L. Franklin Purnell
member, Ocean City Bridge Committee · active 1938
A member of the Ocean City Bridge Committee formed in the summer of 1938 by residents who wanted the new highway bridge kept at Worcester Street, and who asked the State Roads Commission instead to survey North Fifteenth Street. On 22 November 1938 he came before the town council asking that the city take immediate action to seek another hearing on the bridge location from the War Department; the mayor and the city attorney were appointed to write the authorities.
In the record (3)
1938 · 1938-07-28
Ocean City residents formed a Bridge Committee in the summer of 1938 to keep Worcester Street, and asked the state to survey North Fifteenth Street instead
'The Ocean City Bridge Committee, recently chosen at a meeting of residents favoring Worcester street for a new bridge and whose membership includes L. Franklin Purnell, Dr. Charles W. Purnell, Clarence Carey, Edward Gray and William H. Purnell, secretary, said today that a written official request for a new bridge survey for North 15th street would be sent immediately to the State Roads Commission in Baltimore.' Their case was that approval for a bridge at North Fifteenth Street, together with the improvement and maintenance of the present Worcester Street span, 'would not only build an economical bridge at North 15th street, where rights of way can be secured at low cost, but also re-build the present Worcester street bridge.' It was a committee formed after the town council had already given the state North Division and Caroline Streets, and its members are the same men who turn up three weeks later at the War Department hearing.
Ocean City Bridge CommitteeMaryland State Roads CommissionDr. Charles Washington PurnellClarence CareyEdward GrayWilliam H. Purnell
Source · checked 2026-08-11
1938 · 1938-12-06
West Ocean City came to look at the bridge plans in December 1938, and Ocean City's new council took no action and sent the plans back
Five months after the town's own ordinance gave the state North Division and Caroline Streets, the bridge was still being fought. On 22 November 1938 L. Franklin Purnell came before the council 'asking that City take immediate action asking for Another hearing on Bridge location by War Department', and the mayor and the city attorney were appointed to write the authorities 'to ascertain if any thing could be done'. On 6 December the plans themselves were on the table: 'Bridge plans were examined by many people and many were present from West Ocean City. Council took no action on the Bridge plans and secretary instructed to return plans to Engineers office as requested by them.' A room full of mainlanders, a set of federal plans, and a council that looked and did nothing.
Maryland State Roads CommissionEdmond H. JohnsonWilliam H. Scott
Source · checked 2026-08-11
1941 · 1941-06-03
Ocean City ran its building permits by written notice to every neighbour and a public hearing, and the town clerk kept the tick-list — the surviving 1941 papers show the procedure working twice.
The town had no zoning ordinance in 1941 — the council had only begun to talk about one in 1940 — but it had a procedure, and 1941 is the year the paperwork survives. On 15 March 1941 the clerk sent out a printed notice: 'The Council Will Consider the application of Cullin S. Jenkins for building permit for store and apartment building 40 by 70 ft located on lot No. 5 block No. 3 adjoining property of Chas. Parker Jr. on the South and Willie Ludlam on the North. Hearing will be at 730 O'clock on Friday evening March Twenty First.' Below it the clerk listed the twenty people he posted it to — Jarman & Timmons, Willie Ludlam, Rata Tyndall, Harriet Dashiell, Floyd Watson, Francis Cloud, Laura McColley, Wm. & Carrie Turner, Chas. Parker Jr., Lillian D. Purnell, Charles S. Powell, R. B. Jenson, Irma K. Mumford, L. Franklin Purnell, S. J. Quillin, Clara Powell, Etta & James Conner, Willimina Harris, Chas. T. Jackson — and ticked or annotated them by hand as the replies came in, one of them marked with an objection. At the hearing on 21 March the council heard the property owners who came, and granted the permit. On 3 June the same machinery is described in the round: on Wm. Dale's application for a filling station on the John Jones property, with Mrs Samuel Quillin objecting and Win Wallace not, 'the Council stated there were thirteen property owners notified and only two appeared with only one objection so motion was made... that permit be granted.' Two appearances out of thirteen notices was, to this council, a mandate.
Willie LudlamJ. M. MumfordClifford P. Cropper
Source · checked 2026-08-11