James P. Stabler (1796–1840) was a chief engineer for two of the earliest railroads in the United States.

Early life and education

Born August 14, 1796, in Sandy Spring in Montgomery County, Maryland, James Pleasants Stabler was the son of Dr. William (1767-1806) and Deborah Brooks Pleasants Stabler (1763-1845), who were friends with noted Quaker preacher

Elias Hicks Elias Hicks (March 19, 1748 – February 27, 1830) was a traveling Quaker minister from Long Island, New York. In his ministry he promoted unorthodox doctrines that led to controversy, which caused the second major schism within the Religious Soc ...

. In 1824, he served as postmaster of Sandy Spring.

Career

He was for a time the chief engineer and general superintendent of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. During that time, he supervised the survey and construction of the railroad from

Baltimore, Ohio Baltimore is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in Fairfield County, Ohio, Fairfield County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,966 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. History Baltimore was originally called New Market, and ...

, southwest to The Relay, then to Ellicott City, Maryland, and then to Frederick County, Maryland. He first married Elizabeth Gilpin Stabler (1795-1823), and in February 1830, married Sarah Bentley Briggs (1801-1886) of Alexandria, Virginia, a daughter of surveyor (and friend to

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...

) Isaac Briggs. In 1835, Stabler and his wife lived in

Elkton, Maryland Elkton is a town in and the county seat of Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The population was 15,443 at the 2010 census. It was formerly called Head of Elk because it sits at the head of navigation on the Elk River, which flows into the n ...

. That year, he was hired by the Delaware and Maryland Railroad as assistant engineer and superintendent of construction. In 1836, he was hired as the chief engineer of the Wilmington and Susquehanna Railroad, based in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington (Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...

, at an annual salary of $3,500 ($ today). Both the D&M and the W&S were part of the first rail line south from

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

; much of their rights-of-way are today part of

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

's Northeast Corridor. His service with the D&M is noted on the 1839

Newkirk Viaduct Monument The Newkirk Viaduct Monument (also, Newkirk Monument) is a 15-foot white marble obelisk in the West Philadelphia neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Installed in 1839, it is inscribed with the names of 51 railroad builders and executives, ...

. Late in the year, he fell ill, perhaps with tuberculosis; he returned to work in January 1837. Later that year, Stabler purchased the house and grounds of his father-in-law, Isaac Briggs, for $1,000. (Named "Sharon," the estate remained in the family until 1911. Today, it is part of a convalescent and retirement home at 18201 Marden Lane in

Olney, Maryland Olney is a U.S. census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located in the north central part of the county, north of Washington, D.C. Olney was largely agricultural unti ...

.) He had at least one daughter, born in 1837, and two sons, including Pleasants Stabler and James P. Stabler, Jr. (1860–1901). The W&S "dispensed with his services" on October 31, 1837. He was at the time attempting to cultivate silkworms for commercial silk production. A finding aid for Stabler's family papers says he and his father-in-law Isaac Briggs were "men of education and attainment but good fortune did not seem to attend their best endeavors, though in their family connections were persons of wealth with whom they appear to have been on a basis of entire social equality. The whole family connection was fervent in its faith in the Quaker doctrine." By 1838, he had returned to his home in Sandy Spring. He died there and was buried by Sandy Spring Friends Meeting House in 1840, aged 43.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stabler, James P 1797 births 1840 deaths American civil engineers American surveyors American railroad pioneers American people in rail transportation American railroad mechanical engineers People from Sandy Spring, Maryland People from Elkton, Maryland People from Olney, Maryland Engineers from Maryland