Histories

Aberdeen

It all began with a tavern that was established where the main road from Swan Creek met with the Philadelphia Post Road. This location became known as Hall's Cross Roads. By 1800, Hall's cross Roads had grown to a small town with a tavern, blacksmith shop, and three houses. In 1837 the railroad came to town when the Baltimore and Port Deposit railroad began operations. The first stationmaster, Mr. Winston named the growing town Aberdeen, since that was the place of his birth in Scotland. In 1852, Edmund Law Rogers and other businessmen purchased a land from the Hall family and he laid out the streets naming them after his family. Besides the railroad making Aberdeen a major shipping point between Baltimore and Philadelphia, George W. Baker's canning house, established in 1867, aided in the economic growth of Aberdeen. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad lines were laid in 1883 going through Aberdeen and the population grew to more than 700 people by 1890. At this time, there were actually three communities in what is now the town of Aberdeen: Mechanicsville, Aberdeen, and Hall's Cross Roads. These three communities were brought together in 1892 when Aberdeen was incorporated. Businesses were established throughout this time and by 1891, Aberdeen had a bank (First Bank of Aberdeen) and a weekly newspaper (Aberdeen Enterprise). In December 1917, President Woodrow Wilson ordered the establishment of Aberdeen Proving Ground and the U.S. Army Artillery Testing Ground was moved from Sandy Hook in New Jersey to Aberdeen.

Source: Aberdeen Heritage Trust

Bel Air

Land was granted to Daniel Scott in 1731 and part of this land became known as Belle Aire. This land was donated to Harford County in 1782 for a courthouse and jail. In March 1782, the county designated it as the county seat. A legislative action in 1785 made the town name official. As time passed the spelling of the town name evolved to what it is today, Bel Air. The town was formally incorporated in 1874.

Source: "The History of the Town of Bel Air"

Jarrettsville

Jarrettsville was once known as Carmen in an area called the Upper Node Forest. It was named after Amos Carmen who owned a lot of the land in the area and tavern where Keene Dodge is today. In 1835, Luther Jarrett, who served in the General Assembly in Annapolis, purchased 300 acres. It was in 1838 that the town was renamed Jarrettsville after this prominent citizen. Jarrettsville was a thriving town with a school, hotel, marble yard, iron furnace and a chrome mine which was one of the largest in the world.

1857 Occupations

AMOS, I.	Farming Implements Sales, Pleasantville	The Southern Aegis 18 July 1857
BARR, Frank	Civil Engineer, Surveyor & Draughtsman, office with Stevenson Archer, Esq., Bel Air	The Southern Aegis 25 July 1857
BATEMAN, A. W.	Attorney at Law, Bel Air	The Southern Aegis 18 July 1857
BATEMAN, Joseph E.	Stage Coach Line Proprietor	The Southern Aegis 18 July 1857
BISSELL, William	Proprietor of Gover House, an Inn in Bel Air	The Southern Aegis 25 July 1857
BLACK, William N.	Artist	The Southern Aegis 7 November 1857
CASE, C.	Tin Wares, Roofing & Plumbing Havre de Grace	The Southern Aegis 18 July 1857
COX, John	Newspaper, The Southern Aegis in Bel Air	The Southern Aegis 18 July 1857
DANCE, J. G.	Surgeon Dentist in Bel Air	The Southern Aegis 18 July 1857
DECKER, John	Tin Wares & Iron Goods Patent on Ice Cream Freezer	The Southern Aegis 18 July 1857
DURHAM, David	Constable	The Souther Aegis 18 July 1857
ELLIOTT, B. S.	Country Store owner at Halls X Roads	The Souther Aegis 31 October 1857
EMLEN, C.	Auctioneer	The Souther Aegis 1 August 1857
GROVER, James A.	Sheriff of Harford County	The Souther Aegis 1 August 1857
HEATH, B. F.	Lumber Yard Owner	The Southern Aegis 18 July 1857
HEATON, John	Justice of the Peace	The Southern Aegis 18 July 1857
HERBERT, Alvin	Lawyer in Churchville	The Southern Aegis 25 July 1857
HERRON, Jas.	Post Master of Bel Air and Store owner, Main and Centre St.	The Southern Aegis 10 & 31 October 1857
HOLLAND, Robert W.	Farmer and brick manufacturer on road fro Bel Air to Hickory	The Southern Aegis 1 August 1857
JACKSON, R. I.	Iron & Steel Goods near Darlington	The Southern Aegis 18 July 1857
JARRETT, A. Lingan	Clerk, Circuit Court of Harford	The Southern Aegis, 18 July 1857,
JARRETT, Archer H.	Attorney at Law One door below Gover House	The Southern Aegis 18 July 1857
JENKINS, Jo.	Lime quarries	The Southern Aegis 25 July 1857
KEECH, Rev. John R.	Boarding School in Fallston	The Southern Aegis 12 December 1857
MATTHEWS, E.	Store Owner in Scottsville	The Southern Aegis 18 July 1857
MOORE, B. P.	General Store Owner in Bel Air	The Southern Aegis 18 July 1857
MOTSON, Thomas	Brickyard located on the farm of Joshua Pennock near the old bridge Rd. heading from Dublin to Conowingo	The Southern Aegis 18 July 1857
MURPHY, Rev. William	Teacher at Boarding School in Fallston	The Southern Aegis 12 December 1857
MYERS, J. H.	Ferry boat captain between Port Deposit and Bell's Ferry	The Southern Aegis 25 July 1857
O'ROURK, M.	Tailor	The Southern Aegis 29 August 1857
PRICE, John H.	Judge, Circuit Court for Harford County	The Southern Aegis 1 August 1857
RISTON, Jesse	Justice of the Peace	The Southern Aegis 18 July 1857
ROBINSON, Samuel	General Store Owner	The Southern Aegis 18 July 1857
RUTLEDGE, Patrick H.	Attorney at Law Office west of Dallam Hotel, Bel Air	The Southern Aegis 18 July 1857
SMITH, Rev. Thomas S. C.	Principal of Harford County Academy until December 1857	The Southern Aegis 5 December 1857
SPENCER, J.	Hotel at Bell's Ferry	The Southern Aegis 25 July 1857
STUMP, Herman	Attorney at Law in Bel Air under Odd Fellows Hall	The Southern Aegis 10 October 1857
YELLOT, George	Newspaper, The Southern Aegis in Bel Air	The Southern Aegis 18 July 1857

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