BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD COMPANY, THE, had its inception in a meeting held at the home of George Brown, banker, Baltimore, Md., on Feb. 12, 1827, to consider means of restoring to Baltimore the trade which the recently opened Erie Canal was diverting. A committee was appointed to investigate, recommending on Feb. 19, 1827, that a charter be obtained from the Legislature of Maryland to incorporate a com pany to construct a "double railroad" from Baltimore to the Ohio river. On Feb. 28, 2827, a charter, under which the railroad still operates, was granted. A company was then organized and on July 4, 1828, the "first stone" was laid by the Grand Lodge of Masons of Maryland, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the last sur viving signer of the Declaration of Independence, participating in the ceremony. On May 22, 183o, the first division of the road was opened to Ellicott Mills, 14 m. distant from Baltimore, horses being used for motive power. On Aug. 3o, 183o, an experiment with its first steam locomotive, "Tom Thumb," proved successful and steam was then decided upon as the best power for operating the railroad. Wheeling, W. Va., was reached on Dec. 25, 1852, St. Louis in 1857, Chicago in 1874 and Philadelphia in 1886.
The one hundredth anniversary of its charter was celebrated by a dinner given by the president and directors of the company in Baltimore on Feb. 27, 1927, and also by an Exposition and Pageant held in the fall of the same year, the latter being attended by over a million and a quarter of people during its continuance of three weeks.
From a road of 14 m. in 183o it has grown to 6,441 operated miles in 1934, with an investment of $r,18o,000,000 and a capital ization of $1,006,210,000. Gross earnings in 1934 were (D. WD.)