Soldiers Delight

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Soldiers Delight is a protected natural environment area comprised of 1,900 acres of serpentine soil which hosts over 39 rare, threatened, or endangered plant species as well as rare insects, rocks and minerals.[1] Located in western Baltimore County,[2] near to Owings, Maryland and with five different marked hiking trails which combined make seven miles; hikers are encouraged while equestrians and cyclists are discouraged due to the sensitive nature of the area.[3]

Contents

[edit] History

Political heritage
The early colonial records of Maryland describe the area as a hunting ground for native Americans. In 1693, rangers in the King's service from a nearby garrison patrolled the area calling the land Soldiers Delight. In the 1700's, King George II made gifts of land grants upon Maryland's earliest settlers in what was then Soldiers Delight Hundred.[3]
During the American Civil War Soldiers Delight was the scene of minor short-term fights[4] between the Maryland Volunteers of the Confederate Army and the regular troops of the Union Army. After the Civil War and the emancipation of slaves, the great estates of the early families were reduced to many small farms and individual properties.[3]
Geological heritage
The area is underlaid by serpentinite, a rock that contains very little quartz and aluminum-bearing minerals and consists mainly of serpentine. Weathered serpentinite is dissolved rock, transformed into thin, sand- and clay-poor soil which is easily eroded. This creates a land surface over serpentinites which is stony, unfertile and sparsely vegetated and is the reason that the term "serpentine barren" is used to describe these areas. A typical serpentine barren contains bear oak, Virginia pine, Eastern redcedar, grasses and some unique and rare wildflowers.[2]
Serpentine is valued as a decorative building stone, road material, and for this area in Maryland, a historic source of chromium ore. During the 1800's Soldiers Delight and the Bare Hills district of Baltimore City were the largest producers of chrome in the world. In Maryland, chromite, a significant accessory mineral in the serpentine, was mined until 1860. Several old mines and quarries are still visible in these serpentine barrens.[2]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Maryland Department of Natural Resources (August 15, 2007). Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area (HTML). Patapsco Valley State Park. Retrieved on 2008-06-10.
  2. ^ a b c Bob Conkwright, Division of Coastal and Estuarine Geology. Soldiers Delight Serpentine Barrens, Baltimore County (HTML). Maryland's Geologic Features. Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved on 2007-12-23.
  3. ^ a b c Maryland Department of Natural Resources (August 15, 2007). Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area (HTML). Trail Guide. Patapsco Valley State Park. Retrieved on 2008-06-10.
  4. ^ This article incorporates text from the public domain 1913 Webster's Dictionary.

[edit] External links

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Parks and Protected areas in Maryland
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