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Certificate Vignette Western Maryland Railway Company The Western Maryland Railway Company, originally chartered as the Baltimore, Car roll and Frederick Railroad Company in 1852, was projected with the idea of reca pturing the trade of the Cumber-land Valley, which centered in Hagerstown and wa s being diverted toward Philadelphia. For many years prior to the incorporation of the Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick Railroad, the people of Baltimore were a nxious to establish communication by rail with the fertile territories of Westmi nster, Union Bridge and Hagerstown. The Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad, later acquired by the Northern Central, was incorporated February 13, 1828 and a short time later had completed eight mi les of its main line from Baltimore to Relay House, now Lake Roland. Work on the main stem was then stopped and the unexpended portion of the original capital w as then devoted to the building of a branch in the direction of Westminster, wit h the ultimate purpose of extending it to the headwaters of the Monocacy River, as authorized by a supplement to the charter passed on February 7, 1830. Nine mi les of road were built through the Green Spring Valley from Relay Station to Gre en Spring Hotel in the vicinity of what is now Owings Mills. When work was resum ed on the main stem from Relay Station, nothing further was done on the extensio n of the branch towards Westminster for twenty years. On April 7, 1847, the citizens of Carroll County assembled in the Court House in Westminster and took under consideration the propriety of extending a railroad through the county. At this meeting a committee of eleven was appointed to corre spond with the president of the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad, and to urge the necessity of a railroad into Carroll County. However, nothing was done by the Baltimore and Susquehanna in the way of extendi ng their branch, and on November 16, 1850 a town meeting was held at Westminster for the purpose of devising ways and means of connecting the Baltimore and Susq uehanna road with some point in the interior of Carroll County. On December 2, 1850, a large and enthusiastic meeting was held to further the pr oject of building the proposed railroad and Robert M. Magraw, president of the n ewly formed Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick Railroad, presented abundant facts to prove the importance of the road. Subscriptions were taken and four routes we re pro-posed: the first from Cockeysville to Ely's Mill; the second from Love's Switch to Black Rock; the third from Cockeysville to Hampstead; and the fourth f rom Owings Mills through Reisterstown, Ely's Mill and up the falls to Westminste r. These meetings culminated in the incorporation of the Baltimore, Carroll and Fre derick Railroad on May 27, 1852, with a charter that authorized it to build a ra ilroad from the terminus of the Green Spring Branch of the Baltimore and Susqueh anna to the headwaters of the Monocacy River, presumably at Rocky Ridge or Mecha nics-town. Col. John K. Longwell of Westminster, who was very closely identified with the e arly development of Carroll County, both in political and financial ways, was th e author of the charter, and secured its passage by the State Legislature. He al so served on the first Board of Directors of the newly organized company, with t he following men as incorporators: • John Cover • Joshua Smith • John Baker • Samuel Ecker • David Roop • Joseph Moore • John Smith • Richard Green • J. Henry Hoppe • Charles Painter • Robert M. Magraw • Edward Remington • Jacob Reese • Joshua Motter • John Fisher • Jacob Mathias • George Brown • Nicholas Kelly • Zenus Barnum • David Rinehart • Robert Annan • Jervis Spencer • Isaac Motter • Daniel P. Saylor • David H. Shriver • Peregrine Fitzhugh • William F. Johnson • Richard Worthington • Reuben Haines To anyone familiar with the history of Carroll County, these names show that in its conception, the Baltimore, Carroll and Fredcrick Railroad was a Carroll Coun ty enterprise, the inhabitants of that section subscribing for nearly all of the original stock of the company. By special Act of the Legislature of Maryland on March 21, 1853, the name of the Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick Railroad was changed to Western Maryland Railr oad Company. At this time the Legislature also passed an Act authorizing the com pany to issue bonds and to extend the road west to Hagerstown, Maryland. On August 11, 1859, the road was opened to Owings Mills. The first excursion out from the city was described in the "Baltimore Clipper" and dinner was served at the Green Springs Hotel, a famous hostelry at that time. Such solid Baltimorean s as Hugh Carlston, Col. Samuel Thompson and Alexander Murdock, presided at the tables, and the Hon. John E. Smith of Carroll County made a speech "sparkling wi th eloquence and poetry" in which he foretold how the railroad would enable the "mountains to kiss the sea." In July, 1861, the road was opened into Westminster, and the construction was co ntinued in a westwardly direction until in the month of November, 1862, Union Br idge was reached. Travel from Westminster to Baltimore was unique in those early days. The engine fuel was common firewood. Along the Patapsco Falls the train would come to a hal t to take on a supply of wood. The conductor, the brakeman, and most of the male passengers would get off and help fill up the tender with wood which had been s awed into proper lengths by a man with a saw and buck. Union Bridge remained the terminus of the railroad until January 9, 1871, when t he road was opened for operation into Mechanicstown. The Western Maryland Railroad has since played an important part in the history of this community, for after the line was extended to Sabillasville in 1871 and on to Hagerstown in 1872, it gave fresh impetus to the business of the town. Exp ress connections were soon established and telegraph wires were erected. Early Western Maryland train as it passes through Graceham, Md. Upon the event of the coming of the railroad to Mechanicstown, a group of civic- minded citizens arranged a reception and a banquet for the railroad officials an d their guests. This event took place in the local warehouse and a gala celebrat ion was enjoyed by all who attended. Temporary quarters were set up at the warehouse for the telegrapher while more p ermanent facilities could be established. The first depot was located on the sit e of the old cannery. A water tank was erected just north of the station, and th e water was piped in from a reservoir which was supplied by a near-by spring. A freight yard was located just east of the main track and was bordered by a servi ce track for carload shippings and a Wye track used for turning the locomotives. Within this area the operator's office was located which proved to be nothing m ore than a discarded show car. An engine house stood in the center of the area, and the spur end of the Wye was supported by bins which were used for coal, coke and limestone for the Catoctin Iron Works. The first operator of the station was William A. Hahn and the stati onmaster was Harry Shriner. Western Maryland Railroad Station as it looked around 1910 Increased operation necessitated the building of additional facilities, and maki ng a number of improvements. The new depot was built along the main line near Ca rroll Street and featured two waiting rooms, stationmaster and telegrapher's off ice and sanitary facilities. The grounds were graced with four large grass plots , one on the east, one on the west side of the station and two in front. These p lots were beautified with ornamental grass and flowers protected by low guard ra ils. The front plots had large lawn vases in the center with blooming flowers. Two water tanks were erected, one at each end of the station. A freight house wa s constructed just east of the station and a carpenter shop was located in the r ear. With these facilities the depot was operated successfully for many years. E ventually increased business necessitated many changes and in time all the struc tures and materials were moved. Nothing remained but the station building it-sel f. Telegrapher, H. T. Lawrence at work Stationmasters and telegraphers of the local station were Harry Shriner, Frank H esson, Stanley R. Damuth, William I. Renner, Harry W. Ruch, William Saltzgaver, William A. Hahn, Cover Morrison, Wm. F. Harbaugh, Theodore Lawrence, Howard E. D anner, S. Elmer Barnhart, and others. In this connection one should speak of the electrical crossing bell, now univers ally used, invented by Richard J. O'Toole, one of the town's best mechanics and inventors. He maintained a shop on Boundry Avenue and was employed by the railroad when he developed the bell. A st ock company was soon formed and the plant was moved to Baltimore since the perso ns having controlling interest in the company lived there. Mr. O'Toole's financi al share in the invention was a total loss, but the warning signal bell still re -mains a memorial to his genius. In 1894, when John M. Hood was President of the Western Maryland Railroad, and b ecause of the confusion resulting from the multiplicity of towns having the same names such as Mechanicstown, Mechanicsville, Mechanicsburg, etc., it was found necessary to change the name of the local station. The name of the town was chan ged at the same time and the selection of a new name was left to the citizens.

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