Ellicott City Station: The Oldest Railroad Station in America!

Transcription

1 Roads to Rails Lesson Plan: Ellicott City Station: The Oldest Railroad Station in America! Ellicott City Station: The Oldest Railroad Station in America! During the heyday of rail service there were thousands of railroad stations throughout the United States. They served as transportation hubs for passenger and freight traffic, and important community centers for small towns and big cities. The decline of passenger service after World War II led to the closure of many passenger stations and shifts in shipping patterns led to the consolidation of freight terminals. Even though many stations closed and have been torn down, many continue to rest along the side of America s rails as a reminder of the significance and influence of railroading. Very few railroad stations date back to the earliest days of railroading in the United States and only the B&O Railroad s Ellicott City depot has the distinction of being the oldest surviving railroad station in America. Today it functions as a museum focusing on early transportation and the history of the B&O from the beginning of railroading through the end of the Civil War.

2 About this Lesson TABLE OF CONTENTS Getting Started: Inquiry Question Setting the Stage: Historical Context Locating the Site: Maps 1. Map 1: The Hopkins Howard County Atlas Determining the Facts: Readings 1. Reading 1: Ellicott s Mills 2. Reading 2: A Flourishing Borough Visual Evidence: Images 1. Image 1: Tarpeian Rock 2. Image 2: The Oliver Viaduct Putting it All Together: Activities 1. Activity 1: Here Comes the Railroad! 2. Activity 2: Visit the B&O Railroad Museums RELATED INFORMATION How to Use a TwHP Lesson Lessons on Related Topics TwHP Home National Register Home About the National Register How the National Register Helps Teachers Contact TwHP B&O Railroad Museum website This lesson is based on the B&O Railroad Museum, one of thousands of properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Supplementary Resources Vocabulary

3 About this Lesson This lesson is based on the National Register of Historic Places registration files, Baltimore & Ohio Transportation Museum and Mount Clare Station, Thomas Viaduct, Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Carrollton Viaduct, Ellicott City Station, and other source materials on the development of 19 th century transportation. TwHP is sponsored, in part, by the Cultural Resources Training Initiative and Parks as Classrooms programs of the National Park Service. This lesson is one in a series that brings the important stories of historic places into the classrooms across the country. Where it fits into the curriculum Topics: This lesson is useful for units aimed at teaching about the process of westward expansion and industrialization during the 19 th century. The readings and other exercises are designed to reinforce student skills in the areas of critical thinking, interpretation, and observation related to the history of transportation and technology. Time Period: 19 th century Grades K-4 Topic One: Living and Working Together in Families and Communities, Now and Long Ago Standard 2A: The student understands the history of his or her local community. Standard 2B: The student understands how communities in North America varied long ago. Topic Two: The History of the Students' Own State or Region Standard 3D: The student understands the interactions among all these groups throughout the history of his or her state. Standard 3E: The student understands the ideas that were significant in the development of the state and that helped to forge its unique identity. Grade 4 Standard 3.0 Geography: Students will use geographic concepts and processes to examine the role of culture, technology, and the environment in the location and distribution of human activities and spatial connections throughout time. 3.0A. Using Geographic Tools Indicator 1. Use geographic tools to locate places and describe the human and physical characteristics of those places 3.0B.Geographic Characteristics of Places and Regions Indicator 1. Describe similarities and differences of regions by using geographic characteristics 3.0C. Movement of People, Goods and Ideas Indicator 1. Describe and analyze population growth, migration, and settlement patterns in Maryland and regions of the United States 3.0 D. Modifying and Adapting to the Environment Indicator 1. Describe how people adapt to, modify and impact the natural environment

4 Standard 5.0 History: Students will examine significant ideas, beliefs, and themes; organize patterns and events; and analyze how individuals and societies have changed over time in Maryland and the United States. Grades 3-5 Standard 6.0 Social Studies Skills and Processes: Students shall use reading, writing, and thinking processes and skills to gain knowledge and understanding of political, historical, and current events using chronological and spatial thinking, economic reasoning, and historical interpretation, by framing and evaluating questions from primary and secondary sources. 6.0A. Read to Learn and Construct Meaning about Social Studies Indicator 1. Use appropriate strategies and opportunities to increase understandings of social studies vocabulary Indicator 2. Use strategies to prepare for reading (before reading) Indicator 3. Use strategies to monitor understanding and derive meaning from text and portions of text (during reading) Indicator 4. Use strategies to demonstrate understanding of the text (after reading) 6.0B. Write to Learn and Communicate Social Studies Understandings Indicator 1. Use informal writing strategies, such as journal writing, note taking, quick writes, and graphic organizers to clarify, organize, remember and/or express new understandings Indicator 2. Use formal writing, such as multi-paragraph essays, historical investigations, research reports, letters and summaries to inform Indicator 3. Use formal writing, such as multi-paragraph essays, historical investigations, editorials, and letters to persuade 6.0C. Ask Social Studies Questions Indicator 1. Identify a topic that requires further study Indicator 2. Identify a problem/situation that requires further study 6.0D. Acquire Social Studies Information 1. Identify primary and secondary sources of information that relate to the topic/situation/problem being studied 2. Engage in field work that relates to the topic/ situation/ problem being studied 6.0E. Organize Social Studies Information 1. Organize information from non-print sources 2. Organize information from print sources 6.0F. Analyze Social Studies Information 1. Interpret information from primary and secondary sources 2. Evaluate information from a variety of sources 3. Synthesize information from a variety of sources 6.0G. Answer Social Studies Questions 1. Describe how the country has changed over time and how people have contributed to its change, drawing from maps, photographs, newspapers, and other sources

5 Objectives for students 1. To explain the significance of Ellicott City and its railroad station during the early days of American railroading.. 2. To examine and assess the role played by the Ellicott City station in the development of the B&O Railroad.. Materials for students 1. A map of Ellicott City prior to the construction of the B&O railroad. 2. Readings related to the early days of the Ellicott City station. 3. Images relating the construction and operation the B&O Railroad in Ellicott City.

6 Visiting the site B&O Railroad Museum: Ellicott City Station in Howard County, Maryland The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum: Ellicott City Station is the oldest surviving railroad station in America, and was the original terminus of the first 13 miles of commercial railroad in the country. The site features the Main Depot building, constructed in ; the freight house, designed by E. Francis Baldwin and built in 1855; a replica of the first horse-drawn passenger rail car, the Pioneer; and a 1927 "I-5" Caboose. Housed in the freight house is a 40-foot HOgauge model train layout showing the original thirteen miles of commercial rail track stretching from Baltimore to Ellicott Mills. The operating layout features an introductory video and light show. Living historians tell the story of the development of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, the nation s first common carrier railroad, and its impact on Ellicott City between 1827 and The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Ellicott City is administered by the same private non-profit foundation as the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore. Located at 2711 Maryland Avenue in Ellicott City, MD, the Station is adjacent to Main Street in the historic district of Ellicott City, Maryland and is easily accessible from Interstate 95 and the Baltimore Beltway, I On-site parking is not available, and street parking is limited, but there are paid and free parking lots nearby.. Address: 2711 Maryland Avenue Ellicott City, MD Phone: Website: B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland Comprised of the oldest and most comprehensive collection of railroad history in the Western Hemisphere, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, Inc. is a unique cultural and educational asset for the city and the region. An unparalleled roster of 19th and 20th century railroad equipment, original shop buildings, and surviving tracks at the historic Mt. Clare site provide an integrated resource to present virtually every aspect of American railroad development and its impact on our society, culture, and economy. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum is administered by a private non-profit foundation. It is located at 901 West Pratt Street in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. The current 40-acre urban campus is the site of the original B&O rightof-way and Mt. Clare Shop complex. It is also the site of the first common carrier railroad, that is, a commercial enterprise open to the public for passenger as well as freight transport. Train rides are offered periodically at this site throughout the year. Please inquire about the train ride schedule before your visit. The Museum is approximately ten minutes from Baltimore's popular Inner Harbor area and is easily accessible from Interstate 95 and the Baltimore Beltway, I-695. Entrance to the Museum grounds is located at the intersection of West Pratt Street and Poppleton Street. Free on-site parking is available for all visitors. Address: 901 West Pratt Street Baltimore, MD Phone: Website:

7 Getting Started Inquiry Question 1. Describe what is happening at the Ellicott City railroad station. 2. Based upon what you see, what is this station used for? Click here for the Teaching with Historic Places Photo Analysis Worksheet. Back to Table of Contents

8 Setting the Stage Historical Context The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) was the first commercial railroad in the United States. The B&O was launched with the intent to lay tracks from Baltimore to the Ohio River. Not an easy task, it would take twenty-five years to accomplish this feat at a cost of 14 million dollars. The B&O began construction west from Baltimore in 1828, opening its line as it reached towns and cities along the way. The first thirteen miles of track was completed between Baltimore and Ellicott City (then known as Ellicott s Mills) on May 20, The station served as the original end of the line (terminus) for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The Board of Directors took the inaugural trip to Ellicott s Mills on a horse-drawn passenger car named the Pioneer on May 22, 1830 to dedicate the line. Regular passenger service began on Monday, May 24, 1830 with three scheduled trips between Baltimore and Ellicott s Mills. The first year the railroad opened, over 81,000 passengers traveled along the Main Line. Behind Baltimore, Ellicott City served as a significant commuter station and consistently generated the most passengers along the B&O s Main Line throughout its history. The station at Ellicott City was not completed until November of 1831, even though the B&O opened regular service in May of Prior to the depot s completion the B&O used houses, hotels, and inns for early passenger service. Passengers purchased tickets and boarded the trains from a platform connected to the second floor of the Patapsco Hotel located on Main Street directly across from the present-day depot. Ellicott s Mills was a logical choice for a railroad station. The town was a bustling community with numerous mills. The surrounding agricultural region provided an abundant source of freight. The station was located on the corner of Maryland Avenue and the Baltimore & Frederick Turnpike, which allowed freight wagons and travelers quick and easy access to and from the station. Influencing the actual location of the building was the generosity of the Ellicott family. They realized that an advantageous location of the B&O s line west would reduce shipping costs for their flour and raise the profits of their mills. The Ellicotts donated 52,125 square feet of land located next to the Patapsco River and the Baltimore and Frederick Turnpike directly across from their Lower Mill. The Ellicotts allowed the B&O to quarry granite for the construction of the building and the bridge over the adjacent turnpike from their quarries free of charge. They also donated land for a turnout and siding that would connect the railroad to the Lower Mill. In the early years of the railroad, few of the buildings built by the B&O were permanent in nature. The few permanent buildings were solid, simple, utilitarian facilities designed for freight service. The building at Ellicott s Mills was called a depot, a railroad building specifically built to store freight and produce. The Ellicott s Mills depot also had a car house for storing engines and rolling stock. Facilities at Ellicott s Mills consisted of more than just the main freight depot. The B&O built several structures on the land the Ellicotts donated, including the Oliver Viaduct (1830), the main depot (1831), a blacksmith s shop (1833), a turntable (1863), and a freight house (1885). Stables were built near the depot to house the horses used in relaying the trains.

9 The main depot consisted of three sections: an office section, a freight section, and a car house. The office section was located on the north end of the building closest to Main Street. Loading dock doors lined the lower level of the depot facing present day Maryland Avenue. Wagons backed up to the building to load and unload freight directly into the building. The center section of the building, where the museum s gift shop, main entrance, men s waiting room and telegraph and ticket office are now located, was a two-story warehouse for freight and produce. There was a large opening in the floor and a pulley was used to raise and lower items within the building. The south side of the building functioned as a car house. There were two large wooden doors and two sets of tracks that allowed horse-drawn cars and steam engines to enter the room for repairs and storage. Openings in the floor allowed access to the underside of the cars. The station has been modified several times over its long history. The most notable renovation took place in when the second floor of the station was modified to accommodate passengers. This included the addition of separate waiting rooms for men and women and the addition of a ticket window and telegraph office. Renovations also occurred in including the addition of ornate wood designs on the exterior of the depot and indoor bathrooms. The station ceased offering passenger service on December 31, 1949 due to a decrease in the demand for passenger travel. Freight service continued until Rains brought by Hurricane Agnes between June 21 and June 23 of that year severely damaged the Main Line near Ellicott City. The railroad repaired the tracks but discontinued the Railway Express business and never reopened the building. Preservation and restoration of the Ellicott City depot began shortly after it closed in A local volunteer preservation group fought the B&O s plans to tear down the 1885-freight house and cut two feet off of the main depot s roof line nearest the tracks. The Ellicott City Bicentennial Association raised $20,000 for the preservation of the building. The group merged with a preservation organization called Historic Ellicott Mills and renamed themselves as Historic Ellicott City, Incorporated (HEC, Inc.) and was active in the initial restoration of the station. In 1976, Howard County leased the building from the B&O and HEC, Inc. negotiated a management contract to open the station as a museum. CSX transportation sold the station to Howard County in 1996 and in 1998, a restoration project restored portions of the depot to its current appearance. Today the station is managed by the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore. Source: Two Centuries on Main Street: An Interpretive Manual for the Ellicott City B&O Railroad Station Museum by Dave Shackelford.

10 Locating the Site Map 1: Hopkins Howard County Atlas 1878

11 Questions for Map 1: 1. Why do you think the B&O Railroad located its track through Ellicott City in the specific location indicated by the map? 2. Which do you think came first, the railroad or the town? Why would a railroad purposely want to go through a town, and conversely, why might a town arise as a result of the railroad s location? 3. What impact do you think the building of the B&O tracks through Ellicott City had on the town and its residents? Back to Table of Contents

12 Determining the Facts Reading 1: Ellicott s Mills Arrived at Ellicott s Mills, 10 miles by the turnpike from Baltimore, where a relay [Varle traveled on a train pulled by a horse] was waiting for us. We traveled the distance, from the place of our departure [Baltimore] to this spot, in one hour and thirty minutes, nearly 14 miles, which is at the rate of about 9 miles an hour. From the three arch stone Oliver s Viaduct, built here through an embankment, raised on the site of this place for giving passage to a run [the Tiber River], as well as for the Baltimore and Frederick turnpike [Main Street], we had the pleasure of observing the difference between the slow paced vehicles passing below us on the turnpike, and the easy and rapid movement of our cars. This spot of ground, as containing an academy for classical education, several large stone houses, stores, two splendid hotels, a number of flour, merchant, linseed and other mills, richly deserves the name of town. Indeed, laying aside the immense worth of these useful establishments, the neatness of the handsome group of buildings of different sizes, forms and colours, located at the intersection of the river Patapsco, and of the rail and turnpike roads; the two great thoroughfares of the west of this vast continent, and at the foot of a high and picturesque scenery, attract the attention and admiration of the traveler. This reading was excerpted from A Complete View of Baltimore, by Charles Varle, Questions for Reading 1: 1. Why, in general, do you think the railroad chose to place a station in Ellicott s Mills? 2. How does Ellicott City s appearance today compare to the above description? 3. Why do you think the author chose to describe the significant features of the town of Ellicott s Mills?

13 Determining the Facts Reading 2: Ellicott s Mills: A Flourishing Borough Ellicott s Mills has been identified with the Railroad from the day of its commencement, and for a long time constituted its western terminus. It is a very flourishing borough, containing a population of some five thousand, and situated in the midst of an extensive, productive, and populous agricultural district. The stately edifice situated on the summit of the hill, and too far off to be distinctly represented in the engraving is the well-known Boarding School for Young Ladies, conducted under the auspices of Mrs. Pearce. The situation, it may be inferred, is delightful and healthy. Lower down is an equally handsome structure, which is occupied as a private residence. Nearer the street, the Court-house may be observed; while directly above the Railroad is the Patapsco Bank. The Frederick turnpike, which traverses the centre of the town, constitutes the principal street. It passes between the range of buildings in the foreground, crosses the covered wooden bridge over the Patapsco and passes under the Railroad at the stone arches in front of Brown s Hotel, and thence ascends a ravine, on both sides of which are situated the main buildings of the place. The town, thus nestled between high rolling hills, cannot be seen very distinctly from any one point, and it is much larger than might be inferred from the sketch which we present. This reading was excerpted from Rambles in the Path of the Steam-Horse, by Ele Bowen, Questions for Reading 2: 1. What is it about this description that makes Ellicott s Mills a good location for a railroad station? 2. Does the description of Ellicott s Mills change much between Charles Varles 1833 account and Ele Bowen s account of 1855? If so describe how. Back to Table of Contents

14 Visual Evidence Image 1: Tarpeian Rock, ca Building the railroad up the Patapsco River Valley was difficult and dangerous. Work constructing two tracks through and west of Ellicott City resulted in a prominent feature known as Tarpeian Rock. It was removed in the late19th century and no longer exists. (The spelling of Tarpeian varies; some sources use Tarpean. Either spelling is acceptable.) Questions for Image 1: 1. Why do you think the railroad left Tarpeian Rock in place for so many years? 2. Describe the scene. What does it tell you about early railroad construction and travel? 3. Walking by rails is extremely dangerous and never recommended, why do you think these people are doing this? Back to Table of Contents

15 Image 2: The Oliver Viaduct A bridge was necessary to carry the railroad over Ellicott City s Main Street (known as the Baltimore & Frederick Turnpike and the National Road). The B&O opted for a granite viaduct that it named the Oliver Viaduct after director Robert Oliver. The B&O laid the cornerstone for the Oliver Viaduct on July 4, 1829 and completed the Oliver Viaduct by August of It had three stone arches, each fourteen feet wide and twenty feet high. One arch crossed the Tiber River, and two crossed the Turnpike. The railroad replaced the Viaduct s arches that crossed Main Street in 1868 and widened them again from Questions for Image 2: 1. Why do you think the B&O chose to use stone to build its bridge? 2. Why do you think the bridge span was replaced and widened? Back to Table of Contents

16 Putting it All Together Activity 1# Here Comes the Railroad! The founders of the B&O were businessmen who were looking for the the most efficient route to the west. They were concerned with profits for their fledgling business venture and were not overly concerned with the impact that constructing tracks and building stations might have on the land or the people in their selected path. But just as today there are disputes over where to build highways and airports, the people who lived in the towns or hamlets to the west of Baltimore had differing views about the coming of the railroad. Identify four people who might have been living in or near what is today Ellicott City when the word spread that a railroad was about to be built. Describe each in terms of how they made their living. Would they be likely to favor the railroad? Explain why you think each would be for or against this new form of transportation. Try to come up with at least four reasons on each side of the issue. Activity 2: Visiting the B&0 Railroad Museum in Baltimore and Ellicott City Schedule a visit to the B&O Railroad Museum and use the Roads to Rails Worksheet for each site as an activity for students while at the museums. Back to Table of Contents

17 ELLICOTT CITY STATION Supplemental Resources Published Sources Dilts, James D.. The Great Road: The Building of the Baltimore and Ohio, the Nation s First Railroad, Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, Finch, Marianne. An Englishwoman s Experience in America. London: R. Bentley, Gordon, Sarah H.. Passage to Union: How Railroads Transformed American Life, Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, Harwood, Herbert H. Jr.. Impossible Challenge II: Baltimore to Washington and Harpers Ferry from 1828 to Baltimore, MD: Barnard, Roberts, and Co., Inc., Mencken, August. The Railroad Passenger Car: An Illustrated History of the First Hundred Years with Accounts by Contemporary Passengers. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, Shackelford, Dave. Two Centuries on Main Street: An Interpretive Manual for the Ellicott City B&O Railroad Station Museum. Ellicott City, MD: Historic Ellicott City, Inc Stover, John F.. History of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press, Ward, James A.. Railroads and the Character of America, Knoxville, TN: The University of Tennessee Press, White, John H. Jr.. The American Passenger Car. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, Internet American Notes: Traveling in America, American Memory Project, Library of Congress. Railroad Maps, American Memory Project, Library of Congress. The First American West: The Ohio River Valley, American Memory Project, Library of Congress. Museums and Historic Sites B&O Railroad Museum, B&O Railroad Museum: Ellicott City Station.

18 National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. Back to Table of Contents

19 Vocabulary Coach A passenger carrying car, usually with a center aisle and two rows of twin seats. Common Carrier One who holds himself out to the general public to transport property and passengers, intrastate, interstate or in foreign commerce, for compensation. Depot Synonymous with railroad station. Station A place designated in the timetable by name. Terminal A railroad facility used for handling of passengers or freight and the receiving, classifying, assembling, and dispatching of trains. Timetable A published schedule of the movement of trains. Back to Table of Contents

20 Step 1: Examine the photograph for 10 seconds. How would you describe the photograph? Step 2: Divide the photograph into quadrants and study each section individually. What details--such as people, objects, activities--do you notice? Step 3: What other information--such as time period, location, season, reason photo was taken--can you gather from the photo? Step 4: How would you revise your first description of the photo using the information noted in Steps 2 and 3? Step 5: What questions do you have about the photograph? How might you find answers to these questions?

21 Visiting the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore Roads to Rails: Passenger Services All Aboard! Worksheet 1. Find the stagecoach in the museum s Roundhouse. Explain what you think it would be like to travel inside this stage. 2. Find the horse-drawn Pioneer car in the museum s Roundhouse and visit inside the car. Explain what you think it would be like to travel inside this car. Compare your answer here with you answer from question #1. Notice the type of wheels on both cars. How are they different? Why are they different? Which car do you think could travel faster, why? Which car could provide greater comfort, why? 3. Locate the Imlay passenger cars in the museum s Roundhouse. What problems or disadvantages could passengers face when having to travel in these cars? Explain why the railroad designed their early passenger cars like this. 4. What is the name of the station which sits on the museum s Baltimore site? When was this station constructed? 5. While visiting throughout the rest of the museum, write down the other types of passenger cars that you see and what their primary purpose was. 6. While on the train ride, imagine you are one of the passengers who was first to ride on these very rails over 175 years ago. How do you think the landscape has changed since then?

22 Visiting the B&O Railroad Museum in Ellicott City Road to Rails: Passenger Services All Aboard! Worksheet The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum: Ellicott City Station is the oldest surviving railroad station in America, and was the original terminus of the first 13 miles of commercial railroad in the country. 1. The Ellicott City station was not originally used as a passenger station like we think of today. Where did passengers in this town originally go to purchase tickets and board the train? 2. How many passenger waiting rooms does the station have? What are the differences between the rooms? 3. When was the station modified to accommodate waiting passengers for the train? How did passengers enter the station at this point? 4. How were passengers in town alerted that the train was entering or leaving the station? 5. Look at the timetable on the wall in the main waiting room. How long did it take travelers who left Baltimore on the 8:00 a.m. train to reach Ellicott s Mills in the year 1860? 6. How many stops were between Baltimore and Harpers Ferry in 1860? 7. Imagine you are standing inside this bustling station in the late 1850s. Describe what you think you would see, hear, smell, and maybe even feel.