Existing comment:
Mills on the Patapsco:
The nine miles of the Patapsco River between Elkridge and Daniels holds the state record for having had the greatest number of dams on a single river.
THE RIVER: The source of life; the power of destruction.
It was the power of water that attracted people and industry into the Patapsco River Valley. However, in time the water turned violently against the people and most all they had built along the river. The river at flood stage, in the final analysis, ultimately decided how its environs would be used. Industry, for the most part, was replaced by natural lands, wildlife, and people seeking outdoor recreation. Listed below are the years when the power of water turned the course of history in a different direction:
* 1868: The great flood destroyed most of the mills operating in the area at that time.
* 1933: Floods destroyed the Civilian Conservation Corps Tent Camp at Avalon.
* 1972: Tropical storm Agnes destroyed Patapsco State Park at Avalon, Orange Grove, Glen Artney and Daniels.
* 1974: Tropical storm Eloise damaged the Park again before repairs from storm Agnes had been completed.
Now only a few industries are found along the Patapsco's banks, which at one time supported an industrial revolution. |