The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-08-15
By JOHN E. FLAYHARr.

By JOHN E. FLAYHART.
The actual history of Towson's
prosperity very properly dates from
the time of its selection as the county
seat. Previous to this, before the city
and county were separated, the Balti-
more county court was held in Balti-
more. The county residents, were
very anxious for separation, and
movement looking to this end was
started as far back as 1885. Prompt
ed by the burning of the Baltimore
court house, the citizens of the sub
urbs held a largely attended and en-
thusiastic meeting on February 23d,
of that year, at which resolutions
were adopted declaiming for an i'm
mediate separation. The Legislature
was appealed to from time to time,
but it was not until March 9th, 1850,
that any action was taken, which on
account of many unsatisfactory pha-
ses, failed to bring about the desired
result.
The Legislature of 1858 again took
the matter in hand and on May goth
passed an act providing for county
seat for Baltimore county, the matter
of selection being left to the ballot of
the voters. 1t was provided that if
no place should receive a majority of
the whole number of votes cast at the
first balloting a second election should
he Lo11, &c --5+:-1- - - -1---zs,a
be confined to the three places having
the highest number of votes at the
first election, and if no one of the
three places voted for should have a
majority of the votes cast then a third
election should be held, the choice
being between the two places having
the largest number of votes cast at
the last election.
Before any election had been held
under this act convention of dele
gates appointed by the citizens of
Baltimore county for the purpose of
recommending a site for the county
town met at the court house in Balti-
more. A committee previously ap-
pointed reported that after visiting
number of places and making the
necessary examinations it had conclu-
ded to recommend with some qualif-
cations and by vote of FIVE to three,
the place known as the Remington
estate, situated west of the old cattle
show grounds on Charles Street ave-
nue., now in Baltimore city and be-
tween the York and Falls turnpikes.
After several hours spent in exciting
debate the convention proceeded to
ballot, and eventually the alms-house
property at Calverton was selected by
vote of ID to IL for the Remington
estate.
The matter had still, however, to
be submitted to the proper tribunal,
and when election was held on the
third Wednesday of November, 1853,
Clover Hill received 784 votes, the
Aims house 776, Towsontown 5S2,
Cockeysville 317, Geographical Cen
ire 266, Huntingdon 22I, Remington
158, Spring Hill 1o4 and Homestead
10. None Of these places having re-
ceived a majority of the votes cast, a
second election was held on Wednes-
day, January sd, 1854, in which the
Alms-house, Clover Hill and Tow
sontown were the places voted for.
At this election Towsontown receiv-
ed considerable plurality and the
contest was narrowed down to that
place and the Alms-house. Finally in
February the question was again sub
mitted to the voters and Towsontown
was selected as the county seat.
The result was celebrated in the
new county seat with much enthusi-
asm. An old frame building belong
ing to the late Henry B. Chew, on
the top of Perrigo's hill, was set on
fire the more fittingly to honor the i'm.
portant occasion, while the surround
ing country was ablaze with other
bonfres, showing how the citizens oi
the little town rejoiced together. The
news of their good fortune, even il
those times of primitive facilities fol
transportation, travelled like wildfre
1t brought many newcomer into the
vicinity, who came to have hanc
in this new-found prosperity.
The corner stone of the court house
was laid October 10Th, 1854, in The
presence of very large assemblage
from the city and the county. The
newspapers of the time mentioned
among the distinguished persons pres
ent Thomas Wildey, the father o
Odd Fellowship. A procession march
ed to the grounds in the following
order, Isaac Hoshall being the chic
marshal: The building committee
who were Joshua Hutchins, Josepl
D. Pope, Edward S. Myers, Charlie
Timanus and William Slater; Judg
Albert Constable and Coleman Vel
lott, orator of the day; the clergy
officers of the county, band of music
Towson Lodge of Odd Fellows, citi
zens of the county and city. Judg