Visitors thronged to Ellicott City just days after the July 24, 1868 flood

Ferries and a newly constructed foot bridge charged "tourists" from Baltimore and the country ten cents to get closer to see the damage of the flood by Monday July 27... the flood was Friday evening.

"Yesterday the place was thronged with people from the city and surrounding country, who had flocked thither to witness the scene of so dire a calamity. Several lines of ferries were established across the stream, and did a profitable business in carrying people to and fro at ten cents per head. A foot-bridge was also in process of construction, on which a similar rate of toll was to be charged." [National Intelligencer July 28, 1868 (DC, Tuesday); Harper's Weekly Aug 15, 1868. Image]

While doing research on the Dr. Thomas Boyle Owings family tragedy during the 1868 flood for an upcoming post, I encounted this paragraph in a newspaper article about the flood. It was surprising how soon after the disaster and during cleanup that people travelled there by foot, horse or carriage... not to help but to watch. The visits may have even started on Sunday. Disaster tourism is a new term (to me), but not a new act for going to gawk at a tragedy.

More blog posts
1868 flood HERE
Floods HERE

©2023 Patricia Bixler Reber
Forgotten history of Ellicott City & Howard County MD