The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1950-06-22
HORSE AND
BUGGY DAYS
by
Ida 10 Martin

One hundred years ago this part
of the country was in a railroad
building drive. The famous Ches-
apeake and Ohio Canal had just been
finished and the Cumberland end
opened, and the rival Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad was in process of be-
ing built.
Then came the plea for some means
of transportation for the northeast
ern section of our County, and many
talked for another railroad, to pass
through the section around CheWs-
vile, Cavetown, Leitersburg and
Ringgold. In May of 1852 the State
Legislature approved the charter for
this line, under the name of the BAL
timore, Carroll, and Frederick Rail
road Company" We know this road
by much more familiar name to-
day, 'The Western Maryland"
The original plan for this rail
road was to run through the area
of the County northeast of Hagers-
town, and thence extend through
Hagerstown to Williamsport, where
it should connect with the newly
finished canal, and so provide a
means of diverting part of the des-
cending coal from the Washington
and Georgetown section, at the end
of the canal, to Baltimore.
The first president of this new
railroad company was Robert M
McGraw, and a bond issue of one
million dollars was the starting cap
ital In the next seven years the
road was opened to Owings Mills,
and in the next three years, to
Westminster and Union Bridge.
Then there was lapse Of nine years
before it was extended to Thurmont,
which was at that time known as
'Mechanicstown."
During this time there was much
of the work on this side of the noun
tain under way, as the contract with
this County for subscriptions pro-
vided that the money contributed
by this County should be expended
for construction within the County's
borders. This was, of course, a plan
to safeguard our interests and to
assure the investor that the road
would actually be extended to its
destination.
In opening up this section the
company found some unexpected
difficulties, especially on the top of
the mountain. Remember that they
did not have pneumatic air drills
and power machinery like we have
today, nor did they have our quick
ly decorating dynamite, but had to
rely on blasting powder They found
several Lodges of rock of exceeding
hardness, and in order to avoid cut
ting through these, we find that,
near Blue Ridge Summit and near
Pen Mar, the route turns aside and
crosses the Mason and Dixon line,
and so the road lies, for several
short stretches, in Pennsylvania.
This section of the road was COM
pleted to Hagerstown in 1872 and
the first train from Baltimore ran
in that same year. The company APP
pointed a freight agent here, Mr.. B.
Howell Griswold, and it is said that
there was an immediate jump in
prices for farm products and articles
shipped out of this area.
One of the early presidents of the
railroad, Mr.. John M. Hood, was
largely responsible for the growth
and success of the company. 1t was
said that he converted bankrupt
company, with 80 miles of dilapidat-
ed road, into a we'll equipped system
worth many millions of dollars.
During the time he was president,
the road extended in many direc-
tons, to Waynesboro, to Harrisburg,
and finally to Cherry Run. One spot
was cited by critics as worthless,
that is, the mountain section. But
Mr.. Hood saw possibilities, know
ing how people like to get into the
cool mountains in warm weather,
and so he established the park at
Pen Mar, and encouraged the build
ing of several hotels on the noun
tain. AS a result, this became one
of the most productive areas so far
as passenger service was concerned.
Much has been told in previous
Horse and Buggy Days about the
selling of a large part of the owner
ship of the Western Maryland in
1902. The Gould Wabash company
at that time bought the interests
held by the city of Baltimore and
those of Washington County. The
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