John Mifflin Hood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Mifflin Hood
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| Born | April 5, 1843 Bowling Green, Howard County, Maryland (near Sykesville)
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| Died | December 17, 1906 (aged 63) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Railroad construction engineer and later executive |
| Years active | 1865-1874, 1874-1906 |
| Known for | Western Maryland Railway (WMRR), United Railways and Electric Company (UREC) (electric streetcars system in Baltimore metro area) |
| Spouse(s) | Florence Eloise Haden |
John Mifflin Hood (1843–1906) was an important American leader in the world of railroads and electric streetcars. He helped build and manage these transportation systems.
From 1874 to 1901, Hood was the President of the Western Maryland Railway. Later, in 1901 and 1902, he became the President of the United Railways and Electric Company. This company ran the streetcar system in the Baltimore area. While leading the streetcar company, he oversaw the completion of a huge building project: the Pratt Street Power Plant.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John Mifflin Hood was born on April 5, 1843. His birthplace was near a village called Bowling Green in Howard County, Maryland. This area is now close to Sykesville. His parents were Dr. Benjamin Hood and Hannah Mifflin Hood.
John went to Rugby's Institute in Mount Washington, a town north of Baltimore. He finished school there in 1859. After graduating, he spent two years traveling. From 1859 to 1861, he explored South America and Brazil. He was very interested in civil engineering, science, and math.
Service During the Civil War
When John Hood returned home to North America, the country was in the middle of the American Civil War. His home state of Maryland was divided. In August 1861, he joined the Confederate Army. He was part of Company C of the Second Maryland Regiment.
Hood was known for his skills in mapping and engineering. He was transferred to Company B of the Second Maryland, where his engineering talents were greatly needed. He was injured several times during the war. His left arm was badly hurt, needing a long time to heal.
Building Railroads After the War
After the Civil War ended in 1865, Hood began working as an engineer. He helped build railroads in the mid-Atlantic region. He worked on several different railroad projects.
Some of these railroads included the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad, the Delaware Railroad, and the Eastern Shore Railroad. He also worked for the Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad. At this company, he became the Superintendent and Chief Engineer. This meant he was in charge of both managing the operations and overseeing the engineering work.
Leading the Western Maryland Railway
In March 1874, John Hood joined the Western Maryland Railway. He started as the Vice President and General Manager. Later that same year, when he was only 31 years old, he became the President of the company.
Under his leadership, the Western Maryland Railway grew a lot. It changed from a small local railway into a major regional one. In 1875, the year after he became president, the railway opened its main offices. These were located at "Hillen Station" in Baltimore.
The railway also made an important connection with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. This was a very important transportation service for western Maryland and nearby areas. These areas included the Appalachian, Blue Ridge, and Allegheny Mountains ranges.
Hood greatly improved the railway's money situation. When he started in 1874, the company earned about $218,000 a year. By 1902, near the end of his time there, its yearly earnings had grown to $2.1 million.
Managing Baltimore's Streetcars
In 1901, Hood joined the United Railways and Electric Company (U.R.E.C.). This company had recently combined many smaller electric streetcar lines in Baltimore. At that time, the streetcar system was in poor condition. Many of the lines had started in the 1850s and had only recently changed from horse-drawn cars to electric ones.
John Hood began a huge project to fix and expand the system. He oversaw the rebuilding of the system after the Great Baltimore Fire of February 1904. This fire destroyed over 1,500 buildings in downtown Baltimore. Hood worked hard to rebuild the damaged rail lines and power stations. He also got the Pratt Street Power Plant back online. This power plant, located on Pier 4, used coal to generate electricity.
Around 1911, a bronze statue of John Hood was put up by his friends. It was first placed in Hopkins Place. Later, in 1963, it was moved to the terraced "Preston Gardens".
