Establishment
In 1608, the first European to see the area that is now Harford County, Maryland was John Smith. In 1608 the Massawomecks and the Susquehannocks settled in the area.
Harford County was formed on March 22, 1774 and it had an initial population of 13,000 people. On January 22, 1782, Bel Air become the county seat.
The county was named after Henry Harford, the son of Frederick Calvert.
Environment
The Susquehanna River lines Harford County and dumps into the Chesapeake Bay. The river plays a large part in controlling sediment and fertilizer runoff into the bay. Harford County has had to deal with runoff issues in the past.
In 1917, Aberdeen Proving Ground was created and since then, Harford County has had to deal with soil and groundwater contamination due to weapon testing. Bordering towns to Aberdeen (Edgewood and Joppatowne), have had to deal with the contamination the most.
