Located fourteen miles from Baltimore, Ellicot City was originally built to support the Ellicott brother's mill, which was the largest flour mill center in Colonial America. In 1831, America's first railroad terminal, the Ellicott City B&O Railroad Station was built, which is no longer used as a train station but features model trains and railroad artifacts. This is also where Peter Cooper's steam engine, Tom Thumb, raced and beat a horse-drawn carriage. The Colonial Inn and Opera House, now the Forget-Me-Not Factory is where John Wilkes Booth is said to have gotten his start as an actor. Other places of interest include the Tom Isaac Log Cabin, Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum, and Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park.
