Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1909-05-20
THE FREDERICK NEWS
"A Tradition Exploded"


relations between the city of Frederick
and the Baltimore and Ohio railroad Co.,
certain traditions which have long been
accepted as true history seem to be very
unjust to men who were citizens OF Fred
erck in the early part of the last century.
These traditions have to do with the be-
ginnings of the relations between the
city and the railroad company. Accord
ing to them, the main line Of the b. Il
o. railroad company would have been
built through Frederick if it had not been
for the objection and opposition on the
part of men vino were the leading cltl-
zens' of that time. These citizens and
property owners, il has been represented
in the tradition, did not want the railroad
to come TO Frederick. They feared, so
the tradition run, that the noise of the
trains would disturb their slumbers; that
the smoke from the locomotives would
be exceedingly Obj ectionable; that--the
building of the railroad would bring an
undesirable class of people here, etc.
And so, according to these traditions, the
railroad, instead of coming through Fred
eliek, as it would have done but for the
objections. Went westward by route 8
miles to one side of Frederick, and Fred
elick has had to struggle along ever
Since with 10 better service than can be
provided On a single track branch line.
1t would be difficult indeed, it would
seem to be almost impossibie-to recon-
Gle these traditions with the eagerness
/ for railroad facilities manifested by the
reopi4 of Frederick almost Immediately
after the time which, according to the
traditions, they were strenuOusly and
successfully resisting the building of the
rail- oad 10y route running through or
near The Town. 1t it We're true that, at
! ,lle time the railroad was started, there
Vas such exposition here to having a
lal r, al enter lht town, it would hardly
seen possible that, ihn less than three
/ yea. alter Charles Calloll Of Calrollton
. tullraiIy Lealn, at baltimore, the work
! ui tunslI uclitn OF the rain DAD, there
/ SnOuiu nave bttll SUCH Al ItNtlSdi ol SCH
/ i'm, mt here that the people Of Frederick
would raise hy the popular subscription,
morey enough to buy, and present as a
gift to the railroad company, rlght-of-
way from Frederick junction to this
city, and the Mayor, Aldermen and
/ Common Council of the city would pur-
chase, with funds from the public treas
ury, six acres OF land and donate the
land to the railroad company for use AS
Il depot site and freight yard. And yet
official records show that all this was
done, and the deed by which the land
for the depot was conveyed to the rail
road company expresses distinctly the
eagerneSs of the citizens and officials of
Frederick for a connection between this
city and the railroad then being built,
"Moreover, the records show that sub
/ sequently the city spent SIS, 900 in cutting
down the hill on East AL Saints street,
so that the railroad might be extended
to Market street, and that the city not
only donated to the railroad company the
rails for this extension but actually paid
to the railroad company itself the freight
bill for the carrying of the rails to Fred
erick all of which shows that this com
munity has from the very beginning been
appreciative of the value and importance
of railroad facilities, and eager to secure
/ them, and is entirely inconsistent with
H 81. ia Il
erick as having lost, through ultra con-
/ servatism or oldfogyism, an opportunity
/ to have the main line of the Baltimore
/ and Ohio Railroad run through this city.
"Another fact learned in the course of
this investigation probably explains why
/ the railroad was built far to one side of,
and not through, the city of Frederick,
which even at that early date was of suf-
ticient size and commercial Importance
to make the railroad promoters de sire to
secure its patronage. This fact is that
some years ago, when the railroad com
pany was planning the extensive changes
/ in its line between Washington Junction
and Baltimore which were subsequently
made, its engineers had under considera-
! ton the possibility of 50 changing the
line as to bring it through Frederick, but
after repeated surveys were forced to
conclude that this was impracticable, be-
cause way through the Linganore Hills
could not be found. In all probability
the original engineers of the road made
/ this discovery and it was for that reason,
and not because of any captious and
foolish opposition on the part of the peo-
pie living here, that the road was not
| built through Frederick. "-NeaOS.
From the aforegoing article it would
seem that Frederick has been very
much abused town; that there is no truth
in the B. & O. story, about skirting the
town, owing to the opposition of the peo-
pie ETC., etc. But the people today will
hardly accept the statement "that this
community has from the beginning been
appreciative of the value and Importance
of railroad facilities in the light of what
has happened very recently -01de-The
W., F. & G. Railroad controversy be-
tween certain citizens of the town and
some of the members of the Board of
Aldermen.-ED
IT