MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY                         447

Patapsco river, with said river to the head thereof, and from thence, bounding
on the south side of the main falls, being the Southernmost great branch of
the said river, and running as the said branch runs to the first main fork
of the said falls, and then bounding on the South Side of the said Southern-
most Fork, Till a South course will intercept the Head of Snowden's River,
and so down the said Snowden's River, 'till it meet with the now Extent of
Anne-Arundel County."

The next change in the western limits of Baltimore County was due
to the erection of Frederick County in 1748. According to the terms of
this act¹⁴ Frederick County was to embrace all of the territory to the
west of Baltimore, Anne Arundel, and Prince George's counties. Set-
tlers had gradually worked. their way westward along the Patapsco
and Potomac rivers and northward along the Monocacy into the fertile
Frederick valley. The intermediate area of the more mountainous
Parr's Ridge was settled more slowly. The actual position of the line
between Frederick and Baltimore counties was not determined until a
few years later, when the General Assembly passed an act¹⁵ defining the
boundaries as follows:

" " Beginning at a spring called Parr's spring, and running from thence N
35° E to a bounded white oak standing on the west side of a waggon road
called John Digges's road, about a mile above the place called the Burnt-
house Woods; and running thence up the said road to a bounded white oak,
standing on the east side thereof, at the head of a draught of Sam's creek;
thence N. 55° E. to a Spanish oak standing on a ridge near William Robert's,
and opposite to the head of a branch called the Beaver-Dam; and running
thence N. 20° E. to the temporary line between the provinces of Maryland and
Pennsylvania, being near the head of a draught called Conewago, at a rocky
hill called Rattle Snake Hill."

A few of these points may be recognized at present but some of them
are in doubt. Early maps like that of Alexander in 1840 and the less
perfect B. & O. E. E. survey maps of an earlier date show the boundary
to pass along the divide between the Monocacy and Patapsco to West-
minster, and thence northeasterly to the limits of the State. This line
remained in force from 1750 until 1836, when the boundaries of Carroll
County were defined. A comparison of the terms of chapter 13 of the
laws of 1750 and chapter 22 of the laws of 1838 are of interest in that
the latter calls for a line running N" 17° E which would be parallel to a

¹⁴ Acts of 1748, Chapter 15. ¹⁵ Acts of 1750, Chapter 13.