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Oella: Conquering the "Nine Mile Hill"
The Historic National Road: The Road That Built The Nation
The Ellicott brothers constructed what became the first leg of the Baltimore and Frederick-Town Turnpike to get their flour market in Baltimore. By 1787, they cut a new road east through the forests to shorten the trip to the city. This route became part of the National Road system in 1806.
Travelers on the turnpike faced a steep grade nine miles west of Baltimore. They had to conquer the hill using numerous switchbacks as they ascended from the Patapsco River Valley.
As the road passed the Oella tollhouse and descended into the valley, it reached the 1770s flour mill built by John and George Ellicott. Their first mill was where the large concrete structure now stands across the road. The nearby stone house was once the home of George Ellicott.
Ellicott's Mills grew quickly into a thriving, industrial community. Many successful mills crowded the banks of the Patapsco River at the cascading fall line.
Travelers on the National Road passed the Oella tollhouse and gate and took the "Nine Mile Hill" into Ellicott City. The mile marker is still standing and the old switchbacks are still visible on both sides of Frederick Road.
Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806):
African-American mathematician and astronomer Benjamin Banneker was a renowned man of science. Famous for helping the Ellicott brothers survey the site of the national capital in 1791 and corresponding the Thomas Jefferson, Banneker is pictured on the cover of his 1795 almanac. He lived in Oella and is remembered at the nearby Benjamin Banneker Historic Museum and Park. |