Kit Valentine Trail Dedication

By Bruce Cohen - August 25, 2014

On Saturday, August 23rd, the friends, family, and devotees of Kit Valentine gathered to dedicate a section of the Short Line Trail to a man who has spent his life tirelessly transforming abandoned rails into community trails.  His early work was on the Grist Mill Trail, but he quickly expanded into work on the Patapsco Heritage Greenway, #9 Trolley Line, #8 Streetcar Path, the Catonsville Short Line Trail, Mt. Airy Trail and the East Coast Greenway.

Both Baltimore and Howard Counties honored him for the work that he has done and the Maryland Park Services made him an Honorary Park Ranger.  A nephew from California who was unable to attend sent in this quote to be read about his uncle: “Shall I come out to put a plaque on that 2 ton boulder we rolled out of the way all those years ago? It’ll read: This boulder stood in the way of Kit’s trail. Many a lesson was learned here. We learned a few, but the boulder now knows its place.'”  Kit’s devotion to building trails will continue to inspire new trail builders through a funded internship with the Patapsco Heritage Greenway.

They finished the dedication with “I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad” as the skies threatened to open up.  Kit sent everyone on their way, but many stayed to enjoy his newest trail.

Please read more about the dedication and Kit’s work at the Catonsville Rails to Trails site.

Check out the trails that they have worked so hard to create out of what was once overgrown, useless space.  Take your family there for a day and be sure to appreciate (and be inspired by) the hard work of a man named Kit Valentine.