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Welcome to the home of 21681.com
Ridgely MD 21681 zipcode & Caroline County Maryland information guide
Ridgely, Maryland is located in Caroline county, which
is 45 miles SE of Baltimore Maryland.
Ridgely Maryland area verifies the boom-and-bust nature of agriculture.
The wide Ridgely main street reflects the high commercial expectations
of the Maryland and Baltimore Land Association, which
established the town in Reverend Greenbury Ridgely’s
(the town is named for) grain field in May 1867. Laid
out beside the first railroad to enter Caroline County,
Ridgely was projected as the agriculture hub for the transcontinental
competition for Caroline County peaches and grains. Bankruptcy
befell the Association during the first year of their
existence, however, leaving Ridgely with just four buildings:
a railroad station, a hotel, a residence and a combination
store/residence. The latter was erected by James K. Saulsbury,
a seasoned seaman and a veteran of the California Gold
Rush of 1849, served briefly as Caroline County's only hospital
and presently serves as the Ridgely town hall.
30-years later, the old Town of Ridgely became the “Strawberry Capital
of the World”. The present day streets are lined with stately
Victorian homes, reflects that transient prosperity during
the countywide Canning Boom (1895-1919). Hanover Foods,
formerly an enterprise of Saulsbury Bros., Inc. for more
than 100 years, is the last of over 250 food processors
that once operated in the Caroline County region.
The town has weathered the ups and downs of an ever-changing
agricultural economy, and through the legacy of the fine
planning bequeathed to us by the town founders, present
day Ridgely still maintains a village-like atmosphere
with a pleasant blend of commerce, industry and residential
development; and with its abundant historic legacy, much
in evidence at every turn, Ridgely is emerging as a "Heritage
Tourism" destination.
Poised as it is just across the Chesapeake Bay from the
Baltimore and Washington DC
metro areas, Ridgely MD is being discovered by the urban commuters who
are willing to trade a couple of hours of highway driving
for the quality of life offered by our Eastern Shore rural
village community.
Interesting History of Ridgely
Unlike most towns, Ridgely did not "just grow"
- it was planned before a single house was built. Ridgely was
planned not as a country town, but as a city - a large,
beautiful prosperous city, with a railroad to the north
and the Choptank River to the south, laid out with wide
streets and avenues, with parks and boulevards, factories
and stores and a busy riverfront with docks and shipyards.
Unfortunately, none of it happened.
The Town of Ridgely was founded in the post Civil War
land speculation and railroad boom that rolled across
the Delmarva Peninsula in the 1860's. With the end of
the Civil War, northern railroads were able to continue
their expansion plans, and investors and merchants went
looking for new markets and sources of supplies for the
growing urban markets. The land around the present day
community of Ridgely was purchased in 1867 by the Maryland
and Baltimore Land Association from Thomas Bell and the
Rev. Greenbury W. Ridgely, for whom the town is named.
In the spring of 1867, the town proprietors brought in
Mr. J.J. Sickler, a Civil Engineer from Philadelphia,
to lay out a plat of the city. With the plan completed,
the Land Association began construction and the first
year saw the erection of four buildings, including a railroad
station, hotel and two private residences. One residence
was constructed by James K. Saulsbury as a combined store
and residence, known today as the Ridgely House, houses
the town offices.
In spite of its auspicious start, the young city was
doomed to failure, with the Land Association overextending
and going bankrupt during the first year. The properties
were subsequently sold at public auction, and the village
was left with but two homes, two stores, a railroad station
and a hotel to prove its existence. Following the demise
of the Land Association, Ridgely gradually began to grow
as a rural commercial and industrial center on the Maryland
and Delaware Railroad line. From the beginning of its
actual growth until the middle of the twentieth century,
Ridgely prospered, maintaining a viable commercial center
and a number of industrial operations; most directly related
to the processing of local crops. Most of the local farmland
was used to produce strawberries, huckleberries, vegetables,
eggs and poultry which, along with wild blackberries and
game, were either processed in Ridgely or hauled north
in railcars for sale as fresh goods or for processing
in the larger urban factories.
Changes in the size and condition of Ridgely came with
the general shift from rail to highway transportation
in the 1950's. As business and industry began to concentrate
in larger urban areas and in more central rural centers,
the factories and processing plants in Ridgely could no
longer compete with larger and more modern facilities
operated by large regional and national corporations.
Perhaps the dream of 1867 is gone; however, Ridgely's
wide streets and pavements and period architecture give
testimony to the legacy of fine planning which the originators
have bequeathed to us. Present day Ridgely is a pleasant
blend of commerce, industry and residential development,
with its abundant historic legacy much in evidence at
every turn. Ridgely is home to a "Blue Ribbon"
Elementary School and the Maryland 1997 "Mother of
the Year". The Ridgely House, which serves as the
town office, dates back to 1867 and showcases a modest
collection of historical memorabilia open to the public.
Points of Interest in Ridgely: Fountain in the Park -
The Ridgely House - Ridgely Railroad Station
Recreational Facilities available in Ridgely Maryland
Martin Sutton Memorial Park
The Town of Ridgely has a large, 20 acre, fully-dimensioned,
multi-service park located within its boundaries. Martin
Sutton Park was founded with donations and developed to
a large extent with Project Open Space (POS) funding.
The park includes facilities for baseball, softball, basketball,
soccer, tennis, volleyball, horseshoes, walking/jogging/cycling,
playground activities, skateboarding, town events and
picnics.
Railroad Park
In 1966, The Commissioners of Ridgely purchased the Ridgely
Railroad Depot, along with approximately one-third of
an acre of adjacent land from the Delaware Railroad Company,
and subsequently, with the aid of POS funding, created
a small mid-town park, complete with landscaping and park
benches - a nice place to eat your lunch or just watch
the squirrels. The railroad station formerly served as
Ridgely’s Town Office and currently is temporarily serving
as a branch of the Bowie Town Medical Practice.
Ridgely Little League Sports Complex
In 1999, The Commissioners of Ridgely formalized an agreement
with the Ridgely Little League that conveyed to the League
by lease agreement, fourteen acres of town property along
Cowbarn Road. Phase One of the ambitious long range plan
called for the construction of two Little League-sized
fields and parking facilities. Phase II calls for sanitary
facilities, a Senior League field and a concession stand,
while subsequent phases will add soccer and lacrosse fields,
a playground complex and additional parking facilities.
Phase I was completed this Spring, and a formal dedication
of the complex was held on 29, June, 2002, with State,
County and local officials and politicians marking the
occasion. The facility is being funded by Program Open
Space, the Commissioners of Ridgely, corporate, commercial
and private contributions, and will be made available
to organized groups through arrangements with the Town.
Tuckahoe State Park
Just on the outskirts of town, occupying parts of Caroline
and Queen Anne counties, lies Tuckahoe State Park – a
recreational treasure trove.
Tuckahoe Creek, a quiet country stream bordered for most
of its length by wooded marshlands, runs through the length
of the park. A 60-acre lake offers boating and fishing
opportunities, and an added attraction is the Adkins Arboretum,
which encompasses 500 acres of parkland and almost three
miles of surfaced walkways leading through the tagged
native species of trees and shrubs. The park also offers
20 miles of scenic hiking, biking and equestrian trails,
flat water canoeing, hunting, picnicking, as well as a
recycled tire playground for children.
Special events are offered at the Maryland park during the seasons.
Events such as nature and bird hikes, camping, canoe trips
and day camps. During the summer season, there is day
camp which includes: rock climbing, mountain biking, outdoor
survival skills, bird watching, canoeing & fishing,
bass fishing, advanced rock climbing and water fun.
Ridgely MD and the 21681 zip-code area is a good place to visit on the U.S. East Coast.
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