Marker Series - The Historical Marker Database

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Marker Series

Believe It or Not
		Some markers tell fantastical or incredulous stories which get even more surprising and outrageous when you do some research.
Canals
	• Cheasapeake and Ohio Canal
		Markers associated with the canal from Washington, DC, to Cumberland, Maryland, now a national park.
	• Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal
		Built between 1835 and 1839, the 45-mile long Susquehanna (PA) and Tidewater (MD) Canal ran from Wrightsville, Pennsylvania to Havre de Grace, Maryland.
	• Wabash & Erie Canal
		Measuring 468 miles long, the Wabash & Erie Canal was the longest artificial water way in the United States.
Civil War
	• 1st Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)
	• 2nd Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)
	• Antietam Campaign War Department Markers
		238 historical tablets were erected between 1890 and 1906 to describe the Antietam Campaign.
	• Battlefield Trails
		Links to "trail heads" for battlefield tours. Each uses the related markers section to provide a virtual tour of a battlefield or portion of a battlefield. Please use the Click to map all markers shown on this page option on each related markers page to see a map of each "trail."
	• Defenses of Washington
		Collection of markers detailing the wartime fortifications around Washington, D.C.
	• Lincoln 1861 Inaugural Train Stops
		Abraham Lincoln traveled 1,904 miles by train from Springfield, Illinois, to Washington, D.C. for his inaugural, typically giving speeches from the rear platform at stops.
	• Maryland Civil War Trails
	• North Carolina Civil War Trails
	• Signal Corps
		Organized military signalling in the United States started during the Civil War. Used by both sides.
	• Virginia Civil War Trails
	• West Virginia Civil War Trails
George Washington Slept Here
		He slept in a lot of places.
Historical Society Collections
	• E Clampus Vitus
		Preserving Western Heritage
	• Maryland, Washington County Historical Advisory Committee
	• New Jersey, Bergen County Historical Society
		Designating county historic sites with blue and silver markers since 1960.
	• Pennsylvania, The Harrisburg History Project
		A visually interactive experience comparing the “then and now” appearance of Harrisburg using old photographs taken, in most instances, from the marker's current location.
	• Virginia, Fairfax County History Commission
	• Virginia, Prince William County Historical Commission
Markers Attached to Sculpture
		Markers attached to or describing sculpture.
Markers with Artwork
		The Markers with Artwork series includes markers that are works of art in their own right. Many have bas-relief depictions or etchings. This series does not include markers attached to other artwork.
National Historic Landmarks
		"Nationally significant historic places designated by the Secretary of the Interior because they possess exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States. Today, fewer than 2,500 historic places bear this national distinction."
National Underground Railroad - Network To Freedom
		A series of markers erected by the National Park Service to provide interpretation for sites associated with the Underground Railroad.
Railroads
	• Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O)
		The first railroad in the Americas and for a time the world's longest railroad.
	• Manassas Gap Railroad
		This Civil War era railroad in Virginia is now a 60 mile Norfolk Southern line that runs from the Lower (Northern) Shenandoah Valley to Manassas.
	• Orange and Alexandria Railroad
		Now part of Norfolk Southern, this rail line connected Alexandria, Virginia with central Virginia and played an important role in the Civil War.
	• Washington and Old Dominion Railroad
		Today a 45-mile Rails to Trails path from Alexandria to Purcellville in Virginia.
Roads and Trails
	• Braddock’s Road and Maj. Gen. Edward Braddock
		The British General had to cut a road through the Appalachian Mountains to get to the French and Indians. The road was a triumph, but his military campaign was not.
	• Lewis & Clark Expedition
		Sent by Jefferson to explore the far west, the Corps of Discovery left Pittsburgh May 14, 1804 and reached the mouth of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest on November 15, 1805.
	• Mark Twain Bret Harte Trail
	• Oregon Trail
		The Oregon Trail was the only practical corridor to reach the entire western United States from 1836 – 1869. Over half a million people went west during the Oregon Trail’s “glory years.”
	• Pony Express National Historic Trail
		These are markers about the Pony Express found along the trail that ran from Sacramento, California to St. Joseph, Missouri.
	• The Historic National Road
		“The Road that Built the Nation.” The first (1811)federally funded road in the U.S. ran from Baltimore, Maryland to Vandalia, Illinois.
Walking Tours
	• Maryland, Baltimore City historical markers
		Silver colored historical markers, erected on public landmarks in Baltimore by the city governement, in cooperation with various local organizations.
	• Maryland, Bolton Hill Historic Distrct
		A series of blue enamel historical markers in the Bolton Hill Neighborhood of Baltimore, illustrating the lives of historic residents of the neighborhood. As of April, 2008, the list is complete.
	• Maryland, Fort McHenry
	• Maryland, Gwynns Falls Trail
	• Maryland, Lost Rockville – 1801 to 1850
		The "Lost Rockville" historical series was created to celebrate the City's 200th anniversary in 2001.
	• Maryland, Saint Mary's City
	• Virginia, City of Falls Church
	• Virginia, Historic Occoquan
		Each of the markers features a location or person important to Occoquan’s history. They are all within easy walking distance of each other.
	• Virginia, Norfolk Heritage Cannonball Trail
		Forty sites along the Norfolk Heritage Cannonball Trail provide a "story-telling stage" for intepreting Norfolk's rich and multi-faceted history.
	• Virginia, Old Town Alexandria
		Alexandria does publish a brochure describing a self-guided walking tour. Most of the sites listed are listed in that brochure.
	• Virginia, Wartime Manassas Walking Tour
		Also nearby is a Driving Tour. Start at the Manassas Museum.
War, US Revolutionary
	• The Washington-Rochambeau Route
		In 1781 the two Generals met in White Plains, New York, crossed the Hudson River and marched 450 miles south to Yorktown in Virginia where their and Lafayette’s armies defeated the British, ending the war.