Book excerpt: Abolitionists, Patriots and innovators have all carved indelible marks on the granite crags of Ellicott City. With wit and determination, they established a tightly knit community that has thrived upon the rocky banks of the Patapsco River for over two hundred years. Janet Kusterer and Victoria Goeller bring together a fascinating history of their beloved city with colorful firsthand accounts by local residents. These beguiling vignettes paint the portrait of a city and its people, from early African American inventor and author Benjamin Banneker to the "Crime Stopper Bunny." Catch a glimpse of a community that is fiercely proud of its history as Kusterer and Goeller invite their readers into the heart of historic Ellicott City.