Travers has created a book that narrates the Patapscos life story from the early Indian camps on its shores through the late twentieth-century revitalization of its harbor, a story that contains some of the most important and fascinating events of Marylands past. The book follows a chronological order of historical highlights, but each chapter stands independently, allowing the reader to dip at will into the exciting blend of people, places, and events that have had such great impact on the state and the nation.