John D. Showell

In the record (16)

1. 1902 · 1902-07-12

   John D. Showell opens "The Oceanic" — a brand-new bath and excursion house next door to the Life-Saving Station, and advertises it as the best on the beach.

   The Messenger's news column of 12 July: "Mr. John D. Showell, of Ocean City, was a visitor in Snow Hill Tuesday. He says he has just completed the best bathing and excursion house on the beach at Ocean City and has supplied his bath rooms with the latest styles of bathing suits. The place will be called the 'Oceanic,' and is located alongside the Life Saving Station." His own advertisement ran in the paper from 19 July to the end of the season: "THE BEST ON THE BEACH — 'THE OCEANIC' Bath & Excursion Houses, Ocean City, Maryland. John D. Showell, Propr. The 'Oceanic' is a spanking new building just erected for excursion and bath house, and is now open to the public with a large supply of handsome new Bathing Suits. It is located on the best bathing beach at Ocean City — right alongside of the U. S. Life Saving Station ... a very desirable place for Sunday School picnics, private parties and the like. Bring your basket with you and we will convey it from the depot to our excursion house free of charge." Three weeks later Showell was elected to the new five-man city council. CORROBORATED from two further titles: the Washington Times (28 June) calls it "an immense new bathing house between the Mount Pleasant Annex and the life saving station… the contribution of Mr. John Showell of Baltimore"; the Evening Star (4 July) calls it "a monster bath house."

   The one substantial ocean-front building this campaign can document going up at Ocean City in 1902 is a bath house — not a boardwalk.

   United States Life-Saving Service

   Source · checked 2026-08-06

2. 1902 · 1902-08-04

   The council seated in 1902 was Ludlam, Powell, Showell, Reverdy J. Dennis and Thomas J. Cropper — not the ticket the county paper printed.

   The Democratic Messenger of 26 July 1902 announced a Waggaman ticket of Ludlum, James Z. Powell, John D. Showell, Calvin B. Taylor and a fifth man whose name the OCR destroyed as "Thomas Crow-". Two Washington papers give the council as actually elected, and Calvin B. Taylor is not on it. The Washington Times of 10 August 1902 names "Capt. Christopher Ludlaw, Reverdy J. Dennis, Thomas J. Copper, John D. Showell, and James Z. Powell" — read off the page image, which prints "Copper". The Evening Star's vote table of 5 August spells the same man "Thomas J. Cropper" and separately lists a Gilbert B. Cropper among the defeated citizens'-ticket candidates. Cropper is the reading this campaign should carry: it is a standing Ocean City surname, it appears twice in the same return, and Gilbert Cropper of Ocean City is independently documented in the year.

   A name the county paper lost and a name the Washington papers spelled two ways, resolved by the fact that two Croppers ran on opposite tickets in the same election.

   Christopher Ludlam

   Source · checked 2026-08-06

3. 1902 · 1902-08-04

   The 4 August 1902 election was contested — "Regular" against "Citizens" — and Waggaman beat William T. Taber 74 votes to 60.

   A telegram from Ocean City printed in the Washington Evening Star of 5 August 1902 gives the whole return, which the county paper reduced to a single line. Waggaman's ticket was known as the "regular," the opposing one as the "citizens." For mayor: John F. Waggaman 74, William T. Taber 60. For council: Capt. Christopher Ludlam 99, James Z. Powell 73, Reverdy J. Dennis 73, John D. Showell 70, Thomas J. Cropper 69, Lambert P. Ayres 34, Gilbert B. Cropper 34, Samuel J. Massey 30, Willard B. Buell 30. Ludlam stood on both tickets, which is why his vote is half again the next man's. The Star's own summary that the regulars won "by about 2½ to 1" fits the council figures but not the mayoral ones. Roughly 134 votes were cast in all — the first measurement the campaign has of the electorate Chapter 569 created. Read from the page image on 6 August 2026; the OCR had dropped two of the vote totals and mangled Cropper's surname.

   Ocean City's most consequential election of the decade turned on 134 votes, and fourteen of them decided who owned the town and governed it at the same time.

   John F. WaggamanChristopher Ludlam

   Source · checked 2026-08-06

4. 1902 · 1902-08-04

   On 4 August 1902 Ocean City elected John F. Waggaman — owner of the Atlantic Hotel and most of the plat — mayor of the town he already owned.

   The Democratic Messenger's Ocean City column of 26 July announced the first election under the new charter: "On Monday, the 4th of August, we will have an election for Mayor and City Council, and there is already considerable interest and feeling being manifested in the matter. One ticket has been placed in the field headed by John F. Waggaman, for Mayor, with Captain Ludlum, James Z. Powell, John D. Showell, Calvin B. Taylor and Thomas Crow[ell] ..." — five councilmen, exactly as Ch. 569 required. The paper's state-news column of 9 August reported the result in one line: "An election for mayor and city council of Ocean City was carried by the ticket headed by Mr. John F. Waggaman for mayor." The Maryland Manual dates his term 1902-1903 and gives Clayton J. Purnell 1900-1902; Purnell was still being called mayor in the county paper in late May 1902, which fits.

   A proprietor-mayor. Waggaman had owned the ocean front since 1897, driven the town's first jetties in 1898 and been credited with beautifying the place in 1901; in 1902 the legislature widened the franchise to non-resident property owners and the property owner took the chair.

   John F. WaggamanClayton J. PurnellJames Z. PowellChristopher LudlamCalvin B. Taylor

   Source · checked 2026-08-06

5. 1904 · 1904-08-01

   Two tickets, one warm but good-natured fight: Capt. Christopher Ludlam is re-elected mayor and the People's ticket loses.

   'The election for Mayor and City Council of Ocean City was held Monday afternoon. Two tickets were in the field, and the fight was a warm but good natured one, resulting in a victory for the regulars who represent the faction already in power, over the people's ticket, which was headed by Wm. T. Taber. Capt. Christopher Ludlam was re-elected Mayor and the following councilmen were also elected: James Z. Powell, Reverdy J. Dennis, Thomas J. Cropper, John D. Showell and John L. Johnson.' The paper adds that the Mayor and City Council 'will enter upon their new terms on September 1st'; the charter as re-enacted the same spring (Ch. 457 of 1904) says the term runs from the second Monday in September, which in 1904 was 12 September.

   This is the first Ocean City municipal election this campaign has been able to read as an election — two slates, a named challenger, and a full council. The town's own books had been stolen in 1896 and the eleven-year blank that followed is the reason a one-paragraph item in a Snow Hill weekly is the best surviving record of who governed the beach.

   The Commissioners of Ocean CityChristopher LudlamJames Z. PowellReverdy J. DennisThomas J. CropperJohn L. JohnsonWilliam T. Taber

   Source · checked 2026-08-06

6. 1906

   Ocean City lots in 1906: $200 for a bare corner on Baltimore Avenue, $1,060 for oceanfront next to the Life-Saving Station.

   The Worcester County real-estate transfer column gives a run of 1906 Ocean City prices. In March, John D. Showell bought from Elizabeth R. Talty et al. a lot "situate in Ocean City, fronting on Atlantic Avenue and immediately north of the Government Life Saving Station" for $1,060. In February, Daniel Trimper, Jr. bought from Edward M. and Elizabeth M. Scott a lot with improvements on Caroline Street for $1,200. In November, Clayton J. Purnell bought from Joshua J. Dunton — the Ocean City life-saving keeper — the vacant lot at Baltimore Avenue and North Division Street for $200, and announced he would "erect thereon a two story house before next summer"; the same column records Robert L. Purnell buying the lot at the south-east corner of Baltimore Avenue and Caroline Street from the Markoes for $500, and Joshua J. Dunton buying a lot in or near Ocean City on the Sinepuxent Beach from Joseph C. S. Blackburn, Trustee. In January, Mary L. Dean bought a piece of ground with buildings in Ocean City from Katherine E. Malone for $6,500 and William B. S. Powell a tract in Ocean City on Synepuxent Beach for $1,400, while William J. Quillin, Jr. paid $375 for a house and lot at Talbot Street and St. Louis Avenue. And in December, William B. S. Powell bought from Joshua J. Dunton and wife a lot with buildings "in or near Ocean City, on the Sinepuxent Beach" for $1,000, while Edward M. Scott bought a lot with buildings on Sinepuxent Beach from the Ocean City Development Company for a nominal consideration.

   Daniel W. Trimper, Jr.Clayton J. PurnellCapt. Joshua J. DuntonJoseph C. S. BlackburnWilliam B. S. Powell

   Source · checked 2026-08-06

7. 1907

   The 1907 hotel line-up: the Atlantic reopens renovated under T. L. Page, and nine houses advertise in the Washington papers.

   The Washington summer-resort columns of 1907 give the fullest hotel roster the campaign has for the decade. The ATLANTIC HOTEL, Ocean City, Md., "opens June 15. Modern and high class in every particular. Recently renovated and greatly improved throughout. Faces the ocean" - T. L. Page, manager, described by the Star's own Ocean City correspondent as "Mr. Page of Washington." THE PLIMHIMMON HOTEL, "beach front... surf bathing, ballroom, orchestra," R. T. Shreve. MT. PLEASANT HOTEL, "under new management; ocean front; sun parlors; airy rooms; excellent table," W. O. Abbott, prop. THE RIDEAU, "post office Box 103. Directly on the beach. Table unsurpassed. Modern improvements," Mrs. Paul. The OCEANIC HOTEL and the MT. VERNON HOTEL, ocean front, J. D. Showell. THE DENNIS, "table first-class, terms very reasonable," Mrs. R. J. Dennis. The SEASIDE HOTEL. The HOTEL HAMILTON. And Sea Crest Cottage, Mrs. Anna B. Showell. On 20 July the Star's correspondent added the year's grace note: "The Atlantic Hotel boasts of an orchestra composed of young ladies. This adds greatly to the attractiveness of the place."

   Unverified — sourced but not confirmed against a primary record.

   Atlantic HotelPlimhimmon Hotel / Plim PlazaTheodore L. PageRosalie Tilghman ShreveW. O. Abbott

   Source · checked 2026-08-06

8. 1914

   Washington's summer-resort column carries fourteen Ocean City, Md. houses in 1914 — more than double 1913's six.

   The Evening Star's SUMMER RESORTS block, under the standing line "Ocean City, Md. Finest beach in world. Ocean on one side, bay on other. Cool & healthful. Ex. boating & fishing," advertised through the 1914 season: **The Atlantic** ("most modern on beach. Elevators, etc. Large porches. Ocean front. SAVAGE & POWELL"); **Plimhimmon Hotel and cottages** (R. T. Shreve); **The Oceanic & Mt. Vernon** (J. D. Showell); **The Shelburne** ("Large, cool rooms; excellent cooking; reasonable rates," Brewington & Trealoar); **The Dennis** ("Porticos overlooking Ocean and Bay," R. J. Dennis); **The Nordica** ("On the Boardwalk; 3 squares from depot; 1 square above new piers," Mrs. G. R. Bassett); **The Colonial** ("On Boardwalk. Bathing from Hotel. First-class table. New management. N. C. Dean"); **Seaside Hotel** ("Under new management," Miss J. M. Friel); **The Belmont** ("New addition, with ocean view," L. R. Hearne); **New Avalon** (K. C. Hastings); **The Mervue** (T. W. Taylor); **The Mount Pleasant** (Mrs. W. E. Buell, "Opens June 27"); **Wetipquin Hall** ("Directly on Boardwalk," S. H. Dashiell); **The Breakers** ("Directly on Beach," M. E. Newton, 1309 17th St. N.W.); **The Lin-Mar** (new management, Mrs. Thos. T. Moore); and **Adams Hotel** (R. B. Adams). The Atlantic Hotel's proprietorship line has changed: in 1913 mayor W. B. S. Powell bought it with Capt. John H. Long of Frankford, Del.; in 1914 it advertises as **Savage & Powell**.

   Atlantic HotelPlimhimmon Hotel / Plim PlazaOcean City BoardwalkWilliam B. S. PowellRosalie Tilghman Shreve

   Source · checked 2026-08-06

9. 1914 · 1914-06-27

   Ten cents on the pier, seventy-five cents for a seafood dinner: the Messenger's "Ocean City (Md.) Business Directory" prices a 1914 day at the beach.

   From late June 1914 the Democratic Messenger carried a standing block of Ocean City advertising — the first such directory the campaign has found — and it prices the town. **The Pier**: "Admission to Pavilion Free. **10c admits to Pier, with privilege of fishing and dancing.** SEASON TICKETS AT SPECIAL PRICES"; the moving pictures were 5c. **The Colonial**, "directly on the Board Walk … Under Entirely New Management," advertised "Excellent Seafood Dinners and Suppers, **75c**," wholesome Maryland cooking, bath houses attached to the hotel, and special rates to excursionists and automobile parties, N. C. Dean proprietor. The other advertisers: **Dolle's Original Salt Water Taffy** — "DOES NOT STICK TO THE TEETH … Made Fresh Every Hour at Ocean City, Md. **Rudolph Dolle, BOARD WALK OPPOSITE THE PIER**"; **Jimmy's Alleys**, where you played "the fascinating Japanese Ball Game" and kept your score for a premium of hand-painted china, bric-a-brac and Japanese pictures; **Tibbitt's Oyster and Chop House**, opposite the Atlantic Hotel; **The Atlantic Pool Parlor** with Baltimore and Washington papers, C. H. Hildebrandt; **Joseph Schaefer the Baker**; **John D. Showell's** Oceanic Bath Houses, Oceanic Hotel and Mt. Vernon Hotel; and **The Virginia** on the ocean front, B. Kinnamon, whose famous Maryland chef had come from the Hotel Norris at Easton.

   Oceanic Fishing PierDolle's CandylandOcean City BoardwalkAtlantic HotelRudolph DolleN. C. Dean

   Source · checked 2026-08-06

10. 1914 · 1914-10-05

    The Maryland Hotel burns to the ground north of the railroad station — John D. Showell's building, no insurance, a $2,000 loss.

    The Democratic Messenger of 10 October 1914, under "Fire at Ocean City": "Last Monday, fire destroyed the **Maryland Hotel**, at the north of the railroad station, Ocean City. The cause of the fire is unknown. The building belonged to **John D. Showell**, and was occupied by Mrs. Figgs. There was no insurance on the building. Mr. Showell's loss is estimated at **$2,000.00**. Mrs. Figgs's furniture was insured. The fire caused a great deal of excitement, and there were grave fears of its spreading to other buildings, but the flames were successfully fought back and confined to the hotel." Ocean City had been a wooden town on a sandbar since 1875 and would lose its downtown to fire in 1925; this is the sort of night that made the fear rational.

    Source · checked 2026-08-06

11. 1915

    Ten cents admitted you to the Ocean City pier in 1915, with dancing and fishing thrown in; the pavilion itself was free, and the pier ran day and night with new bowling alleys, pool tables, a soda fountain, a museum and moving pictures every night.

    The pier's display card, standing in the Democratic Messenger all season: "The Pier — Ocean City's Greatest Attraction! OPEN DAY AND NIGHT. New Bowling Alleys, Pool Tables, Soda Fountain & Museum. DANCING every afternoon and evening at the end of Pier. Moving Pictures every night. Admission to Pavilion is Free. 10c. admits to Pier with privilege of Dancing and Fishing. SEASON TICKETS AT SPECIAL PRICE." The pier had been leased out in 1911 and was under Orlando Harrison's association in 1913; by 1915 it is being advertised as a year-round-hours amusement plant rather than a fishing platform with a pavilion on it. The other Ocean City cards in the same columns fill in the boardwalk: "The Virginia, On Ocean Front and Board Walk, Bathing from the Hotel, Cuisine the Best, Rates Moderate — LAFAYETTE JOHNSON, Proprietor"; "Conner's Restaurant, On Board Walk — Best of Everything to Eat, GEO. B. CONNER, Prop'r"; "John D. Showell — The Oceanic Bath Houses, The Oceanic Hotel, The Mt. Vernon Hotel"; "JOSEPH SCHAEFER, the BAKER, OCEAN CITY, MD. Ice Cream, Plain and Fancy Cake, Layer and Pound Cake, Pies, Rolls and Buns, Best Bread ... Will ship you any quantity"; "Cranes Ice Cream, Hackney's Fountain, Ocean City, Md."; and "ROSS B. GEISBERT, Auctioneer, Ocean City, Md. Selling Real Estate and Personal Property a specialty."

    Ocean City Fishing PierOcean City BoardwalkJoseph SchaeferLafayette JohnsonRoss B. Geisbert

    Source · checked 2026-08-06

12. 1915

    The Evening Star's summer-resort page carried thirteen Ocean City, Md. houses in 1915 against six in 1913, under a standing slogan: "Finest beach in world. Ocean on one side, bay on other."

    Through the 1915 season the Washington Evening Star ran an "OCEAN CITY, MD." block on its SUMMER RESORTS page, headed with the town's own line — "Ocean City, Md. Finest beach in world. Ocean on one side, bay on other. Cool & healthful. Ex. boating & fishing." The houses advertising in it: THE ATLANTIC HOTEL, ocean front, W. B. S. Powell, Prop.; MT. VERNON AND OCEANIC, ocean front, J. D. Showell; THE COLONIAL, on Boardwalk, "Bathing from Hotel", J. M. Ames & N. C. Dean; THE BELMONT and Cottages, L. R. Hearne; THE DENNIS, "porticos overlooking ocean ... bathing free", Mrs. R. J. Dennis; TOURIST INN, on the boardwalk, rooms single or en suite with private bath, M. E. Miller; THE MOUNT PLEASANT, ocean front, Mrs. W. E. Buell; HOTEL DELMAR, "newly built and newly furnished; unobstructed view of ocean and bay", Mrs. B. F. Barker; PLIMHIMMON HOTEL and Cottages, R. T. Shreve; "The Breakers", M. E. Newton, 1309 17th st. [Washington]; WETIPQUIN HOTEL, "directly on Boardwalk", S. H. Dashiell; ADAMS HOTEL, "open all the year around", R. B. Adams; and TARRY AWHILE, ocean view, B. Kinnamon. Two things have changed since the 1913 block. There are thirteen houses where there were six, three of them new to this registry (the Colonial, the Delmar and the Wetipquin) — and the Adams advertises itself as open all the year around, the first year-round hotel the campaign has recorded at Ocean City. The mayor's own Atlantic heads the list.

    Atlantic HotelPlimhimmon Hotel / Plim PlazaOcean City BoardwalkWilliam B. S. PowellRosalie Tilghman Shreve

    Source · checked 2026-08-06

13. 1917

    Ocean City's post office is raised from fourth class to third, and President Wilson appoints John D. Showell postmaster.

    The Democratic Messenger of 31 March 1917: "Ocean City, Maryland, has been raised from the fourth class and made a third class office with a salary of $1,100 a year and President Wilson has appointed Mr. John D. Showell, Postmaster. Mr. Showell received his commission last week. The new Postmaster has been a resident of Ocean City for many years. He is the proprietor of the Oceanic Restaurant and bath houses and has other interests at Ocean City. Mr. Showell's appointment is for four years, at the expiration of which he will have to take the civil service examination if he desires a reappointment. The new ruling, placing postmasters of the first, second and third classes under the civil service goes into effect next month." A post-office reclassification is the federal government's own measure of a town's business, and it puts Ocean City's growth on the record in a way the town's own books — unpublished since 1912 — do not.

    Unverified — sourced but not confirmed against a primary record.

    Source · checked 2026-08-06

14. 1917 · 1917-11-29

    The Red Cross Circle of Ocean City serves an "old time" Thanksgiving dinner at the Mt. Vernon — a dollar for adults, half price for children.

    The Democratic Messenger of 24 November 1917: "The ladies of the Red Cross Circle of Ocean City are planning to give an elaborate dinner on Thanksgiving Day, at the Mt. Vernon, under the management of Mrs. J. D. Showell. In addition to the feast, which will be an old time dinner, consisting of turkey, wild fowl, chicken pot pie, and all the trimmings, there will be services at the different churches, and rest rooms provided for the guests. Dinner will be served from one to five o'clock. Adults, one dollar, children one half price." The Mt. Vernon is J. D. Showell's house — the same Showell whom President Wilson had made postmaster in March. This is the campaign's first record of an organised Red Cross body at Ocean City, and the first documented use of a resort hotel out of season for war work.

    Red Cross Circle of Ocean City

    Source · checked 2026-08-06

15. 1921

    Ocean City's public meetings in 1921 happen in the State School Building - the town's hall for a Democratic mass meeting on 22 October.

    The State Central Committee's advertised schedule of Democratic mass meetings for Worcester County lists: "Saturday, October 22, 7.30 P. M. Ocean City, State School Bldg." - between the Globe Theatre at Berlin and the Odd Fellows Hall at Newark. The speaker was Mrs. Gertrude Breslau Fuller, in only the second general election in which Maryland women could vote; the Democrat reported afterwards that "at Berlin, Ocean City, Newark, Whaleyville, Showell, Girdletree, Stockton, Bishopville, and other places the Halls have been crowded to overflowing with people eager to sit under her voice." Candidates worked the town directly too. Samuel M. Crockett, seeking re-election to the House of Delegates, advertised that he would be at "Ocean City, Monday, September 5th, at 8 P. M." - Labor Day evening, the last night of the season. And Dale Showell of Ocean City filed for the legislature that autumn and withdrew before the primary.

    Source · checked 2026-08-10

16. 1921

    John Dale Showell of Ocean City marries Clara Stone Hickling in Washington, 26 January 1921, with the rector of Ocean City officiating.

    "The Church of the Ascension was the scene last night of an interesting wedding when Miss Clara Stone Hickling, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Daniel Percy Hickling, and John Dale Showell, of Ocean City, Md., were married. The ceremony was performed at 8 o'clock by Rev. Dr. Burke of Ocean City in the presence of a large company of friends and relatives... After the reception Mr. Showell and his bride left for a wedding trip to Florida, and they will later make their home in Ocean City." The bride wore ivory crepe meteor with an overdress of Brussels lace hanging almost to the end of the skirt, and a tulle veil falling to the end of a divided train. The officiant is Rev. Edmund Burke, Ph.D., rector of St. Paul's-by-the-Sea, travelling to Washington to marry an Ocean City man in a Washington church. Showell filed as a Democratic candidate for the House of Delegates that September and withdrew before the primary, leaving four candidates for three seats.

    St. Paul's by-the-Sea Episcopal ChurchRev. Edmund Burke, Ph.D.

    Source · checked 2026-08-10