Laurel Regional Chiropractic

Laurel history documentation began as early as 1658 when a local family, the Snowdens, owned land near the Patuxent River, and part of a 12,250-acre plantation. One of the initial thoroughfares in the region was Route 1. This North-South road currently extends from Key West in Florida, up along the east coast, ending at the Canada-US border in Maine. This route through Laurel had the distinction of carrying George Washington as an early traveler, where he was known to have stopped in and stayed at the Montpelier Mansion on his way to and from Philadelphia, just south of Laurel. One of Laurel's earliest industries revolved around its location on the Patuxent River. Beginning with a grist mill location, then later a cotton mill, Laurel became slightly unusual in the region among what was primarily an agricultural area. Products from the mill were shipped down the existing Main Street, where it was loaded, then sent by rail to Baltimore, a port city.

Following the Civil War, during the final years of the 19th century, Laurel began to become more suburban, with residents commuting by rail to either Washington D.C. or Baltimore. Laurel was first incorporated in 1870, then for the second time in 1890, and the beginnings of an electric power plant, street paving, and water and sewer projects were initiated. It was in 1899 that the city had enough residents to make building a high school necessary, and this high school became the first high school in the county.

Some local historic sites of note include: the Laurel Park Racecourse, which is a thoroughbred racetrack which remains in operation after having opened in 1911; there was an automobile racing track built-in 1925, which is no longer operating. When prohibition was repealed in 1934, there was a brewery planned to be placed next to the Laurel Park racetrack, but these plans were not followed up on. As part of its development, in 1912 the city built its first sewer system, which dumped into the Patuxent River. Thankfully, this was changed when in 1960 when grants were filed to complete proper sewage infrastructure. Laurel had other growing pains as well, with racial tensions in 1960 producing the attempted burning of a traditionally black church as well as a private home in a predominantly African-American neighborhood. It wasn't however, until 1967 that a public pool facility was open as an integrated facility. Some growing pains were in the form of natural disasters. In 1972 Hurricane Agnes caused the greatest flooding ever recorded in Maryland, with the Howard Duckett Dam holding back the Rocky Gorge Reservoir, poised just upstream along the Patuxent River from Laurel. Following this threat, the city of Laurel passed ordinances that created a protected district around the Main Street region, where the Patuxent River flowed. Much Closer to the current time, the home that had belonged to mill workers on Main Street was renovated and became the Laurel Museum in 1996.

Laurel continues to grow, with the most recent 2010 Census counting over 25,000 people residing in Laurel. With its proximity to larger cities, and it's largely suburban and commuter home feel, Laurel will likely have more to add to its history.