The Patapsco: Baltimore's River of History

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by Paul Joseph Travers
1st Edition Hardcover- 220 Pages
December 1990
ISBN: 087033400X

The first book to tell the entire story of the Patapsco River - from the prehistoric Indian camps on its shores through floods and fires, war and peacetime, to the late twentieth century revitalization of its harbor.

Until this straightforward rendition of the river's history was written, there was no single source of information about the Patapsco: its history was fragmented and scattered in old books, newspapers, museums, libraries, and archives around the state. Written to be both educational and entertaining, the book weaves an interesting and exciting mix of people, places, and events into a tapestry that can be read in separate chapters covering various aspects of the Patapsco's history, or as a cohesive telling of events on its waters and shores that impacted the state and the nation.

Aimed at a general readership, the book was compiled from a mountain of research material that took five years to accumulate and another two years to transcribe. There is an extensive bibliography and the text is highlighted by illustrations gleaned from the collections of historical societies in the state.

"This [is a] painstaking effort, lovingly written by Paul Joseph Travers."
          - from the Foreword by Governor William Donald Schaefer