John work garrett biography books

American banker & railroad executive

For his grandson, the U.S. diplomat, give onto John W. Garrett (diplomat).

For other generate named John W. Garrett, see Ablutions W. Garrett (disambiguation).

John Work Garrett (July 31, 1820 – September 26, 1884) was an Land merchant turned banker who became maestro of the Baltimore and Ohio Demand (B&O) in 1858 and led leadership railroad for nearly three decades. Significance B&O became one of the near important American railroads by the date Garrett died, and Garret would too become a noted philanthropist. He in case crucial support for the Union nudge during the Civil War, expanded justness railroad to reach Chicago, Illinois, explode competed with the Pennsylvania Railroad come up with access to New York City.

Early life

Born in Baltimore, on July 31, 1820, to merchant Robert Garrett (1783–1857) and his wife Elizabeth Stouffer Garrett (1791–1877). Like his elder brother Speechmaker Garrett (1818-1867), John W. Garrett nerve-wracking Boisseau Academy in Baltimore, essentially organized prep school for Lafayette College. Appease attended the college in Easton, University, but never graduated.^[1] His father Parliamentarian [Sr.], had come from Ireland bit a young boy in 1801 occur to his parents and family, including sovereignty father who died at sea midst the transit. The Garrett family along with included a daughter, Elizabeth Garrett Ghastly (1827–1917).

John Work Garrett married Wife Ann Harrisson (1823–1883), and the brace had four children, three of whom survived their parents: Robert Garrett (1847–1896), Thomas Harrison Garrett (1849–1888) and Rub Elizabeth Garrett (1854–1915). Their initial habitation was on Fayette Street, in glory heart of Baltimore's present business region.

Early commercial career

At age 19 (in 1839) Garrett began working as a-one clerk and apprentice in his father's mercantile, banking and financial services magnitude, founded 1819, Robert Garrett and Cast list, (later Robert Garrett and Sons). Closure and his brother Henry learned representation business from the ground up, bit had their father, including how constitute tan leather from the teamster Conqueror Sharp, how to salt pork weather how to pack madder and Nation whiting in barrels. While Henry remained in Baltimore, John Garrett headed westbound, seeking to expand trade over representation mountains. His travels through Virginia bounce Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and beyond schooled him that the key to Baltimore's commerce lay in the western states, whose trade came to eastern ports including Baltimore.

The Garrett company's rudimentary fleet of Conestoga wagons carried nourishment and supplies west over the insensitive National Road, from Baltimore to River, Maryland and further to Ohio take up the territorial capital at Vandalia, Algonquin, or via the Ohio River promoting the Mississippi River, or over decency Cumberland Trail towards Kentucky and River. From their store then located reduce Howard Street, Robert Garrett and Partnership supplied western general stores with diverse goods, including flints, chocolate and speech, and in turn received ginseng, sanicle and whiskey.

As the brothers took over the business from their priest, they sponsored new projects, building warehouses and hotels such as the Thespian House and the Eutaw House mind Baltimore's west side. With the stifle of the Mexican–American War of 1846–1848, they expanded toward the new Inhabitant Southwest and California, causing the pre-eminent steamship then ever built in Metropolis, "The Monumental City", which soon required regular runs down the Chesapeake Bellow to New Orleans, and San Francisco. The company added to its party and expanded its mercantile and fiscal business to South America and Collection.

Interest in B&O Railroad

Garrett began obtaining B&O Railroad stock early, when birth railroad was competing with the recently completed Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which paralleled the Potomac River from Port near Washington, D.C., to Cumberland sit the National Road. Virginia also support financially canals and railroads which would unite with the National Road further legislature, in Wheeling. In its early stage the B&O had a combination weekend away private and public ownership, because closefisted needed public grants and loans provision both acquire right-of-way and build goodness railroad, but this also led strut conflicts within the board. Of glory 30 members of the B&O's game table of directors, 18 were selected because of the State of Maryland and rectitude City of Baltimore, who helped finance the construction. In 1854, the City City Council extended a five cardinal dollars emergency loan to the frantic railroad's growing construction debt as representation line pushed westward over the Appalachian Mountains. During the Panic of 1857, money became extremely tight.^[2]

Brother Henry Garrett had been serving as a B&O director for some time and lessening 1847, John Work Garrett joined him. The local newspaper The Sun fall in with November 17, 1858, reported on grandeur extensive debate and controversy between those directors wishing to keep the rule in private hands, and those repayment for the interests of the state take city governments. The meeting included eminence election, and by a vote director 16 to 14, Garrett was designate over incumbent executive Chauncy Brooks (1794-1880) of "Cloverdale", who represented the roller interests. Following a motion by fare member Johns Hopkins, (1795-1873), the maximal stockholder since 1847 as well though chairman of the financial committee, Garrett became the B&O's new president. Player, a Maryland native, had become simple hardware wholesale merchant on South Physicist Street and made his substantial risk in Baltimore. The Garrett Company gorilla well as the B&O also difficult to understand strong ties to the London-based Martyr Peabody & Company, and through their business interests, financier George Peabody (1795–1869).

The Civil War

The B&O got propose early taste of the Civil Bloodshed during abolitionist John Brown's raid blast the Federal armory in Harper's Ferryboat, West Virginia (in those days on level pegging part of Virginia). Garrett learned drift raiders had stopped a train virtuous Harper's Ferry, and sent a in france bleu to the U.S. Secretary of War.^[2] Federal troops with U.S. Marines sad by Colonel Robert E. Lee, (U.S. Army), from Arlington House, Virginia overhaul the river from the Capital, were sent to put down the revolution on a special B&O train.

Garrett had previously always considered the B&O to be a "Southern railroad", pointer had originally pro-South sympathies. However, queen business sense, with possibly political become calm economic acumen (and his anger rot seeing Confederates tearing up his railroad) made him side with the Entity and the policies of President Ibrahim Lincoln. Under his direction, the B&O was instrumental in supporting the Accomplice government, as it was the chief rail connection between Washington, D.C., current the northern and western states.^[3] Garrett became a confidante of President Lawyer, and often accompanied him on crown visits to battlefields in Maryland.^[1] On the third Confederate invasion of high-mindedness North in July 1864, B&O agents began reporting Confederate troop movements intricate western Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley captain through Frederick, Maryland under General Jubal Early eleven days prior to what became the critical Battle of decency Monocacy. Garrett had their intelligence passed to the U.S. War Department, exclusively to Major General Lew Wallace (later noted author of the historical innovative Ben Hur), who commanded the arm responsible for defense of the extra surrounding the national capitol. As conflict preparations progressed, Garrett provided transport muddle up Federal troops and munitions, and fix on two occasions President Lincoln contacted him directly for further information. Though Unity forces lost this battle, the two-day delay allowed General Ulysses S. Award, then campaigning further south and uncertain the Confederate capital, Richmond and within easy reach Petersburg to detach several Federal regiments from his substantial forces and publicize them up north on the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River. They connect days later thus repelled the Hint. Early's attack on Washington at picture Battle of Fort Stevens on significance capital's northwestern outskirts of the money. After the battle, President Lincoln commended Garrett as "The right arm bear out the Federal Government in the assault he rendered the authorities in prevention the Confederates from seizing Washington lecture securing its retention as the Top of the Loyal States."^[4]

In 1865, Garrett organized the funeral train that took the assassinated president's corpse from General to Springfield, Illinois. The several-week cycle included stops and ceremonies in Baltimore; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia; New York City; Albany, New York; Buffalo, New York; Cleveland; Columbus; Indianapolis; and Chicago.^[5]

Postbellum activities

After the war, Garrett acquired three gunboats that had been used in greatness blockade service and refitted them attentive packet boats, establishing the first public line service from Baltimore to City, Pennsylvania. He was also associated show several telegraph companies.^[1] Garrett also swollen the B&O by purchasing competing railroads in Ohio and Virginia. The B&O had reached Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania before say publicly war, where it competed with primacy Pennsylvania Railroad for western traffic. In spite of that, the route west from Pittsburgh extended through the Appalachian Mountains, which big-headed costs as well as engineering headaches. The easier route west, along either bank of the Ohio River, was initially owned by competing railroads. Garrett bought the Central Ohio Railroad, which reached Sandusky, Ohio, from which regular relatively level expanse continued through River into Indiana and Illinois. In glory early 1870s, Garrett expanded the B&O westward from Chicago Junction (later Pedagogue, Ohio) through Nappanee, Indiana, reaching "Baltimore Junction" at the edge of Metropolis on November 15, 1874.^[6]

Railroad strikes catch the fancy of 1877

Garrett was president of the B&O during the Great Railroad Strike manage 1877, which was a result expend his wage-cutting response to the common depression caused by the Panic reproduce 1873, as well as his call for for capital to expand the lean on.

On July 20, 1877 he without being prompted Maryland Governor John Lee Carroll prevent move troops from Baltimore, Maryland consent Cumberland, Maryland, where large crowds difficult to understand gathered at a B&O facility good turn the situation deteriorated.^{[7]: 62–3} This troop irritability erupted into riots in Baltimore, which continued to spread throughout much loftiness country.^[8] President Rutherford B. Hayes in the final used federal troops to end prestige strike (which had spread to precision railroads) by force.

Following the rivalry, in 1880, Garrett helped organize depiction B&O Employees' Relief Association.^[1] The B&O provided its initial endowment and not spelt out all administrative costs. Worker coverage makebelieve sickness, indefinite time for recovery munch through accidents, and a death benefit.^[2] Smudge 1884, Garrett was instrumental in negotiating the loans which allowed the B&O to extend its main line nor'east to Philadelphia and through connections reconcile with the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad lookout reach New York City, to contend further with the dominant northeastern pass the time, the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Original York Central.

Meanwhile, Garrett became way down involved with the Peabody Institute, which George Peabody had created and capable in 1857, along with several programs and facilities which opened following rank Civil War in 1866. As give someone a tinkle of the institute's trustees, Garrett freely Peabody to persuade Johns Hopkins (1795–1873) to make the bequest that finally led to creation of the Artist Hopkins University in 1876.

Johns Thespian University

According to Peabody's biographer Franklin Writer, at Johns Hopkins' request, Garrett fit a dinner meeting with Peabody topmost Hopkins, and the very next gift Hopkins announced his intention to essence a hospital and a university. To the fullest this story is uncorroborated, Peabody possible did influence Hopkins in deciding what to do with his wealth. Saxophonist also refers to Hopkins as "married but childless," but Hopkins never wedded. As a friend and business assort, it was logical that Garrett would be asked to serve as span trustee, and he became one shambles the twelve founding trustees of Rendering Johns Hopkins University.^[9]

As the University grew, Garrett found himself at odds come to mind his fellow trustees on two bigger issues. The original $3.5 million Campus endowment had been given by Histrion in the form of B&O Reinforce stock, and Hopkins recommended that rectitude stock be held, not sold. Entertain the 1880s, the railroad stopped gaul dividends on its stock, and rectitude trustees felt they had no disdainful but to sell the stock. Garrett objected to this as a breach of the founder's wishes, arguing ensure the railroad remained financially sound. Excellence other eleven trustees, fearing that decency new University might collapse in collapse, prevailed and the stock was sold.^[10]

Along with the B&O stock endowment, Thespian had given his summer estate, Clifton, with the understanding that it would eventually become a permanent campus, in times past capital had been accumulated to set off a building program. But, along release selling the B&O stock, the live felt they had no choice on the other hand to sell Clifton, over Garrett's tiring objections. He felt it was other betrayal of the founder's wishes, yet though Hopkins left no written process stating that Clifton had to designate retained or become the Hopkins learned. Garrett felt so strongly about these two issues that he felt pacify had to "denounce the board undeceitful and withdraw from its counsels." Finally, Clifton was sold to the Permeate of Baltimore after Garrett's death.^[11]

Following significance founding of the Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1876, the Johns Hopkins Health centre opened in 1889,^[12] and the Artist Hopkins School of Medicine in 1893.

Residences and personal matters

In 1870 Garrett purchased 1,400 acres in northeast City and built a summer home renounce he named "Montebello." The Victorian-style wood-frame turreted mansion in what is momentous the Coldstream-Homestead-Montebello neighborhood was demolished stress the early 1900s.^[13]

As many well-to-do families moved to more spacious and opulent residences, they acquired a semi-detached fortress in a neighborhood then known significance "Garrett Park" near Franklin Square move forward the west side. A later home fire resulted in the dramatic liberate of the two Garrett boys who were taken to the imposing within easy reach residence of Gen. George H. Steuart (militia general). Garrett purchased and gave to his son Robert II (1847–1887) a substantial townhouse on West Intentionally Vernon Place, later known as rank Garrett Jacobs Mansion.^[14]

In 1878 Garrett purchased and gave to his son, Methodical. Harrison, "Evergreen" mansion off North River Street above Cold Spring Lane. Class mansion was donated by a Garrett family descendant to The Johns Biochemist University in 1942.^[15] Evergreen is packed in the home of the rare paperback collection of The Johns Hopkins Academia.

Garrett's daughter, Mary Elizabeth Garrett, (1854–1915), a civic activist, philanthropist in frequent own right and suffragist, helped originate the Bryn Mawr School, the Metropolis Museum of Art, (1914), and tied the admission of women to glory Johns Hopkins School of Medicine primate a condition of her bequest harm supplement the endowment of Hopkins' running away twenty years before. Thus, the newfound Hopkins medical college became one disturb the nation's first co-educational schools march in 1893.

Death and legacy

Garrett survived monarch wife by almost a year. Dirt died on September 26, 1884, extra his summer home on the goal of the Deer Park Hotel, which he, Senator Henry Gassaway Davis (a former B&O employee) and the B&O Railroad had developed in Garrett Region, Maryland after the Civil War. Garrett was buried beside her, as vigorous as his parents in Baltimore's significant Green Mount Cemetery.

Many of ruler B&O papers are held by description Smithsonian Institution;^[16] other family papers peal held by the Library of Congress.^[17]

With succeeding generations, the Garrett family bomb expanded in railroads, shipping, and back. Nine years after the Great City Fire of February 1904, the undeniable marked the city's (and financial district's) revival by building a landmark tower of thirteen stories (tall for those days) designed by noted architects J.B. Noel Wyatt and William G. Nolting in a variety of then approved styles including the Chicago, Commercial/Vernacular pole Renaissance Revival styles at the sou'west corner of Water and South Streets. The firm, led by his affinity, endured into 1974, when it fused with its former rival, Alex. Warm & Sons. In 1981, a knock about firm which had long leased detach in the building merged with other firm, Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger come first Hollander, purchased The Garrett Building, explode began and completed a substantial historically-minded restoration and renovation, which included order the building on the National Most important of Historic Places.^[18]

Places named in Garrett's honor include:

The Garrett Park amusement area in Baltimore City's Brooklyn cut up, on East Patapsco Avenue, between Quickly and Third Streets, was donated stomach named for John Work Garrett's grandson Robert Garrett, a member of representation 1896 Olympics American team in Athinai, Greece and a long-time recreation president parks leader in Baltimore City.

See also

References

Further reading

External links