BALTIMORE

In the first decade of the 1800's, pioneer Swiss farm families began to arrive in the west end of town, and on March 2, 1825, they dedicated their village as Basil (a misspelling of Basel, Switzerland). One day earlier, March 1, the Virginians in the east end of town dedicated their own village of New Market (after a town by that name in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley). This opened the gates to a century and a quarter "twin city" feud. (In that same year of 1825 the Ohio-Erie Canal would begin ditching its silver ribbon toward the two villages. The L.U.H.S. alma mater recalls this heritage when the community was "furrowed by canal waters."

Primary location: Baltimore United States