Sept. 20 - Baltimore, MD

A Little History

Henderson's Wharf Marina

We’re having a great time in Baltimore…enjoying the weather, the great restaurants and the company of good friends, but it makes blogging every day a little difficult. I haven’t taken any wonderful pictures or explored anything new to report on. We spend our days doing little chores on the boat and just hanging out…wandering around the old neighborhoods of Baltimore. Fell’s Point and Canton are great places to spend time in, with very old buildings, cobblestone streets and friendly local people. We should be thinking about heading south, but we are having a wonderful time here and plan to stay put until after Trawler Fest, which is next week.

Since I have nothing new to blog about I thought I’d share a little Baltimore history with you. Baltimore, Maryland is a significant economic and historical center, not just in the mid-Atlantic Region, but also in the United States as a whole. It's home to many “famous firsts” in U.S. history.

Established in 1729 to serve the economic needs of 18th century Maryland farmers, the town of Baltimore gradually began to take on a life of its own. Baltimore played a crucial role in the War of 1812, when soldiers, stationed at Fort McHenry, successfully held off a British attack on Baltimore. That victory for Baltimore was commemorated in a poem by Francis Scott Key and is now our national anthem.

Baltimore Firsts:

• 1706 First food manufacturer in United States
• 1774 First Post Office system in United States
• 1776 First paper mill in United States
• 1789 First Bishop of Roman Catholic Church in United States
• 1792 First memorial to Columbus in New World
• 1800 First Investment Bank in United States
• 1803 First refrigerator invented
• 1815 First war memorial in the United States
• 1815 First silversmiths in United States
• 1815 First architectural monument erected to George Washington
• 1816 First manufacturer of gas in United States
• 1821 First Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States
• 1827 First public carrier railway in United States
• 1830 First passenger train in United States
• 1839 First dental college
• 1843 First dining cars on a railroad
• 1844 First publicly supported high school for girls .
• 1844 First telegraph line in United States
• 1851 First commercial ice cream factory in United States
• 1859 First YMCA established in United States
• 1891 First medical school of genuine university type
• 1894 First rubber gloves used in surgery
• 1901 First woman professor at a United States medical school
• 1941 First Liberty ship built 

Mama's on the Half Shell

Susie, Pam, Don and Stan at Mama's

Mussels - if you're a fan of oysters you'll like these