Did you know that Elkridge was in The Ladies' Companion magazine in the 19th century?

Yes, the Thomas Viaduct—the curved railroad bridge on Levering Avenue—was a "great wonder," according to Teri Rising, historic preservation planner for Baltimore County.

Rising included a photo from the magazine and other Elkridge images during a May 14 slide show in Relay.

After the viaduct was constructed in 1835, it "was a great wonder and it received a lot of attention," said Rising. "There are a lot of lithographs out there of the viaduct."

The slide presentation, hosted by the Relay Improvement Association, also included mention of the Winans steam gun, the replica of a Civil War-era weapon that stands by the Elkridge sign on Old Washington Road's north side.

"It was an unthinkable weapon," said Rising. The gun, designed by an Ohio inventor, was capable of emitting 300 bullets per minute.

On its arrival at the Thomas Viaduct, Rising said the gun was "the subject of much curious attention" from soldiers stationed there, according to a May 1861 edition of the Baltimore Advocate.

Both the viaduct and the steam gun have remained in the memory of the town.

"What makes this area historic and so special is that it predates transportation," said Rising, who noted that other historic areas like Lutherville and Monkton got their identities through the rise of transportation and the railroad.

Elkridge Landing, on the other hand, was a deepwater port town that predated the Port of Baltimore as a gateway for Maryland, she said, until it met its demise in 1868 due to a flood.