Deborah Disney's Hotel and 'tavern' 1830s to 1860

Deborah McLaughlin Disney (c1798-  ) was a remarkable businesswoman who leased the hotel(not tavern), then bought it in 1840. An acre was sold for a new courthouse and jail; the deed even stated where Court Street would run, and they had to build a "substantial fence."  She increased the hotel size by 1844. "Mrs. Disney's Hotel" or the Union Hotel was a "commodious and well-established hotel," with a 4 story brick addition on the west side, a stable for 70 horses, running water at the stable yard with room for a flower garden, 8 acres to grow vegetables and hay, and outbuildings.  She sold it in 1860.

Meeting to make Howard a county in 1837

Gov. George Howard (1789-1846) of "Waverly" was selected to chair the group of residents including Nath’l. H. Ellicott, Andrew Ellicott, Edward Gray, Thomas B. Dorsey, Chas. D. Warfield and Gustavus Warfield to "partition off the upper section" of Anne-Arundel county into a separate county.  The meeting was held at Deborah Disney's Hotel in Ellicott's mills.  Howard District was created in 1839, but not made a county until 1851.  The current court house was built in 1841.  The name Howard was to honor Gov. George Howard's father, Revolutionary War hero Col. John Eager Howard (1752-1827, also a governor when George was born) and landowner in Baltimore and Howard County.