Carroll County Maryland

Examines the history of slavery in Maryland and discusses the conditions of life of Maryland's slaves and free Blacks.

Carroll County, Maryland, has been a crossroads of cultures since the 18th century. Carroll's structures and town plans reflect English and Pennsylvania-German influences. Mile-long streets punctuated by town squares are lined with a variety of stone and brick buildings of various eras. Though progress has altered these plans, the survival rate allows modern viewers to glimpse and compare multiple eras of local history.

Carroll County's road signs are a testament to the farm families who settled here. Bollinger, Hoff, Roop, Baugher, Royer, Bushey, and many more are road names that honor those who have produced food for themselves and the nation in times of peace, war, and the Great Depression. In 1917, when the first county agricultural agent arrived, 96.6 percent of the land was held in 3,384 farms. By 1926, Carroll County, Maryland, led the state in corn, swine, and poultry production. It was second in dairy and beef, and it was the world leader in wormseed oil production. A prominent feature of Carroll County's landscape has always been the red barns, and they still are today. The photographs in this book were collected from farm families and historical organizations, portraying a unique insider's view of the history of farm life in Carroll County.