(Page 81) CHAPTER VIII
Chesapeake
City, the Gateway to the Eastern Shore
The Eastern Shore of Maryland extends from the Pennsylvania line to Cape Charles, and consists of nine counties, namely; Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne, Talbot, Caroll, Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset and Worcester.
Prior to the year of 1908 there were not many roads of any consequence through the Eastern Shore Counties, and this placed the farmers at a decided disadvantage. Before the roads were built the farmers would have much trouble in getting their corn, wheat, and produce to the stations, for there were not many that lived near the railroad and they usually had a long way to go when they wanted to take anything to the station or the market. As there were a number of railroads in the Eastern Shore Counties, such as the Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington Railroad Division, of the Pennsylvania that runs through Elkton, and the Baltimore and Ohio which passes through Singerly which is about three miles north of Elkton. But these railroads did not do much good to the counties until after the roads were built. (Page 82) The people of each county soon said that if good roads were built all over the Eastern Shore Counties it would make traveling better, and the people of any of the counties could go to any other county which they wished to go to with but little trouble and expense.
The State Roads Commission was created in 1908, by an Act of the General Assembly of that year, largely through the efforts of the late Governor Austin L. Crothers. Soon after this the Commission decided to build State roads, connecting Baltimore City with the counties, and the county seats with each other as far as practicable. This was soon decided upon and Chesapeake City was one of the main towns on the thoroughfare that extends southward through the above mentioned counties.
The members of the State Roads Commission were authorized by law, and there were to be six members, these to consist of the Governor, ex officio, and five other members to be appointed by the Governor. There was to be a Chairman who was to receive a salary of two thousand and five hundred dollars per annum, two other members who were to receive two thousand dollars each, and also two officials of the Maryland Geological and Economic Survey who were not to receive any pay. The Commission was organized on April 30, 1908, and the members of it were, Chairman John M. Tucker, Ira Remsem, William Bullock Clark, (Page 83)S. M. Shoemaker and Francis C. Hutton. And on May 21, of the same year Mr. W. W. Crosby was elected Chief Engineer, Mr. Carville D. Benson, Counsel, and Mr. John C. Bowerman, Secretary. But on May 19, 1910, Mr. Bowerman resigned as secretary, and about a month afterwards Mr. E. E. Goslin was elected to succeed him. And by the act of 1910 the Governor was authorized to appoint another commissioner at a salary of two thousand dollars, and Mr. Charles B. Lloyd was the person whom Governor Goldsboro appointed. The State Roads Commission offices were located in the Union Trust Building, Baltimore, while the engineering department was at 532 North Howard Street, in the same city, where they remained for the years 1911 to 1918 inclusive. It was resolved to spend a large sum of money on the Eastern Shore roads, and arrangements for the work were soon made, but in the season of 1908 most of the time was spent in the examination and selection of the main roads which were to be improved. Surveys had been made of many of the sections determined on, and plans and specifications prepared. But the Commission said that one of the chief reasons for the high cost of roads in certain sections of the counties was due to the excessive charges of the railroads for the transportation of stone, so they soon took this matter up with the Railroad Companies and made arrangements with them so that they may (Page 84) be able to get stone that was needed for the roads at a much lower price. The work was first started on June 9, 1909, and by the close of that year about 111.63 miles of road was under construction.
From the year 1908 to 1911 there was 8.54 miles of road completed in Cecil County, at a cost of $13,773.66 per mile, making a total cost of $117,627.06.
Taken from the Maryland Road Report page fifty, for the years 1908 to 1911 inclusive, we find that the summary of expenditures, obligations, and allotments, by counties up to December 31, 1911, shows that Cecil County, expenditures were, for preliminary surveys and plans $2,972.39, for rights of ways and damages, $64.35, and for construction, $145,364.63, for maintenance, $3,933.22, and for overhead, $6,684.55 making a total of expenditures $159,019.14. There were a great number of contracts outstanding to December 31, 1911 which amounted to $44,629.45, total expenditure and obligations $203,648.59, and allotment of proceeds of bonds sold up to that date was $103,313.24. The county balances for the years from 1908 to 1911 amounted to $100,335.35.
In 1911 when the Board met there were three sections of the roads in Cecil County which were accepted as completed. The first was the section from Elkton to Fair Hill, which is about three miles long. It was built by contact (Page 85), and was made of trap-rock macadam fourteen feet wide and eight inches thick. The other two sections were from Oakwood to Porter Bridge a distance of three and one-eighth miles, and from Rising Sun toward Calvert for a distance of three miles. At the same time there were two contracts for sections of road from Elkton toward Chesapeake City, but it was not known at just what date it would be completed. The number of the contract for the road between Elkton and Chesapeake City was 044, and was for a distance of 4.59 miles, which was to be of macadam and concrete.
The cost for the labor including patrolmen, assistants, oiling, etc. was $1,093.56, the material used which includes oils, screenings, etc., cost $2,837.39, hire of teams and equipment, $1,190.70, inspection and supervision, $88.36, there were other things that were needed such as tools and tests which cost $23.92, making total cost $5,233.39.
The cost of the maintenance for the road through Chesapeake City, which was under contract number Ce-14A, and which was to be of concrete, was as follows; for labor including patrolmen, assistants, oiling, etc. at $73.88, hire of teams and equipment, $28.52, making a total cost of $102.40, and administration, legal and general engineering expenses, $3.37, making a total cost of maintaining (Page 86) the road $104.77.
The complete cost of the road between Elkton and Chesapeake City, which was built under contract number 044 for a distance of 4.59 miles, was completed in 1914, and the costs were as follows; $629.37 for preliminary surveys and plans, for grading, $6,006.77, for surfacing, $39,898.70, for bridges and culverts, $5,169.74, for undergraining, $4,339.92, for inspection and supervision, $1,061.83, for miscellaneous, $399.11, for right of way and damages, $876.03, and for administration, legal and general engineering expenses, $1,881.58, making the total cost of road $58,863.05, at the cost of $12,758.83 per mile.
The material used and the cost for the same (during the year 1913, on the road between the North Branch of Back Creek and Chesapeake City, which was under a contract number 045, and for a distance of 0.88 miles, or 7,227 square yards), was the bituminous substance known as Ugite "B", and there were two thousand and seven hundred gallons of it used at a cost of $379.39. The nature of the top dressing was local sand. For the same road during the year 1914 there were nine hundred and fifty gallons of Trinidad "A" put over the road at a total cost of $207.19. There also was thirty-six hundred tons of chips put on the top of the road, making a total of 9.9 pounds to each square yard.
(Page 87)For the road between Elkton and Chesapeake City, the contractor was the Allen Engineering & Contracting Co., Elkton, Maryland, and for the road through Chesapeake City the contractor was the H. B. Sproul Construction Co., Peekshill, New York.
By the building of these roads Chesapeake City was especially benefited, and since their completion the town may truthfully be regarded as the gateway to the Eastern Shore. But before the roads were built there were not many automobiles to be seen in this locality, but now since the roads have been made the machines have multiplied seemingly beyond numbers. It also makes the farmers life more attractive for they are now able to get their corn, wheat, and produce to a place where they may be able to ship it without much trouble or cost.
Chesapeake City boasts of her highways and waterways which she has a right to do, for before the macadam and concrete roads were built the only roads that they had around Chesapeake were the regular old dirt roads, and the farmers had to cut trees down through the woods so as to make a road in order to get in town to the stores and to places with their grain.
s/Edward T. Nolen
THE END