Evening star., 1928-04-29
Historic Interest Attaches to Future Boulevard

public roads 10 obtain the trade which
the canal would deprive them Of. The
business men of Baltimore gathered az
the homes of George Brown and Philip
T.. Thomas 10 discuss transportation
They organized the Baltimore e. Ohio
Railroad Company. Plans were made
that when ground should be broken for
the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal near
Washington. the corner stone of Amer
ica'S first railroad should be laid in
Baltimore
On the Fourth of July. 1929. simul-
taneouSly with President Adams turn
ing the first Spadeful of earth for the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Charles
Carroll of Carrollton, the only Surviv-
ing signer of the Declaration Of Inde-
pendence, lifted the first spadeful of
earth for the laying OF the corner stone
of the Baltimore g. Ohio Railroad.
When the venerable patriot pushed the
spade into the ground he remarked: Il
consider this among the most important
acts of my life. second only 10 my sign
ing the Declaration OF independence. If
even 1t be second To that"
A line To Ellicott Mills, Md. now
Ellicott City. Is miles from Baltimore,
was constructed
The name Baltimore and Ohio was
founders was 10 push construction from
Baltimore to the Ohio River, thus unit
ing Chesapeake Bay with the great
tributary OF the Mississippi Wooden
rails were first adopted, and horses were
flrst used 10Y hauling the coaches over
the rails Al one time the company
experimental with a car which was
carried before the wind by means of
mast and sail
Peter Cooper Of New York finally
solved the problem by his little engine.
Tom Thumb, BY the LIST of December,
1891. steam-drawn trains were in oper~
alton to Frederick, Md, The idea OF
conveying passengers was an after
Thought, II was the freight traitic.
which the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
would draw from baltimore, that caused
the Baltimoreans TO build the Balti-
more H. Ohio Railroad, and so the his
tory Of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
and It's great rival for Western trade.
the Baltimore S Ohio Railroad, Is told
1T the Same time
The canal WIS wrecked by the frcShet
OF 1912, The company could do moth
ing to put 1t IN repair, and matters
were taken TO court The court de-
clded To issue decree for the sale of
the canal Persons Interested In the
West Virginia Central Railway made
an effort, through an act passed by
the Maryland Legislature, to sell this
valuable property, worth millions. To
that company for about 5000. 900 The
decree, issued by the court IN 1890, au-
thortsing the sale OF the canal, provided
also that the sale should be estopped
on condition that the trustees make
the needed repairs by May l, 1891,
and operate II as public waterway,
II was repaired aud traifle resumed
Hntil the Spring Of 1924, when II was
badly damaged hy the two floods that
swept down the Potomac,
The old canal so closely connected
with Washingtona early activities,
bears the actual imprint ns the thought
NJ this great American, expressed Ia
concrete form The Washington
boulevard" would run through this
historic country. following the wooded
shores OF the river that he loved So
dearly mile after mile nf beautiful
driveway leading into the city that
bears his name.