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History Time Line of Towson, Maryland

1659 Baltimore County becomes a political entity that includes Harford, Carroll, and parts of Anne Arundel, Frederick, Howard, Cecil and Kent Counties.
1683 First county seat was on the Bush River. The second one was built on the Gunpowder River at Fosters Neck.
1707 Provincial Council moved it to "Taylor's Choice."
1712 Queen of England has Assembly pass Act for the Settling of the Baltimore County Court House at Joppa.
1750 William Towson builds a cabin off an Indian trail.
1768 William Towson's son Ezekiel builds the Towson Tavern. Act passed to remove the County seat to Baltimore Town.
1812 William's son Nathan fights in the Battle of Lake Erie.
1839 Union Chapel later called Epsom Chapel dedicated.
1854 February 13: Towson named County seat.
1854 October 19: corner stone laid for the County Courthouse on land donated by Dr. Grafton M. Bosley. Stone is from the Ridgely's Lime Kiln Bottom.
1857 January 5: first court held in new Courthouse.
1860 The number of free Blacks in the county exceeds the number of slaves.
1882 April 17: rail service between Baltimore and Towson was inaugurated.
1886 Towson's first bank, Towson National Bank, opens.
1915 First classes of the Maryland State Normal School (Towson University) commence.
1917 Towson becomes the home of Black and Decker.
1929 Towson Tavern razed.
1953 Goucher College moves to Towson.

Note: This list was created in 2004 by Towson Library staff.

This page is provided by the Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, Maryland USA.
The text version of this page was last revised on 26 August 2008.
The graphics version of this page was last revised on 26 August 2008.
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