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The Toponymy of Howard County and Its

Application in the Classroom

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Megan Essman

Orgelfinger

ENGL 490: History of the English Language

December 11, 2014

The Toponymy of Howard County and Its Application to the Classroom

Howard County is located near the center of Maryland; it is the only county in Maryland

which does not border a coastline or another state; it is fundamentally where the other counties of

Maryland come together. The county has been recognized as the “Best Educated” (adults over

25), according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the “Seventh Best School System” in the country by

Forbes, “First Among Great Public Library Systems” by American Libraries, “Second Most

Technologically Advanced Community in the U.S.” by USA Today, and “Ninth Best Quality of

Life” by American City Business Journals (Howard County Tourism and Promotion). Despite

the county’s affluence and advancement, few residents understand, appreciate, and leverage their

county’s unique history.

Researching Howard County’s history, I found a series of articles from an old local

newspaper, Generations. These articles were written by Joetta Cramm, a local Howard County

author and historian, between the years of 2005 and 2010. Her column mainly consisted of the

history of Howard County. She gathered her facts from visiting the county’s historical sites and

interviewing local residents whose families lived in the area in past generations. She wrote

simply to promote and share Howard County’s history. In one particular article she calls upon

her readers to write about the place names of Howard County, she claimed, "It could be exciting

and lead one in many directions" (Cramm). Furthermore, she requested the place names of

Howard County could help teach the past of Howard County, which led me to think, this could

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be an interactive and relevant way to teach children in Howard County public schools their local

history. As a future educator, I see a certain value and need in teaching local history to students.

It can create a greater understanding and sense of community and it helps the students

understand the bigger picture of how their homes’ came to be. I plan to help educators and future

educators see the value in teaching local history by examining Howard County’s toponymy.

Toponymy is the study of the meaning behind a place’s name, whether it is a country’s

name, a city’s name, or a neighborhood street’s name. It looks at how a location’s title came to

be; for example, why was Howard County named, Howard? In 1838 the Anne Arundel County

election district assembly under the Act of 1838 established the Howard District (Stein 356). The

land was named after Colonel John Eager Howard; a local Revolutionary War hero and the fifth

governor of Maryland. In 1852 the Howard District officially became its own county (Stein 115).

As seen, from merely examining why Howard County is named Howard County the major dates

which formed Howard County, the fact Howard County used to be a part of Anne Arundel

County, and the introduction of a new historical figurehead was discovered. The use of

toponymy does not stop here, continue to question the reasoning of the name; for example, why

did the election district assembly idolize or cherish Col. John Eager Howard enough to name

their home after him?

As mentioned Col. Howard was a Revolutionary War hero. During the Revolution Col.

Howard led the Fourth Maryland Regiment, Fifth Maryland Regiment, and Second Maryland

Regiment into battles and was said to have fought courageously (Maryland State Archives). His

name is even mentioned in the Maryland Anthem, “Remember Howard’s warlike thrust”

(Cramm 101). Some of the men who served under him in the Forth Maryland Regiment were

Dorsey, Ellicott, Gaither, Griffith, Hammond, Hobbs, Marriott, Owings, Pindell, and Warfield.

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All of these names are now streets, neighborhoods, and even city names within Howard County.

Some of these men who served under Col. Howard were members of or had influence on the

election district assembly. Col. Howard was a man these men could accredit winning and

surviving the Revolutionary War to; he was an impact character on their lives. Although Howard

never resided within the county lines he was still a major figure to those who did live within the

county, thus his name was idolized and chosen (Holland). As shown, by taking the next step into

the history of a name, the knowledge that Howard County citizens were unquestionably involved

in the Revolutionary War and the war career of Col. Howard was revealed.

As shown above, by examining the toponymy of Howard County, Maryland the area’s

rich history emerges. The naming of locations is not arbitrary, and has a purpose or agenda. By

uncovering the reason behind the names of Howard County the area’s history can be

rediscovered, and with the right questions the classroom can gain greater insights to the past than

a textbook ever could provide. I plan to examine the toponymy of each zip code area containing

a Howard County public high school in order to provide substantial information on the county’s

local history to incorporate into Howard County educators’ future lesson plans.1

The high schools: Atholton, Centennial, Glenelg, Hammond, Howard, Long Reach,

Marriotts Ridge, Mt. Herbon, Oakland Mills, Reservoir, River Hill, and Wilde Lake High

School, are all located in the cities of Columbia, Ellicott City, Glenelg, Marriottsville, Fulton,

and Clarksville. The city of Elkridge will also be discussed due to its overall historical

importance to the county, even though there is no high school located in the area. The

importance of these locations is that each child in Howard County will be able to make a

connection to at least one of these cities because a high school has pronounced importance to the

community due to their academics, sports, clubs, and overall contribution the community. A

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Howard County educator can take the information given and create an insightful lesson plan or

unit on local history holding relevance to their students.

Before going into detail of each of these locations names, I will provide a general time

line of when these towns’ names were used for reference. The 1852 Gazeteer of the State of

Maryland mentions Elkridge, Ellicott Mills, Marriottsville, and Clarksville. The Martenet's Map

of Howard County, Maryland from 1860 includes Ellicott City, Glenelg, Clarksville and Elkridge

(Martenet).2 In 1878 The Gazeteer of the State of Maryland 26 years later lists Ellicott Mills as

Ellicott City and the town of Glenelg (Cramm). Fulton does not grow large enough to be

considered its own town until the 1900s and the planned community of Columbia is not designed

and built up until the 1960s.

One of the newest but most populated cities within Howard County is Columbia.

Columbia contains the most high schools in the county. It is home to Atholton, Hammond, Long

Reach, Oakland Mills, and Wilde Lake High Schools. The name Columbia is obviously a

commonly used name, considering more than 20 American cities or towns have the name, or

have it as a part of their name, such as the District of Columbia or Columbia, South Carolina and

Missouri. The reason the name is so commonly used is because Columbia is a name derived

from Christopher Columbus and it is the classical name that came to personify the female the

American spirit. This is the first layer to the city’s name. James Rouse, owner of The Rouse

Company (TRC), planned the city of Columbia in the 1960s, thus Columbia did not grow slowly

or was discovered, and it was carefully premeditated and developed. The city was carefully

planned from the street ways to the naming of those streets. Rouse was very aware of the power

a name could possess and even said, “Names are a part of design, of the environment, of the

atmosphere in which people live” (Burke 1). With the importance of names in mind Rouse

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assigned Scott Ditch, the Director of marketing for TRC, to research for a name with historical

connotation that embodies Howard County’s past. Ditch’s search found him:

“In 1874 a Columbia post office had been established to serve a small community

that straddled Columbia turnpike. Located near the junction of present day route

29 and route 108 the post office was in operation until 1912 when service was

discontinued and transferred to Ellicott City. The name, however, lived on in

place names such as the small development called Columbia Woodlands that was

built in the early 1930s near the Allview Public Golf Course and Columbia Hills

that was developed in the late 1950s” (Burke 9).

Rouse found the name Columbia had the advantage of being consistent with the location’s

property being so close to Route 29 or Columbia Pike, and had the connection to the District of

Columbia not too far down south from the planned community’s location. With all of these

reasons in mind Rouse and Ditch agreed upon the name of Columbia.

Columbia is the newest city within Howard County thus it does not possess the historical

significance as perhaps other cities within the county. However Ellicott City is one of the most

historically significant cities within Howard County, besides perhaps Elkridge. This city’s past is

the foundation of Howard County’s local history. Centennial, Howard, and Mt. Hebron High

Schools all reside within Ellicott City. Ellicott City’s story is likely the most widely known story

in Howard County since the city is where the county seat and courthouse is located.

Ellicott City was founded by three brothers Andrew, Joseph, and John Ellicott. Their

father, Andrew Ellicott, moved from England to Pennsylvania with his father in 1730. Andrew

Ellicott met a woman, Ann Bye, married and had 5 sons: Thomas, Joseph, Andrew, Nathanial,

and John. The boys all grew up learning the trades of milling, carpentry, and blacksmithing.

Joseph, Andrew, Nathanial, and John all made the move to Maryland, but only Joseph, Andrew,

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and John made land purchases on both sides of the Patapsco River (Cramm). The land they

began to settle on was called “The Hollow.” Once the men were settled they started to build up

the area with grist mills, ironworks, furnaces, rolling mills, a store, a Quaker meeting house, and

of course homes for other settlers. Soon when more people began living in the area cash crops

where produced and roads and bridges were built creating a comfortable, livable town the

Ellicott brothers could credit their work to (Holland). Of course the mills, stores and much of the

land were the Ellicotts’, thus the townspeople began calling home Ellicott’s Mills because of the

mills’ importance to the town, and of course the mills were the Ellicotts’. Furthermore, the town

credited its success to the three brothers and the mills they created. The three brothers are all

buried in the Ellicott Graveyard, founded in 1771 and located on the edge of historical Old

Ellicott City (Howard County Genealogical Society).

The city’s growing importance did not stop with the death of the Ellicott brothers. In

1827 the first steps were taken to have a railroad built in America, and three years later Ellicott

Mills received national fame when it was the first railroad terminus in the country. So in 1838

when the Howard District of Anne Arundel County was formed and government needed to be

put in place outside of Annapolis, Ellicott Mills became the political heart of the new district and

eventually the county. In 1867 a city charter secured Ellicott Mills and the town’s name switched

over to Ellicott City (Holland).

Ellicott City is now perhaps one of the busiest cities within Howard County, but on the

other side of county towards the west lays rural Glenelg. Glenelg is one of the county’s most

rural locations and is the home of Glenelg High School. The coming of the name Glenelg is

rather unique compared to majority of the other cities within Howard County typically named for

someone of importance. Glenelg is named after a Manor, The Glenelg Manor. This home is now

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presently part of the Glenelg Country School, a private school for grades pre-kindergarten to

twelfth grade off of Folly Quarter Road. The manor was first recorded as a property in 1736, and

since then has been owned by 17 different families. The property didn’t receive its name until the

8th family, the Tyson’s in 1845 (Koppenhoefer). The owner General Joseph Tyson and his wife

called the manor Glenelg after, “an old estate in Scotland and because it spelled the same from

either end” (Holland 19). General Tyson worked very hard on his home in order to duplicate the

Scottish manor he so greatly admired. By the end of his life the manor became one of the most

lavish homes in the county. As time went by it widely became known as The Glenelg Manor by

those who lived within the area. Later a small nearby crossroad town decided to adapt the same

name since it did not have its own name. As the town grew it kept the unique name and slowly

evolved into present day Glenelg (Holland).

Moving northeast from Glenelg lays the rural town of Marriottsville, home of Marriotts

Ridge High School. Marriottsville is presumably named after the prominent Marriott family of

Maryland who settled the area. Unfortunately, there is no official record that confirms these

presumptions, only well-educated speculated theories. The commonly accepted theory is the

Marriott family of Maryland acquired their land after the Revolutionary War and began to settle

the area. The first recorded Marriotts of Howard County were John Marriott and Sarah Acton

who originally lived at Indian Landing, near Annapolis, but moved out after the Revolutionary

War. Four generations down the line came General William Hammond Marriott, son of Richard

and Sarah Hammond Marriott. He settled some land in the area during 1811 and the following

year signed up to fight in the War of 1812. During the war he rose to the rank of General. It was

General W. H. Marriott who brought fame to the Marriott name through the glorification of war.

He became a local war hero due to his hard earned high rankings in the military.

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Unfortunately, the exact date of settlement or naming of Marriottsville is unknown yet

there are postal records of the town name existing during the 1850s. From these records it was

found the town was owned by someone with heritage from the Marriott family, but not quite a

Marriott himself. His name was William Davis, kin of Senator Henry Gassaway Davis of West

Virginia. Senator Davis was the great nephew of General W. H. Marriott. From this information

it can be assumed the town was passed down through generations, which likely had some

familial gaps. Marriottsville never grew into a large town or had much of a population, and the

same applies today (Holland).

Moving from the most northern town of Howard County to most southern location of the

county is Fulton. Fulton is home of Reservoir High School and is another smaller, rural town of

Howard County. The land was originally called Hammond’s Direction when owned by the

Hammond and Snowden families, but in 1855 they sold the land to the Noeckel’s, a German

immigrant family. Hammond’s Direction was then renamed, Fulton, by the Noeckel’s for a

colorful and successful man who resided in the area, Charles C. Fulton, often known as C.C.

Fulton. Fulton was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1815 (Harrisburg Telegraph), but built a career on

journalism in Baltimore City. He first was an editor for the Baltimore Sun and later became the

owner and editor of the Baltimore American from 1857–1861. He was a firm believer in direct

correspondence, or front line reporting. So during the Civil War he actively took it upon himself

to travel with the Army of the Potomac, an Eastern Union army to report the war. He did this to

ensure “on-the-scene” reporting for his readers (Holland). Due to these credentials he was a local

celebrity and the small rural town’s claim to fame at the time, hence the town’s name of Fulton

in order to grab more attention from the surrounding areas (Holland).

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Just above Fulton is Clarksville the home of River Hill High School. Clarksville is yet

another town named for renowned individuals. The town is rich in history considering it was

established at least 21 years before the Howard District. Clarksville’s name originates from the

family of John R. Clark of Belfast, Ireland (Holland). The Clark family began farming in

Howard County in 1797, and has continued to do so into present day. The story of the Clarksville

begins with the descendants of John's brother, David, who in 1851 purchased large acreages

around Clarksville. These brothers had families and their children had families leaving a large

trail of Clarks throughout Howard County. The Clark descendants, sixth and seventh generation

Martha Clark and Nora Crist, no longer have this original acreage but bought new land for the

Clark’s Farm off State Route 108. It is currently Forever Farm Land (About Our Farm). The area

was named for the Clark’s considering majority of the land at the time was owned and farmed by

the family; they were a well-established family of the time and era, and built up the beginnings

of the town.

Elkridge, a city that predates both Ellicott City and Clarksville, does not have a public

high school within the city but was the first site of civilization within the current boundaries of

Howard County. It contains a great amount of historical significance to the county’s past. The

first documentation of Elkridge was found in a law passed by the Assembly of Province in 1689

which served to set a boundary between Anne Arundel and Baltimore County. The law refers to

“Elk-Ridge Road” as a landmark that divides the two counties. Again the area is mentioned as

Elk-Ridge Landing in 1732 as reference to erecting a town “Jansen Town,” which never

flourished. The Elk-Ridge Landing was a port settlement where planters could bring their

tobacco crop to be loaded on English trading ships. The area flourished and grew but around

1869 extreme heavy rains overflowed the Patapsco River and eventually washed away much of

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the original town (Holland). Due to these floods it can be assumed much of the town’s history

was washed away with the waters. The true origins of Elkridge’s name are unknown due to the

likelihood that the documents containing this information had been destroyed in the floods,

although it is notable how the name changed over time.

As discussed, Howard County has a vast difference in how its communities developed,

and each story gives a larger depiction of the county’s past, and even some of the nations.

Understanding the reasoning and past behind the names of Howard County lead to the discovery

of its local history. I now argue, this history should be taught in the Howard County Public

School System. A past fifth and sixth grade teacher at the Jessup School, Howard County, G.

Marie Biggs pioneered teaching local Howard County history during the 1951 – 1952 school

years. Her class was working on a social studies unit titled, "Discovering Our Community." As a

class project they created a booklet discussing their local history of Jessup and how they found

their facts. Biggs compiled their data and published enough booklets for the students. She said:

"To my knowledge, information from it has been used by at least one college student for an

essay, for one entry in a literary contest, for several souvenir programs, for numerous news items

and for reference for information" (Biggs 1). From this it is safe to say her project was a success.

It was successful enough for Biggs to come back to the information in 1977 to refine and

republish it.

Of course public schooling was a lot different 60 to 70 years ago. For starters Maryland is

now implementing the Common Core State Standards in all of its public schools, requiring

teachers to cover specific information the children will be tested on quarterly during the school

year. The government’s goal of for the common core is to have “rigorous education standards

establish a set of shared goals and expectations for what students should understand and be able

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to do in grades K-12 in order to be prepared for success in college and the workplace” (School

Improvement in Maryland). I suggest implementing local history by relating it to Standard 5.0

for Fifth grade history, “Students will examine significant ideas, beliefs, and themes; organize

patterns and events; and analyze how individuals and societies have changed over time in

Maryland and the United States.” Within this standard a teacher can venture from national

history and begin to incorporate local history.

Standard 5.0, Topic A, Indictor 2 says students should be able to, “Analyze the

chronology and the significance of key historical events leading to early settlements in Colonial

America,” and Topic B, Indictor 2 says students should be able to, “Analyze the growth and

development of colonial America.” These are excellent units to discuss and incorporate Elkridge,

Clarksville, and even Ellicott City, for these towns came to be during the colonial era. Topic C,

Indictor 2 says students should be able to, “Analyze the effects of the American Revolution.”

Here is a where the story of John Eager Howard’s military career during the Revolution can be

discussed or even the men in his army such as Dorsey, Ellicott (a descendent of the Ellicott

brothers), Gaither, Griffith, Hammond, Hobbs, Marriott (whom influenced the naming of

Marriottsville), Owings, Pindell, Warfield and more. Topic B, Indictor 4 says, “Analyze patterns

of immigration to the United States before 1877.” The history and naming of Fulton is relevant

here considering it was built by a large amount of German immigrants. Or perhaps discuss

Clarksville or Ellicott City since the ancestors of these who built these towns were also

immigrants, The Clarks from Ireland and the Ellicott’s from England.

The list of standards can continue, and a teacher can incorporate the student’s local

history into the Common Core, simply by connecting the times and events of the local history

and national history referred to in the Common Core. Furthermore, a teacher could use all the

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given information and use it as summary information in regards to the United States history. For

example when discussing the history of Fulton, students should be able to connect C.C. Fulton’s

life to the events of the Civil War. When discussing Ellicott City students can connect back to

the industrial revolution and the building of the railroads. There is a multitude of ways the

teacher can make these connections. At first the students will need a teacher’s guidance to learn

and make the connections but eventually they will learn to do it on their own.

Furthermore, teaching local history can enhance the required Common Core State

Standards for history. “The incorporation of local history into a curriculum can help engage

students by providing a local context to promote understanding of abstract historical events” and

“local history can show students how the town or city in which their school is situated was

touched or affected by the course of the nation’s defining moments” (Marino 1). Simply put,

local history can and will enhance a student’s understanding of all history. Local history helps

students better understand how their lives and hometowns have been shaped by historical events.

It broadens the traditional curriculum to include new perspectives not touched upon in U.S.

history classes, which in turn widens the students’ views and ideologies. The student learns how

their heritage fits into history and how history is continuously happening. History becomes

relatable and relevant (Marino).

Biggs figured this out with her classroom project 60 to 70 years ago, students want their

lives to be relevant in the classroom, and they do care about the greater meaning. Biggs’ students

all seemed to value their project years afterwards, referring back to it for different means. As

Cramm said, “It could be exciting and lead one in many directions," because as Burke said,

“Names are a part of design, of the environment, of the atmosphere in which people live.”

Students already understand the importance of a name, but the teacher can show the students

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how names lead into another segment of history, a history relevant to them. I find using

toponymy is the most relevant way to teach the students’ local history, considering the students

will have already seen these names repeatedly, and have likely wondered about their

environment. These names tell a story of the area’s history; furthermore history people see and

say every day.

Notes

1. Included for reference are two maps one portraying the Zip Code Areas of Howard

County, MD and the other portraying the Public High School district zones within the

county.

2. Included for reference is an 1860 survey map of Howard County, MD.

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Bibliography

Biggs, G. Marie. The Story of Jessup. Jessup, MD: Biggs, 1977. Print.

Burke, Missy, Robin Emrich, and Barbara Kellner. Oh, You Must Live in Columbia!: The Origins of Place Names in Columbia, Maryland. Columbia, MD: Columbia Archives, 2008. Print.

Cramm, Joetta. Howard County: A Pictorial History. Norfolk: Donning, 1987. Print.

Cramm, Joetta. "Where Do You Live? A Brief Look at the Names of Local Places." Generations [Howard County, MD] n.d., Historically Speaking sec.: n. pag. Print.

"A Journalist Gone: Death of Editor Charles C. Fulton." Harrisburg Telegraph 7 June 1883, 62nd ed., sec. 186: n. pag. 1 Print.

Holland, Celia M. Landmarks of Howard County, Maryland: A Bicentennial Presentation. University Park, MD: Holland, 1975. Print.

Holland, Celia M. Old Homes and Families of Howard County, Maryland: With Consideration of Various Additional Points of Interest. Catonsville, MD: C.M. Holland, 1987. Print family.

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"Howard County Public School System." Howard County Public School System High Schools. Howard County Public School System, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.

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Koppenhoefer, Joetta. Pleasant Prospect of Glenelg Manor. N.p.: n.p., 1977. Print.

Martenet, Simon J. "Martenet's Map of Howard County, Maryland." Martenet's Map of Howard County, Maryland : Drawn Entirely from Actual Surveys. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.

Marino, Michael P. "Looking For History In "Boring" Places: Suburban Communities And American Life." History Teacher 47.4 (2014): 489-509. Academic Search Complete. Web. 22 Oct. 2014.

"NSTL About Our Farm Page." NSTL About Our Farm Page. Clark's Farm, 2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.

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Stein, Charles Francis. Origin and History of Howard County, Maryland. Baltimore: n.p., 1972. Print.

"Using the State Curriculum: US History, High School." Standard 5 ~ U.S. History ~ Using the State Curriculum ~ School Improvement in Maryland. N.p., 2014. Web. 22 Oct. 2014.

“ZIP CODES Howard County, MD.” Howard County Maryland Map Gallery. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.