Harford County
MDGenWeb
| 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 |
Harford County, which lies to the east of Baltimore County, has a distinct individuality that is easier to feel than to define. The southerly part, with its great tidal estuaries flowing into Chesapeake Bay, is traversed by the main lines of the Pennsylvania and B. & O. railroads, and having become largely industrialized has lost its purely Maryland character. The United States War Department has established a great arsenal and proving grounds near the town of Aberdeen. It is when the salt marshes give place to the rolling piedmont that Harford becomes itself. It might be called the country gentleman's county. There is a smarter, showier, and more opulent society in Baltimore County, but this sophistication has been imposed on Maryland, it is of the great world; whereas the aristocratic traditions of Harford are sui generis and bred in the bone of the old families.
Harford has its rich new-comers, too, but not as yet in sufficient numbers to effect much change in its way of life. Of all the counties in Maryland, Harford possesses the most intense county-consciousness. In Baltimore City you will not be long in the company of a Harford countian before you are informed with pride that "my place is in Harford." Horse-breeding, horse-racing, and hunting are all in the old Harford tradition. In 1805, Commodore Joshua Barney took Jerome Bonaparte to the races at Havre de Grace, though it was not here but a race-track in Baltimore County that Jerome met the lovely Betsy Patterson. Nowadays, of course, the meet at Havre de Grace attracts the talent from all over the country and it can no longer be considered a Harford institution. Thoroughbreds, however, are still raised in Harford, and the Harford Hunt Club is in being.
Harford was called for Henry Harford, illegitimate son of Frederick, the last Lord Baltimore, and his heir. Harford was an insignificant fellow and would hardly have been so honored had it not happened that he had just inherited the province of Maryland at the time, 1773, when the county was created. Soon afterwards he lost his province in the outbreak of the Revolution and troubled Maryland no more. Harford County people in their large way, look upon it as a good joke that their county should have been named for a bastard. No other county in the nation they claim, has been so honored. The county seat was first located at Old Harford Town on the Bush River now known as Bush. An ancient tavern stands there as a reminder. Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe stopped there and on March 22, 1775, thirty-four worthies of Harford County met there to formulate and sign the "Harford Resolves" which has been called the first Declaration of Independence.
Harford is bounded on the north by Pennsylvania, but it has never received so great an influx of German immigrants as the other northerly counties, consequently the old English spirit has never been modified. Though Mason and Dixon's line is a purely imaginary boundary, to cross it from Harford to-day is like entering a foreign country. They have a saying in Harford to explain the difference between the two peoples: "The Maryland farmer sells what he can't eat and the Pennsylvania farmer eats what he can't sell." An old resident of Belair told me of a driving trip he took to Pennsylvania sixty years ago. He and his friend, young Harford bloods of the day, drove a pair of matched sorrel mares hitched in tandem to an English dog-cart. Harford was a dry county at this time, the weather was hot, and all the way north they regaled themselves with thoughts of the cold beer they would drink in Pennsylvania. They crossed the line, they entered a tavern and the foaming amber nectar was drawn and put before them. At this moment a Negro entered the bar and was served, whereupon the two young Marylanders left their beer untouched.
It is pleasant to note that there is more in the Harford tradition than sport. From the time that Junius Brutus Booth, the elder, built Tudor Hall near Belair in 1822 and raised his talented and tragic family there, always there has been a sprinkling of artists among the new-comers attracted to the county. It is one of the things that make life in Harford pleasant and different. Painters and writers, so long as they are not too "arty," are treated as human beings and you may meet them at anybody's table. In Belair's new post-office there is a spirited mural depicting Edwin Booth's first public appearance. This took place on a temporary stage erected in the court-house. A stairway in the court-house is decorated with pictures of Harford's own Declaration of Independence by Marian B. Ewald. The courtroom itself exhibits Harford's Hall of Fame on its walls. No other county in Maryland has risen to this. The collection includes portraits of men notable in every walk of life from Edwin Booth the actor, to John Rodgers the naval officer.
Pleasant Belair under its umbrageous trees could not be mistaken for anything but a county town. The principal business of the well-furnished stores appears to be supplying the wants of the healthy-looking, well-dressed — but not too well-dressed — country gentry who drive in. The court-house, plain brick, American plan, is completely in character. Pleasant it was to see a man appear on the steps and swing a gigantic brass bell. This was the town auctioneer (''Vendue Master" he used to be), advertising the sale of a piece of land. Little that is very old remains in the town except a dignified dwelling here and there, and in Bond Street the old Eagle Tavern which now calls itself the Country Club Inn. The first part of the building was erected in 1718; added to in 1790. The grounds are attractive and the inn contains old pieces of furniture and other relics of its past.
When I was in the court-house there was an equity case in progress which dealt with a problem in the sale of real-estate so abstruse that I could not follow it; however, I was highly entertained by the gravity with which the proceedings were conducted. It was like a superior game of make-believe; the Judge remote and passionless upon the bench; the opposing lawyers always courteously deferring to each other while each searched for a weak joint in his opponent's armor. Yet all these men had played together as boys. There were no spectators; they were doing it for themselves alone. It is a pity there is not more ceremony in our lives; it is so much fun. What a contrast when a recess was declared, and everybody became natural. The Judge was then a boy among the boys again.
Like all towns of character, Belair is rich in stories. Mrs. Dudy Bradford was lamenting to her sister, Miss Mamie Norris, that the funny old characters were passing away. Said Miss Mamie: 'You forget yourself, Dudy."
Judge Robinson of the Times-News tells anecdotes with a legal flavor. Many of them concerned Judge Watters who ornamented the bench of Harford for many years. It was his custom to drive to the court-house in a creaking buggy, with his long red beard waving in the wind. The outfit was drawn by an aged mule. When the Judge got out, the backs of his trousers legs were usually caught inside his unlaced shoes. On one occasion while driving along he gave a lift to Barney Devlin, a local Irishman of the humbler sort. ''Well, Barney," said the Judge condescendingly, ''you would live in Ireland for a long time before you found yourself driving with a judge." "Faith it is so, Jedge, your Honor," answered Barney, '"'and you would be living in Ireland for a long time before you found yourself a judge!'' Once as the judge was leaving home, he met a young fellow coming to call on his daughter. The judge wished to be hospitable, but his wife was within hearing, so he said: ''Make yourself at home John! Make yourself at home. I have to go out, but you can look up that case we were talking about in 72nd Maryland." Alone in the judge's library, John pulled out the law volume and found a bottle behind it!
Attached to Judge Watter's court was a bailiff called Barney Dunnigan who was as great a character as the judge. Returning from Baltimore in a crowded railway car one day, Barney took an aisle seat. Presently Judge Watters entered and seated himself in front of Barney. The judge was carrying a wicker-covered demijohn which he tenderly set down in the aisle, causing the bailiff's mouth to water profusely. Barney's Adam's apple worked convulsively up and down while he thought and thought, without being able to hit on a dignified method of approach. Finally the judge fell asleep in his seat. Barney then with infinite care loosened the cork in the jug and rocked it back and forth until a little of the contents slopped out. He woke the judge saying: "I am sorry to disturb you, Judge, your Honor, but your jug appears to be leaking."' The judge looking down in dismay, saw the wet spot spreading on the floor. "That's so; that's so, Barney! Well, we better save what we can!"
There was old Charlie Lee, one of the richest men in Belair, who, like the judge, was a very untidy dresser and fond of his dram — a "rum-dum" as they say in Belair. Charlie always had money to lend on mortgage, crisp one-hundred dollar bills, and as he counted them out: ''One hundred, two hundred, three hundred," he would interrupt himself to say to the borrower: ''Samuel, I am not lending you this money because I love you, but because I expect to make something — four hundred, five hundred, six hundred," etc.
Charlie had a wife so pious that she was known in the village as "Mrs. Sanctified Lee." Once, when her praying had extended itself further than Charlie could bear, he broke out: "Get up, get up, Mrs. Lee, or you'll worry the Lord to death!" On another occasion, when her grace before breakfast was unduly long, he slyly remarked: "Mrs. Lee, the cat is on the table!" Mrs. Lee, jerking up her head, became very angry upon discovering that the cat was not even in the room. "Well," said Charlie, "I just wanted to see whether you thought more of the Lord or of your breakfast."
Dr. Armfield Van Bibber is to-day a worthy exemplar of the old Harford spirit. Not content with being a first-rate physician, whose reputation extends far beyond Harford, he cultivates the amenities as well; he has written good poetry and contributed many graceful articles to the better magazines. Dr. Van Bibber loves to tell stories that illustrate the special character of his people; his anecdotes, naturally, tend to have a medical flavor.
Years ago they had a Doctor Frank Turner in Belair who was highly regarded as a physician — ''when you could get him sober!' In the course of time a Doctor Bradley came to town and hung out his shingle, and one of Dr. Turner's long-time patients, a farmer called Bond, let us say, took the occasion to warn Dr. Turner that if he ever came drunk when he was called for, he would never be summoned again. In the course of time Farmer Bond's young son was taken sick and Dr. Turner was sent for. He arrived at Bond's house a little worse than sober and was not allowed to come in.
Driving back to town, he stopped at Dr. Bradley's house. "Doctor," he said, "I've got a bottle of something particularly choice at my house. Come on over and sample it." The young man, delighted with such a friendly overture from his confrére, accompanied Dr. Turner and was persuaded to sample the bottle very liberally. Dr. Turner for his part, drank sparingly. By and by Dr. Bradley's servant came over to say that her master had been sent for by Farmer Bond. "Can you tell me how to get to Bond's?" asked Dr. Bradley of Dr. Turner. "It's pretty complicated," said the latter; "tell you what I'll do, I'll drive you out there myself." So they went, and, the weather being very disagreeable, took the bottle with them. Arriving at the Bond place, they found the farmer waiting at the open door. Young Dr. Bradley alighted from the buggy with dignity, but there was a steep grassy slope to the house door and as fast as he ascended it he slid back to the bottom. Finally, prompted by nature, he took the handle of his little satchel between his teeth, and climbing nimbly up on all fours, so presented himself to the grim Farmer Bond! By this time Dr. Turner was sober. Said the farmer: ''You had better take the case, Frank."
Some of the stories about Dr. Turner have a grim edge. He was watching at the bedside of a dying patient who was a Catholic. A priest administered the last rites of the church, and went home to his dinner. No such luck for the doctor; he had to see the man through. Being asked by a member of the family to read the Litany of the Saints, he started it with a sinking heart because the Litany of the Saints, he said, goes on pretty near forever. While he read he listened to the dying man's breathing, expecting, hoping that each breath he heard would be the last. But there was always another to follow. Finally a woman sitting among the others rose, and going to a window beside the bed, threw it up. An icy blast swept into the room; the labored breathing ceased. "I thought that would do it," she said, calmly lowering the window.
One more of Dr. Van Bibber's anecdotes has rather a terrible profundity. This is of the village half-wit, disregarded by all. "Doctor," he said, ''do you ever think about the best families? They have been here from the beginning and they have always been the best families. Tilling the same land year after year, living in the same houses. They don't need to get themselves an education or to do anything in particular because they are the best families. Doctor, do you know what I think? I think the best families have got common and they don't know it."
The northern part of Harford is very beautiful; a typical piedmont country, rolling and rich. Along Deer Creek peaceful sylvan scenes alternate with wild rocky gorges. The northeast corner of the county comprises a part of ""My Lady's Manor," the ideal country for horsemen. Most of the Manor lies within Baltimore County. Among the survivals of the past North of Belair is '"Rigbie House" where Lafayette spent the night of April 13, 1781, on his way to Yorktown. A mutiny broke out among his soldiers and a council of officers was held in the big paneled living-room. Luckily the mutiny was quelled, or the course of our history might have been different.
On the banks of Deer Creek stands a strange little building known as "Paradice" or "Priest Neale's Mass House." It is a private chapel built during the years when the Catholic religion was proscribed in Maryland — or perhaps it would be more proper to describe it as a little monastery with its chapel and its pair of cells.
One more old house that I should like to mention, because there is no other like it in Maryland, is "Bon Air" which stands a little to the north of the old Harford Road. It was built in 1794 by Count Francis Delaporte, one of Rochambeau's officers. He was thinking of his native France when he built his home in America, and the result looks like a little chateau on the Loire, delightful in its simplicity and grace. All the details of the house outside and inside are absolutely French.
Contributed 2024 Dec 3 by Norma Hass, extracted from 1942 Maryland Main and the Eastern Shore by Hulbert Footner, pages 93-101.
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
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 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.
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This page was last updated
12/03/2024