Phillips Seafood Founder Passes December 25, 2017

God Speed Shirley Phillips! She passed away on December 25, 2017, at the age of 95. She & her late husband, Brice R. Phillips (who passed in 2011), founded Phillips Seaford in 1956 (about the same time Phillips Packing Company was winding-down operations in Cambridge, MD).

This is related to my post from January 21, 2017, regarding "the modern-day Phillips Seafood Inc. was founded by descendants of Colonel Phillips (& yes, a shameless plug, I do like & use Phillips Seafood's products - just wanted to get that out there)."

Here's a link to the delmarva now article: delmarvanow.com December 26, 2017.

Phillips Canning & Model Trains?

Too much spiked egg nog? Nope. I thought I talk about subject that has a railroad connection when it comes to the Christmas holidays – model trains. Specifically one toy company that I grew up on: TYCO.

So, what's this connection that I'm trying to make regarding model trains & Phillips Canning? Follow along & you will see where I'm headed.

Back on January 21, 2017, I spoke of the history of Phillips Canning. I won't bore you with the topic again, but you can go read it at your leisure. I quoted the excellent August 2006 article by Harold W. Hurst's entitled “The Canning Industry in Delmarva”: 

When Phillips finally exited the canning business, they sold the company to Consolidated Foods in 1957.

The key point to pick up here: Phillips sold their company to Consolidated Foods in 1957.

So what about Consolidated Foods? 

I'll quote the excellent article by Tony Cook on his website Tony Cook's HO-Scale Train Resource, specifically the section about TYCO. Here's the website:

http://tycotrain.tripod.com/tycotrains/id1.html

Tony says:

“Consolidated Foods purchased TYCO's model trains and HO-scale slot racing cars around 1970. Consolidated Foods would later change its name to Sara Lee. This early '70s period ushers in "The Consolidated Foods Era" or "brown-box" period for collectors. Prior to 1970, TYCO offered models that reflected fairly accurate prototypes. After 1970, under Consolidated Foods leadership, TYCO's offerings wander into a fantasy world of unprototypical models. It is this interesting period that provides modelers and collectors with such items as a Popsicle and StarKist Tuna box cars and various Bicentennial locomotives. Looked down upon by serious hobbyists, these items none the less have found favor among those who enjoyed them as kids and now enjoy collecting them as adults.”

“The Consolidated Foods purchase of TYCO did not enjoy much of a honeymoon period. The book, "Toyland" by Sydney Ladensohn Stern and Ted Schoenhaus, reports TYCO's returns were unprofitable by 1972, and Consolidated Foods/Sara Lee was put in the position of folding up the TYCO line or making major changes in operations. Consolidated Foods management remained positive on TYCO and placed Dick Grey as president and Harry Pearce as chief financial officer in 1973.”

So, there's connection between Phillips & model trains: Consolidated Foods (or Sara Lee). Thirteen years after Consolidated Foods bought the remains of Phillips, they purchased TYCO to diversify the company.

            TYCO corporate symbol                                                                                           Phillips Delicious tomato label

Even though my Grandmother (on my Dad's side) worked for Bachmann Trains in Philadelphia, PA (you could see the factory almost from her front door step, so she would walk to work everyday), & I did have Bachmann model trains & train sets, I had much more TYCO equipment. Bachmann is still around & producing model trains. TYCO, unfortunately (or fortunately for those die-hard model railroaders out there) disappeared 1993 (yes, there were later “versions” of TYCO equipment, but it just wasn't the same).

No, TYCO equipment doesn't run well & isn't highly collectible, but their product brings back good memories for me. I pretty much destroyed my equipment over the years (I think I got my first set at 10 years old & when my teenage years kicked-in, my interests went elsewhere & so did my care of my collection). Luckily through both eBay & swap meets, I've been able to piece back most of my collection. It still runs like crap, but it still makes me smile just the same & reminds me of Christmases of my childhood.

PRR's advertisement "Holiday Homecoming" from 1948.

That being said, I want to wish you & yours a Merry Christmas & a Happy Chanukah & make memories with your friends & family!

Happy Thanksgiving 2017!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

"Main Lines of Commerce," by Grif Teller (1951)

Cambridge During WWI

In honor of Veteran's Day & to honor those who have served, here is a photo from an unknown photographer of U.S. Doughboys boarding a train at the Cambridge, MD depot during WWI (Emerson Harrington Archives collection).

The photographer is on the Trenton Street side of the station, facing northeast. The C.R. Corkran building still stands today at 105 Maryland Avenue as "Littmann Prestiege Medical" uniforms shop.

Here's a link at Google Maps of the approximate location the photographer was standing back during WWI:

200 Trenton Street, Cambridge, MD

The Packing House Project for Factory F on the Former Phillips Packing Company

I know this is a little late posting this (the event occurred on Monday, September 27, 2017), but it's neat to see what the plans are for the former Factory F at what remains of the Phillips Packing Company in Cambridge, MD.

I like how the design pays homage to yesterday. I hope this project does a lot for the former Phillips Packing Company site & the town of Cambridge.

https://www.thepackinghousecambridge.com/

"Trains & the Development of Talbot County" exhibit at the Talbot Historical Society in Easton, Maryland

I (finally) got to attend the great "Trains & the Development of Talbot County" exhibit at the Talbot Historical Society (in Talbot County, Maryland) today.

Wow! What a great display with interesting photos & artifacts.

If you haven't gone, the exhibit is open to the public from 10 AM until 4 PM every Saturday until October 7, 2017.

It can be seen on the Talbot Historical Society's campus in the Neall House at 30 South Washington Street, Easton, MD 21601. Their phone number is (410) 822-0773.

Cathy Valliant Hill & crew did a fantastic job on this exhibit! Don't miss out!

Here's a link to their website:

http://www.hstc.org/

The PRR's Cambridge, MD Rail Yard As Seen for 48 Years

I wanted to post some photos of the PRR's freight yard that was adjacent to the Cambridge, MD passenger & freight stations, running parallel to Trenton Street & Cambridge Creek. It occupied the rectangular area between Fletcher Street (when it crossed the railroad, just above modern day Green Street) running northwest to Maryland Avenue.

Three photos come from the excellent book, “Cambridge Past & Present, A Pictorial History,” by Donald L. Reid, Roger Guy Webster, & Hubert H. Wright IV, published by The Donning Company/Publishers in 1986 (ISBN 0-89865-491-2). The other photo comes from Dallin Aerial Survey Company collection from the Hagley Museum and Library.

The first photo of the Cambridge rail yard was taken on November 3, 1936, by T. Holliday Hicks looking northwest (from Reid's, Webster's, & Wright's book "Cambridge Past & Present, A Pictorial History"), on the top of Page 207. Note the team tracks to left of the freight house & right off of Trenton Street.

The second photo (& I used this for the banner on my Facebook page that mirrors this blog) is from the Dallin Aerial Survey Company taken on May 7, 1937 (Hagley Museum Collection). This is looking, roughly, southwest. The team tracks are pretty obvious here because you can see the two trucks parked adjacent to the box cars/refrigerator cars.

The third photo was taken by J. Williams Robbins (from the collection of W. Grason Winterbottom III) up Cambridge Creek facing almost due north sometime in 1949 (from Reid's, Webster's, & Wright's book "Cambridge Past & Present, A Pictorial History"), on the center spread from Pages 40 & 41 (I apologize for the dark crease almost vertically off-center in the photo). You get the see the back of the freight house (the lighter colored building, just below the station) off of Trenton Street. It appears that the box car on the far right is from the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (the CB&Q or its subsidiaries).

The last photo is the sad remains of the rail yard on May 13, 1984, by Hubert H. Wright IV (from Reid's, Webster's, & Wright's book "Cambridge Past & Present, A Pictorial History"), on the middle of Page 207. Notice that the team tracks are now occupied by a feed mill.

I also included a link to the Google map of modern-day Cambridge & you can see what occupies the same area today: condos.

PRR Cambridge, MD real estate today.

Well, at least I can recreate the yard back in its heyday.

Phillips Packing Stabilization Grant Announced

Courtsey of the Dorchester Banner, photograph by Bob Zimberoff in 2016.

Well. Isn't this interesting.

I post something about Phillips Packing Company in 1955 today & I Love Dorchester County shares a post about the Maryland Department of Planning giving a $90,000 grant to stabilize the remaining smokestacks.

Sometimes timing is everything!

Here's a link to the article:

https://www.eslc.org/maryland-department-planning-announces-90000-grant-packing-house-smokestack-stabilization/

Phillips Packing Company in 1955

Phillips Packing Company in 1955, with Factory B at Sunburst Highway and Washington Street, William D. Brightwell collection, from the book “Cambridge Past & Present, A Pictorial History,” by Donald L. Reid, Roger Guy Webster, & Hubert H. Wright IV, published by The Donning Company/Publishers in 1986 (ISBN 0-89865-491-2).

Although I've already posted a photo from the 1920's from the H. Robins Hollyday Collection at the Talbot Historical Society looking roughly southeast (see the post from February 19, 2017), I wanted to share a photo from 1955 in the excellent book, “Cambridge Past & Present, A Pictorial History,” by Donald L. Reid, Roger Guy Webster, & Hubert H. Wright IV, published by The Donning Company/Publishers in 1986 (ISBN 0-89865-491-2).

This photo can be found on Page 141 & it was supplied to the authors by William D. Brightwell & we're facing southeast.

The lime green arrow is pointing out the wye that was located within Phillips' compound, heading off to the southwest. The short stub track inside the wye (with the automobile parked next to it) is the former location of the engine house (it's gone in this photo).

I'll quote the caption from the book & then comment afterwards. Here's what the caption says, “L.B. Phillips, Albanus Phillips, and W. Grason Winterbottom formed a partnership on March 10, 1902, to operate a canning business under the firm name of Phillips Packing Company. The partnership agreed to take the tomatoes that had already been contracted by the Woodford Packing Company and also to take the cans that had been purchased by the same company. Each member of the firm furnished one-third of the capital and shared equally in the profits and losses. This 1955 aerial photograph shows Factory B at the intersection of Sunburst Highway and Washington Street, the frozen food plant, and the can manufacturing plant. Courtesy of William D. Brightwell.”

If you'll notice, you'll see that the plant has absolutely no freight cars whatsoever. I can think of at least three reasons that come to mind. Again this is my opinion, but maybe someone who knows more about what was going on when this photo was taken can comment, but here's what I came up with:

1. It's 1955, & in 2 short years, the Phillips Packing Company would be sold to Consolidated Foods. The production at this plant is in a slow decline thanks to Phillips loosing the lucrative federal government contracts to produce both the “C” and “K” rations for the armed forces after WWII's close. You can see that Phillips built a frozen food plant (that's the white building up to the top left of the photo). Frozen food production would be one of the nails in the coffin for the canning business on the Eastern Shore & Phillips was aware that this was the “wave of the future,” so they added the frozen factory to their plant. Is the canning of fruits & vegetables winding down?

2. It's 1955, & the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (Route 50) opened in 1952. With the opening of the Bay Bridge & the soon to be enacted Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 being mulled around in Washington thanks to President Dwight D. Eisenhower convincing the people we need a national system of interstate & defense highways (made effective June 29, 1956), you can see 2 tractor trailers at the frozen food factory – is this the beginning of traffic that predominantly traveled by rail now going to truck?

3. Could it simply be that the photo was taken on a day that the plant was closed, like a Sunday? There aren't a lot of employee vehicles throughout the plant. Also, there's only 2 trucks that can be seen at the frozen factory. That's all well & good that it might be a day off, but why aren't there any rail cars stationed throughout the plant?

I am of the opinion that more product is going by truck & Phillips is a not producing as much canned goods as it did during the height of WWII. I was originally going to model sometime between 1955 & 1956, but this photo changes my mindset here.

I may push back the years a little bit towards the early 1950's rather than the mid-1950's. I also want to have a chance to run steam locomotives, so there will be times that I want to back-date the operations to reflect this. I really won't have to change too much on the layout to do this. More thinking...

Steve Campbell's NYC_PC Hightop Branch Layout

PC 7466 & 5628 on Steve Campbell's NYC/PC Hightop Branch, Steve Campbell photo.

OK - what has been going on? Well, since the end of January 2017, I left my position at an eastern U.S. Class I & went back to the shortline industry (I hired on a shortline back in 1984 - it's interesting that I returned to one later in life).

Since my job change, I'm finding that my free time had become much more limited after taking the new position at the shortline, but with 6 months under my belt, things are now becoming more scheduled & routine & I'm starting to get some of my free time back.

That being said, I wanted to at least post something because my last post (before my 11 posts today - July 23, 2017).

So with this being said, I want to suggest a website that some folks out there may be interested in: Steve Campbell's NYC/PC Hightop Branch Model Railroad.

Like the PRR Castlewood Branch model railroad, Steve's layout (also in HO Scale) is based on Model Railroader magazine's 2012 Virginian Railway project layout.

The MR's Virginian project railroad ran from January 2012 until May 2012 (with visits later in the year for additions & tips & tricks).

Steve's layout was also featured in Model Railroader in their March 2016 issue.

Take a look at his website here:

https://hitopbranchmodelrr.com/

Luke Towan's Boulder Creek Railroad Website & Channel

Crossing in Victoria diorama, Luke Towan photo.

If you have not done so already, check out Luke Towan's Boulder Creek Railroad website with his instructional videos. He does some excellent model work & he makes great descriptive videos that are easy to follow along & recreate.

His website can be found here:

http://www.bouldercreekrailroad.com/

His YouTube channel can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjRkUtHQ774mTg1vrQ6uA5A

Lance Mindheim

Lance Mindheim's Los Angeles Junction Railway, Lance Mindheim photo.

Here is someone that I personally think can get more folks into the hobby thanks to his layout design ideas & how to model the prototype: Lance Mindheim. 

He helped me to focus on the PRR's Cambridge Secondary Track through his writings (as opposed to other areas on the Delmarva that I originally planned to model - although I could do so at a later date).

I see Lance as one (of many) forward thinkers out there in our hobby. He suggests that you model what you know & slow down movement & shifting on your layout – much like the prototype railroads do today (& have done so in the past).

I can agree with this because I can personally attest that to just set-out one car from a train takes about 20 minutes. You have to take into account for stopping the train, setting handbrakes (& now testing the effectiveness of the handbrakes), making the cut, pulling clear of the customer's switch, lining the switch, spotting the car, tying the handbrake on the car (& testing the handbrake), pulling clear of the switch, doubling back up to the train, charging the air brake system back up, a brake test for air line continuity, & taking off the handbrakes - all prior to departing the customer.

In the real world, this averages 20 minutes - trust me.

His website can be found here:

http://lancemindheim.com/

Here is his blog on his website:

http://lancemindheim.com/contact/

Jerry Britton's PRR Middle Division Layout

Jerry Britton's Keystone Crossing logo by Jerry Britton.

Here is Jerry Britton's PRR Middle Division in HO Scale blog:

http://pennsyrr.com/about

Jerry also has a website that is THE place to go for anything & everything PRR: Keystone Crossing. There are sections for motive power & equipment; maps & operations; track guides & databases; etc. Anything anyone wants to know about the PRR is there.

You can visit his website here:

http://pennsyrr.com/

Alex Gillam's PRR Pittsburgh Division Layout

Alex Gillam's PRR Pittsburgh Division, Alex Gillam photo.

Here's another great modeler: Alex Gillam & his PRR Pittsburgh Division in N Scale blog.

You can find it here:

http://prr-nscale.blogspot.com/

Dave Vollmer's PRR Juniata Division Layout

N Scale Juniata Division Model Railroad, Dave Vollmer photo.

Another great model railroader is Dave Vollmer & his PRR Juniata Division Model Railroad in N Scale.

Dave's railroad was featured in both the N Scale Magazine & Model Railroad Magazine's Great Model Railroads 2014 issue.

Dave has a website dedicated to his layout & it can be found here:

http://thevollmerfamily.com/Pennsy/

He also has a second layout dedicated to the Colorado Midland Railroad, also in N Scale. You can find the Facebook page here (of course, you have to have a Facebook account to see this):

https://www.facebook.com/N-Scale-Colorado-Midland-Model-Railroad-962404053798467/

PRR Castlewood Branch Layout

PRR Castlewood Branch photo.

Here is a PRR HO Scale layout based on Model Railroader Magazine's 2012 Virginian Railway project layout, but called the PRR Castlewood Branch. I wish I could tell you who is building it, but unfortunately the owner is not listed on the page other than it's run by “The Castlewood Branch" (if I find out, I will post an update because he/she does some nice model work).

The MR's Virginian project railroad ran from January 2012 until May 2012 (with visits later in the year for additions & tips & tricks).

Of course, you have to have a Facebook account to see this, but here's a link directly to the PRR Castlewood Branch:

https://www.facebook.com/PRR-Castlewood-Branch-506087299554799/

Chuck Cover's Shamokin Branch of the PRR Layout

Northumberland, PA on Chuck Cover's Shamokin Branch of the PRR, Chuck Cover photo.

Another great PRR modeler is Chuck Cover & his S Scale Shamokin Branch. He covers the main line along the Susquehanna River between Harrisburg, PA (Enola yard) and Williamsport, PA in 1957.

His website can be found here:

http://www.chuck-cover.net/home

Don Richard's PRR Chesapeake Division 1967 Layout

Don Richard's PRR Chesapeake Division 1967 photo.

Here is Don Richard's PRR Chesapeake Division in 1967 HO Scale model railroad page on Facebook.

Don is a professional railroader by trade, too & an all-around nice guy.

Of course, you have to have a Facebook account to see this, but here's a link directly to the PRR Canal Street Branchline in HO Scale:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/pennsymodelers/

Ron Klaiss' PRR Canal St. Branch in Philadelphia Layout

Ron Klaiss PRR Canal Street Branchline in Philadelphia, PA in HO Scale photo.

Here's a really neat Facebook page by Ron Klaiss for his PRR Canal Street Branchline in Philadelphia (PA) in HO Scale switching layout built to Free-Mo standards.

For more information on Free-Mo, look here:

http://www.free-mo.org/about

Ron also has an existing railroad, the Mine Mount & Seaside Railroad in HO/HOn3 Scale, but he decided to make a switching layout in addition to his HO/HOn3 layout.

You can see Ron's Mine Mount & Seaside Railroad YouTube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/Ronklaiss?app=desktop

Of course, you have to have a Facebook account to see this, but here's a link directly to the PRR Canal Street Branchline in HO Scale:

https://www.facebook.com/Ron-Klaiss-PRR-Canal-St-Branchline-in-Philadelphia-HO-Scale-1390775920984139/

Eric Brooman's Utah Belt

Eric Brooman's Utah Belt in October 2011, Gateway Division of the NMRA photo.

Here's is the Facebook (unofficial) “Utah Belt Historical Society” for Eric Brooman's HO Scale Utah Belt Railroad. Following Allen McClelland's Virginian & Ohio Railroad's “good enough” policy, Eric has a really nice railroad that came out in print right after Railroad Model Craftsman magazine published the series of articles on Allen's V&O.

I think I was between the age of 11 & 13 when all of those articles came out & I was just mesmerized by what Allen & Eric created. Both had a huge influence on my plans on model railroad operations (& eventually lead me to a career as a professional railroader to this day I do believe).

Of course, you have to have a Facebook account to see this, but here's a link directly to the Utah Belt Historical Society:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1764935283821808/

Virginian and Ohio Historical Society Still Kickin'

Yes, it's been awhile (April 2017 I think was the last post).

Allen McClelland looks over a section of his model railroad layout in his West Carrollton, Ohio, home, 

Associated Press photo, Cincinnati Inquirer, April 20, 2001

In case no one was aware this was on Facebook, but the Virginian & Ohio Historical Society is still kind of around. This page is managed by Allen McClelland's son Brad, & it's nice to see discussion of the V&O of the past & what is going on presently on the V&O (Allen currently shares his K&M Subdivision on Gerry Albers' Virginian Railway Deepwater District HO Scale layout - it's in print in Model Railroader's "Great Model Railroads 2014.").

Of course, you have to have a Facebook account to see this, but here's a link directly to the V&O Historical Society:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/365905267140312/

Creating Cinder Ballast

Catcott Burtle station, Chris Nevard photo.

I have to share this post from the excellent United Kingdom (UK) modeler, Chris Nevard (he describes himself as: "Pro photographer, writer, beer, train fancier, urban pirate, wannabe musician, and nerd"), from his blog "The Model Railways of Chris Nevard."

This one has to do with "Creating the effect of cinder ballast," from 21 August 2011 (I do love the military use & the rest of the world's order displaying dates).

The PRR's Cambridge Secondary was not only built on cinders (READ: subgrade), but the ballast consisted of cinders (like all branch lines on the Delmarva Peninsula).

One thing I never considered in my plans for using cinder ballast was the fact that just simply spreading cinder ballast & then putting diluted white glue on it to attach it to the layout ends up producing a mess. I'll quote Mr. Nevard here regarding this, "Those who have tried this will know that all that happens is that we end up with a mess as the glue forms dusty balls that refuse to sink in however much or expensive the washing up liquid is used to help break the surface tension."

Another method would be to use plaster, but Mr. Nevard points out, "Plaster can be used for big wide flat areas, but as soon as it goes anywhere near rails, sleepers and chairs (READ: ties & the method the rail is attached to the ties), it will cling like molten ice cream does to a clean shirt better than barnacles do to a sunken wreck off the Needles." (For those wondering where the "Needles" are located, you can find it off of the west side of the Isle of Wight in the UK).

So what does Mr. Nevard suggest? Clay.

He mentions that you do have to take your time, but it is very forgiving, & mistakes & cracks in the dried clay can be corrected.

I'm going to investigate this method before doing anything with cinder ballast on the PRR's Cambridge Secondary.

You can read Mr. Nevard's blog post here:

Chris Nevard's "Creating the effect of cinder ballast."

February and March 2017 Multiple Updates

"Hey, wha' happened?" (from "A Mighty Wind" movie, Warner Brothers, 2003).

Does this look familiar (see my December 2016 post):

OK, wait what happened to February & March 2017? No posts?

This time, I left my job at a Eastern Class I railroad & went to work in management in a large Eastern shortline in the end of January/beginning of February, 2017.

Unfortunately, my free time right now is null & void.

I'm trying to figure-out my next post, but I do want everyone to know that I'm alive & well & I am going to pursue building my Cambridge Secondary Track in HO Scale.

I did, recently, purchase a Broadway Limited Imports HO Scale PRR Class H10 Consolidation (2-8-0). I'm looking at having the ability to “turn back the clock” during operations where I can run operating sessions both in the 1940s & the 1950s (depending on my mood during any given session). The good thing is that fact that I wouldn't have to change either the right-of-way or adjacent structures (making life a lot easier).

I know that from Phillips Packaging stand-point, they used the PRR much more in the 1940's than the 1950's (they were winding-down operations in Cambridge at that time). Photos of the plant pretty much confirmed this from the 1950's (let alone the fact that they were sold to Consolidated Foods in 1957 & then the plant was sold again in 1960 to Coastal Foods Company, but by this time, the place was a shell of its former self).

So that being said, as I said back in December 2016, stay tuned for my next update. I'm not too sure if I can stay with my original ambitious schedule to post each week. Right now, I think I'd be happy if I can post each month (& in the last 2 months, I haven't been too successful following my new plan).

Stay tuned.

Phillips Packing Company in the 1920's

Here's another photo of Phillips Packing Company in Cambridge, MD in the 1920's from the MSA.maryland.gov website & the H. Robins Hollyday Collection at the Talbot Historical Society, looking roughly southeast.

What's neat about this photo is that not all of the warehouses were built yet (at the center, bottom of the photo). Also notice the oil dealership at that location. They would move further northwest as Phillips expanded.

Also note the wye at the top right of the photo (just before the main curves off to the left). The engine service facility can barely be seen in the center of the wye (next to the main; with what appears to be a concrete wall or a fence around it (it could also be an ash pit, but it's really hard to tell).

Eventually, there would be a spur (with a diamond) across the north leg of the wye to serve one of Phillips canning warehouses, but it wasn't built at the time this photo was taken.

Only Factory F (the brick building on the left of the main, towards the bottom of the photograph) still stands today with an antique store inside of a portion of the building. I do believe Dorchester County received a state & federal grant to rebuild the unused portion for mixed public use.

Phillips Packing Company in Cambridge, MD in the 1920's from the MSA.maryland.gov website & the H. Robins Hollyday Collection at the Talbot Historical Society

The Phillips Packing Company Premier

Phillips Packing Company envelope with a "fantasized" drawing of the layout-out of the company - there wasn't any water located next to the plant - this is definitely using the "artistic license"  (my personal collection)

Although the original railroad built by the Dorchester & Delaware Railroad back in the 1860's had more to do with connecting Cambridge, MD to the outside world, one major customer that can't be overlooked in Cambridge was the Phillips Packing Company.

Not only was it the largest employer at one time (only to be outclassed by the maritime & farming industry), but it was known for "making Cambridge famous" for 55 years.

Of course, with any organization that gets as large as the Phillips Packing Company did, it did have its problems (more on another post about that later - the year of 1937 will be discussed), no one can say that Phillips didn't change the face of the town of Cambridge.

I've got a lot of this information from various sources (one being the Cambridge, MD page on the Choptank River Historic Sites), so I'm going to share what I have here.

Colonel Albanus Phillips (1871-1949) one of the founders of Phillips Packing Company

Here's a little background on Colonel Albanus Phillips & his Brother Levi Phillips from by Harold W. Hurst's August 2006, article "The Canning Industry in Delmarva":

"Colonel Albanus Phillips (1871-1949), Cambridge’s “king of the canners,” may serve as a typical representative of this new industrial elite. Active in Masonic activities and an ardent supporter of the Republican Party, he also served on the staff of Governor Phillip Lee Goldsborough and the board of directors of Washington College in Chestertown. For many years he was on the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Albanus’ brother, Levi B., was another “mover and shaker” in Cambridge. He was president of the National Bank and an active member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Zion Methodist Church. Levi stepped onto the national stage when he became director of the Richmond District of the Federal Reserve Bank.

The sons of Colonel Phillips, Albanus, Jr. and Theodore, continued the family interest in community affairs and voluntary associations. William G. Winterbottom, a partner in the Phillips organization, was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1908."

Colonel Phillips, Levi Phillips, and W. Grason Winterbottom formed the Phillips Packing Company on March 10, 1902. Each partner would share a third of the costs & the profits. The partnership would take the tomatoes & cans from the Woolford Packing Company & package them under their company's name.

The Colonel would also start the Phillips Hardware Company in 1904 & the A. Phillips & Company oyster and fruit packers firm in 1907.

In 1914 the partners organized the Phillips Can Company on the property of the Phillips Packing Company to can the products themselves. 

These companies (minus the Hardware Company) formed the largest fruit and packing firms in the Eastern part of the United States and the largest oyster packing firm in the United States. The tomato and catsup/ketchup business became one of the largest food processing companies in the nation.

Phillips Delicious Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup label (from 1946)

In the 1920's canned tomatoes and sweet potatoes were marketed throughout the United States as “Phillips Delicious.” 

During World War I, Phillips canned a large share of the rations for the U.S. Army. Phillips supplied canned food for the 1930's Byrd Antarctic Expeditions. Colonel Phillips became a close friend of Admiral Richard E. Byrd, who named a mountain range and glacier after the Colonel. 

During World War II, the Phillips plants produced both the “C” and “K” rations for the armed forces. The company was proud of the four awards for excellence that it received from the Army and Navy during this period.

Phillips Canning went through many changes & enjoyed highs & lows in the canning industry, but why doesn't it exist today (& why did they stop shipping by rail)? I'll refer to the excellent article (again), by Mr. Hurst's "The Canning Industry in Delmarva" article. He summed-up the ending of the canning industry on Maryland's Eastern Shore (& I can tell you after having worked for the Delaware Coast Line Railroad in the early 1980's-to-early 1990's & taking care of one of the last canning companies in Sussex County, Delaware: Draper King Cole Company in Milton, DE, this sums up the canning industry on the ENTIRE Eastern Shore):

"The number of canneries declined after World War II. By 1980, there were only about 20 canning factories left in the eight counties of Eastern Shore Maryland. Why did this once thriving industry fade away? After 1945, lavish wartime government contracts ceased. High labor costs due to unionization and the introduction of the minimum wage reduced profits, causing many canners to sell out.

Competition from the frozen food industry and increasing rivalry from California fruit canners contributed to a further decline of Delmarva operations. The opening of the Bay Bridge in the early 1950's resulted in the diversification of the Peninsula economy and the establishment of new enterprises offering a wide variety of fresh employment and business opportunities.

An era passed away as cannery after cannery closed their doors and Delmarva farmers converted their tomato fields and fruit orchards into lands planted with corn, wheat and soybeans. The failure of the industry marked the end of another epoch in Delmarva history."

So, what happened to Phillips? Well, the company was sold to Consolidated Foods in 1957. In 1960, the factory was sold again to the Coastal Foods Company. In 1965, Factory B and a number of other buildings burned, leaving only a small administrative office that still stands today and is occupied by the Coastal Gunite Construction Company at 16 Washington Street (across the street from where Wawa stands today).

And yes, the modern-day Phillips Seafood Inc. was founded by descendants of Colonel Phillips (& yes, a shameless plug, I do like & use Phillips Seafood's products - just wanted to get that out there).

The entrance to Phillips Seafood restaurant in 2011, at Baltimore, MD's Inner Harbor (Phillips Food Inc. collection)

I'll be posting more photos of Phillips in other posts because I do have a lot of information on this operation.