CONNIE: The name Ellicott City comes from the three Ellicott brothers who moved to this area from Bucks County, Pennsylvania in order to start a milling operation.

They saw the advantage of using the Patapsco River as a power source.

They started also informing tobacco planters how they could increase their profitability and increase their yield by going to corn and wheat.

Benjamin Banneker was a free Black man born here just over the Patapsco River, known for his astronomy, almanacs, and surveying.

Benjamin Banneker and Andrew Ellicott, one of the sons of the original settlers, went on to survey Washington, DC.

CONOR: Railroads helped build the United States and it all started here in Ellicott City.

In 1827, a Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was formed, intended to connect Baltimore on the East Coast to the Ohio River in the Midwest.

A construction of the rail line began in July of 1828.

It took them two and a half years to build the rail line between Baltimore and Ellicott City mainly because this was the first rail line to be built in the United States.

They were basically inventing the technology as they went along.

The railroad first opened for public traffic on the 24th of May 1830.

This building was the original, uh, terminus of the first 13 miles of the B&O Railroad.

And it was built originally as a freight depot.

It wasn't until 1856, uh, that this building was renovated to accommodate passengers when they would add two waiting rooms, one for women and one for men.

So at the end of the 19th century, uh, the trolley line arrives in Ellicott City.

Uh, now this was an extension of the Baltimore Streetcar Network.

A lot of people from Ellicott City are able to work in Baltimore and a lot of people from Baltimore are able to take day trips out to Ellicott City very easily.

The trolley ran up Main Street, its terminus would've been at the top.

You could also board the trolley across the river, uh, next to the Trolley Stop Restaurant.

Where the tracks were is now the Trolley Trail, which is a one-and-a-half-mile walking trail between Ellicott City and Catonsville.

And the Trolley Stop Restaurant is still running today.

MARY: This building, you know, has been here since 1833 and it's an iconic fixture in Ellicott City.

One of the stops for the trolley car was right here.

The restaurant has been in a business since about 1985 when a kitchen was put in place.

We have pictures in the walls that illustrate the history of the area here.

I think it's incredibly special to be working in a place that has so much history.

You don't really walk into places that look like this.

Dozens of our family members have been involved over the years.

I mean, there's just another level of pride and appreciation when you're here as a team.

PATRON: Cheers.

MARY: It's a family business and I imagine it'll continue on for the next generations.