Plumb Bowie Railroad Alliance Breaks BO Monopoly

Governor Bowie’s Railroad Scheme That Broke B&O’s Monopoly

The quiet town of Bowie, Maryland was born from a bold railroad scheme. In 1853, Colonel William Duckett Bowie got a charter to build the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad.

His son Oden later took over and, while serving as Maryland’s governor, struck a deal with the Pennsylvania Railroad. Together, they found a loophole to break the B&O Railroad’s iron grip on Washington DC.

Meanwhile, a sharp businessman named Benjamin Plumb bought 300 acres near the planned tracks in 1870. He quickly built “Huntington City,” selling $25 lots with Victorian home plans.

The town boomed after trains started running in 1872, and was later renamed to honor Governor Bowie. The historic Bowie Railroad Museum now tells this tale of legal cunning and frontier ambition.

Colonel Bowie Got a Lucky Railroad Charter in 1853

Colonel William Duckett Bowie talked the Maryland lawmakers into giving him a charter for the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad Company in 1853.

The charter let him build a railroad from Baltimore through Upper Marlboro and Port Tobacco to the Potomac River.

Hidden in the paperwork was a key clause that changed everything: the right to build branch lines up to 20 miles from any point on the main route.

The Colonel’s son, Oden Bowie, took over as company president in 1860, but the Civil War stopped their plans for years.

Pennsylvania Railroad Spotted a Loophole Worth Millions

After the Civil War, the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad found a powerful friend when Pennsylvania Railroad wanted a way into Washington DC.

Congress had already told Pennsylvania “no” to direct access, which the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad fully controlled.

Maryland lawmakers refused any competing charters that might hurt B&O’s monopoly on the busy Baltimore-Washington route.

Smart Pennsylvania Railroad lawyers found the answer in B&P’s forgotten 20-mile branch clause, seeing that Washington fell within that distance.

Pennsylvania bought controlling shares of B&P stock in 1866 and started building.

Land Speculator Plumb Bet Big on a Future Junction

Benjamin Plumb saw money where others saw empty farmland.

In 1870, this smart land buyer grabbed 300 acres around the spot where he thought the main railroad line would meet the Washington branch.

He quickly had the land measured and split into town lots, naming his new development “Huntington City.”

Plumb created Victorian house plans with four to eight rooms with nice porches and sold the lots for just $25 each to people willing to take a chance on his idea.

Heavy Tracks Led to a Small Town Junction

Workers laid the heaviest railroad track ever used in Maryland, reaching the Bowie junction by August 1871. The first freight moved in October 1871, though it was just a work train carrying building supplies.

Crews finished the big bridge over the Big Patuxent River in August 1871, with the Little Patuxent bridge done shortly before.

Track layers pushed from Bowie toward Washington throughout late 1871, turning paper plans into a real railroad that would soon change travel forever.

Smart Deal Guaranteed a Railroad Stop

Benjamin Plumb knew a train station would make or break his new town.

In August 1870, he sold two prime lots to the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad with one clever rule: they had to use the land for a station and engine house by 1875.

This move guaranteed Huntington City would become a permanent railroad stop, not just a place where trains passed through.

Shops, hotels, and Victorian houses began appearing on tree-lined streets around the planned depot, creating a community where before there had been only farms.

Monopoly Busting Train Service Began in 1872

The Baltimore & Potomac Railroad started running trains on July 2, 1872, connecting Baltimore to Washington through a new depot at 6th and Constitution Avenue.

This first train broke the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad’s 35-year grip on Baltimore-Washington rail travel.

Governor Oden Bowie’s leadership and the Pennsylvania Railroad partnership did what many thought impossible.

The railroad first built a temporary wooden station in Washington before replacing it with a brick building as traffic grew.

Southern Maryland Line Completed the Network in 1873

The Pope’s Creek line to Southern Maryland opened on January 1, 1873, meeting the original charter needs with a 48. 7-mile branch from Bowie to Pope’s Creek on the Potomac River.

The meeting point of these two rail lines formed the heart around which the early town of Bowie grew.

The railroad brought shops, a hotel, railroad buildings, churches, and comfortable Victorian houses to what had been rural countryside.

The community thrived as a transportation hub connecting Baltimore, Washington, and Southern Maryland farms.

Lawmakers Made Huntington an Official Town

The Maryland Legislature passed an Act of Incorporation for Huntington on March 3, 1874, making the small village officially recognized by the state.

This happened even though most people called the depot “Bowie station” from the day it opened. Early developers had already divided more than 500 residential building lots for sale.

The town grew steadily around the busy junction where the main line to Southern Maryland met the Washington branch line.

Residents Changed the Town Name to Honor Their Champion

Maryland lawmakers passed an act on May 3, 1880, changing the town name from Huntington to Bowie.

The new name honored Governor Oden Bowie, whose influence helped create the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad that made the town possible.

Bowie served as Maryland governor from 1869-1872 while also working as railroad president. The community formally recognized Bowie’s crucial role in bringing railroad development and prosperity to the area.

Railroad Giants Consolidated Their Power

Pennsylvania Railroad bought the Baltimore & Potomac outright in 1902, making it part of their larger system.

This purchase gave Pennsylvania Railroad complete control of the Baltimore-Washington-Southern Maryland network.

A fire destroyed the original station buildings in 1910, but the railroad rebuilt them in the following years.

Pennsylvania Railroad modernized by electrifying the Baltimore-Washington line in 1935 as train travel evolved.

This integration created a direct route from New York City to Washington DC, permanently ending B&O’s transportation dominance in the region.

Railroad Town Grew Into Prince George’s Largest City

Bowie formally organized as the Town of Bowie on April 18, 1916, reflecting its continued growth beyond just a railroad stop.

The historic junction served passengers until 1989 when MARC moved service to the Bowie State University station.

The City of Bowie bought the historic railroad structures in 1991, relocating three buildings to create today’s museum site.

The Huntington Railroad Museum preserves the story of Benjamin Plumb’s land speculation and Oden Bowie’s railroad vision.

Modern Bowie has grown from that small railroad junction to become the largest municipality in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Visiting Bowie Railroad Museum, Maryland

The Bowie Railroad Museum at 8614 Chestnut Avenue tells the story of how Benjamin Plumb and Governor Oden Bowie broke Baltimore & Ohio’s railroad monopoly through their Baltimore & Potomac Railroad development.

You can explore three restored 1872 station buildings and a 1922 Norfolk & Western caboose for free Friday through Sunday, 12 PM to 4 PM.

Call 301-832-7126 to confirm hours. Private group tours cost $5 per person for groups of 10 or more on weekdays.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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