Montgomery County was created in 1776 and was formed from Frederick County. The County was named for Richard Montgomery (1738-1775) was an American Revolutionary War general. Born in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland, General Montgomery died leading Continental forces against Quebec. The County Seat is Rockville.
Rockville has been the county seat of Montgomery County since 1777. County officers first met at Hungerford's Tavern here, then in a house owned by Thomas O. Williams that was improved with public funds to function as a courthouse. Williams laid out lots for a town around the courthouse in 1784, naming it Williamsburg. The boundaries of the lots were disputed, so in 1801 an act was passed by the Maryland General Assembly requiring a new survey and changing the town's name to Rockville. See also County History for more historical details.
Montgomery County Cities Include Gaithersburg, Rockville, Takoma Park. Towns Include Barnesville, Brookeville, Chevy Chase, Chevy Chase View, Chevy Chase Village, Garrett Park, Glen Echo, Kensington, Laytonsville, Poolesville, Somerset, Washington Grove. Villages Include Chevy Chase Section Three, Chevy Chase Section Five, Martin's Additions, North Chevy Chase. Special Tax Districts Include Drummond, Friendship Heights, Oakmont. Communities Include Beallsville, Boyds, Derwood, Dickerson. (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: Ashton-Sandy Spring, Aspen Hill, Bethesda, Brookmont, Burtonsville, Cabin John, Calverton, Chevy Chase, Clarksburg, Cloverly, Colesville, Damascus, Darnestown, Fairland, Forest Glen, Friendship Village, Germantown, Hillandale, Kemp Mill, Montgomery Village, North Bethesda, North Kensington, North Potomac, Olney, Potomac, Redland, Rossmoor, Silver Spring, South Kensington, Travilah, Wheaton-Glenmont, White Oak
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.
Government records of Montgomery County are available in Original , Microfilm and Digital formats from the Maryland State Archives The Official County website is located at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/.See also Courthouse History. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.
Montgomery County Register of Wills/ Clerk of Orphan's Court has Probate Records from 1777 and is located at Judicial Center, Room 322,
50 Maryland Avenue,
Rockville, MD 20850;
(240) 777 - 9600 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.
Montgomery County Circuit Court Clerk has Land Records from 1777 and Marriage Records from earliest to 1919 and is located at 50 Maryland Avenue,
Rockville, Maryland 20850; 240-777-9400 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 Montgomery County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Montgomery 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.
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 Montgomery County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Montgomery 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 Montgomery County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Montgomery 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 Montgomery County Maps. Email us with websites containing Montgomery 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 Montgomery County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Montgomery 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 Montgomery County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Montgomery 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 Montgomery County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Montgomery County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Montgomery County Historical Society, (240) 340-2974; (301) 762-1492,
Tu-Sat 12:00-4:00, first Sun 2:00-5:00.
103 West Montgomery Avenue (Beall-Dawson House),
Rockville, MD 20850
Montgomery County Archives, Red Brick Courthouse
29 Courthouse Square, Rm. G09,
Rockville, Md. 20850;
Phone (240) 279-1218
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 Montgomery County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Montgomery 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 Montgomery County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Montgomery 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.
More than 300 years ago when the first European
settlers arrived in what is now Montgomery County, an
area stretching from the mouth of Rock Creek in the
south to the Monocacy River in the north, the Potomac
River on the west and the Patuxent River on the east,
they found evidence of occupation by Indians of the
Piscataway Confederation. It was a beautiful forested
area rich in game that included deer, buffalo, bear and
wild turkey, with rivers and streams teaming with fish.
Captain John Smith of Virginia explored the Potomac
River in 1608, and was the first European to map the area.
The first to colonize the area were from England, Ireland
and Wales. The first patent for land was recorded in
1688 for a tract along the banks of Rock Creek. Once
here, the settlers quickly cleared much of the virgin
forest to grow tobacco and food, and build homes.
Early Lifestyles
The first homes were one or two room cabins, with a
loft. Often, a separate building housed the kitchen and
slaves. Later, homes of brick and stone appeared. The
more prosperous farms often included barns, a spring
house, smoke house and slave quarters. There were a
few elaborate homes with carved mantels, high ceilings
and imported furniture. Apple orchards were common
and the colonial cellar was stocked with produce from
the farm.
In 1695, the land that now encompasses Montgomery,
Prince George’s and Frederick counties, as well as
Washington, D.C., was designated as Prince George’s
County. The area was divided in 1748 and the western
portion—including the land that would ultimately be
Montgomery—became Frederick County. On August 31,
1776, Dr. Thomas Sprigg Wootton, a member of the
Maryland Constitutional Convention, introduced a bill to
divide Frederick into three counties—Frederick, Montgomery
and Washington. The bill passed on September
6, 1776. These were the first counties in America to be
established by elected representatives. The names
selected for the new counties also broke with tradition.
Earlier counties had all been named for old world figures
such as Prince George and Queen Anne, but these were
named after two popular Americans of the time—George
Washington and Richard Montgomery.
Origin of Names
Richard Montgomery was born on December 2, 1738 in
Raphoe, Ireland. At 18 he was commissioned as an
officer in the British army and fought in the French and
Indian Wars, before emigrating to America in 1772. He
was commissioned a brigadier general in the fledgling
colonial army and he commanded an expeditionary force
sent to Canada that captured Montreal. On December 4,
1775 his forces laid siege to Quebec. Although his troops
were greatly outnumbered, he led several daring attacks
on the fortress. On December 31, he was killed by
cannon fire. Montgomery never set foot in the Maryland
county that bears his name.
Many family names appear on the map of the County,
the legacy of early settlers. They include: Layton, Clarke,
Poole, Hyatt, Neel, Browning, Clagett, King, Dawson,
White, Dickerson, Spencer, Burton, Darne, Brooke and
Gaither.
Germantown got its name from German settlers who
moved there from Pennsylvania. Seneca was named
after the Indian tribe. Bethesda derives its name from
the Presbyterian Bethesda Meeting House built there.
When Montgomery County was established, the State
appointed commissioners to buy four acres of land for a
courthouse and jail. The place they selected was first
called Montgomery Courthouse, and then became known
as Williamsburg. Eventually, it became Rockville, taking
its name from Rock Creek.
Early Federal Period
When it was first selected to be the County seat, the
community that would become Rockville consisted of
about a half dozen buildings, at a crossroads on the road
which led from Georgetown to Frederick. Located on this
road was Hungerford’s Tavern, a one-half story building
with a large meeting room dominated by a stone fireplace
and four smaller rooms. Hungerford’s Tavern
became the center of political activity and the meeting
place of pre-revolutionary patriots. The Hungerford
Resolves, protesting British acts and arguing for an end
of trade with England, were signed there in 1774.
Hungerford Drive in Rockville preserves the name.
In December 1791, the Maryland General Assembly
passed an act ceding 36 square miles of Montgomery
County to the federal government to be used as the
nation’s capital. As a result, the District of Columbia was
born and Montgomery County lost Georgetown, its port
city. Virginia also ceded land for the federal city, but this
land was later returned to the state and is now Arlington
County.
During the War of 1812, the village of Brookeville
enjoyed a moment of prominence. On August 26 and
27, 1814, it became the “Nation’s Capital for a day.”
President James Madison and Attorney General Richard
Rush and other cabinet members sought refuge there
while the British sacked Washington and burned the
White House.
During the 19th century, horses were the principal
means of transportation. Of immense commercial
importance was the development of the Chesapeake and
Ohio (C&O) Canal, which would eventually stretch 184
miles between Washington and Cumberland. Begun in
1828, the project was not completed until 1850. The
cost was approximately $11 million. The locks, which
could lift or lower a boat about eight feet, were considered
engineering marvels in their day. A canal museum
has been established in the National Park at Great Falls.
It includes a restored lock and many canal artifacts
displayed in a former stone tavern.
Agricultural Decline and Recovery
The practice of clearing forests and planting tobacco and
corn eventually exacted a price. Farm lands became
depleted and new land to clear became scarce. The
agricultural economy began to suffer and the younger
generation began moving away. By 1840, worn-out
farms and run-down houses surrounded by broken
fences were a common sight. This low point was followed
by an agricultural revitalization. The Society of
Friends (Quakers) in Sandy Spring introduced new
farming practices such as crop rotation, deeper plowing
and fertilization. Soon County farms began producing
rich crops of corn, wheat and oats, and, by 1860, the
area was in the midst of a period of farm prosperity.
Until 1860, private schools existed in the county for
those who could afford an education. In that year, the
county established a free public school system for white
children. Black children received little or no education.
What schools did exist were established privately by the
communities able to invest in their children’s education.
In 1872, the Maryland State Assembly appropriated state
funds so there could be schools for African American
children. In that year, Montgomery County Public
Schools created a segregated school system.
Slaves played a significant role in the development of
the County, although slavery was never practiced in
Montgomery County to the extent it was in the deep
south. The shift away from tobacco plantations to dairy
and diversified crops contributed to the decline of slave
labor. Ironically, it was the life story of a Montgomery
County black slave named Josiah Henson on a plantation
in northern Bethesda that became a focal point in the
abolitionist movement. Henson, who told of his harsh
treatment, became the model for the principal character
in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
After escaping to Canada, Henson wrote, “The sternest
and most covetous master can not frighten or whip the
joy out of us. Certainly, old Riley never did out of me.”
Uncle Tom’s Cabin was published in 1852 and did much
to influence public opinion against slavery. President
Abraham Lincoln called Mrs. Stowe “the little woman
who wrote the book that made this big war.”
The War Between the States
The Civil War divided Montgomery County, as it did the
rest of the nation. Maryland remained in the Union, but
support for the South was very strong and many young
men crossed the Potomac to join the rebel army. Because
sympathy for the Confederate cause was so widespread,
President Lincoln ordered federal troops into the county
to protect Washington.
There were no major battles fought here, but the
County’s critical geographic location resulted in both
armies marching and countermarching across the
landscape. At one time, there were 18,000 Union troops
around Darnestown and another 20,000 at Poolesville.
Robert E. Lee led a Confederate army across the Potomac
at White’s Ford in September 1862. There were cavalry
skirmishes with Union troops near Poolesville. The two
armies later clashed in one of the bloodiest battles in
American history along Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg,
west of Montgomery County. En route to Gettysburg,
Stuart captured 150 Union wagons just south of, what is
now, the corner of Viers Mill road and Rockville Pike.
A month later, J.E.B. Stuart passed through the County
returning from raids in Pennsylvania and Major John
Mosby and Col. Elijah White’s 35th Battalion Virginia
Cavalry and their raiders frequently penetrated the County.
In 1863, Lee mounted his second invasion of the north,
and Union forces under the command of General Joseph
Hooker gave chase, crossing from Virginia into Maryland
near Point of Rocks. The armies met at Gettysburg.
In July, 1864, General Jubal Early led a Confederate
army on a raid that ended in the Battle of Monocacy.
He defeated troops commanded by General Lew
Wallace, who later gained fame as the author of the
novel Ben Hur. General Early marched his troops
through Montgomery County and camped in Rockville.
They proceeded to present-day Silver Spring, from
where they unsuccessfully attacked Fort Stevens in the
District of Columbia. During Early’s retreat, the Confederate
cavalry, which formed his rear guard skirmished
with Union cavalry in the streets of Rockville.
Throughout the war, both sides sometimes plundered
the countryside, stealing horses and food. Much of the
wooden fencing in the County reportedly found its way
into army campfires. A prominent County resident,
Montgomery Blair, served as Lincoln’s postmaster
general during the War Between the States.
Changes in the Post Civil War Period
Since Maryland had remained in the Union, Montgomery
County did not undergo many of the problems experienced
in Virginia and other southern states during
Reconstruction. Despite strong opposition from some
citizens, the County established its first free schools for
African American children.
From 1870 to 1895, life in Montgomery County tended to
reflect the mood of the nation in an age of materialism
and pro-business sentiments that saw rapid development
of railroads, telegraphs, electric service, and
towns.
Great Falls was developed as a source of water power
and was believed to be the largest of its kind in the
world at the time. The opening in 1873 of the Metropolitan
branch of the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) railroad
brought passenger service to the County for the first time
and helped boost the County’s economy. With the
decline of farming, proximity to Washington, D.C. began
to be critical to the County’s development.
Washington’s population doubled and continued to
grow. Trolley cars were introduced and the Metropolitan
Branch of the B&O Railroad made it feasible for developers
to begin building residential homes in the suburbs.
Among the first of these suburbs were Chevy Chase,
Kensington, Takoma Park and Garrett Park. Resort hotels
were constructed at Glen Echo, Rockville, and Forest
Glen. Summer retreat houses were built at Washington
Grove. Between 1866 and the early 1900s, the assessed
value of real estate in Montgomery County nearly
doubled, soaring to more than $12 million.
20th Century
After 1900, the Montgomery County school budget
began to show the effects of suburban growth. In 1908,
there were 6,483 students and a budget of $76,000.
Many Montgomery County students attended schools in
the District of Columbia. In 1912, the District stopped
accepting Montgomery students and in 1913, a
$140,000 bond issue was authorized for new school
construction. By 1921, the school budget had grown to
more than $316,000.
The County experienced another boom in population and
land development following World War I. Civic associations
and community improvement organizations began
to assume an important role in local government and
were demanding better services. In 1918, the state
legislature created the Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission to improve water and sewer service. The
development of Silver Spring began in 1921 with the
subdivision of 19 acres owned by E. Brooke Lee, who
was known as “The Colonel” because of his National
Guard rank.
Except for school teachers, the County government had
been a part-time operation. After 1922, the County
began hiring full-time police officers, building inspectors,
health workers, secretaries and other employees. In
1927, the state legislature created the Maryland-
National Capital Park and Planning Commission. A
zoning ordinance, subdivision regulations, and building
codes were quickly adopted.
Between the Wars
In the 20 years preceding the Great Depression, land
values more than doubled, but government debt had
increased by more than seventeen-fold. When the
Depression forced property values down, Montgomery
County had to do some serious belt-tightening. The next
decade saw growing opposition to tax increases and
bond issues, and elected officials began preaching the
gospel of pay as you go. Agricultural prices dropped, and
farmers in the County were among the hardest hit by the
Depression.
The large number of federal employees cushioned some
of the economic effects and by 1935, housing starts
began to increase and the population grow. African
Americans, many of whom were farm workers, left the
County. By 1940, the African American population had
declined from 17 to 3 percent. Montgomery County
increasingly became a suburban community with a
growing dependence on federal employment.
World War II required the County to send many of its
sons to fight in the global conflict, and “The war effort”
became the intense focus of the federal government and
local residents. Housing construction and suburban
growth came to a halt, but the County’s first skyscraper,
the 20-story Bethesda Naval Medical Center, was
completed.
Current County Government
Under the current system, the Executive submits yearly
operating and construction budgets which the Council must approve. The Executive appoints the various
department heads, and other County employees are part
of a merit system.
Under the Charter, the County must submit to an independent
annual audit, make centralized purchases and
use competitive bidding.
The Council sits as a legislative body and initiates,
repeals and amends local laws for the County as stated
by the Express Powers Act. In addition, sitting as the
District Council, the Council legislates in all areas of
planning, zoning and land use. The Council cannot enact
laws for any incorporated town, village, municipality or
special taxing area on any matter covered by the powers
granted to these jurisdictions.
In November 1986, the voters amended the Charter to
increase the number of Council seats from seven to nine
in the 1990 election. Five members are elected from
geographic council districts and four are elected at large.
PRINCIPAL HISTORIC EVENTS
1774 At Hungerford’s Tavern, in what is now Rockville,
patriots of lower Frederick County met to protest
British taxes and injustices, and to draft the “Hungerford Resolves.”
1776 Montgomery County formed from part of
Frederick County.
1776-1948 Montgomery County governed under the County
Commissioner system.
1777 County seat established at town of Williamsburg,
site of the present city of Rockville.
1779 First county court house built at Williamsburg.
1791 Georgetown, then a part of Montgomery County, is
ceded to the Federal government to form part of the
new District of Columbia.
1801 The name of the county seat was changed from
Williamsburg to Rockville, named after Rock Creek.
1828-1850 Decline in County agriculture, due to overproduction
of tobacco, poor farming methods, and emigration of
farm labor. Prosperity returned when Quakers in the
Sandy Spring area introduced imported fertilizer and
farm machinery.
1840 Second court house was built.
1861-1865 During the Civil War, both Union and Confederate
troops passed through the County several times.
1860 Free public school system established in
Montgomery County.
1891 Third court house built. The red brick building is
still standing, preserved by citizens groups.
1931 Fourth court house was built of grey stone.
1948 Home rule charter adopted, allowing for a Council-form
of county government. Montgomery was the first county
in Maryland to establish a charter form of government.
1954 County schools desegregated.
1968 New charter adopted, allowing for an elected County
Executive, and a seven-member elected County Council.
1970 First County Executive takes office under the new
charter.
1976 Bicentennial of Montgomery County and the Nation.
1981 Executive Office Building and Judicial Center built.
1987 Montgomery County proclaimed a Bicentennial
Community in recognition of the 200th Anniversary
of the U.S. Constitution.
1990 Council expanded from seven to nine members.
1997 Unification of the City of Takoma Park into
Montgomery County.
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).
