Philip E. Thomas

Philip Evan Thomas (1776-1861) was the first president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from 1827-1836. He has been referred to as "The Father of American Railways." The Thomas Viaduct bridge was named after him.

Early life

Philip was born in Mount Radnor, Maryland, on November 11, 1776, the third son of Evan and Rachel (Hopkins) Thomas. His mother Rachel, was the daughter of Gerard Hopkins whose family include Samuel Hopkins and his son Johns Hopkins, the founder of Johns Hopkins University.

He moved to Baltimore and worked in the store of Thomas Poultney, his brother-in-law. In 1800 he went out on his own and became a successful hardware merchant. As a rising figure in his community he served as president of the Mechanics' Bank, the Mechanical Fire Company, the first president of Maryland Bible society, and gave the first $25,000 to the state for the Washington Monument. He was a prominent figure in the Society of Friends (the Quakers) where his father was a minister and did work on behalf of the Native Americans. The Swan tribe of the Senecas made him a "chief" and their representative in Washington.

He is credited with the creation of Franklin Square park, the first improved public park in Baltimore.

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad

He was at involved with the early canal enterprises in New England, acting as director of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal system. A letter from his brother Evan in England describing the early trains there inspired him and George Brown to found a railroad to compete with the canals. He resigned his position and he and Brown co-founded the railroad in 1827. He was elected president with Brown serving as the treasurer.

He died September 1, 1861, in Yonkers, New York. He had five children.

References

*Howard, George Washington (1873), [http://books.google.com/books?id=8JUZTP4azZUC&pg=PA309&dq=phillip+evan+thomas#PPA570 "The Monumental City, Its Past History and Present Resources"] . J.D. Ehlers

External links

* [http://www.sandyspringmuseum.org/d231.html Sandy Springs Museum] , image of Philip Thomas