Suburban Evolution

Abstract

During the late 1940s and early 1950s, Mary Anne Bauer used to hop on the No. 8 streetcar line a long Frederick Road in Catonsville for a 30-minute ride to downtown Baltimore’s retail district. Even though Mary lived in the quiet suburb of Catonsville, there were few, if any, employment opportunities in this sleepy, quaint suburb of Baltimore. Mary worked as a part-time beautician at Hutlzer’s Department Store on Howard Street, which was one of the city’s premiere shopping venues of the day. Catonsville’s residents, just like Mary, were dependent on their central city—Baltimore City—for employment, shopping, culture, and entertainment during this era. The city was the center of life, and suburbs were peripheral. Yet, in just a short period, Mary’s family and metropolitan Baltimore’s residents were about to witness a dramatic transformation.