Cumberland Development Company - Maryland 1916

Beautiful certificate from the Cumberland Development Company issued in 1916. This historic document was printed by Frank B. Jenvey and has an ornate border around it with a vignette of an eagle. This item has the signatures of the Company's President, Col. John Keating and Secretary and is over 90 years old.






Certificate Vignette

Distinguished Citizens of Allegany County Excerpts from History of Allegany County by Williams and Thomas (1923)



COL. JOHN KEATING.-Among the successful business men of Western Maryland, Col. John Keating ranks well to the fore. In business and financial circles, Col. Keating, whose home is in Cumberland, has been for years, and still is, an important member, and is generally recognized and respected as a man of probity, whose standing as a resident in his home city is unquestioned.

Col. John Keating is one of the last men to seek publicity. His whole life has been devoted to his business interests, in the success of which he well may be proud. He is an actice man today, in the prime of life. His energy is witnessed by his executive connection with several of the most important city and out of city business and financial interests. Col. Keating, it may said, has three hobbies first, business; second, his home; third, he dearly loves to dabble in politics; - he is a Democrat whose standing is high at home and throughout the State of Maryland. He was a delegate from Maryland to the Democratic National Convention at San Francisco. He went there an avowed Cox man, and voted for Cox from start to finish. That's Col. Keating, the man-a genial, even-tempered, well-versed and public-spirited man, plain, without any frills, a good mixer, a staunch friend, a worker today, just as he was years ago when he started as clerk in a grocery store, following education in a private school.

A brief write-up such as this needs no flowery language to tell of Col. John Keating, the man. Of Irish descent and proud of it, he displays the energetic traits of the Emerald Isle combined with a staunch Americanism that goes without question. His whole business career is centered in and around Cumberland, Maryland, yet in Virginia, where he was born, and in Baltimore where he is well known, the Keating name is highly rated.

The subject of this sketch, John Keating, was born December 16, 1862, at Winchester, Virginia, son of Catherine and John Keating, the latter having been born in Ireland. Col. Keating was not born with a golden spoon in his mouth. To his credit let it be said, he was a poor boy, who, following a period of private schooling until he was fourteen, has had to work and did work daily, climbing slowly but surely the ladder of success. When he came to Cumberland in 1879, at the age of sixteen, he became bookkeeper at the James Clark Company here, of which his half-brother, James Clark, was the owner: In 1888, he was made a member of the company, and when the company was reorganized in 1895, Col. Keating became vice-president and treasurer of the James Clark Distilling Company. He held this official position with the company uninterruptedly until the business was closed of recent years, and, undoubtedly, the growth of the business was due to Col Keating's efforts in happy cooperation with Mr. James Clark.

Col. Keating's other business connections of importance are as follows:

He has been secretary and treasurer of the Cumberland Brewing Company since its organization in 1889.

In the field of finance Col. :Keating's activities are large. He is a director of the Second National Bank of Cumberland; vice-president and director of the Farmers & Merchants National Bank of Winchester, Va.; Director of the Union Trust Company of Maryland, a Baltimore banking house, for several years, being a member of the executive committee.

With all these varied and important interests, one might think Col. Keating would have no further time for other matters; but not so. He takes vivid interest in home-town affairs, and lends a hand in development of same wherever and whenever necessary. And it may be said that his advice and support is often asked and as often cheerfully rendered. He was leader in advancing the project that eventually landed the Kelly-Springfield Company plant in Cumberland, a $10,000,000 enterprise, and was a large contributer to the undertaking. Col. Keating is vice-president of the Cumberland Development Company, organized in 1917, to carry through the plan for locating the plant in Cumberland.

Since 1911, by appointment of the Governer of Maryland, he has been a director of the Western Maryland Hospital at Cumberland, today, through his earnest efforts and those of his fellow-directors, one of the most up-to-date institutions of its character in Western Maryland.

A many-sided man. of powerful convictions is Col. John Keating, as is noted herein. He is recognized as the leader in Democratic circles in this section of Maryland, and is, and has been for years, an important factor in the fortunes of the Democratic party in this State. His advice is often sought by Democratic leaders at Baltimore, and he has represented his party on important occasions many times. In addition to having been a delegate from Maryland which nominated Gov. Cox for the Presidency, Col. Keating, in 1900, was a delegate from this State to the National Democratic Convention at Kansas City which nominated Bryan. He was also an alternate delegate-at-large to the convention which nominated Judge Alton B. Parker.

In 1911, Col. Keating was tendered the nomination for Comptroller on the ticket with Austin L. Crothers, but declined it. Governor Crothers later appointed Mr. Keating ranking colonel on his staff.

Col. and Mrs. Keating reside in their pretentious home on Washington Street, Cumberland, and it is here that the Colonel and his hospitable wife entertain and receive their scores of friends from, time to time. They live a quiet American-family life with their children, for despite Col. Keating's activities and wide general acquaintance, he loves his home. He is a member of the Maryland Club of Baltimore, also of the Cumberland Country Club; is affiliated with Cumberland Lodge, No. 63; Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. A staunch Catholic, Col. Keating, as are the members of his family, belongs to St. Patrick's Church, Cumberland. As a strong supporter of the Catholic Church, Col. Keating is known to foster its advancement financially in every way, meeting every demand, yet he is not hidebound, for, as is well known in Cumberland, the Keating contribution to each and every public or charitable request is regular and consistent with the merit of the demand.

On September 23, 1896, Col. Keating married Miss D. G. O'Reilly, of Worcester, Massachusetts, by which marriage there are two children, Kathleen D. Keating and John Keating, Jr. Col. Keating's first wife, Miss Sarah Hughes, of Baltimore, whom he married on February 8, 1888, died in Cumberland in 1893, leaving one son, Vincent Keating, who is a graduate of Mt. St. Mary's, Emmittsburg, and a graduate of the University of Virginia. Vincent Keating is now pursuing a journalistic career.

Miss Kathleen Keating, the only daughter, is a graduate of the Sacred Heart College, Eden Hall, near Philadelphia, and John Keating, Jr. (a regular chip of the old block) is a student at Georgetown Prep. School, Garrett Park, Md.