Ben Franklin staying young ... described by Andrew Ellicott

After completing the survey of the extension of the Pa and Va boundary (the continuation of the Mason-Dixon line) in 1784 and the western border of PA in 1785, Major Andrew Ellicott, 31 years old (1754-1820) was invited to spend a day - Dec 4, 1785 - with the 79 year old Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
Franklin's "little room" was "filled with old philosophical Instruments, Papers,Boxes, Tables, and Stools" and at 10:00 Franklin set water over the fire (over a 'Franklin fireplace?) and shaved himself.  Fighting aging, he insisted on doing it all himself rather than to give in, thus increasing his "infirmaries."  Franklin described changing his course at age 70... and "walked back" the years, rather than age.

Easton Sons Funeral Home & Haunted Ellicott City

Bernard Fort and brother William 'cabinetmaker and undertaker' came to Ellicott City from England. They had a small place in 1836 but in 1878 Bernard Fort built a new funeral parlor crossing the stream (Tiber River). Clinton Easton bought it in 1891, continued by son Milton, who built a new building in 1931 and then to his son, Clinton. Building on left, carriage house with hearse on second floor, at right rear. EC haunted taped talks.

St. Charles' College 1911 fire, now Terra Maria ruins

Surrounded by homes, the assembly hall ruins are all that remain of the St. Charles' College, started in 1831, for young men preparing for the priesthood. Articles about the March 16, 1911 fire, and the building of the Assembly Hall five years earlier (1906), below.

EC 250 - Ellicott City is 250 years

EC250 Ellicott City, Maryland's Sestercentennial. Events, information HERE

Below are some past talks on tape about Ellicott City and Howard County.

"Wyoming" - Dorsey, Howard, and Wyoming Rolls

Wyoming... not the state, but the Howard County country home ("farm") of Ben and Jane Howard who inherited his father Col John Eager Howard's mansion "Belvidere" in Baltimore to use during the winter. "Waverly" his brother Gov. George Howard's home, was a few miles west of "Wyoming." They lived in Howard County from at least 1842 to 1845 then sold it to a Dorsey. It is gone and only a few mentions remain.

Early cooking in Ellicott City

From hearth cooking 250 years ago to cookstoves, from beehive bake ovens to Reip ovens to ovens in the cookstoves, there were many changes in cooking during Ellicott City's first one hundred years. EC was the home of the first Maryland cookbook author, and another woman author had a successful 1873 fundraising cookbook.

George Ellicott house

George Ellicott built a large stone house in 1789 across from their flour mill and next to his brother Jonathon. It was actually two houses or a back wing connected and a third portion for the kitchen. An 'observatory' was on the third floor. The first Marylander to write a cookbook (Elizabeth Ellicott Lea) in 1845, was born in this house. Click on the pictures to enlarge.

The 18th century almanacs of Andrew Ellicott

Andrew Ellicott (1754-1820) - surveyor extraordinaire, inventor, astronomer and, though born a Quaker, became a Major in the Revolutionary War - wrote at least thirteen yearly almanacs from 1781-1793, even during the war.  He calculated each monthly chart and composed a prose segment on predictions and biographies as the "Allegheny Philosopher". 

His early editions were published by Mary K. Goddard (1738-1816), the woman newspaper publisher and Baltimore postmaster who bravely printed the Declaration of Independence.

Ellicott family founders of EC - 250 years ago

The remarkable Ellicott brothers - Joseph, Andrew, John, with some financing from Nathaniel - created the state-of-the-art mill and the town of Ellicott mills in 1772. 1854 image of George, Jonathon and John homes.