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.
Battle of North Point
from the Dundalk-Patapsco Neck Historical Society and Museum
Battle of
North Point From the Dundalk Eagle
Battle of North Point in the War of 1812
Bethlehem
Steel
Boom years and
tough times. From the Dundalk Eagle
Dundalk
Timeline, and namesake. From the Dundalk Eagle
Dundalk...Did You Know? Facts about Dundalk's History
Fort Holabird
Once a busy military base where the jeep was developed. From the Dundalk Eagle
History of Essex and Middle River
History of Rosedale
History of White Marsh One of the newer of Baltimore
County communities
Sparrows
Point Bethlehem Steel community. Note also the "Red Rocket" streetcar line,
Bragg school, Penwood Park. From the Dundalk Eagle
A Brief History of Towson from Historic Towson, Inc.
Carney History
including 'Hamburger Junction'
Glen Ellen A historian's essay on the
ruined local mansion
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
Historic Sites in Towson Architectural history of buildings, some of which are on the National Register or the
Baltimore County Landmarks List;
from Historic Towson, Inc.
Photographs of Historic Towson from
Historic Towson, Inc.
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
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
Relay The Thomas Viaduct, Why the name Relay?
Reister's Town Reister family, founding of
Reisterstown, 1st church and school
Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area history, by Claudia J. Floyd
Baltimore County
This
short history includes a color picture of the Baltimore County Seal
Baltimore County History Brief (1650-1854)
Maryland's Forgotten Bohemian
Cartographer
Augustine Herrman (1621-1686)
(More complete information may be found on
some of the organizations by
searching our
BCPL
Community Information Database).
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
Glenn L. Martin Aviation
Museum Aviation History in Maryland, including a brief history of
Martin State Airport
Jericho Covered Bridge Built in 1865, renovated 1981. Baltimore County's only
covered bridge.
Maryland
State Police Museum
(information provided by the Baltimore Sun)
History, photos, equipment, memorabilia
Official web page:
Maryland State Police Alumni Association: Museum
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.
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
More complete information may be found on these organizations by
searching our
BCPL
Community Information Database
Historical Society of Baltimore
County
Baltimore County Historical Trust, Inc.
Baltimore County Landmarks Preservation Commission
Catonsville Historical Society
Dundalk-Patapsco
Neck Historical Society and Museum
Granite Historical Society
Heritage Society of Essex and Middle River, Inc.
Historic Glyndon, Inc.
Historic Towson, Inc.
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
"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.
Baltimore County Executives
| Service Years |
Executive |
Party |
| 1956-1958 |
Michael J. Birmingham |
D |
| 1958-1962 |
Christian H. Kahl |
D |
| 1962-1966 |
Spiro T. Agnew |
R |
| 1966-1974 |
Dale Anderson |
D |
| 1974 |
Frederick L. Dewberry
(Acting County Executive) |
D |
| 1974-1978 |
Theodore G. Venetoulis |
D |
| 1978-1986 |
Donald P. Hutchinson |
D |
| 1986-1990 |
Dennis F. Rasmussen |
D |
| 1990-1994 |
Roger B. Hayden |
R |
| 1994-2002 |
C. A. (Dutch) Ruppersberger III |
D |
| 2002- |
James
T. Smith |
D |
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
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.
Selected Bibliography For Baltimore County History
Brooks, Neal A. and Richard Parsons.
Baltimore County Panorama. Towson, MD:
Baltimore County Public Library, 1988 (Md 975.271 B)
Brooks, Neal A. A History of Baltimore
County. Towson, MD: Friends of the Towson
Library Inc., 1979. (Md (Ref)975.271 B)
Davidson, Isobel. Real Stories From Baltimore County
History. Hatboro, PA:
Tradition Press, 1967 (Md 975.271 D 1967)
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
1998 ( Md (Ref) 975.271D)
Frank, Beryl. A Pictorial History of Pikesville,
Maryland. Towson, MD: Baltimore
County Public Library, 1982 (Md 975.271 F)
Gontrum, Edwin K. Sidelights on the History of Baltimore
County. Towson, MD:
Edwin K. Gontrum (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)
Huttenhauer, Helen G. and G. Alfred Helwig
Baltimore County in the State and Nation
Towson, MD: Board Of Education of Baltimore County, 1962 (Md 975.271 B)
Keidel, George C. Early Catonsville and the Caton
Family. Baltimore, MD: 1944
Keidel, George C. Colonial History of
Catonsville. Catonsville, MD: American
Bicentennial Committee of Catonsville, Bicentennial Edution 1983 (Md(Ref) 975.271 K 1983)
Marks, Lillian Bayly. Reister's Desire Baltimore, MD: Garamond/Pridemark Press,
Inc., 1975 (Md (Ref) 975.271 M
McGrain, John W.
From Pig Iron to Cotton Duck, a History of Manufacturing Villages
in Baltimore County. Towson, MD: Baltimore County Public Library, 1985 (Md (Ref)
338.4767 M)
McGrain, John W.
Grist Mills in Baltimore County,
Maryland. Towson, MD:
Baltimore County Public Library, 1980 (Md 664.72 M)
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)
Nickel, Jackie.
"Old" Middle
River: a Loving Look Back. Easton, MD: Chesapeake Publishing Company,
2002 (Md (Ref) 975.271 N)
Orser, Edward and Joseph Arnold. Catonsville 1880 to 1940 From Village to
Suburb.
Norfolk, VA: Donning Co., 1989 (Md (Ref) 975.271 O)
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.
Steffen, Charles G. From Gentlemen to Townsmen: the Gentry of Baltimore County,
Maryland, 1660-1776. University Press of Kentucky, 1993 (Md 975.271 S)
Villages of Northeast Baltimore County, Origins to c. 1940. Greater Northeast
Baltimore County Historical District Committee (Md (Ref) 975.271 V)
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