Calvert County was created in 1654 and was formed as an Original County. The County was named for the Calvert family. Prior to 1658 it was called Patuxent, after the Patuxent Indians, a branch of the Algonquians.. The County Seat is Prince Frederick. Most records were destroyed when the courthouse burned in 1882, but some deeds dating back to 1840 were re-recorded. Abstracts of deeds sent to Annapolis beginning in 1784 and provincial court deeds/land office records also make up for some of the destroyed records.
Established in 1654, Calvert County is one of the oldest counties in the United States. Native people lived in Calvert County 9,000 years ago, according to evidence unearthed by archaeologists at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum. Calvert County's earliest identified settlers were Piscataway Indians. Indian tribes established villages at intervals along the river with the largest being at the mouth of Battle Creek. They grew corn and tobacco on rich farmlands that were to prove very attractive to colonists arriving from England in the early 1600's.
John Smith is reported to be the first Western man to lay eyes on Calvert County's peninsula, describing it in his journal as he saw it in 1608 during his exploration of the Chesapeake Bay. The first English settlement in Southern Maryland dates to somewhere between 1637 and 1642, although the county was actually organized in 1654. Established by Cecelius Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore, English gentry were the first settlers, followed by Puritans, Huguenots, Quakers and Scots. In 1695, Calvert County was partitioned into St. Mary's, Charles and Prince George's, and its boundaries became substantially what they are today.
The original location of the county seat was Calvertown, Calvert Town or Calvert Towne, on the Patuxent. When this proved to be inconvenient the county seat was moved in 1722 by an Act of the Assembly to a tract known as "Williams' Old Field" which was designated as the site of a new courthouse. The town created by this act was named Prince Frederick. The Courthouse was finally completed in 1732.
British troops invaded Calvert County in 1780, during the Revolutionary War. A second invasion took place during the War of 1812, when Calvert County became a battleground, both on land and sea. The battle of Barney's flotilla at the mouth of St. Leonard's Creek is an exciting and important point in county history. Recently divers discovered the remains of that famous flotilla at the bottom of the creek where Barney's men scuttled their barges to keep them from falling into British hands. During this engagement, the county court house and jail were burned.
The main crop in Calvert County was tobacco, a labor-intensive crop that resulted in a reliance on slavery to make it profitable. This made the county very vulnerable to the forces that tore at the nation, resulting in the Civil War. Although Maryland was officially aligned with the North, many countians sympathized with the Confederate cause. A prison camp for captured southerners was built at the mouth of Battle Creek, near the site of Calvertown.
When slavery was ended, profound changes swept the countryside. Out of necessity, the economy of the county turned away from large plantations dependent on cheap labor and to the livelihood available in the waters. In 1867, Captain Isaac Solomon established a commercial fishery in the southernmost part of the county, which became known as Solomon's Island. A cannery and a fishing fleet combined with boat building to create a bustling economy.
Life in Calvert County continued without much change into the 20t` century. The introduction of the automobile made inland travel more attractive, although the lack of good roads made for a rough ride. In 1936, the county had only 15.2 miles of paved roads. Electrification did not come to the county until 1939, when Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative began service in the area. A toll bridge was built across the Patuxent River at Hallowing Point in 1951, connecting Calvert and Charles Counties. A workboat or ferry was the only direct link with St. Mary's County from Solomons. As recently as 1972, children in Solomons commuted to school in St. Mary's County by boat.
The Second World War brought real change to Calvert County. In 1942, Solomons became the training site for Navy and Marine detachments, with the establishment of an Amphibious Training Base at Dowell. The invasion of Normandy was simulated on the lower Cliffs of Calvert. This influx of personnel and dollars brought a new prosperity to the county.
Two other improvements that have dramatically affected the county are the construction of MD RtA, and the Thomas Johnson Bridge. Md Rt. 4, a 38 mile-long four-lane highway begun in 1964 and completed in 1987, runs the length of the county and is named after Comptroller Louis L. Goldstein. The Thomas Johnson Bridge connects Solomons to St. Mary's County. These changes have fueled the remarkable growth that Calvert County is experiencing today. See also County History for more historical details.
Calvert County Towns Include Chesapeake Beach, North Beach. Communities Include Barstow, Broomes Island, Dares Beach, Dowell, Lower Marlboro, Port Republic, Sunderland. (Unincorporated areas are also considered as towns by many people and listed in many collections of towns, but they lack local government.)
Various organizations, such as the United States Census Bureau, the United States Postal Service, and local chambers of commerce, define the communities they wish to recognize differently, and since they are not incorporated, their boundaries have no official status outside the organizations in question. The Census Bureau recognizes the following census-designated places in the county: Calvert Beach-Long Beach, Chesapeake Ranch Estates-Drum Point, Dunkirk, Huntingtown, Lusby, Owings, Prince Frederick, St. Leonard, Solomons.
PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information. Most records were destroyed when the courthouse burned in 1882, but some deeds dating back to 1840 were re-recorded. Abstracts of deeds sent to Annapolis beginning in 1784 and provincial court deeds/land office records also make up for some of the destroyed records.
Calvert County Register of Wills/ Clerk of Orphan's Court has Probate Records from 1882 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: The Register of Wills is responsible for appointing personal representatives to administer decedents estates and for overseeing the proper and timely administration of these proceedings. We also perform the following duties: assist and advise the public in the preparation of all required forms; maintain and preserve the permanent record of all proceedings; serve as the Clerk to the Orphans Court; track estates and refer delinquent matters to the Court; determine and collect inheritance taxes and probate fees/court costs; audit accounts of personal representatives and guardians; and, verify compliance with court orders.
Calvert County Circuit Court Clerk has Land Records from 1882 and Marriage Records from earliest to 1919 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: The Clerk's responsibilities include supervising Clerk's office personnel in the civil, criminal, courtroom clerks, business license, marriage license, land records, and juvenile units.
Below is a list of online resources for Calvert County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Calvert County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Maryland Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
Click Here to Search Maryland Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Division of Vital Records Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, 6550 Reisterstown Rd., Reistertown Road Plaza, Baltimore, MD 21215; (410) 764-3038 or (800), 832-3277,
Fax: (410) 358-0738. The Division of Vital Records of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issues certified copies of birth, death, fetal death, and marriage certificates for events that occur in Maryland. The Division also provides divorce verifications. The Division provides information on procedures to follow for registering an adoption, legitimation, or an adjudication of paternity. Calvert County Health Department has Births, Death and marriage records after 1919
Birth Certificates: The state of Maryland began issuing certificates for births since Aug 1898. Birth certificates for individuals born in Maryland after 1939 are also available for same day service at local health departments in all jurisdictions except Montgomery County, Baltimore City, and Baltimore County. The State of Maryland Archives has Birth certificates since 1875 for Baltimore City and 1898 for Maryland counties.
Cost: $12.00 per certificate, payment is payable to the Division of Vital Records. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $12.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
Death Certificates:The state of Maryland began issuing certificates for deaths since since 1969. Within 30 days of a death, copies of the record may also be obtained from the local health department in which the funeral director filed the death certificate, with the exception of Baltimore City and Baltimore County health departments. You must apply in person at the appropriate local health department. The State of Maryland Archives has Death certificates prior to 1969.
Cost: $12.00 per certificate, payment is payable to the Division of Vital Records. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $12.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
Marriage Certificates: The state of Maryland began issuing certificates for marriage since since Jan 1, 1990. The State of Maryland Archives has Marriage certificates since 1640.
Marriage Certificates are availible since before Jan 1, 1990 from the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the license was issued.
Cost: $12.00 from the Division of Vital Records, payment is payable to the Division of Vital Records. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $12.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail. Contact the Maryland Archives and the Clerk of the Circuit Court for fees.
Divorce Certificates: The Division of Vital Records issues verification only since Jan 1961. Certified copies should be available from the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the divorce was granted. Fees vary.
Cost: $12.00 from the Division of Vital Records, payment is payable to the Division of Vital Records. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $12.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail. Contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court for fees.
Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering below
Processing Time: Allow 3 to 6 weeks for the search
by mail for Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records. MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY.
Order In Person: Birth certificates for individuals with valid, government-issued photo identification who were born in Maryland are available for same day service at the Division of Vital Records in Baltimore. Same day service is also available at local health departments in all jurisdictions except Montgomery County, Baltimore City, and Baltimore County for individuals born after 1939. Order By Mail: Turn around is estimated at 3 to 6 weeks from the day the request is received. However, people are urged to allow sufficient time for delivery for all birth/death records. Mail a check or money order of $12.00 for each certified certificate. Do not send cash. Mail to the following address: The Division of Vital Records, 6550 Reisterstown Road, Reisterstown Road Plaza, Baltimore, MD 21215. Please include return address on envelope and application form.
The Maryland State Archives maintains many records that are invaluable for biographical and genealogical research. These include birth records, adoption records, marriage records, divorce records, and death records, and some indices to these records.
Below is a list of online resources for Calvert County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Calvert County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Maryland newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
Click Here to Search Maryland Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.
Below is a list of online resources for Calvert County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Calvert County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Maryland Census, 1772-1890: This collection contains the following indexes: 1790 Federal Census Index; 1800 Federal Census Index; 1810 Federal Census Index; 1820 Federal Census Index; 1830 Federal Census Index; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1850 Slave Schedules; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1860 Slave Schedules; 1890 Naval Veterans; Early Census Index.
Maryland Colonial Census, 1776: Granted by the King of England to George Calvert in 1632, Maryland was home to nearly 300,000 people before the Revolutionary War. This database is a transcription of a colonial census taken in 1776.
Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Ohio and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Maryland showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Maryland showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. The Maryland Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here
Below is a list of online resources for Calvert County Maps. Email us with websites containing Calvert County Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Maryland Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.
Below is a list of online resources for Calvert County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Calvert County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Maryland Military Men, 1917-18: This database is a massive collection of military records for men who served in the war from Maryland.
Maryland Revolutionary War Records: This database is a collection of pension and bounty land claims on the state for military service in the war.
Maryland Soldiers in the Civil War, Vol. 1: With over 36,000 records of soldiers, sailors and marines in the Union Army and Navy from 1861 to 1865, this database is of interest to anyone with ancestors from Maryland who served in the Civil War.
Maryland Soldiers in the Civil War, Vol. 2: The second volume in a two-volume series, this volume embraces all of the sailors, marines and other troops from Maryland who served in the Union army or navy.
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Maryland (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of Maryland (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
Available at the Maryland State Archives with index is a Maryland tax assessment of 1783, which is “more complete” than the 1776 or 1778 “censuses”. Robert W. Barnes and Bettie Stirling Carothers abstracted the 1783 tax list of Baltimore County, Maryland but while it has some omissions, it serves as an index to photocopies of the originals published as Maryland Tax List 1783 Baltimore County from the collection of the Maryland Historical Society (Philadelphia: Historic Publications, 1970). The counties of Calvert, Cecil, Harford, and Talbot are covered by Bettie Carothers, comp., 1783 Tax List of Maryland (Part I: Cecil, Talbot, Harford, and Calvert Counties) (Lutherville, Md.: Pub. by compiler, 1977). Furthermore, there is a two part index to the 1783 list at the state archives, one by names of property owners, the other by names of the tracts.
The earliest tax records are to be found among the proprietary papers, dating from the 1630s. Some early tax records have been published, such as Raymond B. Clark, Jr., and Sara Seth Clark, comps., Baltimore County, Maryland, tax list, 1699-1706. At the Maryland State Archives is a tax list for St. Anne's Parish, Anne Arundel County, 1764-66. Also here are the surviving 1798 U.S. direct tax records, for Anne Arundel County (indexed), Baltimore County and City, and the counties of Caroline, Charles, Harford, Prince George's, Queen Anne's, Saint Mary's, Somerset, and Talbot. Richard J. Cox edited Name Index to the Baltimore City Tax Records: 1798-1808 Of the Baltimore City Archives, (Baltimore: Baltimore City Archives and Records Management Office, 1981).
Below is a list of online resources for Calvert County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Calvert County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
The Repositories
in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical
and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical
Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly,
quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies
should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are
usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived
materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be
more generalized and over look the smaller details that local
societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to
look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy
section and may have some resources that are not located at
archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums
in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years
gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All
these places are vitally important to the family genealogist
and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for Calvert County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Calvert County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Maryland Genealogical Society, 201 W. Monument Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-4674. Publishes the Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin Quarterly.
The Maryland Historical Society, 201 W. Monument Street, Baltimore MD 21201-4674 Has published a quarterly magazine Maryland Historical Magazinefor over 90 years
Maryland Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search Maryland Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.
A search for church records should begin with Directory of Maryland church records (Westminster, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1987), arranged by county and giving a range of dates of available records for over 2,600 churches with mailing addresses. Also helpful are The First Parishes of the Province of Maryland (Baltimore: The Norman, Remington Co., 1923).
The largest collection of church records is at the Maryland State Archives, with a consolidated index, and many are at the Maryland State Archives, which has various original and microfilmed records, many with indexes. Some church records have been published in the Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin or in individual books, such as those for St. Paul's in Baltimore and for many German churches in the western counties.
Although Catholicism is very important to the history of Maryland, the disenfranchisement of Catholics after the establishment of the Anglican church in 1692 largely contributed to the lack of record keeping prior to the Revolutionary War. One source for St. Marys County in the 1700s, however, is Catholic Families of Southern Maryland: Records of Catholic Residents of St. Mary's County in the Eighteenth Century (1980; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1985). Records of the German churches and the Society of Friends are very good. The latter were early settlers of Maryland, along with Anglicans and Catholics. Quaker records in Maryland, (Annapolis: Hall of Records Commission, 1966) is an excellent guide to the original and microfilmed Friends' records at the Maryland State Archives. Some Quaker records were published in Kenneth Carroll, Quakerism on the Eastern Shore (Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1970) and other records are at the Maryland Historical Society, the state archives, and the Friends Historical Library in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
The Maryland State Archives has indexes to cemetery records for various time periods. Some have been published in the Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin and other journals and in individual works covering large parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, St. Marys, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties. A great number of grave marker inscriptions have been transcribed by members of the Maryland DAR and will be found at the Maryland Historical Society and the DAR Library in Washington, D.C. See also Historic graves of Maryland and the District of Columbia (1908; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1967).
Below is a list of online resources for Calvert County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Calvert County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Maryland obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Maryland newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Maryland.
Click Here to Search Maryland Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Calvert County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Calvert County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
Maryland Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Calvert County's first residents were an Algonquin tribe known as the Patuxent Indians, who built their villages along the Patuxent river. It was these Native Americans that Captain John Smith and his crew met while exploring the northernmost part of the Chesapeake Bay around 1608.
The Act of Toleration was passed in 1649, which encouraged the settlement of "Non-Conformists" in Maryland. Calvert County as well as Charles and St. Mary's was the settlement of choice for Catholics. In 1689, however, the Anglican Church was established as the State Church of Maryland and the capitol was moved to Annapolis. In 1781, Catholics in Maryland were disenfranchised and forbidden to hold public office. Laws were passed prohibiting priest from celebrating Mass or performing the sacraments; yet the Jesuit fathers continued to quietly serve their growing congregations in Calvert county.
The first English settlement was established in the county sometime between 1637-1642. Calvert County itself was established in 1654 by Cecelius Calvert, second Lord Baltimore. It was called Patuxent County until 1658.
Lord Baltimore appointed his brother Leonard Calvert as the governor of the Maryland Colony. The first Europeans to settle in Southern Maryland were colonists who arrived onboard two ships with the names Ark and Dove. These colonist built the first settlement, St. Marys City, which is located in the neighboring county of St. Mary's. Several of these colonists later migrated to Calvert. Many of their relatives still live in and around the county.
In 1695, Calvert County was partitioned into St. Mary's, Charles and Prince George's, and its boundaries became substantially what they are today. Immigrants to Calvert County included English gentry; they were followed by the Puritans, Huguenots, Quakers and Scots.
Calvertown (Calvert Town, Calvert Towne) was the original county seat. Located on the Patuxent River, it proved to be inconvenient. In 1722, the county seat was moved, by an Act of Assembly to "Williams' Old Field", which was designated as the site of the new courthouse. The town created by this Act was named Prince Frederick. The courthouse was completed in 1732.
The American Revolution: Isolated from the rest of the colonies, southern Maryland did not generally feel the tax and restrictions from England that led to the American Revolution. The tobacco planters' market was in England, and England was their source of manufactured goods. But in 1774, the "freeholders" of Calvert County did elect representatives to the Continental Congress and supported Maryland's various measures to establish self-government.
After the American Revolution, Calvert County's primary market was still England. During the War of 1812, southern Maryland was the target of attacks and landings for the march on Washington. Calvert County was invaded by the British twice. Once in 1780, during the Revolutionary War and a second time during the War of 1812. On August 14, 1814, the British landed at Benedict, Maryland, having chased Commodore Joshua Barney's flotilla up the Patuxent. The British goal - Washington D.C. Much of Calvert County's plantations and towns was demolished by the British army on its way to Washington, and rebuilding was a long process.
During the 1800's, Calvert County's main industry was the growing of tobacco. This made Calvert County reliant on slave labor. When the Civil War began, Calvert Countians were torn: officially, Maryland was aligned with the North, but the tobacco growers in Calvert were most likely very sympathetic with the Southern cause. A prison camp for captured southerners was built at the mouth of Battle Creek, near the site of Calvertown.
The Civil War: The plantation system died with the War Between the States. Devastated by the loss of its wealth and labor (slave) force, Calvert county was forced to reestablish its economy on a new basis. Its one remaining resource was the fishing grounds of the Chesapeake Bay. The first large-scale commercial fishery was established in the southern part of the county by Captain Isaac Solomon in 1867.
The Watermen: Shipbuilding became an important industry. The fishing fleet at Solomon's grew to 500 vessls by 1880, almost all of which were built locally at Solomons. The distinctively Chesapeake Bay Bugeye was invented in Calvert County, as well as its smaller, one-masted version, the Skip-Jack. But, on the most part, Calvert County resisted the post-Civil War industrialization, and the old families maintained their social and political positions.
Most records were destroyed when the courthouse burned in 1882, but some 5 volumes of deeds dating back to 1840 were re-recorded. Abstracts of deeds sent to Annapolis beginning in 1784 and provincial court deeds/land office records also make up for some of the destroyed records.
After the First World War, the automobile and road building brought Calvert County's isolation to an end. However, the efforts of the county government have prevented the county from becoming a Washington or Annapolis bedroom community.
Little changed in the county until World War II, during which Solmon's Island became a training ground for Navy and Marine personnel. The Amphibious Training Base was established at Dowell. The invasion of Normandy (D-Day) was simulated at the Lower Cliffs of Calvert. The increase in population from the Armed Services greatly improved the economy of the county.
Some of the county's citizens who became famous were Roger Brooke Taney, a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Louisa Johnson Adams, wife of President John Quincy Adams, and Ann Mackall Smith Taylor, wife of President Zachary Taylor. Decendants of many of the original colonial families still live in the county and maintain political and economic control. A number of the family manors remain, some as homes, some as restaurants or bed and breakfast establishments.
but while it has some omissions, it serves as an index to photocopies of the originals published as Maryland Tax List 1783 Baltimore County from the collection of the Maryland Historical Society (Philadelphia: Historic Publications, 1970). The counties of Calvert, Cecil, Harford, and Talbot are covered by Bettie Carothers, comp., 
(Lutherville, Md.: Pub. by compiler, 1977). Furthermore, there is a two part index to the 1783 list at the state archives, one by names of property owners, the other by names of the tracts.
. At the Maryland State Archives is a tax list for St. Anne's Parish, Anne Arundel County, 1764-66. Also here are the surviving 1798 U.S. direct tax records, for Anne Arundel County (indexed), Baltimore County and City, and the counties of Caroline, Charles, Harford, Prince George's, Queen Anne's, Saint Mary's, Somerset, and Talbot. Richard J. Cox edited 
, (Baltimore: Baltimore City Archives and Records Management Office, 1981).
(Westminster, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1987), arranged by county and giving a range of dates of available records for over 2,600 churches with mailing addresses. Also helpful are 
(Baltimore: The Norman, Remington Co., 1923).
(1980; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1985). Records of the German churches and the Society of Friends are very good. The latter were early settlers of Maryland, along with Anglicans and Catholics. 
(Annapolis: Hall of Records Commission, 1966) is an excellent guide to the original and microfilmed Friends' records at the Maryland State Archives. Some Quaker records were published in Kenneth Carroll, 
(Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1970) and other records are at the Maryland Historical Society, the state archives, and the Friends Historical Library in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
(1908; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1967).
