The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1876-07-14

Baltimore County and Baltimore Town.
At the Centennial Fourth of July cele-
bration in Towsontown, Hon. II. Sturgis
Davis read historical sketch of Baltimore
and Its intimate connection with the his
tory OF Maryland. This sketch was neces-
sarily prefaced by II concise summary of
leading events in the early life of the colo
ny, after which Mr.. Davis confined HIM
self to topics of local history and tradition
connected with Baltimore county.
1t was erected into q county in 1860 by
the lord proprietary. In 1888 the town OF
Baltimore was located, according to old
maps, on some continent of the Chesapeake,
probably Bush river, as from the few re-
cords OF that early period of our State the
lirst settlements were made on that river.
Subsequently the population tended to-
ward the Gunpowder river, because that
stream was navigable to a greater distance
than Bush river. In 1854 q town was
erected, by act of Assembly, on the lands
OF CORVALLIS or Leakins, on Middle river
but this site was abandoned because of its
lnaccessibility and lack of navigable facil-
tiles. In 1906 town was located at
"Whetstone Neck, in Patapsco river" and
upon the land called Chilberry, on Bush
river; also one on Forster's Neck, Gun
powder river. This latter was by act of
Assembly, deserted, and in lieu thereof
fifty acres OF land were erected into town
on the Gunpowder river, on premises own
ed by Ann Filks, and called "Taylor's
Choice" and that the county buildings
should be erected there. Previously, it is
QnnnOea1 Mt ~, L.
ing to some private citizen-probably the
tavern in that Baltimore town which was
located on Bush river, near the Susaue-
hanna-or, perhaps, that town located at
"Chilberry." This latter town was subse-
quently the first county seat of Hartford
county, and was nominated "Harford
Town" by act Of Assembly.
There is also reasonable presumption
that the town at Forster's Neck was in
tended for the county town, and the courts
may have been held there previous to re-
moval to Joppa. There is no doubt that
settlements in that portion of Baltimore
county, now comprising Hartford county,
were made long anterior to those south OF
the Gunpowder, because malarious infiu-
ences then as now deferred settlement
south of that stream. The adaptation OF
higher land to the cultivation Of tobacco
had also no doubt much influence in re-
gard to the location, and it was long sub
sequcnt to that period that the lowands
were surveyed and patented.
The oldest surveys in the county are
upon the highlands, and nearly all the
quitments paid the proprietary at the pc
Rod Of the revolution were for the hills,
which are now mostly thrown out of cul-
tivation and abandoned to the forest. |
have frequently found in that section oak
trees fully twenty inches in diameter in
places where the rows of ancient tobacco
plantations are plainly visible.
There seems to have been some difficulty
about the location of court house at
Joppa. Queen Anne objected to the loca-
ticn, but it does not appear that her dis
sent was known in the province until i'm
mediatey prior to the session of Assembly
of 1712, which body passed an act that
Baltimore County Court shall be from
hencetorth held at the said house now
built ut ye said town Of Joppa, and not
elsewhere; and that the same house be to
all intents, construction and purposes, adj
judged, used, rcputed and taken as the
proper court house Of Baltimore county,
The same act also ordered an election oil
members of Assembly to be held at that
place, from which facts it is a corollary
that the court was held there up to 1779
when the county was divided into dis.
tricts.
in 1899 the following commissioners
were appointed to divide Baltimore coun.
ty into seven election districts: Richard
Johns, Zachariah McCubbins, Josiah Pen,
nington, VIM. Gwynn, Nicholas Merryman
Francis Snowdcn, Charles Jessop, George
Hall, Jr., and Beal Owipgs, of Christopher
The same provision was made as to Other
counties. Prior to that period, in 1866
the counties were divided into parishes
and hundreds, and Baltimore county was
divided into four parishes, St. Paul, st
Thomas, st. John and st. George.
The amount of revenue raised by the
county in 1866 was $19 ,S36.9O, being about
$22G for each taxable inhabitant. The
first county court was held at the dwelling
of Capt. Thomas Howell, in 1861. The
centre of population at that period seem,
to have been at and north of Busl
river.
The hills and bluffs along both branche!
of the great falls, with its water power ant
mill seats, soon attracted capital, popula
tion speedily gravitatcd towards the Gun
powder, and fifty years after erection o
the county the Assembly located the coun
ty seat on that stream, long anterior to thu
time when William Penn landed on TIT
Delaware.
1t is amusing to note the fact that thu
Assembly at this period endeavorcd to ere
ate towns by offering discount of ten pc
cent. if debtors would discharge their OBJ
legations at such points as were ordered tt
he erected into towns. Joppa became il
this way place Of considerable import
ancc, and was for nearly forty years thu
chief town of the upper Chesapeake. Ant
there is no doubt that similar facilities
were afforded for development of"My La
dy's Manor" then belonging to the Lore
Baltimore family, and the construction o
"thc old Manor road" which comes down
from the Manor to Joppa.