{"id":6435,"date":"2026-07-20T15:25:45","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T19:25:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/?p=6435"},"modified":"2026-07-27T10:04:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T14:04:17","slug":"introducing-the-1st-mayor-of-chesapeake-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/?p=6435","title":{"rendered":"Introducing the 1st Mayor of Chesapeake Beach&#8230; well in name at least!"},"content":{"rendered":"<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #993366;\"><strong>The First Mayor of Chesapeake Beach<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Oh how I love finding missing pieces of history I didn\u2019t even know I was looking for!\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">One of these pieces fell into my lap last year when a series of three, original documents caught my eye.\u00a0 First the letterhead, then the date caught my attention:\u00a0 <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201c<strong><em>The Washington and Chesapeake Beach Railway Co., Washington, D.C&#8230;.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0<strong>April 28, 1894.&#8221; <\/strong>\u00a0I thought &#8230;well I indeed have something here!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">These three documents were the original swearing-in papers, with signatures, of the first Mayor, the first Commissioners, and the first Bailiff of Chesapeake Beach!\u00a0\u00a0They had the raised seal from the Circuit Court of Calvert County, and the attached paperwork from the State of Maryland, with all the legal jargon certifying that J.M.B. Dalrymple, was authorized to administer oaths and sign the official paperwork, which was on May 3, 1894.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><\/h5>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #993366;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Drum Roll Please<\/span>:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The first Mayor of Chesapeake Beach<\/span>:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><strong>\u25ca\u00a0 J.T. Hutchins [John T(homas) Hutchins]<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0d8\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0d8&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The first Commissioners were<\/span>:<\/strong><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0d8\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0d8&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><strong>\u25ca\u00a0 James W. Owens\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0d8\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0d8&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><strong>\u25ca\u00a0 A.H. Mattox\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0d8\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0d8&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><strong>\u25ca\u00a0 J.T. Hutchins<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0(yep! Same guy!)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0d8\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0d8&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><strong>\u25ca\u00a0 C(aleb) C. Magruder\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0d8\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0d8&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><strong>\u25ca\u00a0 Washington Dannenhower<\/strong>\u00a0(big real estate broker in those early days!)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0d8\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0d8&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><strong>\u25ca\u00a0 George S. Chase\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0d8\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0d8&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u25ca\u00a0 **<strong>Thomas Parran<\/strong> <strong>??<\/strong> maybe! &#8230; one little discrepancy was that a few newspapers listed Mr. Parran as a commissioner, but he was not on these official documents)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0d8\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"5\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0d8&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>The first Town Bailiff:<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0d8\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"5\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0d8&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><strong>\u25ca\u00a0 Thomas D. Welsh<\/strong><\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"6457\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/?attachment_id=6457\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3.jpg?fit=1333%2C2000&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1333,2000\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"The Town of Chesapeake Beach\u2019s Swearing in papers of the 1st Mayor J.T. Hutchins April 28, 1894 (3)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Official Swearing in Papers for the 1st Mayor of Chesapeake Beach, MD., April 28, 1894&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3.jpg?fit=474%2C712&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6457\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3.jpg?resize=337%2C506&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Document dated April 28, 1894, swearing in J.T. Hutchins as Mayor of Chesapeake Beach, MD.\" width=\"337\" height=\"506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3.jpg?resize=682%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 682w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3.jpg?resize=600%2C900&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3.jpg?w=1333&amp;ssl=1 1333w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3.jpg?w=948&amp;ssl=1 948w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 337px) 100vw, 337px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #993366;\"><em><strong>So\u00a0there you have it&#8230;\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><em><strong>The 1st Mayor of Chesapeake Beach (in name at least) was John T. Hutchins\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #993366;\"><strong>BUT WAIT! &#8230; There was a little hiccup&#8230;<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">To fully understand the bigger picture of this little tale, we need a super-brief recap on the co-dependent relationship between the railway and the town.<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>\u25ca1871:<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 Marked the first mention I could find of a proposed railway between DC &amp; the Chesapeake Bay&#8230; from there the idea zigged, zagged &amp; fizzled for years, with many ups and downs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-6-e1784569090380.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"6475\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/?attachment_id=6475\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-6-e1784569090380.jpg?fit=1210%2C543&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1210,543\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"The Town of Chesapeake Beach\u2019s Swearing in papers of the 1st Mayor J.T. Hutchins April 28, 1894 (6)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-6-e1784569090380.jpg?fit=474%2C213&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6475\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-6-e1784569090380-300x135.jpg?resize=404%2C182&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Headline from the Evening Star, 10\/13\/1871: The Washington and Chesapeake Railroad, a New and Important Enterprise, Proposed Connection of the Capital with Chesapeake Bay by a Short Line of Railway.\" width=\"404\" height=\"182\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-6-e1784569090380.jpg?resize=300%2C135&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-6-e1784569090380.jpg?resize=1024%2C460&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-6-e1784569090380.jpg?resize=768%2C345&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-6-e1784569090380.jpg?resize=600%2C269&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-6-e1784569090380.jpg?w=1210&amp;ssl=1 1210w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-6-e1784569090380.jpg?w=948&amp;ssl=1 948w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 404px) 100vw, 404px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>\u25ca1881:<\/strong><\/span> Marked the first mention I could find of the <em>Washington &amp; Chesapeake Beach Railway Company<\/em> being incorporated&#8230; it was moving towards more than just an idea.<\/span>..<span data-contrast=\"auto\"> see that was a step in the right direction!\u00a0\u00a0Over the years, the company would go through several managements &amp; owners, but all with that similar plan, a railway between DC &amp; the bay.\u00a0 With each zig and zag, a little ground was gained, and some progress made. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>\u25ca1894: <\/strong><\/span>This was a <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>BIG<\/strong><\/span> year for the struggling railway idea <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>AND<\/strong><\/span> for the town!\u00a0 The company was reorganized yet again, a new town was formed, and plans were being made.\u00a0 It certainly seemed that things were looking up!\u00a0 <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/h4>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #993366;\">The 1894 Tale of a Town &amp; Railway Management:<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Early April 1894 saw <strong>The Town of Chesapeake Beach<\/strong> incorporated, largely driven by railway company management [<em>the idea of incorporating the Town of Chesapeake Beach had been attempted several times in prior years by the various railway companies to throw their hat in the ring, at least since 1884]<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Late April 1894 saw the new town&#8217;s <strong>mayor<\/strong>, <strong>commissioners<\/strong>, and <strong>bailiff <\/strong>sworn in.\u00a0 Furthermore, the railway company implemented plans for a <strong>swing bridge<\/strong> for the train to cross the Patuxent River, as well purchased <strong>718 acres of bayfront property.<\/strong> This sounds like a company &amp; town on the move and on the upswing!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #993366;\">&#8216;Mayor Hutchins&#8217; entered in the midst of what looked like a company &amp; a town in motion!\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A few notes about the timeframe these new officials were elected&#8230; First, J.T. Hutchins was elected as President of the Board of Commissioners, which as this point equated to Mayor.\u00a0 At the time of these officials \u2018election,\u201d the <em>Town of Chesapeake Beach<\/em> had just been incorporated, I mean brand-new, a fledgling town.\u00a0 The railway was not yet built and these two entities <em><strong>(the railway AND the town)<\/strong><\/em> were extremely dependent on each other&#8230;<em><strong> for one to succeed, it needed the other.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Now we come to one of the bigger hiccups&#8230; unfortunately, not even one month after Hutchins was sworn in, newspapers ran articles about smallpox among the railway workers in the beach.\u00a0\u00a0It caused panic, and once that ball started rolling on this deadly disease, it was hard to control.\u00a0\u00a0Other factors were involved, but sometime around October of 1894, the company went into receivership.\u00a0 <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4196\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4196\" style=\"width: 199px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-Balt-Sun-5.19.1894-damage-control.jpeg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"4196\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/?attachment_id=4196\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-Balt-Sun-5.19.1894-damage-control.jpeg?fit=546%2C825&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"546,825\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"The Balt Sun 5.19.1894 [damage control]\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The Balt Sun 5\/19\/1894&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-Balt-Sun-5.19.1894-damage-control.jpeg?fit=474%2C716&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-image-4196 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-Balt-Sun-5.19.1894-damage-control.jpeg?resize=199%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Newspaper article from the Baltimore Sun, 5\/19\/1894, headline reads: Chesapeake Beach, Precautions Taken to Prevent the Spread of Small-Pox.&quot; The article is about the prompt action taken by railway management to stop the spread of smallpox after an employee contracted the disease.\" width=\"199\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-Balt-Sun-5.19.1894-damage-control.jpeg?resize=199%2C300&amp;ssl=1 199w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-Balt-Sun-5.19.1894-damage-control.jpeg?w=546&amp;ssl=1 546w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4196\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>The Baltimore Sun 5\/19\/1894<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #993366;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">So&#8230; in summary the happy then sad year of 1894<\/span>:<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u25ca\u00a0 Early April 1894<\/strong>: The Town of Chesapeake Beach was incorporated<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u25ca\u00a0 Late April 1894<\/strong>: Mayor J. T. Hutchins &amp; other town officials sworn in<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u25ca\u00a0 May 1894<\/strong>: reports of smallpox among the railway workers<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u25ca\u00a0 October 1894<\/strong>: Railway went into receivership<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<hr \/>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993366;\">What did this mean for Mayor Hutchins?!?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\" data-contrast=\"auto\">Honestly, it is unclear.\u00a0 While he is listed in the newspapers in 1894 as the Mayor of Chesapeake Beach, he does not show up in that capacity beyond this year. <\/span><\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\" data-contrast=\"auto\">Because of that crucial point about the <strong>co-dependent relationship between the town and the railway<\/strong>, I&#8217;m sure Hutchin&#8217;s intended role as &#8216;Mayor&#8217; greatly changed without the railway company.\u00a0 At the moment, I have very little information on him or his time as mayor, or the other officials. This is a work in progress. <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\" data-ccp-props=\"{}\">My thoughts are that they were &#8220;all in&#8221; as long as the company was moving in the right direction.\u00a0 It looks to me that when the company went into receivership, Chesapeake Beach became a side-story until about 3 years later, when the <em>Chesapeake Beach Railway Company<\/em> came on the scene.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6453\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6453\" style=\"width: 212px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"6453\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/?attachment_id=6453\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MW-144-AW-p.019-Charles-Popper-web-e1784563447214.jpg?fit=2153%2C3050&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2153,3050\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"MW 144 AW p.019 Charles Popper web\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Mayor Charles Popper &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MW-144-AW-p.019-Charles-Popper-web-e1784563447214.jpg?fit=474%2C671&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-6453\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MW-144-AW-p.019-Charles-Popper-web-e1784563447214-212x300.jpg?resize=212%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"212\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MW-144-AW-p.019-Charles-Popper-web-e1784563447214.jpg?resize=212%2C300&amp;ssl=1 212w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MW-144-AW-p.019-Charles-Popper-web-e1784563447214.jpg?resize=723%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 723w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MW-144-AW-p.019-Charles-Popper-web-e1784563447214.jpg?resize=768%2C1088&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MW-144-AW-p.019-Charles-Popper-web-e1784563447214.jpg?resize=1084%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1084w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MW-144-AW-p.019-Charles-Popper-web-e1784563447214.jpg?resize=1446%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1446w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MW-144-AW-p.019-Charles-Popper-web-e1784563447214.jpg?resize=600%2C850&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MW-144-AW-p.019-Charles-Popper-web-e1784563447214.jpg?w=948&amp;ssl=1 948w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 212px) 100vw, 212px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6453\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Mayor Charles Popper &#8211;<em> &#8216;The First-Fully-Active Mayor-?-&#8216;<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We do know though, that in 1900, Charles Popper was noted as Mayor of Chesapeake Beach, which coincided with the railway &amp; resort that actually were built!\u00a0 He was one of the founders of the <em>Chesapeake Beach Railway Company&#8230; <\/em>see? The railway company and town management overlap continued for years!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> He remained mayor at least until 1902, and possibly until 1905 when a new mayor was elected.\u00a0 <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Perhaps we should add a qualifier and introduce Mayor Popper as the <span style=\"color: #993366;\"><em><strong>first-fully-active Mayor of Chesapeake Beach<\/strong><\/em><\/span>!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you are one who likes\u00a0deeper dives into the history, visit our museum\u2019s <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/\">website<\/a><\/strong><\/span> and checkout our \u201c<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/?cat=1\">Side Tracks\u00a0Blog<\/a><\/strong><\/span>,\u201d specifically the blog about 1894 and smallpox [<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/?p=4179\">Timing is Everything&#8230; when building a Railway! <\/a><\/strong><\/span>].<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993366;\" data-contrast=\"auto\">My goodness history is interesting!<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n<hr \/>\n<hr \/>\n<hr \/>\n<hr \/>\n<hr \/>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h5><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Interested in those documents?\u00a0 check these out!<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3-1.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"6463\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/?attachment_id=6463\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3-1.jpg?fit=1333%2C2000&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1333,2000\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"The Town of Chesapeake Beach\u2019s Swearing in papers of the 1st Mayor J.T. Hutchins April 28, 1894 (3)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3-1.jpg?fit=474%2C712&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6463\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3-1.jpg?resize=309%2C464&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Document dated April 28, 1894, swearing in J.T. Hutchins as Mayor of Chesapeake Beach, MD.\" width=\"309\" height=\"464\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3-1.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3-1.jpg?resize=682%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 682w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3-1.jpg?resize=600%2C900&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3-1.jpg?w=1333&amp;ssl=1 1333w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3-1.jpg?w=948&amp;ssl=1 948w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 309px) 100vw, 309px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-4.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"6462\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/?attachment_id=6462\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-4.jpg?fit=1333%2C2000&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1333,2000\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"The Town of Chesapeake Beach\u2019s Swearing in papers of the 1st Mayor J.T. Hutchins April 28, 1894 (4)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-4.jpg?fit=474%2C712&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6462\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-4.jpg?resize=316%2C474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Document dated April 28, 1894, swearing in Thomas D. Welsh as the Town Bailiff of Chesapeake Beach, MD.\" width=\"316\" height=\"474\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-4.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-4.jpg?resize=682%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 682w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-4.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-4.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-4.jpg?resize=600%2C900&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-4.jpg?w=1333&amp;ssl=1 1333w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-4.jpg?w=948&amp;ssl=1 948w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 316px) 100vw, 316px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-5.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"6461\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/?attachment_id=6461\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-5.jpg?fit=1333%2C2000&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1333,2000\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"The Town of Chesapeake Beach\u2019s Swearing in papers of the 1st Mayor J.T. Hutchins April 28, 1894 (5)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-5.jpg?fit=474%2C712&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6461\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-5.jpg?resize=320%2C479&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Document dated April 28, 1894, swearing in James W. Owens, A.H. Mattox, J.T. Hutchins, C. Magruder, Washington Dannenhower, George S. Chase as Town Commissioners of Chesapeake Beach, MD.\" width=\"320\" height=\"479\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-5.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-5.jpg?resize=682%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 682w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-5.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-5.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-5.jpg?resize=600%2C900&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-5.jpg?w=1333&amp;ssl=1 1333w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-5.jpg?w=948&amp;ssl=1 948w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-1-e1784567520206.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"6459\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/?attachment_id=6459\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-1-e1784567520206.jpg?fit=1333%2C880&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1333,880\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"The Town of Chesapeake Beach\u2019s Swearing in papers of the 1st Mayor J.T. Hutchins April 28, 1894 (1)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Official Swearing in Papers for John T. Hutchins as Mayor of Chesapeake Beach, MD &amp;#8211; April 28, 1894&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-1-e1784567520206.jpg?fit=474%2C313&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6459\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-1-e1784567520206-300x198.jpg?resize=469%2C309&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Certifying document from the State of Maryland, Calvert County signed by Justice of the Peace official J.M.B. Dalrymple on May 3, 1894.\" width=\"469\" height=\"309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-1-e1784567520206.jpg?resize=300%2C198&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-1-e1784567520206.jpg?resize=1024%2C676&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-1-e1784567520206.jpg?resize=768%2C507&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-1-e1784567520206.jpg?resize=600%2C396&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-1-e1784567520206.jpg?w=1333&amp;ssl=1 1333w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-1-e1784567520206.jpg?w=948&amp;ssl=1 948w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 469px) 100vw, 469px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The First Mayor of Chesapeake Beach Oh how I love finding missing pieces of history I didn\u2019t even know I was looking for!\u00a0\u00a0 One of these pieces fell into my [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":187265666,"featured_media":6463,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc4OIF-1FN","amp_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Town-of-Chesapeake-Beachs-Swearing-in-papers-of-the-1st-Mayor-J.T.-Hutchins-April-28-1894-3-1.jpg?fit=1333%2C2000&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6435","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/187265666"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6435"}],"version-history":[{"count":60,"href":"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6435\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6519,"href":"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6435\/revisions\/6519"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6435"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chesapeakebeachrailwaymuseum.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}