In recent years, I have become more and more interested in the history of our county. It started with the discovery of the kids summer Passport series, which we are about to venture on for the 4th year. And it has flourished into tours of the Patapsco Female Institute, museums and historic locations around the area, as well as classes at the Historical Museum for both Jocelyn and myself. I love the history of people, and I love hearing about how our area came to be.
Almost 250 years ago, the Ellicotts settled in the area, drawn here by the possibilities of mills powered by the flow of many rivers in the area, specifically the Patapsco River. Many other families with now, well known names, came here too, and Elkridge and Ellicott Mills became thriving towns.
Eventually the first ever B&O Railroad and Train Station were built in Ellicott City. Along with the rivers it became a way to transport goods produced in the area.
Ellicott City was built at a point where 3 tributaries run into the Patapsco River. It's also in a valley at the bottom of "7 hills". So there's already plenty of flowing water to cause flooding, but the floods of 2016 and last week, are significant because the water did not come UP from a flooding Patapsco, it came DOWN from the hills. Much of the reason for this is the over building up on the hills above Old Ellicott City. Everyone, and I mean everyone it seems, wants to live in this area, which is fine and dandy, until you change the topography and take away so much of the areas for water to absorb into the ground. Instead it flows down hill. Now granted, we've been dealing with record amounts of rain in the area, and the ground can only absorb so much water, but still....
Anyway, on Saturday May 27, 2018, for the second time in 2 years, Ellicott City flooded. After more than 8 inches of rain in two hours, rushing water flowed down the funnel known as Main Street. It gutted historic shops and homes that had managed to survive for 246 years worth of floods. And now those buildings may be condemned and never see visitors again.
When the flood happened in 2016, everyone said it was a once in 1000 year flood. They don't think that anymore.
I'm sad to see the pictures, and even though there are many people that know and love the area even more than I do, I greatly feel the loss of the history that I love. I had just recently discovered there was a building in town that had been the first court house in Howard County. It was on my list of places to visit this summer. I had just discovered it and wanted to learn about it's history. It's gone now, history washed away in the flood waters. This is what it once looked like.
And now the boards that look like twigs in this photo are what's left of the original court house. The cabin to the left is also a historic site, that came too close to being washed away with it.
This is the bottom of the hill where the B&O Train Station is (bottom right). Just past the station farther to the right and not in the photo, is the Patapsco River. There is plenty of clean up to do. Sadly, prior to 2016, there was a clock in the street corner beneath the trees. The flood in 2016 washed the original clock away, but it was eventually found. A new clock replaced it last year, but that too was washed away in this flood. It was found a few days ago.
This past weekend, on Saturday morning, one week after the flood, Jocelyn and I went to a kids program at the Howard County Historic Museum, which fortunately is on one of the hills way above the city flood area. She got her Passport book for this summer, and we got to visit (from the outside) some of the sites at the top of the hill, the current court house being one of them. There are sites along Main Street listed in our book, but we don't know if we'll be able to visit them before the end of the summer. We'll see I guess.
The Historical Society Museum has the clock that was washed away in 2016. I wonder if they will get the clock that was washed away last week too.
If there is anything good to come of this flooding, it's that after the flood waters washed away the road and the first court house, they left visible one of the long buried millstones, from one of the Ellicott Mills. I hope maybe one day it will be possible to see it up close
I continue to follow the news reports about Ellicott City, with sadness for the people, and history affected by these floods. I don't know what the solution is, and I certainly don't blame people for not wanting to rebuild, own businesses, work and / or live on Main Street. But I am so sad for the history that may be lost forever.
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