History

William Showell

bridge company incorporator · active 1876

One of five men named in the preamble to Chapter 24 of the Maryland Acts of 1876 who, "at their own expense," built the drawbridge across Sinepuxent Bay from Hommock Point to Ocean City before any legislature had authorised it, and who were then incorporated as the Ocean City Bridge Company on February 24, 1876. Nothing else about him is established by that record.

In the record (1)

  1. 1876 · 1876-02-24

    Maryland charters the Ocean City Bridge Company — and the act reveals the bay bridge was already built, privately, without permission.

    Chapter 24 of the Acts of 1876, approved February 24, 1876, incorporated the Ocean City Bridge Company. Its preamble is the year's most useful sentence: "during the interval since the last session of the Legislature, public necessity urgently demanded a bridge across Synepuxent Bay, from Hommock Point to Ocean city, in Worcester county, and WHEREAS, to meet this necessity and relying upon future legislation to authorize and confirm their act, Hillary P. Pitts, William Showell, Cyrus L. Williams, John M. Taylor, John R. Purnell, and others, associated together and at their own expense, constructed a secure and substantial bridge at the above named point, with a draw in the same twenty-five feet wide, which will admit the convenient passage of all boats and vessels capable of navigating this portion of said bay." Section 1 retroactively authorized the structure; capital stock was capped at $10,000 in 400 shares of $25; the stockholders were to meet at Berlin on the first Monday of March (March 6, 1876) to elect five directors; Section 6 required a keeper "always in readiness to open" the draw free of charge; Section 9 denied banking privileges; Section 10 reserved the General Assembly's right to amend at pleasure. The bill was reported favorably in the House by Mr. Purnell on January 20, 1876 and passed the Senate 15–0 on February 14, 1876.

    The bridge that made Ocean City a resort was built first and legalized afterwards. Five men put up their own money, threw a drawbridge across the bay, and then asked Annapolis to make it legal — which Annapolis did, in one page, with no fine imposed.

    Ocean City Bridge CompanyWicomico and Pocomoke RailroadDr. Hilary R. PittsCyrus L. WilliamsJohn M. TaylorJohn R. Purnell

    Source · checked 2026-08-06