Joseph C. S. Blackburn

In the record (5)

1. 1892 · 1892-08-17

   Three United States senators, a former governor and the Gridiron Club at Ocean City in one August week.

   The Washington Evening Star, August 17, 1892: "Senators Blackburn of Kentucky, [Squire] of Washington, Gray of Delaware, ex-Gov. Jackson and others now sojourning at Ocean City will meet the Gridiron Club at dinner Friday." Senator Joseph C. S. Blackburn of Kentucky summered there — the Star noted in July that "Mrs. William P. Hall and son will spend August with Senator and Mrs. Blackburn at Ocean City" — and Delaware's Senator George Gray "just returned from Ocean City, Md., where he has been visiting Senator Blackburn in company with Senator White, of Louisiana." The Snow Hill paper had seen the same traffic in June: "A large party of Washingtonians visited Ocean City last Sunday, among them being Senator Blackburn and other notables." Governor Frank Brown and his family spent the weekend of July 23-24 at Ocean City before boarding the state steamer McLane at Salisbury for a cruise over the oyster grounds; ex-Governor Elihu E. Jackson reopened his Ocean City cottage on August 10.

   Frank BrownElihu Emory Jackson

   Source · checked 2026-08-06

2. 1896 · 1896-07-25

   Senator Joseph Blackburn recuperates at his Ocean City cottage after the Chicago convention that nominated Bryan.

   The Messenger of July 25, 1896: "We learn the eloquent Senator from Kentucky, Hon. Joseph Blackburn, will address the Democrats of Worcester county at an early day, either in Snow Hill or at Ocean City. The people of this county will be given a rare treat if the Senator does go on the stump here. He is now at his Ocean City cottage recuperating from the arduous work he did at the Chicago convention." The stump speech never came off: in September the paper printed Blackburn's letter of regret — "I will not be able to get East again probably during the campaign" — and reported that on his way West "he said he met hundreds of people at Ocean City from all parts of Maryland and there was but one opinion, and that is that Maryland is for Bryan." Blackburn had first summered at Ocean City in 1892; by 1896 he owned a cottage there and used it as a place to recover from a national convention.

   Source · checked 2026-08-06

3. 1896 · 1896-08-20

   The First District Democrats meet at Ocean City for the third time in six years and renominate Joshua W. Miles on a free-silver platform.

   "The Convention held at Ocean City on Thursday to nominate a candidate to succeed Congressman Joshua Weldon Miles was the most harmonious ever held in the First Congressional District — a veritable love-feast, and 'free silver' sentiment dominated everywhere." The Ocean City resolutions declared "our views in favor of the free and unlimited coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1." Miles was nominated by acclamation, "and before the chair could announce the result cries of 'Miles!' 'Miles!' drowned out everything else"; he was at Ocean City and was sent for, walked to the platform and accepted. The choice of venue was made in Baltimore in May, when the Democratic State Central Committee fixed Thursday, August 20 for the convention "at Ocean City, Md." Six years after the 199-ballot convention of 1890 and two after the 1894 convention, the beach was the Eastern Shore's settled political meeting-ground. The year's silver politics ran through the town all summer: the Messenger's editor was told at Ocean City by a reporter travelling with Bryan that metropolitan papers had "deliberately planned to misquote Mr. Bryan's speech at Madison Square Garden," and Bryan wrote to a Snow Hill correspondent, "I expect to visit your city before the campaign closes."

   Source · checked 2026-08-06

4. 1903 · 1903-05-16

   Senator Joseph C. S. Blackburn of Kentucky "owns a bungalow up the board walk" at Ocean City — a sitting U.S. senator with a cottage on the walk, in the town paper's own words.

   From the standing "OCEAN CITY." column of 16 May 1903: "Senator Joe Blackburn, of Kentucky, who owns a bungalow up the board walk, has been here looking after the same, and having it put in shape for occupancy for the coming season. The Senator is looking well and apparently enjoyed his stay with us. He can spin a good story and found at all times [many] interested listeners. He is a true blue Democrat who has been in Con[gress] or the Senate since the first of General Grant's administration; except[ing] one term, when Kentucky was unfortunate enough to send a Republican to the Senate in his place... Senator Blackburn is a great admirer of Senator Gorman, of our own state, and while he thinks it rather early to discuss nominees, he considers Mr. Gorman a strong Presidential possibility." Blackburn had already been at Ocean City in 1892. The phrase "up the board walk" is doing work: it is used the way a modern writer would use a street name — a direction and an address, not a novelty.

   Source · checked 2026-08-06

5. 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.

   John D. ShowellDaniel W. Trimper, Jr.Clayton J. PurnellCapt. Joshua J. DuntonWilliam B. S. Powell

   Source · checked 2026-08-06