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Patapsco Valley State Park

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84-545: Patapsco Valley State Park / p ə ˈ t æ p ˌ s k oʊ / is a Maryland state park extending along 32 miles (51 km) of the Patapsco River south and west of the city of Baltimore , Maryland . The park encompasses multiple developed areas on over 14,000 acres (5,700 ha) acres of land, making it Maryland's largest state park. In 2006, it was officially celebrated as Maryland's first state park, its first formation being in 1906. Patapsco Valley State Park

168-579: A colonial charter , naming the colony after his wife, Henrietta Maria . In 1649, the Maryland General Assembly passed an Act Concerning Religion , which enshrined the principle of toleration . Religious strife was common in Maryland's early years, and Catholics remained a minority, albeit in greater numbers than in any other English colony. Maryland's early settlements and population centers clustered around waterways that empty into

252-507: A university , library system , music and dance conservatory , and art museum . Cumberland was Maryland's second-largest city in the 19th century. Nearby supplies of natural resources along with railroads fostered its growth into a major manufacturing center. The Progressive Era of the late 19th and early 20th centuries brought political reforms. In a series of laws passed between 1892 and 1908, reformers worked for standard state-issued ballots (rather than those distributed and marked by

336-470: A M4.8 earthquake from Tewksbury in central New Jersey was felt slightly throughout Maryland. Catonsville, Maryland Catonsville ( / ˈ k eɪ t ə n z ˌ v ɪ l / ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County , Maryland . The population was 44,701 at the 2020 US Census . The community is a streetcar suburb of Baltimore along the city's western border. The town

420-519: A female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.98. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 19.9% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

504-619: A final agreement was signed in 1760. The agreement defined the border between Maryland and Pennsylvania as the line of latitude now known as the Mason–Dixon line . Maryland's border with Delaware was based on a Transpeninsular Line and the Twelve-Mile Circle around New Castle. Most of the English colonists arrived in Maryland as indentured servants , and had to serve a several years' term as laborers to pay for their passage. In

588-625: A layover stop for travelers and the town increasingly grew and developed. The pleasant surroundings attracted wealthy Baltimore merchants who built large Victorian and colonial summer homes to escape Baltimore's summer heat. Starting in 1862, horsecar services connected Catonsville to Baltimore. In 1884, the Catonsville Short Line railroad was built, providing 8 roundtrip trains to Baltimore daily. This allowed residents to commute to work in Baltimore. Commuter traffic exploded in

672-474: A new pro-union governor and legislature, President Abraham Lincoln had a number of its pro-slavery politicians arrested, including the Mayor of Baltimore, George William Brown ; suspended several civil liberties, including habeas corpus ; and ordered artillery placed on Federal Hill overlooking Baltimore. In April 1861, Federal units and state regiments were attacked as they marched through Baltimore, sparking

756-523: A series of newspaper editorials. Maryland's urban and rural communities had different experiences during the Great Depression . The " Bonus Army " marched through the state in 1932 on its way to Washington, D.C. Maryland instituted its first income tax in 1937 to generate revenue for schools and welfare. Passenger and freight steamboat service, once important throughout Chesapeake Bay and its many tributary rivers, ended in 1962. Baltimore

840-536: A small portion of the state's northeast corner (which drains into the Delaware River watershed). So prominent is the Chesapeake in Maryland's geography and economic life that there has been periodic agitation to change the state's official nickname to the "Bay State", a nickname that has been used by Massachusetts for decades. The highest point in Maryland, with an elevation of 3,360 feet (1,020 m),

924-622: A state tobacco buy-out program in the 1990s. In an effort to reverse depopulation due to the loss of working-class industries, Baltimore initiated urban renewal projects in the 1960s with Charles Center and the Baltimore World Trade Center . Some resulted in the break-up of intact residential neighborhoods, producing social volatility, and some older residential areas around the harbor have had units renovated and have become popular with new populations. Maryland has an area of 12,406.68 square miles (32,133.2 km ) and

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1008-722: A variety of topography within its borders, contributing to its nickname America in Miniature . It ranges from sandy dunes dotted with seagrass in the east, to low marshlands teeming with wildlife and large bald cypress near the Chesapeake Bay, to gently rolling hills of oak forests in the Piedmont Region , and pine groves in the Maryland mountains to the west. Maryland is bounded on its north by Pennsylvania , on its north and east by Delaware , on its east by

1092-552: Is Hoye Crest on Backbone Mountain , in the southwest corner of Garrett County , near the border with West Virginia, and near the headwaters of the North Branch of the Potomac River. Close to the small town of Hancock , in western Maryland, about two-thirds of the way across the state, less than 2 miles (3.2 km) separates its borders, the Mason–Dixon line to the north, and the northwards-arching Potomac River to

1176-425: Is comparable in overall area with Belgium [11,787 square miles (30,530 km )]. It is the 42nd-largest and 9th-smallest state and is closest in size to the state of Hawaii [10,930.98 square miles (28,311.1 km )], the next smallest state. The next largest state is Maryland's neighbor, West Virginia , which is nearly twice the size of Maryland [24,229.76 square miles (62,754.8 km )]. Maryland possesses

1260-522: Is known for its proximity to the Patapsco River and Patapsco Valley State Park , making it a regional mountain biking hub. The town is also notable as a local hotbed of music, earning it the official nickname of "Music City, Maryland." Catonsville contains the majority of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), a major public research university with close to 14,000 students. Before European colonists settled in present-day Catonsville,

1344-680: Is managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources . Formation of the park started with provisions in the Forestry Act of 1906. The completion of Bloede's 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 valley's forest and water resources. The first 43 acres were donated by Russell Sage Foundation director John Mark Glenn (1858–1950) from his Hilton estate . Glenn's Hilton became

1428-430: Is now St. Mary's County . They purchased the site from the paramount chief of the region, who was eager to establish trade. St. Mary's became the first capital of Maryland, and remained so for 60 years until 1695. More settlers soon followed. Their tobacco crops were successful and quickly made the new colony profitable. However, given the incidence of malaria , yellow fever , and typhoid , life expectancy in Maryland

1512-565: Is one of the most multicultural states in the country; it is one of the six states where non-Whites compose a majority of the population , with the fifth-highest percentage of African Americans , and high numbers of residents born in Africa , Asia , Central America , and the Caribbean . The state's central role in U.S. history is reflected by its hosting of some of the highest numbers of historic landmarks per capita. The western portion of

1596-550: The Aberdeen Proving Ground , and the Edgewood Arsenal were established. Existing facilities, including Fort McHenry , were greatly expanded. After Georgia congressman William D. Upshaw criticized Maryland openly in 1923 for not passing Prohibition laws, Baltimore Sun editor Hamilton Owens coined the "Free State" nickname for Maryland in that context, which was popularized by H. L. Mencken in

1680-728: The American Revolutionary War . Although it was a slave state , Maryland remained in the Union during the American Civil War , and its proximity to Washington D.C. and Virginia made it a significant strategic location . After the Civil War ended, Maryland took part in the Industrial Revolution , driven by its seaports, railroad networks, and mass immigration from Europe. Since the 1940s,

1764-489: The Atlantic Ocean to its east, and the national capital of Washington, D.C. to the southwest. With a total area of 12,407 square miles (32,130 km ), Maryland is the ninth-smallest state by land area , and its population of 6,177,224 ranks it the 19th-most populous state and the fifth-most densely populated . Maryland's capital is Annapolis , and the most populous city is Baltimore . Maryland's coastline

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1848-631: The Atlantic Ocean , and on its south and west, across the Potomac River , by West Virginia and Virginia . The mid-portion of its border with Virginia is interrupted by Washington, D.C. , which sits on land that was originally part of Montgomery and Prince George's counties and including Georgetown, Maryland , which was ceded to the United States federal government in 1790 to form the Washington, D.C. Chesapeake Bay nearly bisects

1932-627: The Baltimore riot of 1861 , the first bloodshed in the Civil War. Of the 115,000 Marylanders who joined the military during the Civil War, around 85,000, or 77%, joined the Union army , while the remainder joined the Confederate Army . The largest and most significant battle in the state was the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg . Although a tactical draw, the battle

2016-503: The Chesapeake Bay . Its economy was heavily plantation-based and centered mostly on the cultivation of tobacco . Demand for cheap labor from Maryland colonists led to the importation of numerous indentured servants and enslaved Africans . In 1760, Maryland's current boundaries took form following the settlement of a long-running border dispute with Pennsylvania. Many of its citizens played key political and military roles in

2100-471: The Ohio River from the eastern seaboard. The state remained in the Union during the American Civil War , due in significant part to demographics and Federal intervention. The 1860 census, held shortly before the outbreak of the civil war, showed that 49% of Maryland's African Americans were free . Governor Thomas Holliday Hicks suspended the state legislature, and to help ensure the election of

2184-1161: The Patuxent ), the Nanticoke (including the Tocwogh , the Ozinie and other subdivisions), the Powhatan , the Lenape , the Susquehannock , the Shawnee , the Tutelo , the Saponi , the Pocomoke and the Massawomeck . George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore (1579–1632), sought a charter from King Charles I for the territory between Massachusetts to the north and Virginia to the immediate south. After Baltimore died in April 1632,

2268-659: The United States Census Bureau , the CDP has a total area of 14.0 square miles (36 km ), all land. Catonsville lies above the Fall Line within the Piedmont Region of Maryland, a region characterized by broad, rolling hills punctuated by streams and rivers. Catonsville overlooks the coastal plain and Chesapeake Bay to the East. The Appalachian Mountains lie approximately 40 miles west of

2352-524: The poverty line , including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over. The median house value for the CDP was $ 141,300 in the 2000. Residents are zoned to schools in the Baltimore County Public Schools . Catonsville High School , Woodlawn Senior High School (center for science and pre engineering), and Western School of Technology and Environmental Science , formerly Western Vocational Technical Center, serve

2436-660: The railroad tracks to the Swinging Bridge abutment . A second swinging bridge opened November 4, 2006. 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 and Catonsville for the first time since Hurricane Agnes struck in 1972. Cascade Falls is located in

2520-567: The "Act concerning Religion" in 1649 granting religious liberty to all Trinitarian Christians. In 1650, the Puritans revolted against the proprietary government. "Protestants swept the Catholics out of the legislature   ... and religious strife returned." The Puritans set up a new government prohibiting both Roman Catholicism and Anglicanism . The Puritan revolutionary government persecuted Maryland Catholics during its reign, known as

2604-529: The "plundering time". Mobs burned down all the original Catholic churches of southern Maryland. The Puritan rule lasted until 1658 when the Calvert family and Lord Baltimore regained proprietary control and re-enacted the Toleration Act. After England's Glorious Revolution in 1688, Maryland outlawed Catholicism. In 1704, the Maryland General Assembly prohibited Catholics from operating schools, limited

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2688-461: The 1730s. Hostilities erupted in 1730 and escalated through the first half of the decade, culminating in the deployment of military forces by Maryland in 1736 and by Pennsylvania in 1737. The armed phase of the conflict ended in May 1738 with the intervention of King George II, who compelled the negotiation of a cease-fire. A provisional agreement had been established in 1732. Negotiations continued until

2772-557: The 1890s with the construction of electric streetcar lines and fancy housing developments. Catonsville had become one of the first commuter suburbs in the United States. Baltimore has tried to annex Catonsville, although their attempts have all been failures. The last attempt was in 1918. Homes of all sizes were constructed rapidly through the 1970s, when much of land around the Frederick Turnpike had been converted into housing. A new and modern business district opened along

2856-552: The 18th century, individual priests and lay leaders claimed Maryland farms belonging to the Jesuits as personal property and bequeathed them in order to evade the legal restrictions on religious organizations' owning property. The royal charter granted Maryland the land north of the Potomac River up to the 40th parallel . A problem arose when Charles II granted a charter for Pennsylvania . The grant defined Pennsylvania's southern border as identical to Maryland's northern border,

2940-403: The 40th parallel. But the grant indicated that Charles II and William Penn assumed the 40th parallel would pass close to New Castle, Delaware when it falls north of Philadelphia , the site of which Penn had already selected for his colony's capital city. Negotiations ensued after the problem was discovered in 1681. A compromise proposed by Charles II in 1682 was undermined by Penn's receiving

3024-778: The Baltimore National Pike ( U.S. Route 40 ) via Exits 12, 14 and 15, respectively, with the latter two thoroughfares later converging in Baltimore City to the east. The main north–south roads in the area are Rolling Road (which is also Maryland Route 166 south of Frederick Road), Ingleside Avenue and Bloomsbury Avenue. Catonsville is a terminus of the Trolley Line Number 9 Trail and the Short Line Railroad Trail . The Maryland Transit Administration provides bus service to

3108-402: The CDP was 82.28% White , 11.83% African American , 0.22% Native American , 3.61% Asian , 0.04% Pacific Islander , 0.59% from other races , and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.87% of the population. There were 15,503 households, out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 9.9% had

3192-614: The Catonsville area via the Purple CityLink route with service to Downtown Baltimore , LocalLink routes 37 and 77, and Express BusLink 150 to Columbia. MARC Train provides commuter train service at the nearby Halethorpe station in Arbutus. Major north–south routes in Catonsville include: Major east–west routes in Catonsville include: In 2010 Catonsville had a population of 41,567. The ethnic and racial composition of

3276-594: The Constitution of 1864 with the Constitution of 1867 . Following the end of Reconstruction in 1877, Democrats devised means of disenfranchising blacks, initially by physical intimidation and voter fraud, later by constitutional amendments and laws. Blacks and immigrants, however, resisted Democratic Party disfranchisement efforts in the state. Maryland blacks were part of a biracial Republican coalition elected to state government in 1896–1904 and comprised 20% of

3360-529: The Orange Grove area of the park. It gently descends a 10–15-foot (3.0–4.6 m) face and can be reached by way of a marked trail at the last parking lot in the Orange Grove area. Patapsco Valley State Park is supported by a number of volunteer groups and efforts, most notably: In 1999, final scenes of The Blair Witch Project were filmed in the Griggs House , a 200-year-old building located in

3444-548: The Park Road in Howard County beyond shelters 104 and 105. Prior suspension foot bridges at this location enabled residents of the Orange Grove mill community to cross the river to Baltimore County to work in the five- storey -high Orange Grove Flour Mill of the C.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

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3528-631: The Patapsco Valley State Park. In 2015, 24.6 square miles which includes a portion of the Patapsco Valley State Park, was certified as the Maryland's 13th Heritage Area by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority. The Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club opposed the project out of concern of additional development on the valuable land, of which the Maryland Department of Natural Resources would be

3612-521: The Piedmont in the Coastal Plain, though it straddles the border between the two regions. Earthquakes in Maryland are infrequent and small due to the state's distance from seismic/earthquake zones. The M 5.8 Virginia earthquake in 2011 was felt moderately throughout Maryland. Buildings in the state are not well-designed for earthquakes and can suffer damage easily. As well as this, notably

3696-438: The Union after ratifying the new federal Constitution in 1788. In December 1790, prior to the move of the national capital from Philadelphia in 1800, Maryland donated land selected by first President George Washington to the federal government for its creation. The land was provided along the north shore of the Potomac River from Montgomery and Prince George's counties, as well as from Fairfax County and Alexandria on

3780-646: The additional grant of what is now Delaware. Penn successfully argued that the Maryland charter entitled Lord Baltimore only to unsettled lands, and Dutch settlement in Delaware predated his charter. The dispute remained unresolved for nearly a century, carried on by the descendants of William Penn and Lord Baltimore—the Calvert family , which controlled Maryland, and the Penn family , which controlled Pennsylvania. The border dispute with Pennsylvania led to Cresap's War in

3864-459: The approving authority. The park's recreational opportunities include hiking, fishing, camping, canoeing, horseback riding, mountain biking, and picnicking. The Baltimore City Paper named the park as its "Best Place to Hike" in 2007. There are two swinging bridges that cross the Patapsco River. The first spans the Patapsco at Orange Grove, 1.6 miles (2.6 km) northwest of Avalon following

3948-709: The area was occupied by the Piscataway tribe or the Susquehannocks . Rolling Road was used to transport tobacco south from plantations to the Patapsco River on horse-drawn wagons. In 1787, the Ellicott family built the Frederick Turnpike to transport goods from their flour mill, Ellicott Mills, to the Baltimore harbor. Charles Carroll , a signer of the Declaration of Independence , owned

4032-429: The area. Life Sounds Great is a series of compilation albums highlighting Catonsville musicians. In 2007, Money magazine ranked Catonsville the 49th best place to live in the United States and the third best in Maryland and Virginia. Catonsville is located at 39°16′26″N 76°44′17″W  /  39.27389°N 76.73806°W  / 39.27389; -76.73806 (39.273756, −76.738012). According to

4116-490: The charter was granted to his son, Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore (1605–1675), on June 20, 1632. Officially, the new "Maryland Colony" was named in honor of Henrietta Maria of France , wife of Charles I. Lord Baltimore initially proposed the name "Crescentia", the land of growth or increase, but "the King proposed Terra Mariae [Mary Land], which was concluded on and inserted in the bill." The original capital of Maryland

4200-429: The colonies, following Virginia in 1662. Many of the free black families migrated to Delaware, where land was cheaper. As the flow of indentured laborers to the colony decreased with improving economic conditions in England, planters in Maryland imported thousands more slaves and racial caste lines hardened. Maryland was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution . Near

4284-427: The corporate ownership of property to hamper religious orders from expanding or supporting themselves, and encouraged the conversion of Catholic children. The celebration of the Catholic sacraments was also officially restricted. This state of affairs lasted until after the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). Wealthy Catholic planters built chapels on their land to practice their religion in relative secrecy. Into

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4368-405: The early years, the line between indentured servants and African slaves or laborers was fluid, and white and black laborers commonly lived and worked together, and formed unions. Mixed-race children born to white mothers were considered free by the principle of partus sequitur ventrem , by which children took the social status of their mothers, a principle of slave law that was adopted throughout

4452-582: The eastern and western halves of Maryland were linked for the first time by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge , which replaced a nearby ferry service. Maryland's regions experienced economic changes following WWII. Heavy manufacturing declined in Baltimore. In Maryland's four westernmost counties, industrial, railroad, and coal mining jobs declined. On the lower Eastern Shore , family farms were bought up by major concerns and large-scale poultry farms and vegetable farming became prevalent. In Southern Maryland, tobacco farming nearly vanished due to suburban development and

4536-403: The electorate and immigrants comprised 15%, and the legislature had difficulty devising requirements against blacks that did not also disadvantage immigrants. The Progressive Era also brought reforms in working conditions for Maryland's labor force. In 1902, the state regulated conditions in mines ; outlawed child laborers under the age of 12; mandated compulsory school attendance; and enacted

4620-509: The electorate. Compared to some other states, blacks were better established both before and after the civil war. Nearly half the black population was free before the war, and some had accumulated property. Half the population lived in cities. Literacy was high among blacks and, as Democrats crafted means to exclude them, suffrage campaigns helped reach blacks and teach them how to resist. Whites did impose racial segregation in public facilities and Jim Crow laws, which effectively lasted until

4704-417: The end of the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), on February 2, 1781, Maryland became the last and 13th state to approve the ratification of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union , first proposed in 1776 and adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1778, which brought into being the United States as a united, sovereign and national state . It also became the seventh state admitted to

4788-497: The land around the then newly built road. He instructed his son-in-law, Richard Caton , to develop the area along the road. Caton and his wife, Mary Carroll Caton, lived in Castle Thunder , constructed on the Frederick Turnpike in 1787. Caton gave his name to the community and called it "Catonville," although the name was changed to "Catonsville" in the 1830s. Businesses were built along the Frederick Turnpike for travelers traveling from Ellicott City to Baltimore. Catonsville served as

4872-411: The namesake for the park's Hilton Area. 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 eventually became the largest park in Maryland. In 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps opened State Park Project 2 work camps 336 and 356 at

4956-445: The nation's first workers' compensation law. The workers' compensation law was overturned in the courts, but was redrafted and finally enacted in 1910. The Great Baltimore Fire of 1904 burned for more than 30 hours, destroying 1,526 buildings and spanning 70 city blocks. More than 1,231 firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control. With the nation's entry into World War I in 1917, new military bases such as Camp Meade ,

5040-407: The national anthem. National Road, later renamed U.S. Route 40 , was authorized in 1817 as the federal highway, and ran from Baltimore to St. Louis . The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O), the first chartered railroad in the United States, opened its first section of track for regular operation in 1830 between Baltimore and Ellicott City , and in 1852 it became the first rail line to reach

5124-439: The newly built Baltimore National Pike, north from the Frederick Turnpike. Catonsville was briefly made famous during the 1968 protest by the " Catonsville Nine ", during which draft records were burned by Catholic anti-war activists. In 2002, the Maryland legislature issued a proclamation declaring Catonsville to be "Music City, Maryland", because of the concentration of musical retail stores, venues and educational facilities in

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5208-406: The park near Granite, Maryland , that was subsequently demolished by the state despite film buffs' efforts to save it. Maryland Maryland ( US : / ˈ m ɛr ɪ l ə n d / MERR -il-ənd ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States . It borders Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, Delaware and

5292-404: 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 Bloede's Dam which generated electricity for surrounding communities. On May 15, 1941, the camp

5376-675: The parties); obtained closed voting booths to prevent party workers from "assisting" voters; initiated primary elections to keep party bosses from selecting candidates; and had candidates listed without party symbols, which discouraged the illiterate from participating. These measures worked against ill-educated whites and blacks. Blacks resisted such efforts, with suffrage groups conducting voter education. Blacks defeated three efforts to disenfranchise them, making alliances with immigrants to resist various Democratic campaigns. Disenfranchisement bills in 1905, 1907, and 1911 were rebuffed, in large part because of black opposition. Blacks comprised 20% of

5460-507: The passage of federal civil rights legislation in the mid-1960s. Baltimore grew significantly during the Industrial Revolution , due in large part to its seaport and good railroad connections, attracting European immigrant labor. Many manufacturing businesses were established in the Baltimore area after the Civil War. Baltimore businessmen, including Johns Hopkins , Enoch Pratt , George Peabody , and Henry Walters , founded notable city institutions that bear their names, including respectively

5544-548: The population was 73.4% non-Hispanic white, 14.3% non-Hispanic black, 0.3% Native American, 6.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% non-Hispanic from some other race, 2.4% from two or more races and 3.4% Hispanic or Latino from any race. As of the census of 2000, there were 39,820 people, 15,503 households, and 9,255 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,843.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,098.0/km ). There were 16,054 housing units at an average density of 1,146.6 per square mile (442.7/km ). The racial makeup of

5628-402: The smallest states in the U.S., it features a variety of climates and topographical features that have earned it the moniker of America in Miniature . In a similar vein, Maryland's geography, culture, and history combine elements of the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern , and Southern regions of the country. What is now Maryland was originally inhabited by tribes such as the Piscataway (including

5712-454: The south shore of the Potomac in Virginia ; however, the land donated by the Commonwealth of Virginia was later returned to that state by the District of Columbia retrocession in 1846. Influenced by a changing economy, revolutionary ideals, and preaching by ministers, numerous planters in Maryland freed their slaves in the 20 years after the Revolutionary War . Across the Upper South the free black population increased from less than 1% before

5796-436: The south. Portions of Maryland are included in various official and unofficial geographic regions. For example, the Delmarva Peninsula is composed of the Eastern Shore counties of Maryland, the entire state of Delaware , and the two counties that make up the Eastern Shore of Virginia , whereas the westernmost counties of Maryland are considered part of Appalachia . Much of the Baltimore–Washington corridor lies just south of

5880-406: The southeastern boundaries while Baltimore City forms the eastern boundary. Catonsville is bordered by Woodlawn to the north, Baltimore to the east, by Arbutus to the southeast, by Ilchester to the southwest, and by Ellicott City to the west. In addition to Frederick Road (Exit 13), Interstate 695 (the Baltimore Beltway) services Wilkens Avenue ( Maryland Route 372 ), Edmondson Avenue and

5964-440: The state contains stretches of the Appalachian Mountains , the central portion is primarily composed of the Piedmont , and the eastern side of the state makes up a significant portion of Chesapeake Bay . Sixteen of Maryland's twenty-three counties, and the city of Baltimore, border the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay estuary and its many tributaries, which combined total more than 4,000 miles of shoreline. Although one of

6048-489: The state's population has grown rapidly, to approximately six million residents, and it is among the most densely populated U.S. states. As of 2015 , Maryland had the highest median household income of any state, owing in large part to its proximity to Washington, D.C., and a highly diversified economy spanning manufacturing, retail services, public administration, real estate, higher education, information technology, defense contracting, health care, and biotechnology. Maryland

6132-621: The state, and the counties east of the bay are known collectively as the Eastern Shore . Most of the state's waterways are part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, with the exceptions of a tiny portion of extreme western Garrett County (drained by the Youghiogheny River as part of the watershed of the Mississippi River ), the eastern half of Worcester County (which drains into Maryland's Atlantic coastal bays), and

6216-424: The town. Catonsville is centered along Frederick Road ( Maryland Route 144 ), once the main road from Baltimore leading to points west replacing what is now called Old Frederick Road. Johnnycake Road and Academy Road form the northern and northeastern boundaries of Catonsville, the Patapsco River provides the western and southern boundaries, Gun Road, Shelbourne Road Linden Avenue, Circle Drive and Wilkens Avenue form

6300-553: The traditionally Southern and Tidewater culture that previously dominated most of the state. Agricultural tracts gave way to residential communities, some of them carefully planned such as Columbia , St. Charles , and Montgomery Village . Concurrently the Interstate Highway System was built throughout the state, most notably I-95 , I-695 , and the Capital Beltway , altering travel patterns. In 1952,

6384-585: The war to 14% by 1810. Abolitionists Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass were born slaves during this time in Dorchester County and Talbot County , respectively. During the War of 1812 , the British military attempted to capture Baltimore, which was protected by Fort McHenry . During its bombardment the song " The Star-Spangled Banner " was written by Francis Scott Key ; it was later adopted as

6468-679: The western shore of the upper Chesapeake Bay . A dispute with traders from Virginia over Kent Island in the Chesapeake led to armed conflict. In 1644, William Claiborne , a Puritan, seized Kent Island while his associate, the pro-Parliament Puritan Richard Ingle , took over St. Mary's. Both used religion as a tool to gain popular support. The two years from 1644 to 1646 when Claiborne and his Puritan associates held sway were known as "The Plundering Time". They captured Jesuit priests, imprisoned them, then sent them back to England. In 1646, Leonard Calvert returned with troops, recaptured St. Mary's City, and restored order. The House of Delegates passed

6552-619: Was St. Mary's City , on the north shore of the Potomac River , and the county surrounding it, the first erected/created in the province, was first called Augusta Carolina, after the King, and later named St. Mary's County. Lord Baltimore's first settlers arrived in the new colony in March 1634, with his younger brother the Honorable Leonard Calvert (1606–1647), as first provincial Governor of Maryland . They made their first permanent settlement at St. Mary's City in what

6636-404: Was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $ 53,061, and the median income for a family was $ 67,005. Males had a median income of $ 44,705 versus $ 33,420 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $ 25,254. About 2.8% of families and 4.6% of the population were below

6720-421: Was a major war production center during World War II . The biggest operations were Bethlehem Steel 's Fairfield Yard, which built Liberty ships ; and Glenn Martin , an aircraft manufacturer. Maryland experienced population growth following World War II. Beginning in the 1960s, as suburban growth took hold around Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, the state began to take on a more mid-Atlantic culture as opposed to

6804-492: Was about 10 years less than in New England . Maryland was founded to provide a haven for England's Roman Catholic minority. Although Maryland was the most heavily Catholic of the English mainland colonies, the religion was still in the minority, consisting of less than 10% of the total population. In 1642, a number of Puritans left Virginia for Maryland and founded the city of Providence, now called Annapolis , on

6888-444: Was considered a strategic Union victory and a turning point of the war. A new state constitution in 1864 abolished slavery and Maryland was first recognized as a "Free State" in that context. Following passage of constitutional amendments that granted voting rights to freedmen , in 1867 the state extended suffrage to non-white males. The Democratic Party rapidly regained power in the state from Republicans . Democrats replaced

6972-623: Was converted to the nation's first Civilian Public Service conscientious objector camp, CPS Camp #3 , with 26 men and three women required to serve for one year, a term that was extended as the United States entered World War II . In 2014, Howard County and Baltimore County approved the Patapsco Heritage Greenway, Inc. management plan for the Patapsco Heritage Area with includes a portion of

7056-531: Was first explored by Europeans in the 16th century. Prior to that, it was inhabited by several Native American tribes, mostly the Algonquian peoples . As one of the original Thirteen Colonies , Maryland was founded by George Calvert , 1st Baron Baltimore, a Catholic convert who sought to provide a religious haven for Catholics persecuted in England. In 1632, Charles I of England granted Lord Baltimore

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