On Sept. 10, 1916, The Cumberland Evening Times printed an extra on a Sunday that proclaimed: “Decision of Kelly-Springfield Company Gives to Cumberland Industrial Plum That Should Double City’s Population and Make It Important Manufacturing Point For Other Concerns.”
It was a decision that influenced Cumberland and Allegany County for decades.
“The securing of this industry will double Cumberland’s population in a few years,” The Evening Times reported. “The tire company is to employ 3,000 men at the beginning of its manufacturing here and the plant is as certain to grow as the use of automobiles is to increase.”
Cumberland officials and the Chamber of Commerce had been working to win the Kelly- Springfield Tire Co. to move its manufacturing operations that were located in Akron and Wooster in Ohio to Cumberland. The final package that won over the tire company was a free building site along the Potomac River for the manufacturing plant, a $750,000 “bonus” (about $22.3 million today), the extension of the city limits to the building site so the plant could have city fire and police protection and improved streets leading to the plant.
Kelly-Springfield’s board of directors knew a great deal when they saw one and agreed. However, upon signing that agreement, the city and chamber had 30 days to arrange for the $750,000 to be paid so that construction could move forward.
It was also expected that the city would have to issue bonds to pay for the infrastructure improvements to the building site. This also included making some upgrades to the Cumberland and Westernport Electric Railway, which was expected to see a dramatic increase in ridership to take workers to and from the new plant.
The major railroads in the county also did their part to facilitate the deal.
“The tire company required a shifting of a considerable stretch of the Baltimore and Ohio tracks on the proposed site of the plant,” The Evening Times reported. “The officers of the Baltimore and Ohio promptly agreed to aid the project in any way possible. The Western Maryland officers likewise agreed to extend any help that may be required from that company.”
This just left the major portion, which was raising the $750,000. The Chamber of Commerce met with a committee of citizens to put together a capital campaign. The goal was to get every citizen to help out because the entire city would benefit from the new and better-paying jobs that Kelly-Springfield would offer.
After a meeting the following day among local leaders, The Cumberland Development Company was created. People who wanted to help the effort to raise the money to bring the tire company to the county could buy shares in the company. More than 1,700 people subscribed money for stock and the $750,000 and site purchase money was more than raised by Oct. 3. The city then had to hold a special vote on the bond issue.
This critical vote even attracted the attention of former residents of the city.
Eighty-year-old Joseph Farber owned a share of the development company stock. He traveled from Boston to vote on the bond issue. He hadn’t expected to return to the city until after the presidential election, but deemed the bond vote too important to miss.
“The probability of the great Kelly-Springfield Tire Co. locating here is a wonderful thing in the life of Cumberland,” Farber told The Evening Times. “It is what I have been hoping would happen for many years and now the opportunity stands knocking at our door. I would have come a much greater distance to help give Cumberland the greatest boost in her history.”
Once the results of the bond vote were official, the city celebrated with an impromptu parade.
“With little more than an hour’s notice over 100 automobiles gathered at City Hall and about ten o’clock started a parade,” The Evening Times reported. “Others joined at different points and at one time there were 123 autos in line. Many were artistically decorated with bunting, flags and Japanese lanterns and parasols.”
That parade could also be seen as the moment Cumberland entered its golden age.
Contact Jim Rada at jimrada@yahoo.com or 410-698-3571.