Rail In 1830, Ellicott's Mills became the first terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad outside Baltimore, the first commercially operated cargo and passenger railroad in the country. The B&O was organized in 1827 and had its "first stone" laid the following year with major ceremonies on July 4, Independence Day, with the beginning of construction. The Ellicott City Station, built on an embankment across the corner of the town and along the Patapsco River and intersecting Tiber Creek stream, with its "Oliver Viaduct", named for a B&O board member Robert Oliver crossing over the National Road of large blocks of locally quarried gray granite, stands today as a living history museum, and has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior, administered by the National Park Service. It bears the designation as the "Oldest surviving railroad station in America". In 1829, New York industrialist and Baltimore foundry-owner Peter Cooper began testing his iron steam engine, Tom Thumb (1791–1883), on the B&O Railway. This was the first time a steam locomotive was used to transport persons over rails in the United States. The famous race between Tom Thumb and a horse-drawn rail carriage took place between Relay Junction on the return trip from Ellicott's Mills towards Baltimore in August 1830. Even though the horse won the race due to a sudden broken drive belt on the Tom Thumb, it heralded the time when steam engines steadily improved, and the soon-to-be steam-operated railroad became a vital link in the town's economy and later expanding to the city of Baltimore's economic supremacy along with the state in the nation. thumb|B&O Railroad Bridge over Main Street. The site of the Howard County Courthouse, which was built from 1840 to 1843 in the former western Howard District of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, was so designated for the new temporary district in 1839, and continued and was expanded later when Howard County became an official independent jurisdiction in 1851, as one of the 23 counties (plus Baltimore as an independent city) in the state of Maryland. The town in 1851 was in a spate of depression as low costs shut the Maryland Machine Manufacturing Company. Over 80 vacant dwellings lined the Howard County side of the river. By 1861, Ellicott's Mills was a prosperous farming and manufacturing area.
rail in 1830, ELLicott's mIlLs became the firsT terMInus of ThE bAlTiMORe AnD ohio Railroad OuTsIde baLTimOre, the First cOmMErciaLlY operAtEd cargo aND passENgeR railrOad iN thE coUntry. the B&o wAS oRganiZEd iN 1827 anD had iTs "first sTone" laid thE FollOWing year WiTh major CereMonies On jUly 4, indEPeNdEnce daY, wIth ThE beginning of construction. the ellICott CitY sTatiON, built on an embankmeNt acROSs the CorNEr oF the TOwN And alOng the paTapsco river and InterSECtIng tiber cReEK sTream, with its "Oliver VIaduct", named for a b&O board MEMber roBert oliVer cRosSinG over THe National rOad of laRgE blocKs of Locally qUarRieD GRay grAnitE, stands tOday as a liVIng histOrY mUseum, anD hAs BEEn designAtEd a NAtioNal hiSToric LanDmaRk bY The U.s. dePartment of The INTerIor, AdmINisTered bY tHe naTiOnAl paRk ServicE. It bearS tHE DEsIGnaTiON AS the "oLdest surviVing rAilroAD station in amErica". in 1829, NEW yorK iNdustriAliSt And bALtImORE FounDry-owneR pEter coopER bEgAn testINg hiS IRon STeam enGine, TOm thuMb (1791–1883), oN the B&O rAiLway. this was ThE first time a steam LoCOmOTIVE was used to TRansPoRt persons OveR raiLs IN tHe United stateS. tHe FamoUS RaCe BEtweEn toM thuMB AnD a hOrse-DrawN rAIl carriaGe tOok plAcE bEtWeEn relay junction on the ReTurN trIp FroM EllicOtT's MiLls TOwards baltIMore iN AUGuSt 1830. evEn tHOuGh THe horsE Won tHE Race due to A suDDen bROkeN DrIve belT on tHe Tom thuMb, it HERalded ThE Time whEn StEam engInES sTeAdiLy ImPrOveD, anD the sooN-tO-bE StEam-oPErateD raIlroAD becAme a vITal link In the tOwN's econOMy and lAter exPANDiNg to the city oF baLtimorE's eCOnOmic suPremacy alOng With The sTatE IN THe nAtiOn. ThUmb|b&o railroad bridGe ovER mAin STReet. tHe site of thE HowaRd CountY cOurthouSe, WHiCh waS bUIlt fRom 1840 to 1843 In thE Former westeRN HowaRd DIstrict oF aNne aruNDEl cOuNTy, maryland, waS sO DesiGnated fOr tHe neW teMpOrArY disTrIct in 1839, anD cOntinUed and wAs exPaNdEd LATeR when hOward cOuNtY became aN officIal indEpEnDent JurIsdicTiOn iN 1851, as oNe OF The 23 coUNties (pLus bALTimore As an iNdEpenDenT cITY) iN tHE sTatE oF MarYlanD. the TOWn in 1851 WaS in a sPaTe Of depRessioN As Low coSts shut ThE mARYLANd maChInE mAnufacturIng CoMpanY. OVer 80 VAcant dWelliNgs linED the howaRd CouNTy side oF The river. by 1861, eLLicott'S mills wAs a ProsPERous fArming and mAnufacTuring areA.