Located in southeastern Harford County, Edgewood was established in the mid-1800s as a small village around a train station. It remained small until 1917, when the government took over thousands of acres to create the Edgewood Arsenal military complex. Thousands came to build the arsenal on land previously known for having fertile farms, gentlemen's waterfowl hunting clubs, and one of the earliest meeting places for Methodists in America. World War II brought an even greater increase in military personnel and civilians. Later, numerous housing developments replaced obsolete off-post government buildings. The creation of Route 40 through Edgewood in 1939 and 1940 and the Edgewood exit on Interstate I-95 in 1963 brought travelers and spurred new business.

"This book began as a collection of articles the authors have written over the past nine years and photographs that they have collected to help reflect the largely underreported history of Edgewood, Maryland... The articles, which have been updated, along with write-ups covering new ground, represent a patchwork quilt of topics, but all contribute to the overall warm feeling the residents have for this terrific community"--Page 4 of cover.