ODENTON
A place close to the heart. I went to school here, I grew up here, I ran the streets here in my youth. Many fine memories growing up here.
Odenton has a long rich heritage. In 1840, the steam-powered Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad (A&ER) was built across a sparsely settled farming community that would later become Odenton. At the beginning of the Civil War, Union soldiers guarded this railroad line because it was the only link between the North and the nation's capital.
The town of Odenton, nicknamed "The Town a Railroad Built" by Catherine L. O'Malley, was formed in 1868 with the construction of the Baltimore Potomac (B&P) Railroad connecting Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Where the B&P crossed the A&ER, a train station and telegraph office were constructed and named for Oden Bowie, president of the B&P and former governor of Maryland. Train service to the station began on July 2, 1872.
The rail junction (today's MARC station) at Odenton Road, already a busy thoroughfare from Annapolis to Frederick, became the site of Odenton's first commercial center. The Watts and Murray general stores served railroad workers and farmers, and in 1871 a post office was established. A town grew near the junction, houses were built for railroad workers, a Methodist church was dedicated in 1891 and a grade school opened in 1892.
Small villages developed around these various railroad lines, but none amounted to more than a cluster of shops and homes around a train station and post office. The 1878 Maryland Directory listed the following towns: Conaway, Odenton, Patuxent, Sappington, and Woodwardville. Odenton was the largest, with a population of 100, a church, a school and two stores. In nearby Woodwardville, where the B&P crossed the Little Patuxent River, A. G. Woodward was the postmaster and operated a general merchandise store in a village of 50 people. Two churches and a school served that community. Land was worth from $5 and $30 per acre, producing wheat, corn and tobacco.
Odenton today is a census-designated place (CDP) in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, the population was 37,132 at the 2010 census, up from 20,534 at the 2000 census. From 2010 to now Odenton has just kept growing and growing. I cant wait until the next census to see how much it has grown.
If i have missed anything, or you have more questions, the Odenton Historical society has a museum. The Historical Center is open on the first Sunday of each month from 1PM – 4PM. Admission is free and is located at 1367 Odenton Road Odenton, Maryland 21113
Now, on to the logging requirements. To the left of the posted Coordinates is an old spur. Snap a pic of you or your group, or if you're shy, a pic of your GPS or phone will work. However, the spur has to be in the photo to take credit. Upload your photo with your log.
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018 This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.