Tag: Benjamin Banneker

Cross another state off the list! I spent two nights at Patapsco State Park, just outside Ellicott City, Maryland. It’s located on 14,000 acres along the Patapsco River to the west of Baltimore and northwest of Baltimore/Washington International Airport. Despite being directly under the flightpath of BWI – the busiest of the three airports serving the Washington metro area – it was a relatively tranquil place to spend a couple days.

I did a fantastic job of backing in to my campsite, if I do say so myself. At first, I was a bit nervous. The campsite was located on a curve and the driveway was narrow. There was a nice sitting and campfire area, once you got parked, but it was kind of like threading a needle to get in.

Of course, I was doing my usual hopping in and out to check my progress. I was just thankful that the rain had stopped. All of a sudden, I heard a loud commotion coming from the campsite two down from me. I jumped out to see what was going on. The woman yelling was so loudly and angrily. I thought she was yelling at me; I couldn’t imagine that she would treat someone traveling with her so rudely. But, no, her angry words were directed at the man she was trying to guide into the campsite.

If it were me, I think I would have run her down. If she screams like that in public, what can their private life be like?

Anyway, I continued working my way into my site. I was just about in, and they called over, “Would you like some help?”

Uh…

I thanked them and said that I was just about in. And then I slipped it in. Success! I was in the site so straight that I decided to see if I could aim for level, too. I got out my spirit level and the boards, and got it perfectly level! I was so proud of myself!

After unhitching and such, I checked the broadcast television channel available. WOW! I had everything I could imagine available. I almost wished I had booked more time there so I could catch up on my programs.

After a night of rest and relaxation – and television and popcorn – I decided that I had to do some exploring. Ellicott City seemed a likely goal.

Ellicott City was founded in 1772, and is named for four Quaker brothers by the name of Ellicott from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was originally known as Ellicott Mills, which reflected the industry they established at the falls line.They established flour mills, sawmills, a grain distillery, smithies and stables.

According to resources I’ve read, they helped to revolutionize farming in the area by persuading farmers to plant wheat instead of tobacco. I also read that they introduced using Plaster of Paris as fertilizer to improve depleted soil. I guess that makes sense, as Plaster of Paris is essentially gypsum that has been heated.

I stopped off at the tourist information center. I just had to find out about the large eggplant on a pedestal outside. I wondered if the area were particularly known for eggplants. Well, the tourist information specialist laughed and told me that it was a sculpture on display for their version of “Art Hop”, like they have on the first Fridays of the month in Kalamazoo.

Wouldn’t it be cool if Kalamazoo had a large celery sculpture somewhere downtown?

If you want to save money when you visit Ellicott City, plan your visit for a Monday. Everything is closed!

I had hoped to visit the railroad museum.

Closed.

Ellicott City is home to the oldest extant railroad station in the United States, according to my HISTORY Here app. It was the first terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, just in case you were wondering what B&O stood for. It opened in 1831.

It was also the site of the famous race between a horse-drawn car and the early locomotive, “Tom Thumb.” According to my research, Tom Thumb pulled ahead of the horse until a belt slipped off and caused the engine to lose power. The horse won that round, but they soon improved the design, and the iron horse won in the end.

The railroad was so successful that it extended its line to Harpers Ferry in 1834. More about that in a later post.

While I was in town, several freight trains roared through at quite a clip.

Ellicott City is has a unique kind of granite. The truly nerdy may wish to click on the link. I found this information when I was trying to track down the claim that this granite indeed was found only in this area. It was a bit beyond my interest and/or my comprehension level.

In any event, many of the buildings in the old historic district are built from it.

This one is even built right on top of it.

The Odd Fellows Lodge, right down the street, is also built from it.

Now, I have always wanted to know what was so odd about the Odd Fellows. Of course I looked it up.

The International Order of Odd Fellows is a global altruistic and benevolent fraternal organization. It is based in the British Oddfellows service organizations of the 18th century. The name, Odd Fellows, comes from the notion that it was odd to find people organized for the purpose of giving aid to people in need and doing things that benefited all mankind.

Bear in mind that this was not long before the publishing of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”. It’s not hard to believe that people who looked out for the good of others would be seen as “odd fellows” indeed.

Back to the tour.

Not all the houses are stone,  however.

This is the John Williams house, which was built after he won the lot in the 1834 land lottery. It was extensively damaged by Hurricane Agnes in the 1970, but was remodeled and it is still in use.

Many of the buildings lining Main Street have been converted to commercial use. However did I mention that most businesses are closed on Monday?

That’s right. I saved a lot of money and settled for window shopping.

Minnie Mouse has shoes that might fit my big ol’ feet.

I couldn’t agree more!

I had one more stop I wanted to make before I headed home. I climbed up-up-up the twisty turny narrow roads – that people actually live on, I might add – to the Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum.

According to the HISTORY Here app, this museum preserves the legacy of Benjamin Banneker, a respected African-American scientist born in 1731 to free black parents. They purchased this land in 1734.

Banneker is often described as a polymath. Isn’t that a great word? In case it’s not in your everyday vocabulary, it means “a person of wide knowledge and learning.” He had little formal education and was largely self-taught. He was an almanac author, surveyor, naturalist and farmer and is known for being part of a group led by Andrew Ellicott that surveyed the borders of the original District of Columbia.

Imagine that! He helped establish the capitol of the United States of America.

And, would you believe it? The museum was closed. It was Monday, after all.