Traditions & Innovations

The Patapsco Valley: First in Innovation and Conservation

For more than 200 years, the Patapsco Valley has been the focal point for historic events and scientific advantages that have transformed Maryland and the nation.

The Valley, and the Patapsco River that shaped it, harbored communities from the first settlements of the Delaware tribe to historic towns like Ellicott City and Elkridge that sprouted along the river in support of the earliest industrial development in America.

The Valley’s rich farm and rural lands and historic travel routes of road, river, and rail created an environment that fostered innovation and transformation. It attracted bright minds and willing hands, which helped seal the Patapsco Valley’s reputation of being a “valley of firsts”.