We have been very fortunate to have received some wonderful public reviews of our book "Hidden History of Howard County". We gave a talk about our book earlier this year that was recorded by the Howard County Historical Society - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umRIXcH_coo
Please check out the reviews below, and perhaps create some of your own. Thank you!
Guilford Gazette/Howard Courier
The Bright and Dark Sides of Howard County Discovered in ‘Hidden History’ by Debbi Mack
Voices of Laurel
Hidden History of Howard County Book Review by by Angela Latham Kozlowski
Goodreads
It has very interesting chapters, but some are written as a tour book.. So more a reference book than a a book to read cover to cover. Full of information. A map would have being useful. Nevertheless I learned a lot from it
Located in central Maryland, the Howard County area was settled as land grants for British colonists expanded from the Chesapeake Bay. Many people were farmers but the local natural resources inspired many mills along the Patuxent and Patapsco Rivers and many quarries scattered over the landscape. A main rail line was built between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, with spurs going west along the rivers providing a way to ship goods economically. Being south of the Mason Dixon line, the area was home to many enslaved African Americans, some of whom were freed and did not leave the area for a variety of reasons. After the American Civil War, businesses still boomed into the twentieth century. A big change for Howard County happened in the 1960s when a planned community (Columbia) was established right in the middle of the county, causing a lot of economic and cultural shifts.
The authors live in Guilford, one of the neighborhoods of Columbia (it was originally its own town before the corporation started developing areas in the 1960s). Their focus is mostly on Guilford, painting it in a very positive light, as opposed to towns like Savage, which was a mill town with all the good and bad that comes with that, and Columbia, which bulldozed a lot of historical sites for highways, new industry, and residences. Even with their bias, the book has a lot of interesting information and anecdotes that locals (like me) will find enjoyable.
The is not written in an academic style but does have tons of footnotes (so it is well researched) and provides an appendix where readers get tips on how to do their own research in local and state resources. Mildly recommended--you probably have to live here (or have lived here) to appreciate it.
Amazon
Must Read for Residents in Howard County
Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2023
I am coming up on 30 years living in Howard County. I also consider myself to be a history buff, traveling and visiting places specifically to study their history. Therefore, I am thoroughly embarrassed that, until I read this book and visited some of the places, I knew almost nothing about the history of my own home city. And the history is well-worth knowing. This is not a boring history of politicians doing things that nobody cares about, nor is it a mundane description of daily life in a rural community. Instead, it is an exploration of the industries and transportation systems that helped develop the settlement and economic framework of the early United States. Much of that occurred right here in Howard County. However, because most of the buildings and industries are gone, and because most of the residents are, like me, not natives, we know nothing about it.
One of my favorite things about the book is that it does not just discuss the history, based on documents - it tells you where pieces of it still remain, and can be visited today. I have hiked or ridden my bike across the Guilford Pratt Truss Bridge and along the Patuxent Branch Trail dozens of times. I even took the photos documenting the bridge for the historicbridges.org website. I also studied the historically-important Bollman Truss Bridge at Savage, while researching my own book ("Bridgespotting"). Yet, until I read this book, the Guilford bridge was just an interesting old bridge. Now, it is a living connection, by a long-gone railroad, starting at an important early granite quarry, crossing the Bollman Truss and passing by the enormous mill and factory complex at Savage, and then connecting to outside markets in Washington, Baltimore, and beyond through the B&O Railroad system. I can never cross that bridge or hike that trail again, without seeing trains carrying blocks of granite out to the world. And this is just one of the remaining relics, some re-repurposed, some in ruins, some overgrown by forests, that the book identifies, and places into the historic context.
If there is a criticism, and one thing I would change, it would be one single word in the title. Instead of "Hidden History of Howard County", I would call it "Hidden History in Howard County". This is because the book focuses heavily on the Savage and Guilford areas in the southeast corner of the county, and just barely scrapes the surface of the important early mills, railroads, and the National Pike in the northern corner. This is not a flaw in the book - the authors acknowledge that they are focusing on Savage and Guilford, and that a detailed look at Ellicott City will have to wait for another day. But the title implies that the book is somehow comprehensive in its study of the history of Howard County when, in fact, the authors will be the first to tell you that the book is just the beginning.
A Gem of Little Known Howard County History.
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2023
"Hidden History of Howard County" by Nathan and Wayne Davis is so well researched and written that it could serve as a guide for anyone planning to research their own area of interest. A great deal of new information has been brought forth by the original research of the authors which will lead to discussion and greater understanding of the history of Maryland's Howard County. I consider this to be a very valuable resource for Howard County, Maryland.
If you like obscure history, you’ll love this!
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2023
My son and I have been on historical adventures with the authors so seeing their book come to life is incredible! It’s well written and makes you wonder what else is out there to be discovered.
Howard County History Isn't Hidden Anymore!
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2023
This is an amazingly in-depth and well written look at the hidden history of Howard County Maryland. It is documented like a dissertation but written in a down to earth, highly accessible style, and with great images such as photos, newspaper articles and maps to being even greater clarity to the words. If you want to know the history of Howard County, an important part of the Baltimore-Washington region, this is a must-read!
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2025
It is apparent that the authors have taken a lot of time and effort with putting this book together. I have had a lot of fun reading about how “HoCo” came to be and I hope that the authors will consider writing a follow-up book because this is a great read!