Layout and Editing: ADAM J. Y0USSI and ANN BL0USE V0L. 40 AUTUMN-WINTER 2008 Numbers 1 & 2 The Northern Central Railroad and Parkton Frank A. Wrabel A view of Parkton prior to 1912, looking northeast and showing the railroad station, since demolished. Source: HSBC collection, accession #P001185 Parkton is an agricultural community in northern Baltimore County, located 18 miles from Towson and 5.5 miles south of the Pennsylvania line. It takes its name from Margaret Parke, who divided the land she inherited from her father James Calder, and began selling building lots c1854. York Road, one of the first public turnpikes, passes through Parkton, where a tollgate was established in 1859 (in later years, there were two tollgates — one on either side of the railroad crossing). Farmers raised wheat, corn, and oats; bred cattle; and produced milk and cream for the Baltimore markets. There was also a grist mill (Roser's) and a small paper mill. The fortunes of the town rose and fell with those of the Northern Central Railroad, as described in this double issue of History Trails. PAGE 2 Historical Society of Baltimore County's History Trails AUTUMN-WINTER 2008 It is a rarity in contemporary America for a Railroad development also offered new promise to community to have a rail line with an agency a smaller, local transportation challenge. office or station. In our past, however, the railroad Businessmen in Baltimore were seeking a method station was as much a part of a town's economic, to channel Philadelphia-bound traffic from central cultural, and emotional center as were its house of Pennsylvania to Baltimore. 0n August 15, 1827, worship and general store. The depot was an George Winchester was assigned to survey economic necessity for solid communities and potential routes. The Baltimore & Susquehanna often served as a doorway to a greater world. This Railroad (B&S) was incorporated on February 13, was especially well demonstrated in Parkton, 1828 to link Baltimore and York with an Maryland. anticipated extension east to the canal interchange point at Wrightsville, PA on the Susquehanna The Birth of American Railroading River. The long-range goal was to add coal traffic from the Shamokin region to the traffic base of The relationship between the railroad and Parkton this new line to the Port of Baltimore. Passenger was the product of a once common but now service was also added to the mix. largely forgotten epic of American capitalism and determination to harness the "Iron Horse' on The B&S was completed in stages: to Relay behalf of national commerce. This is also a story House (at present Lake Roland, later called that recalls earliest forms of transportation in the Hollins) in 1831; to 0wings Mills and to U.S. and appropriately, it begins in Baltimore, the Timonium in 1832, to Texas in 1834, to "Birthplace of American Railroading." Cockeysville in 1835, to Parkton in 1837, and to York in 1838. An engine house may have been The Nation became much more focused on built at Parkton as early as 1854. commerce in the early 1800s as New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore worked to expand The B&S originally used horses to pull primitive their economic marketplaces. Early rail promoters four-wheeled freight cars. The B&S executives developed the iron highway to serve freight traffic. decided to import a steam locomotive from 0riginally, early short-haul rail applications relied England rather than attempt to perfect the new on horses to haul modest four-wheeled freight steam technology locally. The Herald arrived cars, similar to wagons. In 1825 Britain's from England in 1832 and immediately entered Stockton & Darlington Railway demonstrated that service. the steam locomotive could be reliable in daily service. Although this line was a short-haul The Northern Central Railroad tramway, the world now began to see expanded transportation possibilities. The route to Pennsylvania was challenging. To protect local business interests, the These early experiments captured the attention of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania stipulated that a Baltimore merchants who viewed the railroad as new, Pennsylvania-based operating entity was much more than a short-haul solution to serve required to extend the railroad north of the limited interests. Their remarkably broad vision Maryland line. Thus was born the York & was responsible for the founding of the Baltimore Maryland Line Railroad. This same maneuver & 0hio Railroad in 1827. The supporters of the was used when the railroad pushed east to the B&0 looked at this new technology as a long-haul canal town of Wrightsville. By 1837, steam solution that was far superior to any canal or road locomotives powered the first through service system. from Baltimore to York over the original B&S and York & Maryland Line Railroad and then east Wrightsville over the grandly named Wrightsville, York, and Gettysburg Railroad. PAGE 3 Historical Society of Baltimore County's History Trails AUTUMN-WINTER 2008 The B&S expanded and strengthened its franchise DC on February 21, 1861. The train was rerouted by merging with these two early affiliates and two to Philadelphia and then to Washington, as newer ones to form the Northern Central Railway opposed to the more direct NCR route from (NCR) in 1854. The line was extended to reach Harrisburg to Baltimore. Harrisburg and later Sunbury, Pennsylvania, Figure 1. Several of the earlier challenges that The attack at Ft. Sumter on April 12, 1861 faced the independent railroads continued to be signaled the start of the Civil War. The President problematic for the NCR. The route had a high Street Station in Baltimore would be the backdrop operating ratio due to the number of steep grades, for the first bloodshed of this unwanted conflict. curves, and bridges that characterized its route. 0n April 19 the famous Battle of Pratt Street This rail line was capital-intensive, with pressing demonstrated the conflicting values of the era and needs to improve and upgrade its right of way, how complex the relationships between the locomotive fleet, rolling stock and facilities. unstructured and unpredictable groups of sympathizers could be. These problems did not deter the aggressively- managed Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) from This local conflict descended on all the regional acquiring a controlling interest in the NCR in railroads as NCR bridges at Melvale, Relay 1861. The PRR astutely believed that by adding House, and Cockeysville were burned and telegraph lines severed on April 20. John the NCR, via a junction at Harrisburg, the st Philadelphia-based line would have access to Merryman of Hayfields, a 1 Lieutenant in the markets in Baltimore, Washington, and points Baltimore County Horse Guards, burned NCR south. Their vision enabled the PRR to later use bridges further north at Mile Run, 0wl Brook, Bee the NCR as a base to acquire other regional Tree, and Little Falls to prevent Northern troops railroads to complete the through-Washington-to- from reaching Baltimore. Rebuilt, temporary New York route. bridges allowed rail service to be restored by 13 May (permanent bridges were completed by May More importantly the PRR had ample resources, of 1863). both in management and capital, to correct the primary deficiencies with the NCR route. In April Another round of unrest swept the line in June of of 1861 PRR moved quickly to promote through 1861 when 33 NCR bridges were burned. The service from the coalfields to Baltimore. bridges were completely rebuilt in record time for Additional improvements were placed on hold as traffic by June 29 and the intensified presence of the Civil War erupted. Federal troops again restored law and order. Detachments of Federal soldiers were stationed in The Civil War and the NCR camps along the NCR, from the state line to Baltimore City. Parkton was initially the site of Tensions between values and cultures of the North th and South were evident as early as 1850 when several small guard camps, until the 140 three B&S trackmen, working near Parkton, Pennsylvania Infantry established their camp in captured several runaway slaves from what September 1862. The camp was named Camp became Howard County, Maryland in 1851. 0ral Seward and was located on a hill below the NCR tradition claims that the NCR was a popular path station. After they departed in December of 1862, for Underground Railroad activity. It was forecast Parkton was used only for small camps. that due to the placement of its route, the NCR Two last bridges, at Cockeysville and Gunpowder, would be in the midst of any prolonged conflict. were consumed by fire on July 9, 1864 in the The unruly nature of Southern sympathizers in Johnson-Gilmor raid, but then quiet was restored. Maryland made it necessary to reroute the special Apparently the war was good to the carpenter- train carrying President-elect Abraham Lincoln bridge builders along the NCR! from Illinois to his inauguration in Washington, PAGE 4 Historical Society of Baltimore County's History Trails AUTUMN-WINTER 2008 Figure 1. NCR System Map Source: From the collection of Frank Wrabel PAGE 5 Historical Society of Baltimore County's History Trails AUTUMN-WINTER 2008 President Lincoln journeyed over the war-torn promising north-county town for freight NCR on November 18, 1863 on his way north to (incoming farming supplies and outbound Gettysburg. He probably did not pay much shipments of agricultural products) and offered attention to the ravaged NCR region since, modest passenger potential as well. A station, a according to some historians, he was likely at 54-foot iron turntable, and a single-stall engine work in his private coach perfecting the address house were constructed northwest of the mainline that would later endure for presidential at Parkton to support this service.