HOWARD COUNTY HISTORY

Relive those fateful days of struggle during the Civil War. At Civil War sites across Howard County you’ll find interpretive markers containing both military and anecdotal accounts of the two opposing armies along scenic and historic roads.

CHECK OUT AN AWARD WINNING DOCUMENTARY ON THE CIVIL WAR TRAILS IN OUR "VIRTUAL TOURS" AREA OF THE WEBSITE!

Howard County’s Civil War sites and attractions are part of the newest Maryland Civil War Trail –Baltimore: A House Divided. The Baltimore area found itself on the front lines of the Civil War almost immediately after the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter. Union troops rushing to the defense of Washington, DC just days after Sumter had to pass through the area where loyalties were, at best, questionable. The tension erupted April 19, 1861 in Baltimore as Southern sympathizers attacked Federal troops. Union authorities moved quickly and decisively to secure the area, but the situation remained uneasy throughout the war. This Civil War Trails tour covers the Baltimore city story as well as area themes involving African Americans, the all-important railroads and a variety of activity on the northern shores of the Chesapeake Bay.

Ellicott City’s B&O Railroad Station Museum, the oldest railroad terminus in America, focuses on the early years of the B&O Railroad. Civil War exhibits examine the importance of the railroad to the area and to the Union during the war and the role of the Patapsco Guard. Both troops and supplies were transported through Howard County on the B&O Railroad.

Other newly interpreted sites on the new Civil War Trail in Howard County include the Thomas Viaduct in The Patapsco Valley State Park, The Elkridge Furnace Inn, Historic Savage Mill, the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park, Thomas Isaac Log Cabin in Ellicott City and Oakland Manor in Columbia, which was once the home of Confederate Colonel George Gaither and the Howard County Dragoons.

The Ellicott City Colored School sign near Historic Ellicott City tells the story of the surviving members of the United States Colored Troops who founded this school in the 1880s. The sign here honors local hero Decatur Dorsey, one of 16 African-American soldiers to win a Medal of Honor during the Civil War (for action at the Battle of the Crater near Petersburg, Va.)

Additionally, interpretive markers have been placed at the location of the Battle of Cooksville at the intersection of Route 97 & Route 144 where Confederate troops were delayed on their way to Gettysburg.

Copies of the newest Maryland Civil War Trail –Baltimore: A House Divided are available at the Visitor Information Center in Historic Ellicott City or call 1-800-288-TRIP (8747).