Hill Family Collection, 1884-1938 MS 2681

Register of the Hill Family Collection, 1884-1938

MS. 2681

Maryland Historical Society

Baltimore MD 21201-4674

by

Steven Schmidt

April 1987

The Hill Family Collection is composed of materials related to the career activities of three brothers who resided in Baltimore, Maryland: Charles Edward Hill, John Boynton Philip Clayton Hill, and Bancroft Hill. They were the sons of Charles Ebenezer and Kate Watts (Clayton) Hill.

Charles Edward Hill, an attorney at law, practiced in Baltimore City during the years of 1880 to 1920.

John Boynton Philip Clayton Hill was born in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, on May 2, 1879. He attended common school and graduated from both Johns Hopkins University (1900) and Harvard University's law department in 1903. He practiced law in Boston (1903-1904) and returned to practice in Maryland prior to his military service. In 1904 John Hill enlisted with the National Guard and served as a Lieutenant in the 4th Maryland Infantry (1905-1910). He married Suzanne Howell on October 28, 1913, and had three children, Suzanne Carroll Clayton, Elsie Bancroft, and Catherine Coleman Clayton. He served as U.S. Attorney for the district of Maryland (1910-1915). He ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Baltimore in 1915 and was a delegate to the Republican National Convention at Chicago in 1916. During his military career he served as judge advocate for the 15th Division attached to the 14th Cavalry, Mexican border service and as Major and Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army during World War I. He was elected as Republican to the 67th, 68th and 69th Congress (March 4, 1921-March 3, 1927), but was an unsuccessful candidate in 1928 and 1936. He practiced law in New York City from 1937 to 1940, returning to Maryland in 1940. John B.P.C. Hill died in Washington, D.C. on May 23, 1941, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Fort Myer, Virginia.

Bancroft Hill was born in Maryland on May 5, 1887. He attended Johns Hopkins University from 1906 to 1907 and graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1911. He married Frances G. McCoy on May 5, 1915. He was appointed harbor engineer for the port of Baltimore in 1920 by Mayor William F. Broening, and served as president of the Harbor Board and engineer of the Port Development Commission created in 1920. He was one of the youngest city officials during the 1921 administration. After tendering his resignation as harbor engineer to Mayor Howard W. Jackson on September 13, 1924, Hill continued to serve as a consulting engineer to the Harbor Board and as Chief Engineer to the Port Development Commission. Retiring from public service, he worked as a valuation engineer for United Railways and Electric Company, 1925-1935, and served in turn as executive vice-president (1935-1936) and president (1936-1945) of the Baltimore Transit Company. Bancroft Hill died on January 5, 1957, and was buried in Druid Ridge Cemetery, Baltimore City, Maryland.

The Hill Family Collection is divided into three sections pertaining to Charles Edward Hill, John B.P.C. Hill and Bancroft Hill. Material in each section is arranged chronologically.

The papers (1880-1920) of Charles Edward Hill consist of incoming correspondence related to his law practice. Subjects chiefly concern contracts and lease agreements.

John Philip Hill's campaign for election as Congressman from the Third Congressional District (November, 1922) is well represented by letters, telegrams, receipted bills, and financial reports. Located in the Prints and Photographs Division is a campaign button advocating William Cable Bruce for Senator.

Bancroft Hill's successful career as Baltimore's harbor engineer is reflected in a scrapbook (1 volume) which contains newspaper clippings related to harbor development, transportation, harbor pollution and construction of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The scrapbook articles encompass a span of nineteen years, 1919-1938. In addition to the scrapbook are three bound volumes of survey reports and one bound volume concerning the plan of harbor development. The four reports were each prepared by the Harbor Board of Baltimore and Bancroft Hill. Survey reports, volumes 1 through 3, were all prepared on November 15, 1920. The volume, Plan of Harbor Development, was prepared on October 1, 1921.

Box 1

John Philip Hill, campaign materials, 1922

(90 items).

Charles Edward Hill, incoming correspondence, 1884-1920 (ca. 322 items) postcards, 1884-1889 (128 items)

Petition of the City of Baltimore to the Honorable, The Secretary of War, for the Permission to Build the Broening Park Bulkhead and Piers, William F. Broening, Mayor, City of Baltimore, 25 April.

Box 2

Plan of Harbor Development, Harbor Board of Baltimore, Bancroft Hill, Harbor Engineer, 1 October 1921.

Survey Reports, Harbor Board of Baltimore, Bancroft Hill, Harbor Engineer.

a) Baltimore Harbor Vol. I. Municipal and Railroad Piers, Shipyards and Warehouses, 15 November 1920.

b) Baltimore Harbor Vol. II. Industries on Waterfront, 15 November 1920.

Box 3

c) Baltimore Harbor, Survey Report Vol. III. Foundation Conditions, Harbor Board of Baltimore, Bancroft Hill, Harbor Engineer, 15 November 1920.

Box 4

Bancroft Hill Scrapbook. 1919-1938

(1 vol.)

BALTIMORE, MD--Bridges, 1923-1930's

BALTIMORE, MD--Businesses, 1919-1938

BALTIMORE, MD--Harbor, 1919-1938

BALTIMORE, MD--Land, 1919-1923

BALTIMORE, MD--Railroads, 1919-1938

BALTIMORE, MD--Shipbuilding, 20th c.

BALTIMORE, MD--Shipping, 1919-1938

BALTIMORE, MD., PORT OF 1919-1938

BRIDGES--Baltimore, Md., 1923-1930's

BRIDGES--Chesapeake Bay, 1930's

CABIN BRANCH BRIDGE, 1924

CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE, 1930's

CHESAPEAKE BAY--Shipping, 1919-1938

CURTIS CREEK BRIDGE, 1924

ELECTIONS AND ELECTION CAMPAIGNS, 1922

HANOVER STREET BRIDGE, 1923-1924

HILL, BANCROFT 1889-1957

HILL, CHARLES EDWARD (fl. 1880-1920)

HILL, JOHN BOYNTON PHILIP CLAYTON 1879-1941

LAND--Development, 1919-1923

HANOVER STREET BRIDGE, 1923-1924

HILL, BANCROFT 1889-1957

HILL, CHARLES EDWARD (fl. 1880-1920)

HILL, JOHN BOYNTON PHILIP CLAYTON 1879-1941

LAND--Development, 1919-1923

LAW PRACTICE, 1880-1920

LAWYERS, 1880-1920

POLITICS, 1922

POLLUTION--Water, 1923

RAILROADS, 1923-1924

SHIPBUILDING--Baltimore, Md., 20th c.

SHIPPING, 1919-1938

SHIPS--S. S. Annapolis, 1919-1924

SHIPS--Latrobe, 1921-1924

SHIPS--M. A. Sommers, 1922

STREETCARS--Baltimore, Md., 1936

S. S. ANNAPOLIS (ship), 1919-1924

TRANSPORTATION, 1919-1938

LATROBE (ship), 1921-1924

M. A. SOMMERS (ship), 1922

BALTIMORE, MD--Railroads, 1919-1938