This link to the “Changing Rivers” website, specifically regarding the Patapsco River is fascinating and very relevant to Elkridge History and current events. It was written by John T. Kemper in 2021. It covers the history of the industrialization of the river, and the efforts at restoration, supported by maps, photos and graphs.

If the above link cannot be found, please contact the Elkridge Heritage Society, [email protected] – we have copied a lot of the information to a Google Doc for posterity. It is too important to risk losing, but of course we don’t have copyright access to publish it ourselves. But we have the information and hopefully enough details to find the article again if need be, or to get permission for republication

The following photo was taken by Tina Barton from the swinging bridge at the site of the ruins of the Patterson Viaduct (the Grist Mill Trail near Ilchester Rd). At this location, particularly after a heavy rain, one can get a little bit of a feeling of what the falls of the Patapsco might have been like. They were probably cascade falls but were reported to be a natural wonder. The Falls were flattened by silting of the river by human actions since the late 1600s, and Liberty Dam sucks up a lot of volume for our drinking water. However, there is hope. The river is much cleaner than it has been in a long time (2025) and the fish are returning. It will never be like it was, but thanks to the Patapsco Valley State Park, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, we have a precious resource returning to us.