Baltimore County The sixth county to be established is the third largest county in Maryland today. Baltimore County is horse country. There are 149 thoroughbred horse farms located throughout its rolling countryside and every April you can watch the Maryland Hunt Cup, the oldest and most difficult hunt race in the country. Following the separation of Baltimore City and County, Towson became the new county seat in 1854. Baltimore County and Maryland history are traced through exhibits in the county Historical Society Museum in Cockeysville, the Catonsville Historical Society's Townsend House and the Hampton National Historic Site in Towson. The 18th-century Hampton Mansion is surrounded by a 63-acre national park. You can see vintage fire engines and learn about the 1904 Great Fire of Baltimore at the Fire Museum of Maryland in Lutherville. This terrible fire led to the standardization of fire equipment in the United States. At the 17,000-acre Gunpowder Falls State Park or at Soldier's Delight Environmental Area, you can explore wooded trails, meadows, streams, ponds, a marble quarry and iron ore pits. <BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com.