1892 Map of Laurel

About this map

The Patuxent River system and its Middle Branch Patuxent River form the topographical spine of this 1890 survey, where the borders of Howard, Montgomery, Anne Arundel, and Prince George counties converge. The landscape is defined by the heavy presence of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which links together industrial and transport hubs like Savage Sta., Annapolis Junc., and Laurel. Evidence of early Maryland industry is scattered across the southern terrain, where multiple sites marked Iron Ore are situated near the rail lines between Contee and Muirkirk. Small crossroads settlements such as Simpsonville and Oakland Mills dot the northern hills, while early infrastructure like Snell Bridge and Brown Bridge provide critical crossings over the river forks that separated these growing agricultural and industrial communities before the turn of the century.