History of Western Maryland. J. Thomas Scharf
present terminus on the Potomac River by Baltimore capitalists, who were very materially aided by Baltimore City. The presidents of the company have been Robert Magraw, Nathan Haines, William Roberts, Augustus Shriver, Robert Irwin, John Smith, John Lee Chapman, Wendell Bollman, George M. Bokee, Robert T. Banks, James L. McLane, Alexander Reiman, and the present very able and efficient executive, J. M. Hood. The value of this road to Carroll County can scarcely be overestimated. It passes directly through the center of the county, entering Woolery District on its eastern border, and passing up through the northern corner, it skirts the southern extremity of Hampstead; thence through the center of Westminster District, and taking in the county-seat, it crosses the New Windsor District, passing through the town of New Windsor; thence across the Union Bridge District, embracing the town of that name, and then along the southwestern portion of Middleburg District into Frederick County.
At Bruceville, in Middleburg District, it intersects the Frederick and Pennsylvania Line Railroad, through which Frederick City, Taneytown, and points in Pennsylvania are reached. The scenery along the line of the road in Carroll County is exquisitely beautiful, and affords to the tourist in the summer months abundant opportunities for the study of nature in her loveliest and most varied forms. The land through which it passes is fertile, productive, highly cultivated, and teeming with the fruits of the earth. The road is intersected at many points by rapid, sparkling, and limpid streams, which promise in the near future to furnish power for innumerable mills and factories. Already the spirit of progress has manifested itself Many mills have been erected along the course of the road, and the tanneries and ore-mines show that the confidence of the projectors of the enterprise was not misplaced. Property of every description in the vicinity of the railroad has greatly appreciated in value, and an unmistakable impetus has been given to all industries which the county is capable of sustaining. The stations in Carroll County are Carrollton, Gorsuch Road, Westminster, Avondale, Wayside, New Windsor, Linwood, Union Bridge, Middleburg, Frederick Junction, York Road (Bruceville), and Double Pipe Creek.
The Bachman's Valley Railroad begins at the Chestnut Hill iron ore mines, about the center of the Manchester District, and runs almost due north across the line into Pennsylvania until it intersects the Hanover Branch Railroad. Immense quantities of iron ore are transported over this road to furnaces in Pennsylvania. The officers for 1881 were: President, Capt. A. W. Eichelberger; Directors, Stephen Keifer, H. C. Shriver, Joseph Dellone, Joseph Althoff, C. L. Johnson, J. W. Gitt, Levi Dubbs, Perry Wine, Edwin Thomas, Samuel Thomas, E. W. Henidele, and Adam Newcomer. The Hanover Railroad was built from Reisterstown, on the Western Maryland Railroad, to Hanover in 1870. It passes through Hampstead and Manchester Districts. Its officers are: President, Capt. A. W. Eichelberger; Directors, Stephen Keifer, Mr. Meltheimer, W. H. Hoffman, William Slagle, Calvin C. Wooden, and J. W. Gitt.
The Frederick and Pennsylvania Line Railroad runs from Frederick City, Md., through Middleburg and Taneytown Districts, in Carroll County, taking in the extreme western corner of Myers District, to Hanover, in Pennsylvania. It intersects the Western Maryland Railroad at Bruceville, in Middleburg District, and furnishes several outlets for the produce of the remarkably fertile grain-growing and grazing country through which it passes.
Prior to the building of railroads turnpikes were the readiest means of commercial intercourse between the great centers of trade and the outlying districts. So important were they considered that the policy of a great party in this country was to some extent based upon the advisability of their construction by the national government, and many severe contests were waged over this question in Congress.
At an early period in the history of the section now known as Carroll County the increase in population and trade made it necessary to secure greater facilities for transportation, and in 1805 the Baltimore and Reisterstown Turnpike Company was chartered. The capital needed for its construction, six hundred thousand dollars, was subscribed for by the merchants and capitalists of Baltimore, and in 1807 the road was constructed through this county. It entered Woolery District near Finksburg, and passing through Westminster, connected with the Hanover Branch. It is sixty miles in length, including the latter. The goods and produce carried over this road in early days was immense. The large Conestoga wagons, so familiar to denizens of the West as " schooners of the desert," passed each other, hundreds in a day, on their way to and from Pittsburgh and Baltimore, and the jingling of bells, the cracking of whips, the horses gayly caparisoned, and the drivers in picturesque costumes constituted an animating and enlivening spectacle, the recollection of which occasionally excites regret in the bosoms of the old-timers, and arouses a fleeting wish for the populous roads and the good old country inns which have been so effectually superseded by the trailing smoke and lightning dash of the steam-engine.
The Westminster and Hagerstown turnpike was begun about 1824, but before much progress had been made railroads had become a question of absorbing interest to enlightened people all over the world, and doubtless occasioned a lukewarmness with reference to pikes which materially interfered with the completion of the enterprise. At many points on the line sections of road were made, but the only portion finished was between Westminster and Uniontown.
The Liberty turnpike passes through the southern portion of the county, and there are short turnpikes at Union Bridge, New Windsor, and Finksburg. In 1851, about the time that the mania for plank-roads was at its height in the United States, it was determined to build one from Westminster to Emmittsburg, but, fortunately perhaps, it was never completed.
The following is a correct list of the judges, county clerks, sheriffs. State's attorneys, registers, and subordinate officers of Carroll County since its creation in 1837 to this present writing:
Judges of the Circuit Court.
1837-52, Thomas B. Dorsey, Thomas H. Wilkinson, Nicholas Brewer; 1851-64, Madison Nelson; 1864-67, John E. Smith; 1867-81, Oliver Miller, Edward Hammond, Wm. N. Hayden.
County Clerks.
1837-41, Dr. William Willis; 1841-49, Dr. Jacob Shower; 1849-57, John B. Boyle: 1857-62, George E. Wampler 1862-67, William A. McKellip; 1867-73, John B. Boyle; 1873-81, Dr. Frank T. Shaw.
Sheriffs.
1837-39, Nicholas Kelly; 1839-42, Jacob Grove; 1842-45, J. Henry Hoppe; 1845-48, Lewis Trumbo; 1848-51, Hanson T. Webb; 1851-53, William S. Brown; 1853-55, John M. Yingling; 1855-57, Joseph Shaeffer; 1857-59, William Wilson; 1859-61, William Segafoose; 1861-63, Jeremiah Babylon; 1863-65, Joseph Ebaugh; 1865-67, Jacob D. Hoppe; 1867-69, Thomas B. Gist; 1869-71, John Tracey; 1871-73, George N. Fringer; 1873-75, Edward Devilbiss; 1875-77, James W. White; 1877-79, Peter Wood; 1879-81, George N. Fringer.
Court Criers.
1837-57, James Kieffer; 1857-68, Benjamin Tingling; 1868-81, William S. Brown.
State's Attorneys.
1837-46, William P. Maulsby; 1846, James Raymond; 1847-49, William N. Hayden; 1849-51, Charles W. Webster; 1851, A. N. Hobbs; 1852-56, Daniel L. Hoover; 1856-67, Charles W. Webster; 1867-71, Charles T. Reifsnider; 1871-75, Richard B. Norment; 1875-81, David N. Henning.
Registers of Wills.
1837-53, John Baumgartner; 1853-65, Joseph M. Parke; 1865-67, Henry H. Herbaugh; 1867-73, Joseph M. Parke; 1873-79, Henry E. Beltz; 1879-81, J. Oliver Wadlow.
Judges of the Orphans' Court.
1837-39, Abraham Wampler, William Jameson, Robert Hudson; 1839-42, Nimrod Frizell, Michael Sullivan, Michael Barnitz; 1842-45, Michael Sullivan, Jesse Manning, John B. Boyle; 1845-48, Jacob Matthias, William Shepherd, Mordecai G. Cockey; 1848-51, Basil Hayden, William Fisher, George W. Manro; 1851-55, George W. Manro, Levi Buffington, Michael Sullivan; 1855-59, Michael Sullivan, Horatio Price, Thomas S. Brown; 1859-63, Horatio Price, John Thomson, Joshua C. Gist; 1863-67, John Thomson, Joseph Schaeffer, Thomas S. Brown, Michael Baughman (part of 1863); 1867-70, Jacob Powder; 1867— 71, Levi Buffington, Hanson T. Webb; 1870-71, Ira B. Crouse; 1871-79, Adam Shower, Isaac