The origins of Essex and Middle River can be traced back to the early 1800s, though Essex did not attain an official community name until 1908. The area grew rapidly, particularly because of the Glenn L. Martin Company, which employed more than 53,000 residents during World War II.

Essex is nestled on the Atlantic coast within beautifully preserved hills, forest, fields, and wetlands--but the serene landscape belies the town's rich history. According to tradition, the first Essex boat was built in an attic around 1660. Eventually, this shipbuilding industry would create a thriving town as it developed into one of the largest producers of fishing schooners in the country. By its incorporation in 1819, Essex was a renowned community of fishing, farming, shipbuilding, and other industries. Over time, Essex became the birthplace of the fried clam, sent a native son to the baseball major leagues, acquired a Paul Revere church bell, and raised a barn that is now the oldest still in use in America. With a newly gathered collection of vintage images, Essex reveals a microcosm of American culture and growth, telling the story of leading patriots, entrepreneurs, Civil War heroes, and hardworking everyday citizens.

Advertised in a 1909 sales brochure as "The Rising Suburb of the East," Essex, Maryland, has seen its fate and fortune rise and fall and rise again. The town enjoyed its early reputation as a haven for city dwellers with picnic groves, hunting and fishing clubs, dance halls, and waterfront amusement parks. The boom continued with new jobs and prosperity until the 1950s, when a fire destroyed much of the town's main street. Economic decay set in as a result of the loss of industry and an influx of low-income housing. Several attempts at redevelopment and legislation failed, resulting in the residents' distrust of government intervention. Finally a county-backed Renaissance project was established in 2002, bringing Essex a new epithet: "The Hidden Gem of Baltimore County."

Large scale atlas with street level detail showing ZIP Codes, block numbers, schools, hospitals, points of interest, shopping centers, airports, parks and more. Includes Reisterstown, Timonium and Baltimore City. Enlargements of Downtown Baltimore and Inner Harbor and MTA and MARC systems shown.