| John W. Garrett | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | July 31 1820 Baltimore, Maryland |
| Died | September 26 1884 Deer Park, Maryland |
John Work Garrett (July 31, 1820 – September 26, 1884) was an American banker, philanthropist and president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O). In 1855 he was named to the board of the B&O, and in 1858 became its president, a position he held until the year he died. His tenure was marked by his support for the Union cause during the American Civil War, the expansion of the railroad to reach Chicago, Illinois, and his struggles with the Pennsylvania Railroad over access to New York City. Many places are named in his honor, including
Contents |
Early life
Garrett began working as a clerk in his father's firm, Robert Garrett and Company, at the age of nineteen. The company's fleet of Conestoga wagons carried food and supplies west over the Cumberland Trail. In later years, the business expanded into railroads, shipping, and banking. In 1858 Garrett became president of the B&O Railroad. The Garrett Company and the B&O interests had strong ties to the London-based George Peabody & Company and, through their business interests, Garrett and George Peabody became close friends. Garrett became deeply involved with the Peabody Institute.
The Civil War
The B&O got an early taste of the war in John Brown's raid on the Federal armory in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia (in those days still part of Virginia). Unlike many Marylanders, Garrett supported the Union, and under his direction the B&O was instrumental in supporting the Federal government, as it was the main rail connection between Washington, DC and the northern states. Garrett is particularly remembered for his part in the Battle of Monocacy. Agents of the railroad began reporting Confederate troop movements eleven days prior to the battle, and Garrett had their intelligence passed to authorities in the War Department and to Major General Lew Wallace, who commanded the department which would be responsible for defense of the area. As preparations for the battle progressed, Garrett provided transport for federal troops and munitions, and on two occasions was contacted directly by President Abraham Lincoln for further information. Though union forces lost this battle, the delay allowed Ulysses S. Grant to successfully repel the confederate attack on Washington at the Battle of Fort Stevens two days later, and after the battle, Lincoln paid tribute to Garrett as "The right arm of the Federal Government in the aid he rendered the authorities in preventing the Confederates from seizing Washington and securing its retention as the Capital of the Loyal States."[1]
Postbellum activities
After the war Garrett acquired three gunboats that had been used in the blockade service and refitted them into packet ships, establishing the first regular line service from Baltimore, Maryland, to Liverpool, Pennsylvania. Garrett, a trustee of the Peabody Institute, asked its founder, George Peabody, to persuade Johns Hopkins to make the bequest that would make possible the Johns Hopkins University and Medical Institutions. Garrett became one of the most active trustees of the university.
References
- ^ John W. Garrett, President, B & O Railroad from the US National Park Service Monocacy National Battlefield website (accessed 14 November 2006)
- Bowditch, Eden Unger (2001). Growing Up in Baltimore: A Photographic History. Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-1357-1. OCLC 48216339.
- About Us. Garrett State Bank. Retrieved on 2005-03-02.
- Ingham, John N. (1983). Biographical dictionary of American business leaders. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-23907-X. OCLC 8388468.
- Biography of John Work Garrett. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Thomson Gale (2005). Retrieved on 2005-03-02.
- Treese, Lorett (2003). Railroads of Pennsylvania: Fragments of the Past in the Keystone Landscape. Mechanicsburg, Penn.: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-2622-3. OCLC 50228411.
- White, John H, Jr. (Spring 1986). "America's Most Noteworthy Railroaders". Railroad History (154): p. 9-15. ISSN 0090-7847. OCLC 1785797.
External links
- John W. Garrett collection, 1850-1880. Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
