CATONSVILLE

village, Baltimore county, north-central Maryland, U.S., a southwestern suburb of Baltimore. It was founded before 1729 and was known as Johnnycake for a local inn specializing in that type of cornbread. The present name, honouring Richard Caton (who had an estate there in the late 18th century), was adopted about 1800. A residential community, Catonsville is the seat of Catonsville Community College (1956). The Baltimore county campus (1966) of the University of Maryland and Patapsco Valley State Park are nearby. In 1968 a group of citizens burned the records of the local draft board in protest against the Vietnam War and became known as the Catonsville Nine; their subsequent trial, imprisonment, and parole received worldwide publicity. Pop. (1990) 35,233.