Milton Walters Offutt
Born(1857-05-14)May 14, 1857
DiedAugust 20, 1903 (aged 46)
Alma materGlenwood Institute
SpouseMary Emily Jenkins
Parents
  • Thomas Zadock Offutt
  • Matin A.E. Offutt


Milton Walters Offutt (May 14, 1857 – August 20, 1903 was a lawyer, businessman, and politician. He was the son of Dr. Thomas Zadock Offutt Jr. and Maria Elizabeth Walters Offutt.[1] He attended Glenwood Institute near Sykesville Maryland. He married Mary Emily Jenkins in 1804, and they had two children, Nancy Jenkins Offutt (b. 16 Nov 1897) and Milton Offutt Jr. (b. 19 Mar 1899). Mary Emily Jenkins Offutt died in 1933 after having remarried to Thomas W. Offutt.

Early Life

edit

The family of M.W. Offutt moved to Granite in Baltimore County Maryland from Virginia during the 1800s. His oldest known relative being Capt. Alexander Walters (b. 1780) from his mother's side. His father was a doctor and landowner.[2] Milton Offutt's education was at the Institute in Sykesville Maryland. He later went to Towson and worked in the law office of McIntosh.

Career

edit

Milton Offutt was admitted to the bar in 1881 in Towson.[3][4]

Politics

edit

General Assembly House of Delegates Jan. 2 - Mar. 31, 1884

Grafton Bosley finally settled in Towson in 1848 where, he formed a medical partnership with his uncle, Josiah Marsh. After his uncle died in 1850, Bosley continued managing the practice for several years, then devoted his work to his real estate holdings and his church's activities, the Independent Order of Odd-Fellows, and was involved in local politics.[5] In 1854, Bosley sold 50 acres to a development group from Pennsylvania who improved the area which was west of York Rd. with new avenues, trees, and boardwalks. The buildings in this area included the Smedley House which was a fine hotel that became popular as Towson became county seat.[6][7]

Offutt's Code of Local Laws

edit

Offutt's Code of Local Laws

Towson Life

edit

Dr. Marsh was the owner of a 140-acre estate, which was inherited in 1850 upon his uncle's death by Bosley. The property conveyed includes current day West Towson: areas west of York Road, south of Joppa Road, north of the Sheppard-Pratt Hospital, and east of Woodbine Avenue. Rather than occupy the inherited Marsh homestead, Dr. Bosley built his home and selected a site in what is now the Southland Hills neighborhood of Towson Maryland.[8] This 25-room mansion he called "Uplands,", appears on the Bromley 1852 map,[9]and was created in the middle of a twenty-five-acre park known as "The Highlands". Bosley lived there until he fell ill just before his death in 1901. Col. Milton W. Offutt purchased the Bosley estate on Chesapeake Ave. for the sum of $17,500 and exchange for the Offutt home on Chesapeake Ave. and Baltimore Ave. in Towson.[10][11][12]

 
Bosley Mansion as the newly converted Presbyterian Home

[13]

Philanthropy and Politics

edit

Following division of Baltimore County from the city of Baltimore on July 1, 1851, a referendum of county voters in 1853 and ratification on February 13, 1854 determined the County Seat and site of the new county courthouse would be in Towson. [14] Dr. Bosley and other large landowners, Henry Chew, Benjamin Payne, and son of the Governor Charles Carnan Ridgely - John Carnan Ridgely[15] all offered land and improvements to influence the vote for Towson.[16][17][18]. Bosley Avenue in Towson Maryland is named for Dr. Bosley who ultimately donated part of his land for the Towson Courthouse in 1852 and for the Baltimore County Jail in Towson.[19] The first group of County commissioners independent of Baltimore City which became the Baltimore County Council, Joshua Hutchins, Edward Myers, Joseph Pope, William Slater and Charles Timanus held their first meeting, typically a dinner and discussion, at Dr. Bosley's mansion in West Towson. Bosley was party to finance discussions related to who could buy or sell notes related to the erection of the new public buildings required in Towson.[20][21] Dr. Bosley was a founding member of the Towson Odd Fellows organization which is over 160 years old and he served as it's first Noble Grand. He was an original trustee of the Epsom Chapel which was Towson's first church and was a member of the vestry of the Trinity Episcopal Church having also donated the land for its rectory.[22]

State Fair

edit

Grafton Bosley also inherited from his father a tenant farm with a mansion north of Towsontowne, which was known as Belle Field[23] or, more recently, as the Timonium Mansion. The property had a 1-mile racetrack where he began hosting annual charity fairs. On Tuesday, September 17, 1878. Dr. Bosley hosted and served as Chairman of arrangements for a series of contests and ball to benefit yellow fever sufferers at his property in Ridgely's Woods. The event organization was known as Baltimore County Grange and was attended by over 1000 and raised over $150.[24][25][26][27][28] After his death, the fair continued to be run by Baltimore County Grange. Dr. Bosley was a founder and incorporator of The Agricultural Society of Baltimore County. The event became the official Maryland State Fair in 1937[29]

Death

edit

Grafton Bosley died at Church Home and Infirmary and was buried at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Towson, Maryland.[5][30]

References

edit
  1. ^ Genealogy and Biography of Leading Families of the City of Baltimore and Baltimore County, MD (New York, NY & Chicago, IL: Chapman Publishing Company, 1897) Pg. 986. Biography of Dr. Thomas Z. Offutt.
  2. ^ Genealogy and Biography of Leading Families of the City of Baltimore and Baltimore County, MD (New York, NY & Chicago, IL: Chapman Publishing Company, 1897) Pg. 986. Biography of Dr. Thomas Z. Offutt.
  3. ^ Genealogy and Biography of Leading Families of the City of Baltimore and Baltimore County, MD (New York, NY & Chicago, IL: Chapman Publishing Company, 1897) Pg. 986. Biography of Dr. Thomas Z. Offutt.
  4. ^ The Sun, August 21, 1903, Pg. 12
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference SunObit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ A History of Baltimore County, Neal A. Brooks, Eric G. Rockel, William C. Hughes · 1979, ISBN 0960232613, pg. 289
  7. ^ Baltimore County Union, Jan. 16, 1892.
  8. ^ A History of Baltimore County, Neal A. Brooks, Eric G. Rockel, William C. Hughes · 1979, ISBN 0960232613, pg. 290
  9. ^ Maryland Historical Trust Architectural Survey File BA-97
  10. ^ The Sun (1837-1990); Jan 19, 1900; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Baltimore Sun pg. 7
  11. ^ Baltimore County Union, Improvements, Mar. 20, 1869.
  12. ^ A Brief History of West Towson, by David A. Loizeaux "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 17, 2006. Retrieved February 17, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. ^ Towson A Pictorial History of a Maryland Town, By Henry George Hahn, Carl Behm · 1977, ISBN 0915442361, pg. 50
  14. ^ https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/36loc/bco/chron/html/bcochron.html
  15. ^ https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc3500/sc3520/001400/001446/html/1446extbio.html
  16. ^ A History of Ba Baltimore County, Neal A. Brooks, Eric G. Rockel, William C. Hughes · 1979, ISBN 0960232613, pg. 131-132
  17. ^ Baltimore County Advocate, Oct. 22, Nov. 12, 1853.
  18. ^ Towson A Pictorial History of a Maryland Town, By Henry George Hahn, Carl Behm · 1977, ISBN 0915442361, pg. 51
  19. ^ Genealogy and Biography of Leading Families of the City of Baltimore and Baltimore County, Maryland (New York: Chapman Publishing Company, 1897), pg. 937-38
  20. ^ A History of Baltimore County, Neal A. Brooks, Eric G. Rockel, William C. Hughes · 1979, ISBN 0960232613, pg. 134.
  21. ^ Baltimore County Advocate, Mar. 18, Apr. 1, 1854.
  22. ^ Maryland Historical Trust Architectural Survey File BA-97
  23. ^ Maryland Historical Trust Architectural Survey File BA-71
  24. ^ Maryland Journal, Local News, Sep. 21, 1878.
  25. ^ Baltimore County Union, Local Items, Sep. 21, 1878.
  26. ^ Baltimore County Union, (Advertisement) For the Benefit of the Yellow Fever Sufferers! Grand Championship Tournament and Coronation Ball, Sep. 14, 1874.
  27. ^ A History of Baltimore County, Neal A. Brooks, Eric G. Rockel, William C. Hughes · 1979, ISBN 0960232613, pg. 322
  28. ^ The American Farmer (Sep. 1878): 329, 365.
  29. ^ jjoyner@patuxent.com, By Jim Joyner. "Towson Odd Fellows Lodge marks 160th anniversary". baltimoresun.com.
  30. ^ "About Us: Our History".


Category:1825 births Category:1901 deaths Category:American Odd Fellows Category:American philanthropists Category:American Odd Fellows Category:19th-century philanthropists Category:People from Towson, Maryland Category:Timonium, Maryland Category:Festivals established in 1878