A Brief History of the Maryland Counties
1637 - St. Mary's created as original colony. Covered both sides of Chesapeake Bay.
1642 - Kent created from St. Mary's east of the bay.
1650 - Anne Arundel and Charles Counties are created from St. Mary's.
1654 - Patuxent is created from St. Mary's; Charles (old), non-county area. Charles (old) abolished.
Anne Arundel name changed to Providence. St. Mary's name changed to Potomac.
1658 - Charles is created from Potomac. Patuxent name changed to Calvert. Potomac name
changed back to St. Mary's. Providence name changed back to Anne Arundel.
1659 - Baltimore is created from Anne Arundel, Kent and non-county area.
1662 - Talbot is taken from Kent.
1666 - Somerset is taken from non-county area and extends to Atlantic.
1669 - Dorchester is created from non-county area; Durham and an unnamed county are created
from Somerset in an area that is now Delaware.
1671 - Kent gained from Talbot but still appears smallest of counties.
1672 - Worcester is created from Durham and hte unnamed county in the area that is now
Delaware.
1674 - Cecil County is created from Baltimore.
1685 - There was a royal decision dividing peninsula between Maryland and Delaware Colony
but the boundary was not established. Worcester County, MD., was effectively eliminated.
1695 - Prince George's was created fro Charles, Calvert and non-county area effective 1696.
1696 - Prince George's organized. Charles and St. Mary's gained from Calvert. Kent
exchanged land with Talbot.
1698 - Anne Arundel exchanged land with Baltimore.
1706 - Queen Anne's was created from Kent, Talbot and Dorchester, effective 1707.
1707 - Kent gained from Cecil (but lost to QA).
1727 - Anne Arundel gained from Baltimore.
1742 - Worcester was created from Somerset.
1748 - Frederick was created from Prince George's and non-county area. Charles gained from
Prince George's on the Potomac.
1750 - Frederick gained from Baltimore.
1773 - Harford was created from Baltimore effective 1774 and Caroline was created from
Dorchester and Queen Anne's effective 1774.
1776 - Montgomery and Washington were created from Frederick.
