William Gilmor

President of the Maryland Central Railroad.

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Birth: Apr. 17, 1832
Death: Nov. 13, 1904 Maryland, USA

He was the son of Robert Gilmor and Ellen Ward Gilmor. In 1874, he married to Mary Lloyd Key, granddaughter of Francis Scott Key.

Burial: Green Mount Cemetery Baltimore Baltimore City Maryland, USA

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Created by: SLGMSD Record added: Feb 13, 2015 Find A Grave Memorial# 142581768 http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Gilmor&GSiman...

The Baltimore Sun Monday, November 14, 1904 Mr. Wm. Gilmor Dead Expires Peacefully At His Home At Summerfield Taken Ill Last Thursday Mr. Gilmor Took An Active Part In The City’s Life President Of The Baltimore and Lehigh Mr. William Gilmor died yesterday morning at 5:30 o’clock at his country place, Summerfield, on the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad. He had not been in his usual robust health for the past year, but had been very well through the summer, which he passed at Summerfield and Cape May. On Thursday last, he was very well, drove in the afternoon with his family and was about the place, giving directions to his men for the care of things during the winter. Thursday evening after returning he suddenly became ill and during the night gradually grew worse. By the time Drs. Atkinson and Green, the latter of Long Green, reached his side, he had become partially unconscious. From this condition he did not rally, but gradually and quietly sank, dying peacefully with his family about him.

Mr. Gilmor was born 72 years ago at the family place, Glen Ellen, near Loch Raven. The later Robert Gilmor and Ellen Gilmor were his parents and the late Colonel Henry Gilmor, the famous Confederate cavalry commander and Judge Robert Gilmor, who is at present in a critical condition at his home, 337 Dolphin Street, his brothers.

Mr. Gilmor was educated at the private school of the late Professor McNally and entered business soon after completing his education. He was a warm friend of the late John K. Cowen. Mr. Gilmor did not enlist at the outbreak of the Civil War, but four of his brothers were in the Confederate service.

Mr. Gilmor did much more than the ordinary citizen for the city in which he lived all his life. Coming of a family long prominent in the social life of Baltimore, he as a young man became one of the social leaders. He was one of the founders of the Bachelors’ Cotillion and for years was one of its managers.

One of Mr. Gilmor’s early enterprises in which he had redounded to the city’s benefit was the advocacy of the use of the Gunpowder River for the city’s water supply. He acquired the land for the reservoir at Loch Raven and prevailed upon the city to accept it for the water system.

He next realized the need of that part of the county for railroad facilities and to this end was instrumental in having the Baltimore and Delta Railroad, now known as the Maryland and Pennsylvania built.

For many years, he was the president of this road, which was extended in York, Pennsylvania. Abut the year 1890, realizing the inconvenience of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad of transporting its traffic from the harbor of Baltimore from Locust Point in Canton, Mr. Gilmor conceived the idea of the Belt Line. He went at once to work to get rights of way and when he had them secured and his plans completed he presented the scheme to the president of the Baltimore and Ohio. His ideas were adopted, he was made president of the road and as such he remained until the retirement of Mr. Cowen.

The last work in which he was engaged, which was his own idea and which may result in the greatest good to the city, was the use of the Susquehanna River to supply motive power to the city. Upon this plan he had been engaged for several years and it is the irony of fate that he could not live to see his ideas carried out as without question, it will be one of these days.

Mr. Gilmor leaves a widow who was Miss Mary Lloyd Key, a granddaughter of Francis Scott Key and three sons, Messrs. Francis Key [1875-1935], John and William Lloyd Gilmor.