Howard County Government history

The courthouse was constructed in February 1859 on Court House Hill (Pike's Peak) with money raised by subscription by citizens of the two communities, Vernon Springs and New Oregon.

Built of basswood lumber, the building finally rotted away and, by 1865, was unsafe for housing county records.

Here, a small stone building, owned by L.L. Halstead, was used to hold county records In January 1867, Cresco citizens offered a new building (constructed by the Howard County Court House Association) to the county for use as a courthouse.

Previous to this defalcation, the treasurer's office was broken into during the night of March 15, 1868 and $13,000 in money and securities was stolen - the county's first financial loss by theft.

After the fire in 1876, the city limits of Cresco were then extended to the south (through a legal maneuver) to include the old courthouse at the "the bluff" (Pike's Peak), just two miles away.

On July 10, 1888, Ellicott City citizens formed The Volunteer Fire Company of Ellicott City No.

The first firehouse built in Ellicott City was constructed in 1896 with a cupola to house a firebell donated by the B&O railroad to summon firemen.

So, in 1910, the city council of Cresco voted unanimously to transfer all of the city's right and tile to the courthouse property to Howard County.

In 1924, the Howard County Volunteer Fireman's Association was formed operating out of a new combination firehouse and transit terminal on Main street in Ellicott City with an $10,500 600 gallon American LaFrance triple combination engine.

Insurance agent Benjamin Mellor became the first fire chief serving until 1934.

In April 1940, a new fire station was dedicated in Ellicott City.

On 18 April 1959, the Central Alarm went into operation in an office above the Ellicott City Jail.

The county was predominately agricultural in character until 1966, when construction began on the new town of Columbia.

Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland an administrative reorganization in 1973 replaced that country’s six administrative counties and two county boroughs with 26 single-tier, or “unitary,” administrative districts.

After 1974 in England and Wales, administrative counties provided police and fire services, education, social welfare services, public transport, traffic regulation, consumer protection, libraries, and some highways and parks.

In 1975 the 34 administrative counties of Scotland were replaced by nine administrative regions, each subdivided into a number of districts.

In 1991, the department implemented a customer service program, more commonly found in the commercial industry.

In 1996 the eight administrative counties of Wales were replaced by 22 new unitary counties and unitary county boroughs.

A $2000 reward was offered by the county board of supervisors, and the famed Allan Pinkerton detective agency was brought in to investigate the case, but no one was ever apprehended for the crime.

In 2009, nine new unitary authorities were established, bringing the total to 56—including the Isles of Scilly, which has a special status.

In 2014, the County Council passed legislation requiring County agencies to publish documents online in a searchable format and to regularly update that.