Philip E. Thomas
Encyclopedia
Philip Evan Thomas was the first president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
from 1827-1836. He has been referred to as "The Father of American Railways." The Thomas Viaduct
bridge in Relay, Maryland was named after him.
, the third son of Evan and Rachel (Hopkins) Thomas. His mother Rachel, was the daughter of Gerard Hopkins whose family include Samuel Hopkins and his son Johns Hopkins
, the founder of Johns Hopkins University
.
He married Elizabeth George of Kent County, Maryland
and worked in the hardware business in Baltimore under Thomas Poultney, his brother-in-law. He commenced his own business in 1800 with Evan Thomas, Jr., his younger brother, and William George, his wife's brother. He became active in both the Baltimore community and the banking business. He served as a cashier at Mechanics' Bank, became the first president of the Mechanical Fire Company, was the founder of the Baltimore Library Company and an organizer of the State Temperance Society. Thomas also donated $25,000 to the State for the Washington Monument
. A prominent figure in the Society of Friends (the Quakers)from 1821-1832, he also served as chairman of the Society's Indian Affairs Committee. His efforts to help Native Americans earned him the title of "Hai-wa-nob" (the Benevolent One) from the Swan tribe of the Senecas. Thomas was the representative to Washington for the Six Nations of Indians.
He died in 1861 while living with his daughter in Yonkers, New York
. He had seven children.
, acting as commissioner of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal system. He became disillusioned with the project after realizing that it would not benefit Baltimore and he resigned his commission in 1828. Inspired by his brother Evan's description of an English mining railroad, Thomas and 25 other civic leaders of Baltimore determined to build a railroad between Baltimore and Ohio. With Thomas as president, George Brown
as treasurer and Alexander Brown
as one of several other investors, Thomas founded a railroad to compete with the canals.
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
from 1827-1836. He has been referred to as "The Father of American Railways." The Thomas Viaduct
Thomas Viaduct
The Thomas Viaduct spans the Patapsco River and Patapsco Valley between Relay and Elkridge, Maryland, USA. It is the first multi-span masonry railroad bridge in the United States to be built on a curve...
bridge in Relay, Maryland was named after him.
Biography
Philip was born in Mount Radnor, Colesville, MarylandColesville, Maryland
Colesville is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland in the USA.-Geography:As an unincorporated area, Colesville's boundaries are not officially defined. Also, many residents consider the town to be one of the many neighborhoods of Silver Spring, Maryland...
, the third son of Evan and Rachel (Hopkins) Thomas. His mother Rachel, was the daughter of Gerard Hopkins whose family include Samuel Hopkins and his son Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins was a wealthy American entrepreneur, philanthropist and abolitionist of 19th-century Baltimore, Maryland, now most noted for his philanthropic creation of the institutions that bear his name, namely the Johns Hopkins Hospital, and the Johns Hopkins University and its associated...
, the founder of Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
.
He married Elizabeth George of Kent County, Maryland
Kent County, Maryland
Kent County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, on its Eastern Shore. It was named for the county of Kent in England. Its county seat is Chestertown. In 2010, the county population was 20,197...
and worked in the hardware business in Baltimore under Thomas Poultney, his brother-in-law. He commenced his own business in 1800 with Evan Thomas, Jr., his younger brother, and William George, his wife's brother. He became active in both the Baltimore community and the banking business. He served as a cashier at Mechanics' Bank, became the first president of the Mechanical Fire Company, was the founder of the Baltimore Library Company and an organizer of the State Temperance Society. Thomas also donated $25,000 to the State for the Washington Monument
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington...
. A prominent figure in the Society of Friends (the Quakers)from 1821-1832, he also served as chairman of the Society's Indian Affairs Committee. His efforts to help Native Americans earned him the title of "Hai-wa-nob" (the Benevolent One) from the Swan tribe of the Senecas. Thomas was the representative to Washington for the Six Nations of Indians.
He died in 1861 while living with his daughter in Yonkers, New York
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
. He had seven children.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
In 1825, Thomas became involved with the early canal enterprises in New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, acting as commissioner of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal system. He became disillusioned with the project after realizing that it would not benefit Baltimore and he resigned his commission in 1828. Inspired by his brother Evan's description of an English mining railroad, Thomas and 25 other civic leaders of Baltimore determined to build a railroad between Baltimore and Ohio. With Thomas as president, George Brown
George Brown (Financier)
George Brown was an Irish-American investment banker and railroad entrepreneur. He emigrated from Ulster to Baltimore, Maryland, at the age of 15 in 1802....
as treasurer and Alexander Brown
Alex. Brown & Sons
Alex. Brown & Sons was the first investment bank in the United States, founded by Alexander Brown in 1800 and based in Baltimore, Maryland. The firm was acquired by Bankers Trust in 1997 to form BT Alex...
as one of several other investors, Thomas founded a railroad to compete with the canals.
Works cited
- Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company. "Short history of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad." Baltimore: n.pub., 1835.
- Bayley, Ned. "Colesville, Maryland: The Development of a Community, its People and its Natural Resources, Over a Period of Four Centuries", Heritage Books Inc., July 2003
- Dilts, James D. "The Great Road", Stanford Press, Stadford, CA, 1993
- Forbush, Bliss. "A History of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends". Baltimore Yearly eeting of Friends, Sandy Springs, MD 1971
- Greene, Suzanne Ellery. "Baltimore: An Illustrated History." Windsor Publications:Woodland Hills, CA, 1980.
- Howard, George Washington (1873), "The Monumental City, Its Past History and Present Resources". J.D. Ehlers: Baltimore, MD, 1873.
- Olson, Sherry H. "Baltimore: The Building of an American City." Johns Hopkins University Press:Baltimore, MD, 1997.
External links
- Sandy Spring Museum, image of Philip Thomas