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ISSN 0889-6186 Editors: JOHN W. McGRAIN and WILLIAM HOLLIFIELD VOL. 21 SUMMER 1987 NO. 4 The Presidents Salt® ore County by John W. McGrain Baltimore County is so close to Washington, D.C., that it seemed possible that most of the presidents of the might have visited here. Even if a president did not tour the county or accept invitations to specific events, he could easily have passed through, following the colonial post road along the coastal plain or riding the B. & 0. or the () Railroads. Six presidential funeral trains followed the Northern Central Route to Harrisburg and two went northeasterly over the Pennsylvania line. Two such trains bound for Washington also passed through the region. Over a period of years the author has collected random mentions of presidential visits, hoping to complete the list. When no incursion into the county could be proved, visits to Baltimore City have been listed as the next best thing. Only after the development of the helicopter, could a president skip over the county and land inside the confines of Charm City While this article may not be a contribution to learning, it is at least a tour de force and a bit of fun, or is intended to be. Each of the presidents is numbered in the order of service and pro- vided with at least one bibliographical reference. (MHM is the abbreviation for Historical Magazine.) (1) President Washington, an old hand at criss-crossing Mary- land, recorded in his diary in 1795, "Aug. 8. Breakfasted at Bal- timore—and dined and lodged at Websters." He also recorded lodging there September 10 and October 16 the same year. About eight days after completing his second term, the former president stopped there on March 12, 1797. Webster's was on the east side of the present Road (Maryland Route 7), just south of This commemorative sign stands on the York Road in front of Towson State Bird River as shown in Griffith's 1794 map of Maryland and University, but a glance at Brooks and Rockers A History of Baltimore . On her way to join the first president in , County (page 55) will show that the original York Road would have taken Martha Washington crossed into Baltimore County at Hammond's the future president south on Cedar Avenue past present Towson High Ferry and the city paper noted that she was "cloathed in the School. manufacture of our country." (Maryland Journal and Baltimore Advertiser, May 22, 1789) 16, 1800) The following day the same paper reported, "Mt Adams (2) had stayed in the city as a member of left the city yesterday about 3 o'clock, escorted by a detachment Congress and had dined with William Lux at suburban of Capt. Hollingsworth's troops." (See also, The Works of John Chatsworth and at rural with Barrister Carroll in Adams, 1850, 2:435, 443-444, and MHM 42:27, 30) 1777. As chief executive, the American reported his travels, "The (3) Thomas Jefferson's account book shows that he dined at President of the United States arrived in this city yesterday morn- the Fountain Inn on February 1, 1783, and also entertained guests ing from the city of Washington, on his way to Braintree." (June on April 5 during his days as ex-Governor of . An unsubs- PAGE 14 HISTORY TRAILS SUMMER 1987

tantiated story holds that President Jefferson was unable to get a room at the inn during July 1805 and put up at the Indian Queen. (Fountain Inn Diary, pp. 63, 64) (4) President James Madison attended a banquet in Bal- timore in honor of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. (American, February 2, 1814) (5) President visited Fort McHenry on June 1, 1817, and also toured the battlefield where General Ross fell. He attended services at the First Presbyterian Church and visited both the and the Washington Monument. (Griffith, Annals of Baltimore, p. 221; Niles Weekly Register, June 7, 1817, pp. 238-239) (6) President walked in the funeral procession of John Eager Howard on October 14, 1827. The American of October 17 that year reported, "The President left the City Hotel yesterday morning, about eight o'clock, accom- —Maryland Historical Society Baltimore panied by a number of citizens, on a visit to the Battle ground at "Redlion Inn, Baltimore Road, September 28, 1813," pencil sketch by . This inn, if it was the original building, was a North Point; and after an examination of the various points of this stopping place of in both peace and war. interesting spot, rendered additionally so by the explanations of those who had a personal share in the dangers of the day— returned to the city at one." Later, as a Member of Congress, he and Major Donelson, Private Secretary to the President. visited Baltimore and paid 121/2 cents to climb the Washington On alighting he was received by General Smith, Chair- Monument, December 2, 1840; the same evening he dined with man of the Committee. While salutations were ex- Robert Gilmor. (JQA, Memoirs, 10:364) changed between the parties, the train was thrown After his presidency, Mr. Adams served 18 years in the House of back until the centre car, which had been specially set Representatives, where he was stricken on the floor in 1848. His apart for the President's accommodation, was brought remains were brought to Mount Clare Depot on the B. & 0. at in front of the place where he stood. As soon as all were noon on March 7 and displayed in the rotunda of the Exchange. seated, the locomotive was again put in motion, and in The next day at 9 a.m., the remains were escorted by the Indepen- about thirty minutes the long train was conveyed to the dent Blues under Captain Shutt to the Philadelphia, Wilmington "Three Tuns." (American, June 7, 1833) and Baltimore Railroad line where a special train waited at High Jackson's biographer Remini says they put up at the Indian Street and Canton Avenue (now Fleet Street) bound for Phila- Queen but the American mentioned Newcomb's Baltimore delphia, New York, and . The depot was the predecessor of House. That night, Jackson attended the Front Street Theatre, as the President Street Station, built in 1850. (American, March 7, 8, did Black Hawk, defeated Indian chief, who had arrived on the 1848; Sun, March 8) Norfolk Steamer Columbus the same day. On June 8, Jackson's (7) As a famous general, Andrew Jackson received a 21-gun parry left for Chesapeake City on the steamer . The salute from Federal Hill on February 27, 1819, and attended a president cut short his trip to Maine at Concord, New Hampshire, dinner in his honor. (Fountain Inn Diary, p. 75) Shortly before and overwhelmed with exhaustion, returned to the capital, reach- his inauguration, Jackson traveled by riverboat to Pittsburgh, then ing Baltimore on the night of July 3-4 via the Citizens Line of to Uniontown, Pennsylvania, to join the National Road, arriving steamers from the C. & D. Canal. He sped on to Washington, via Frederick, Rockville, and Georgetown. (American, February 5, having covered 474 miles in three days. (American, July 6, 1833) 1829) On the first day of his national tout June 6, 1833, about The Three Tuns Hotel started to collapse on June 28, 1946, 200 Baltimore citizens headed by General Sam Smith and James and while the Sunpapers photographer was shooting the initial McCulloch departed from the B. & 0. downtown terminal at the damage, the rest of the old post hotel fell into the street. (Evening Three Tuns Inn at Pratt and Paca Streets and joined in the first ever June 28, ,1946) presidential train trip: Sun, Upon the expiration of his second term, Jackson took the The carriages were drawn separately by horses, until train to Ellicott's Mills on March 7, 1837, and continued by coach they reached the outer depot, where they were united to Wheeling, Virginia, on the , thence by steamer to into a single train and attached to the locomotive en- Nashville. (MHM, 80:170) gine Atlantic, the engine—which after receiving vari- (8) Martin Van Buren was nominated for the presidency at a ous improvements is now a most efficient one—con- convention held in Baltimore May 20, 1835, but it was not then veyed the train with ease to the appointed spot in about considered proper for the candidate to appear at the gathering. twenty-five minutes. Soon after the train had been ar- After his single term, the American reported on March 16, 1841, ranged for the return, it was announced that the Presi- "Ex-President Van Buren leaves this morning in the nine o'clock dent was approaching, and in a few minutes an elegant train for the eastward, having been in this city since Saturday. On coach furnished by Messrs. Stockton and Stokes, drove Sunday, Mr. Van Buren, Mr. Forsyth, and Mr. Poinsett attended up, containing the President, the Hon. Mr. McLane, Divine service at Christ Church." With so many stops along the Secretary of State, Governor Cass, the Secretary of War, way, Van Buren finally arrived at his home Kinderhook on May 15. SUMMER 1987 HISTORY TRAILS PAGE 15 (10) President was received at Military Hall,-Bal- timore, June 6, 1843. On the 8th he departed via a special train for Philadelphia on his way to dedicate the Bunker Hill Monu- ment at Charlestown, Massachusetts.; (Sun, June 7, 9, 1843) The American of June 26, 1844, reported that President Tyler passed through the city on his way to Long Island to marry Miss Gander, the daughter of the navy captain killed by the explosion of a cannon on the U.S.S. Princeton. (11) The resident, James Knox Polk, on his inau- gural journey traveled from Nashville by riverboat to Wheeling on the Ohio; he thence proceeded by coach to Cumberland, Mary- land, where the B. & 0. was in operation. At the Relay House in Baltimore County, a city delegation headed by David Stewart met him on February 13, 1845. Polk and vice-president-elect George --M. Dallas were saluted by Captain McDowell's artillery The party declined an invitation to the city. (Republican and Argus, Febru- ary 14, 1845) After sticking to his desk for two years, Polk undertook a tour of the eastern seaboard, which he had never seen, starting with an arrival at Mount Clare Depot at 1:30 p.m. on June 22, 1847. The presidential party was welcomed with a 21- gun salute and a parade to the Exchange Hotel, the president and Sketch shows a reasonable approximation of the engine Atlantic that sped Andrew Jackson on the first presidential rail journey, from Relay, Baltimore his lady riding in a barouche. Mayor John G. Davies welcomed County, to The Three Tuns depot in Baltimore City him to the city at a reception under the rotunda of the Merchants' Exchange. The girls of Eastern High School were part 'of the (9) Candidate William Henry Harrison was met by the Bal- ceremonies. A dinner followed: The next day the president left on timore citizens at Carroll's Bridge and the Washington Turnpike a special train for Wilmington while Mrs. Polk left via Cumberland Road on September 22, 1836. He paraded in a barouche to the for Nashville. On June 7, he returned on the regular train from Eutaw House and went on to Philadelphia the next day. (Ameri- Philadelphia at 2:30 p.m., welcomed by the mayor and the band of can, September 22, 23, 24, 1836) Four years later as President- the Independent Greys, the party took the 5 o'clock B. & 0. train elect, Harrison traveled by steamboat from Wheeling to Pitts- for the capital. (Sun, June 22, 24; July 23, 24, 1847) burgh for a grand reception. He then took the steamer Loyal . (12) President Zachary Taylor visited the Cattle Show and Hannah southward via Elizabeth and Williamsport to Agricultural Exhibition in Carroll's Woods south of Frederick Brownsville, and thence by land to Uniontown, Pennsylvania, and Road near present Payson Street, on October 12, 1849, and spent via the National Road to Hagerstown. Probably the first-president- an hour examining articles; he then reviewed the troops. (Sun, elect to travel to his post by rail, he took the B. & 0. from October 13, 1849) The American Farmer reported that he had Frederick via Ellicott City to Relay, where he was met by a purchased a hay fork for his warhorse, Old Whitey. Baltimore committee and escorted into town on February 6, Following his death in office, President Taylor's funeral train 1841. At the welcome ceremony at city hall, the actual Fort arrived at Mount Clare Depot on October 25, 1850, and its McHenry battle flag was displayed. On February 9, he took the B. elegant Baltimore-built funeral coach was pulled along Pratt and & 0. to Washington. (American, February 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 1841) Howard Streets to link up with the Northern Central line at The new president died on April 4, a month to the day after Bolton Station for a journey to Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, and Ken- taking office. His remains were placed in the National Burial tucky. (Republican and Argus, October 25, 26, 1850) Old Ground at Washington for a few months. In June, his remains were Whitey was shipped back to Kentucky by the same railroad. brought to Baltimore by train on the 26th, accompanied by his (Baltimore County Advocate, October 10, 26, 1850) son John Scott Harrison and by a committee of Cincinnati citizens. To be continued next issue "Comparatively few of our citizens witnessed its passage from the Revolutionary Patriots rail road depot to the City Hotel . . guarded by the Independent Blues, National Guards, Independent Greys. . ." Departing, the of Last' re County special train left the North Street depot of the Baltimore and Henry C. Peden's book on the Sparrows Point PoliceDepart- Susquehanna Railroad on June 28, headed for Columbia, Pennsyl- ment resulted from his interest in local history and genealogy. He vania. (American, June 28, 29, 1841) The station was at the has also published Revolutionaly Patriots of Harford County, northwest corner of Eager Street and present Guilford Avenue. In .Maryland, 1775-1783. Now, he is working on Revolutionary those days, Baltimore like Paris or London, was a terminal city, Patriots of Baltimore Town and Baltimore County, Maryland, where one had to cross town and change railroad companies to 1775- 1783 and he welcomes genealogical or historical informa- continue a journey. City ordinances prohibited running steam tion about people who served in any patriotic capacity during the engines downtown. The presidential party faced the ordeal of Revolution in Baltimore or Baltimore County. Material may be traveling by canal boat, rail, and cable-wound inclined planes over sent to him at 707 Bedford Road, Bel Air, Maryland 21014. the Pennsylvania "Main Line" system to reach the Ohio River. Those interested in obtaining a copy of the completed work (Sun, June 29) at a pre-publication price may also contact Mr. Peden. PAGE 16 HISTORY TRAILS SUMMER 1987 Sparrows Point Police Department William Ho!Wield The Bethlehem Steel Company has maintained its own police force at Sparrows Point for many years. It had a security force by 1890 and in 1901 the Sparrows Point police force was formally established. Henry C. Peden, Jr, has published a Historical Register of the Sparrows Point Police Department, 1901-1986, which contains a brief history of the department and an alphabetical listing of over 1,100 members of the force. Earlier listings may contain only the date commissioned or a date of departure. Listings of more recent officers give additional biographical detail: date and place of birth, date hired, positions held, military service, and dates of termina- a tion. One of those listed is the author himself who was first hired Members of a Sparrows Point Police Department training class and their by the company in 1970, transferred to the police department in instructors in front of the large fireplace in the Club House about 1944. 1983, served as a lieutenant from 1984 to 1986, and then trans- First row (seated): Charles W. Cover, Carroll L. LaMar, Sgt. George E ferred to another position with the company. Much of his infor- Zimmerman, Chief Marcus H. Miles, Sgt. Thomas T James, Sgt. Harry E. Schultheis, Marvin B. Hull. Middle row: Watson M. Swisher, Patrolman mation came from old records available to him at Bethlehem Havick, William E. Rothe, William J. Hollifield, Patrolman Hearn, Patrolman Steel, research at the Maryland Archives, and interviews with Willson (?), Scott E. Porter. Back row: Sgt. Everett S. Snyder, Arthur I. individuals who had served on the force. Higgs, Richard D. Copeland, Charles W. Dressel, William R. Copsey, Henry Included are some photographs of officers and a group pic- L. Keilholtz, Lawrence A. Herman. ture of 1916 which shows John Campbell, still serving at about As a member of this department you will, in a age 73, with his long white beard. He had been a guard for the measure, be regarded as a representative of the law and steel company as early as 1890 and was also the town mortician. of the Company employing you and it is necessary that His biography notes that he carried a whip. at all times your conduct be dignified yet firm and The production of steel and shipbuilding increased at war- determined. Maintain friendly relations with workmen times. There were about 100 policemen on the force during and cultivate as large an acquaintance among them as World War I and more than 300 during World War II. Their possible. Treat them kindly and aid them whenever number declined in recent years, from 154 in 1981 to only 17 at consistent with your duty. Never permit yourself to be the time of publication. Since 1984, a private contractor has placed under obligations to them; rather place them supplied guards for the plant's gates, leaving the police force to under obligations to you. Be uncompromising in the patrol the plant. enforcement of the law and the rules of the company. Sparrows Point had its own pistol range where annual nation- The rules will work no hardship to a workman who wide pistol matches were held from 1940 to 1964. There was also desires to do right by the Company that pays him. Be the Sparrows Point Police Academy which trained policemen impartial and just. Do not let personal likings or dislik- from 1943 to its closing in 1985. ings swerve you from the path of duty. Promptly report Officers of the Sparrows Point Police Department were em- every violation and have your reports as complete as ployees of the company but received appointments from the possible and absolutely true. Untruthfulness is a grave governor as special policemen for the state of Maryland. Their job disqualification in an officer and destroys his was to enforce the rules of the company and protect its interests usefulness. Never guess. You should know. Be observant and also to enforce county and state laws. It is interesting to note of the people and things around you. Do not stand the differences in commissions issued by governors in 1920 and around like an idle spectator. Take an interest in your 1984. The earlier one appointed the policeman to protect the work or resign. Protect the interests of the Company property of the Bethlehem Steel Company, Bethlehem Shipbuild- and workmen alike, but, if they conflict, remember that ing Corporation, Ltd., Patapsco & Back Rivers Railroad, Ore you are paid by the company to make their interests Steamship Company, Service Stores Corporation, Saucon Land and your interests. Obey orders promptly and cheerfully, Improvement Company, the Dundalk Company, and the Dundalk even though they do not meet with your personal Water Company. The commission of 1984 refers only to the ideas. Remember that discipline is necessary to the protection of the property of Bethlehem Steel Corporation and all efficiency of the Department. Be clean and neat. Do not Bethlehem Steel Corporation properties in the state. slouch. Be active. Do not mope. Keep your temper. You Mr. Peden also includes in an appendix a copy of the rules should not be offended at harsh or abusive language and regulations of the Police Department of the Bethlehem Steel that may be applied to you. Remember that you cannot Company Maryland Plant, Sparrows Point, adopted in 1917 and control others well, if you cannot control yourself Be revised in 1926. It details the duties and responsibilities of the prompt. Study your duty. Learn all you can of the chief of the department, the captain, lieutenants, and the po- criminal law, the rules of the Company and the opera- licemen. The latter were advised in the closing section (number tion of the works. If you do not know, ask. Your officers 33) that, will tell you. That is one of their duties . . .