ref) 975.271 R.

Scharf, John Thomas. History of Baltimore City and County, 2 vols. 1881. Md(Ref) 975.2S.

Seitz, M. Patricia C.  Tanyard, Windsor and beyond, 1702-1989.  MD: M.P.C.Seitz., 1996.                   Md(Ref) 975.271S

Staab, Bob.  Growing Up in Dundalk: Precious Memories. Baltimore, MD: Bob Staab., 2007. BStaab

Steffen, Charles G. From Gentlemen to Townsmen: the Gentry of Baltimore County, Maryland, 1660-1776. University Press of Kentucky, 1993. Md 975.271 S

Toomey, Daniel Carro.  History of Relay, Md and the Thomas Viaduct. 1975,1984 and 1995. Md(Ref) 975.271T

Villages of Northeast Baltimore County, Origins to c. 1940. Greater Northeast Baltimore County Historical District Committee Md (Ref) 975.271 V

Watson, Jerome.  Turner Station. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Press, 2008. Md(Ref)975.271W

Wise, Marsha Wight. Catonsville. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Press, 2005.  Md 975.271W

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