Happy birthday to Andrew Ellicott, who was born #OnThisDay in 1754! Born to the Ellicott family of Ellicott’s Mills (known today as Ellicott City), Andrew led a distinguished career as a surveyor, marking many important lands in the early history of the United States. As a member of the Mason-Dixon Line survey team, he was tasked in 1784 with extending the boundary between Pennsylvania and Delaware with Maryland. In 1792, he was called upon by Thomas Jefferson to survey the boundaries of the federal land known as the Territory of Columbia. Ellicott further developed L’Enfant’s plans for the future capital City of Washington, making revisions that would pave the way for the city’s development. And though you likely don’t know it, you can in part thank Andrew Ellicott for the success of the Lewis and Clark Expedition for his contribution as a mentor to Meriweather Lewis. Image: “Plan of the city of Washington in the territory of Columbia, ceded by the states of Virginia and Maryland ...