Harry J. Cropper
plumber · active 1937–
Ocean City plumber. The town assessed his work shop at $1,000 in June 1937, and on 23 November 1937 gave him the plumbing contract for the town's first public comfort station at $2,103.00, against Carson Beldin's $2,250.00 — a sum nearly four times the $578 the building itself cost. Mrs. H. J. Cropper spoke in favour of granting John Lambros his permit at the hearing of 30 April 1937.
In the record (5)
1937 · 1937-05-03
Three meetings, a public hearing and a 2-1 vote: how John Lambros got permission to put fourteen apartments and a soda fountain on Atlantic Avenue
On 15 April 1937 Councilman Scott moved 'that Permission be granted John Lambros to drive piling for a building 45 X 96 on Lot #9 Block #5 North', the building to be kept back of the present Atlantic Avenue building and porch lines, 'it being understood that the building to be erected is not yet Approved for lack of Sufficient information Nor are the purposes for which the building is to be used approved.' Townsend and Scott voted aye, Laws no. On 26 April the council set a hearing for Friday evening and the secretary notified the neighbours by name - the Shoreham Hotel, Percy Hickling, R. E. and Bertha Rouse, Chas. Seybold, Dale Showell, Mrs. Fooks, Elsie Seeger Barton, Fred Wolf for the Wheatton estate, L. E. Neal Jr. and Hattie Cropper. At the hearing on 30 April, Frank W. Truitt 'spoke opposing the restaurant, on behalf of Wheatton & Barton Property'; Mrs. H. J. Cropper spoke for granting the permit; letters against came from L. E. Neal Jr. and R. E. Rouse. A new application was then filed 'stating That Building was for 2 upper floors for 14 Apartments lower floor for Restaurant Soda Fountain, novelty store, notions & Confections are only business to be operated on the premises.' On 3 May the permit was granted, Scott and Townsend yes, Laws no. Two months later Lambros was assessed $8,000 on personal property, the largest such figure on the 1937 book.
The Shoreham Hotel / Shenanigan's Irish PubJohn LambrosWilliam H. ScottFrancis J. TownsendW. Preston LawsF. W. Truitt
Source · checked 2026-08-11
1937 · 1937-07-13
Ocean City held its tax rate at a dollar on the hundred for a fourth straight year, and exactly one taxpayer turned up to complain
On 29 June 1937 the council listed the year's new and increased assessments and sent notice to every owner on it of a meeting on 13 July 'for to hear any complaints of why the property should not be assessed as listed for year of 1937 taxes'. Among them: Wallace & Jarman, improvements on restaurant and apartments, $3,000; S. Dodd Shuster, bungalow and garage, $4,000; Clarence Carey, dance hall, $1,000; Samuel and Belle Adams, house, $4,800; John Lambros, personal, $8,000 - the largest personal assessment on the page; W. C. Pool, floating houses on lots, $100 each, $600 in all; 'Royalton (Kelly)', personal, $2,000; Rudolph Dolle, body shop, $650; Harry J. Cropper, work shop, $1,000; and Elizabeth Hufford's apartments raised from $3,000 to $4,800. A shorter list of property 'marked off for 1937' cut the Jester, Kelly, Magel, Mumford and Massey books. On 13 July, 'Sam Ayers was only one appeared asking for reduction of 100 on personal in small house and reduction was made.' The council then made 'tax levy for 1937 ... 10.00 Thousand' - one dollar on the hundred, unanimously, the same rate it had held in 1934, 1935 and 1936. — 1938 FULL PASS, 2026-08-11 [confirmed]: And then it did not. The run of four years at a dollar on the hundred ended on 21 June 1938, when the Ocean City council passed the 1938 levy at 85 cents per $100 on Dr. Townsend's motion seconded by Preston Laws - a cut of fifteen per cent, after a discussion on 31 May of cutting twenty that reached no decision.
W. Preston LawsWilliam H. ScottJohn LambrosRudolph DolleW. C. PoolClarence CareyEthel Kelley
Source · checked 2026-08-11
1937 · 1937-11-23
Ocean City contracted for a public comfort station in November 1937 - $578 to build it and $2,103 to plumb it
'Question of Town Comfort station was discussed and decided to get other bids beside of Cropper on Cost' - 9 November 1937. Two weeks later, on 23 November, the bids were opened. For the plumbing: Harry J. Cropper $2,103.00, Carson Beldin $2,250.00. For the building: Sellersville Mfg. Co. $793.82, Chas. H. Clark & Co. $743.50, Alfred Pruitt $578.00. The contracts went to H. J. Cropper for plumbing and Alfred Pruitt for building. The plumbing cost nearly four times the shell, which is what a public lavatory cost in a town that had only just finished putting in sewers. The council also voted that night to pay the State Board of Health clinic $7 a month for twelve months beginning 1 December. — 1938 FULL PASS, 2026-08-11 [downgraded]: Measured negative: the Ocean City municipal comfort station contracted for on 23 November 1937 is NOT mentioned once in the whole of the 1938 minute book - no completion, no payment, no location, no opening. Nor does it appear in the 588 pages of the 1938 Democratic Messenger. The 1937 fact is not withdrawn - the contracts are in the 1937 minute and are real - but the campaign should stop expecting the next year's record to close it, because the next year's record has been read and it does not. — 1939 FULL PASS, 2026-08-11 [confirmed]: THE COMFORT STATION WAS BUILT, IS OPEN AND IS CHARGING. The 1937 pass recorded the contracts - Alfred Pruitt to build at $578.00, Harry J. Cropper to plumb at $2,103.00 - and could find no completion; the 1938 pass measured its total absence from 39 pages of minutes and 588 newspaper pages. Ocean City's own financial statement of 13 July 1939 carries 'comfort station 400.00' under estimated 1940 INCOME and 'Comfort Station 1100.00' under estimated requirements. It is therefore an operating municipal facility taking money at the gate by 1939. STILL NOT ESTABLISHED: where it stood. The 1939 minutes never say, exactly as 1937 and 1938 never said.
Unverified — sourced but not confirmed against a primary record.
Maryland State Board of HealthAlfred Pruitt
Source · checked 2026-08-11
1941 · 1941-09-15
The fire company asked for room to house another engine; the town found it by tearing out the heating plant, and paid Harry J. Cropper $975 to do it.
On Monday evening 15 September 1941, 'Fire chief Peacock and Allen Quillen were present asking that room be provided for housing another engine and council agreed to see if space could be provided by changeing heating plant and secretary ordered to secure prices on makeing the change.' Ten days later, on 25 September, 'Heating plant was discussed with Harry J. Cropper and he offered to make the change for $975. and on motion by Harold Rayne seconed by Raymond Bounds that order be given to Ma.Cropper for plant.' Nine hundred and seventy-five dollars is most of what the town had just voted the Chamber of Commerce, and it bought floor space rather than apparatus. Twelve weeks later Morris Peacock was one of the two men the council put over the Department of Fire Protection of its new home defence council, alongside Archie Davis, who had been the company's chief in 1939. The same statutory year had already brought the company money from Annapolis: Chapter 37 of the Acts of 1941, approved 15 April, required three-quarters of the sums raised in Worcester County to be divided equally among the incorporated volunteer fire companies of Ocean City, Berlin, Newark, Snow Hill, Stockton, Bishopville and Pocomoke City.
Ocean City Volunteer Fire DepartmentMorris PeacockHarold J. RayneE. Raymond BoundsArchie DavisClifford P. Cropper
Source · checked 2026-08-11
1944 · 1944-10-24
Ocean City's property owners were invited to say how the Boardwalk should be rebuilt, and what they asked for was concrete.
The council left the City office for the Firemen's room to debate the best means of building boardwalk and to hear the invited property owners: Thomas Shill and wife, Elizabeth Strohecker and daughter, Dale Showell, A. M. Jackson, Chas. J. Jackson, F. W. Truitt, H. J. Cropper and wife, Cullen Jenkins, John Hagan, Dr. C. W. Purnell, Jr. Evans, Harry Gunby, Earl Conley and A. W. Ball. Mayor Trimper gave a financial statement, then handed the hearing to the President of Council, John B. Lynch, who gave the estimated cost of building the walk at present prices and asked the owners for the best method and materials. Dr. Purnell, Earl Conley, Tom Shill, Frank Truitt and John Hagan spoke, wanting to investigate the cost of a cement walk, which they said could be built much cheaper and last longer. The council agreed to investigate the concrete idea. The record of the storm broadcast was played for the gathering. Earlier the same evening the council had ruled that any pile driven east of the walk in front of the 16th Street walk was to be driven 8 feet 6 inches from it.
Ocean City BoardwalkDaniel W. Trimper, Jr.John B. LynchDr. Charles Washington Purnell
Source · checked 2026-08-12