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1894 Map of Relay

Name: 1894 Topographic Map of Relay
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1898
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1898

About this map

Elkridge Landing stands as a focal point at the head of navigation on the Patapsco River, illustrating the late 19th-century transition from maritime commerce to a complex railroad network. The landscape of northern Anne Arundel and southern Baltimore counties is defined by the convergence of major lines, including the Baltimore and Potomac R.R. and the Annapolis and Baltimore Short Line R.R., which linked emerging settlements like Glenburnie and Odenton.

Along the jagged shoreline of Curtis Bay and the Magothy River, points such as Sledds Pt. and Arnold Pt. reveal a coastal geography prior to heavy industrialization. Inland, the map documents numerous small communities and family-named landmarks like Wellham Cross Roads and Gambrills, alongside the winding paths of the Washington Turnpike and Annapolis Road. This 1890s topography captures the region as it balanced its colonial tobacco-port roots with the rapid expansion of the rail-driven industrial era.