Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad Company 1886 - 1894
November 25, 1845 - Joseph Bruff Seth (1845-1927), Maryland politician and future projector of the Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad, born at Easton, Md.
March 2, 1886 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad incorporated under the general laws of Md. by Theophilus Tunis, Gen. Joseph B. Seth (1845-1927), and other local Easton interests to build from Claiborne to Salisbury, forming part of a through line between Baltimore and Ocean City; designed to maintain Baltimore's link with Eastern Shore, whose trade is being diverted by PW&B to Philadelphia; will connect by ferry to Annapolis & Baltimore & Short Line; Gen. Joseph B. Seth of Easton, Speaker of House of Delegates, is Pres. (Val, RRGaz, RyW, Hayman)
April 1, 1886 - Maryland act grants enlarged powers to the Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad, including the right to own land and develop resorts, to own steamboats and wharves, and to merge or lease railroads outside of the state. (PL)
April 7, 1886 - Maryland act authorizes Baltimore City and Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester and Wicomico Counties to guarantee the bonds of the Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad up to a total of $500,000. (PL)
July 9, 1886 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad completes survey between Broad Cove (Claiborne) and Salisbury. (Truitt/Salisbury)
September 4, 1886 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad Chief Engineer W.H. Eichelberger begins securing right-of-way in Wicomico County. (RyRegister)
October 6, 1886 - Supporters of Col. Joseph B. Seth’s Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad meet at the Carrollton Hotel in Baltimore to try to get the city to guarantee $500,000 bonds and the counties $200,000; present engineer W.H. Eichelberger's estimate of $727,000 for Claiborne-Salisbury, including train ferry. (BaltAm, RRGaz)
c. July 1888 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad has acquired the Wicomico & Pocomoke Railroad. (RyW)
December 17, 1888 - Wicomico & Pocomoke Railroad sold at foreclosure to Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad interests. (Val - this is date of subsequent deed!)
June 1889 - Syndicate formed to build Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad to Salisbury if local residents subscribe $50,000. (RyRegister)
November 30, 1889 - Former Thames River train ferry Groton burns and sinks off Chincoteague, Va.; Groton and Thames River had been bought by B&O and were being towed to Baltimore for use between Canton and Locust Point and between Thomas Point and Claiborne on Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad. (RRGaz, ETFrncs)
December 1889 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad opens between St. Michaels and Easton, Md. (wk. pre 12/13? - Guide has 1/1/90)
January 1, 1890 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad opens between Easton and St. Michaels, Md.; stations at Riverside, Royal Oak, Kirkham, Bloomfield, Easton. (Guide? - Sta fm RRG - verify date - prob. 12/89)
January 1890 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad lets contract for connection with Baltimore & Annapolis Short Line on the Western Shore. (RRGaz)
February 1890 - Contract let for connecting terminal between Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad and Annapolis & Baltimore Short Line Railroad. (RyRegister)
March 1890 - Maryland passes law allowing Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot and Wicomico Counties to subscribe $20,000 each to Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad; all counties later refuse. (RRGaz, Hayman)
April 7, 1890 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad opens between St. Michaels and Claiborne, Md.; stations at Claiborne, Harpers, St. Michaels. (BaltAm, Guide, RRGaz - see above)
June 30, 1890 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad acquires property of former Wicomico & Pocomoke Railroad (Salisbury-Ocean City) from purchasers at foreclosure in 1888. (Val)
July 2, 1890 - Meeting in Baltimore arranges the consolidation of the Annapolis & Bay Ridge Railroad, the Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad and the Wicomico & Pocomoke Railroad. (NYT)
August 25, 1890 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad opens for revenue service between Easton and Vienna, Md., with the steamboat Tockwogh between Bay Ridge and Claiborne (projected to be “Bay City”); bridge over the Nanticoke Railroad and train ferry slips are not yet done; first train leaves Camden Station at 8:30 AM.; stations at Turner, Bethlehem, Preston, Thomsen, Hurlock, Ennals, Rhodes and Vienna. (RyW, RRGaz, BaltAm, NYT)
September 6, 1890 - Last rail of Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad laid, completing line from Claiborne to Ocean City. (RyW)
September 11, 1890 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad holds opening excursion to Ocean City after the rebuilding of the old Wicomico & Pocomoke Railroad. (NYT, RyW)
September 29, 1890 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad opens for revenue service between Vienna and Salisbury, Md.; completes line between Claiborne and Ocean City, Md., with train ferry to Bay Ridge near Annapolis and through trains to Camden Station; company has a traffic contract with the B&O; projected merger of B&ES with Bay Ridge & Annapolis Railroad, and others not consummated, and ferry terminal changed to Annapolis. (BaltAm, RyW, B&O AR)
October 1, 1890 - Train ferry Thames River delivered to Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad. (Hayman - verify)
November 11, 1890 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad starts transbay service between Claiborne and Bay Ridge with train ferry Thames River; carries 8 freight cars on its first trip; later adds the Olive for passenger service. (Harwood, Hayman, Simmons - check BaltAm - NYT says was excursion to Salisbury for Baltimore merchants; says Thames River has been renamed William Claiborne)
November 17, 1890 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad extends revenue service from Salisbury to Ocean City after rebuilding the old Wicomico & Pocomoke line; service runs through from Camden Station, Baltimore. (BaltAm)
December 15, 1890 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad resumes through service to Ocean City, Md., running twice a week in off-season. ( , Guide)
Feb.? 1891 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad has proved unable to compete with PRR for freight traffic and has been forced to sign a traffic contract with it. (NYTrib)
April 11, 1891 - Scranton Steel Company files for a receiver for the Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad; owed $80,000 for rails. (NYT)
April 21, 1891 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad enters receivership; Capt. Willard Thomson, Superintendent of Harlan & Hollingsworth, named receiver. (AR, RRGaz)
May 1891 - Future Baltimore, Chesapeake & Atlantic Railway Pres. Turnbull Murdoch (1869-1927) becomes clerk to the receiver of the Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad. (PRRBio)
October 5, 1891 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad train ferry Thames River makes last crossing and is laid up at Claiborne. (SlsbryAdvrt)
October 5, 1891 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad begins operating the steamboat B.S. Ford directly between Pier No. 10, Light Street, Baltimore, and Claiborne, in place of the old ferry between Claiborne and Bay Ridge. (Guide - this is Mon.)
October 6, 1891 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad switches western terminal of its connecting steamboat service from Bay Ridge near Annapolis to Baltimore using steamboat B.S. Ford; abandons freight connection with B&O and Annapolis & Baltimore Short Line Railroad in favor of PRR; B&O abandons Bay Ridge & Annapolis Railroad at end of 1903 season. (AR, SlsbryAdvrt, Harwood, Hayman)
November 10, 1891 - U.S. Marshall seizes the Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad train ferry Thames River at Claiborne and tows it to Baltimore. (SlsbryAdvrt)
January 1, 1892 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad leaves receivership. (AR - runs through end of 1891)
1892 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad charters the Tangier for ferry service between Baltimore and Claiborne. (Burgess)
February 8, 1893 - New York Times reports that the Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad is trying to borrow $700,000 to enable it to lift the receivership and buy the Maryland Steamboat Company and Choptank Steamboat Company to end competition. (NYT)
April 1893 - Rumors that New York, Baltimore and Washington capitalists are to consolidate the Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad with the Maryland Steamboat Company and the Choptank Steamboat Company. (RyW)
December 1893 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad completes breakwater on the north side of the pier at Claiborne. (RRGaz)
March 1894 - Bondholders reorganization committee of the Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad are reported negotiating for the Choptank Steamboat Company as a link to Baltimore. (RyW)
July 19, 1894 - New York syndicate headed by John Ennis Searles (1840-1908), Pres. of the Western National Bank of New York and Secretary of the American Sugar Refining Company (aka, the Sugar Trust), closes a contract to buy the Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad, the Choptank Steamboat Company, the Eastern Shore Steamboat Company, and the Maryland Steamboat Company. (NYT - check BaltAm)
August 29, 1894 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad sold at foreclosure at Salisbury for $400,000 to Nicholas P. Bond for bondholders; syndicate headed by John E. Searles of New York has already bought majority of the three steamboat lines. (Val, RRGaz)
August 29, 1894 - Henry P. Scott of Wilmington banking house of Elliott, Johnson & Co. closes purchase of Maryland Steamboat Company, Choptank Steamboat Company and Eastern Shore Steamboat Company to be consolidated with Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad; total 15 steamboats and 112 wharf properties. (RyW)
August 30, 1894 - Baltimore, Chesapeake & Atlantic Railway incorporated as reorganization of Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad; John E. Searles, Secretary of the American Sugar Refining Company (aka the “Sugar Trust”), elected Pres.; other major directors are William F. Havemeyer of the Bank of North America, J.S. Ricker of Portland, Maine, Pres. of the Baltimore & Annapolis Short Line, and Nicholas P. Bond of the Baltimore house of Morrison, Nuuikhuysen & Bond; acquires property of Baltimore & Eastern Shore for $1.5 million in preferred stock and $1 million common. (MB, Val, RyW)
October 20, 1894 - Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad Company property deeded to Baltimore, Chesapeake & Atlantic Railway Company. (B&K)
December 1, 1894 - Baltimore, Chesapeake & Atlantic Railway Company begins operation of property of former Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad and steamboat lines. (GO, Guide)
May 1, 1895 - Bay Ridge & Annapolis Railroad, running from Short Line Jct. to dock at Bay Ridge, becomes part of B&O system; is to form link with Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad/BC&A. (B&O AR)
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