1831 B & O survey of route for the first rail road line

The first passenger and freight railroad ran from Baltimore to Ellicott's mills (Ellicott City).  The tracks headed south out of Baltimore to run along the Patapsco River mills (Avalon mill at Elkridge, Md) to Ellicott's mills.  From the 1831 Ellicott mills rail road station (the oldest rr station in America, now a museum HERE) the route ran west along the river then to Frederick.


Two turnpike roads are shown in thin straight beige lines on this map.  Going south was the Washington Road, and the road going west through Ellicotts Mills was the Baltimore Frederick turnpike. Click on images to enlarge.

"Map of the country embracing the various routes surveyed for the Balt. & Ohio Rail Road by order of the Board of Engineers."  Barney.  1831?  At the Library of Congress

©2018 Patricia Bixler Reber
Forgotten history of Ellicott City & Howard County MD