Happy Saturday To You!

... Maryland Facts ...

Did You Know

The United States Naval Academy was

founded on October 10, 1845 at Annapolis.

In 1830 the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company

built the first railroad station in Baltimore.

The Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

is considered a masterpiece and one of the finest

19th century buildings in the world. The basilica is the first

cathedral in the United States.

Baltimore represents the first Roman Catholic diocese.

King Williams School opened in 1696

it was the first school in the United States.

The first dental school in the United States

opened at the University of Maryland.

Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat, was born in Baltimore

and attended Saint Mary's Industrial School.

Other Major League Ball player besides "The Babe"

born in Maryland include Cal Ripken, Jr., Billy Ripken,

Lefty Grove, Frank (Home Run) Baker,

Harold Baines, Al Kaline, Denny Neagle, and Jimmie Foxx.

 Tilghman Island is home to the Skipjacks,

the only commercial sailing fleet in North America.

America's national anthem was written by Francis Scott Key

a Maryland lawyer. It is believed Key wrote the anthem on

September 14, 1814 while watching the bombardment

of Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor.

The 1,200 foot Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore

is the second longest continuous truss bridge in the nation.

The 4.03 mile William Preston Lane Memorial (The Bay Bridge),

 joins the western part of Maryland to the eastern

shore and crosses the Chesapeake Bay.

Annapolis is known as the sailing capital of the world.

 Chincoteague's are famous ponies from Assateague Island.

Dredging and tonging are methods for harvesting oysters.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology

gave Gaithersburg the designation Science Capital of the United States

when the Bureau moved to the area in 1961.

Samuel F.B. Morse reportedly received the first telegraph message

 in Bladensburg, in 1844, before his famous "What Hath God Wrought"

 message between Baltimore and Washington.  His telegraph wire had

been strung along the railroad right of way. 

Ezra Cornell, founder of Cornell University, lived in Bladensburg

and is said to have invented the telegraph pole.

Maryland was first to enact Workmen's compensation laws in 1902.

Friendship International Airport - now Baltimore/Washington

International Airport - began operations on June 24. 1950.

 Greenbelt was the first community in the United States

built as a planned city.  Greenbelt was an experiment in

both the physical and social planning.

The Concord Point Lighthouse in Havre de Grace is the oldest

continuously operated lighthouse in the State of Maryland.

Havre de Grace is known as the decoy capitol of the world.

The Methodist Church of America was formally

organized in 1784 at Perry Hall.

Oxford (founded 1683), gained its prominence in colonial days

by being mandated in 1694 by Maryland legislation

as the first and only port of entry on the eastern shore.

On the morning of August 10, 1813 residents of Saint Michaels

 having been forewarned of a British attack hoisted 

lanterns to the masts of ships and in the tops of the trees. 

The height of light caused cannons to overshoot the town. 

This first known blackout was effective and only one house

 was struck and is now known as the "Cannonball House." 

The town has been known as the town that 

fooled the British since this historic event.

Maryland gave up some of it's land to form Washington D.C.

Maryland is a prominent producer and processor of 

seafood and a national leader in the production

of blue crabs and soft clams.

Sixteen of the 23 Maryland counties border on tidal water. 

The combined length of tidal shoreline, including islands, is 4,431 miles.

Clara Barton National Historic Site commemorates the life of Clara Barton,

founder of the American Red Cross. The house in Glen Echo

served as her home and headquarters for the American Red

Cross and a warehouse for disaster relief supplies.

Annapolis was known as the Athens of America during

 the seventeenth century and once served as the capital of the United States.

There you have it folks ... some fun yet interesting

facts about our state of Maryland.

Here on the eastern shore of Maryland

we're going to try and keep cool and limit the

 time the westies are outside today. 

I'll put the sprinkler on my flowers beds

 later in the day.  This will  help our little

 bird friends also to cool down.

Enjoy your Saturday 

&

thank you for visiting.