The Story of

James A. Millholland was an accomplished mechanical engineer. It was said that he was, “a mechanical engineer of unusual ability.” He was a railroad executive, serving as General Manager and later President of the Georges Creek and Cumberland Railroad in Cumberland, Maryland, USA, which served coal mines in the Georges Creek Valley.

Before then, he was associated with the Cumberland & Pennsylvania Railroad, responsible for setting up their shops in Mount Savage and eventually succeeded his father, James Millholland, as president. He was lured away to the Georges Creek and Cumberland by a high salary, and a new Victorian home on Washington Street in Cumberland.

The Millholland House (pictured) was constructed circa 1878 for the James Allaire Millholland family. The two-and-a-half story brick house is in a Second Empire style, and it is thought it was designed by Bruce Price early in career. He later designed the nearby parish house which was built in 1901. The house was purchased by the Emmanuel Episcopal parish in 1960 and restored to its original appearance in 1987. It is in excellent condition and serves the parish offices.

In 1907 the Georges Creek and Cumberland line passed into the hands of the Western Maryland Railroad. It is believed that he retired at this time at the age of sixty-five.

The ring that James gave to Virginia was inscribed with the initials VRK and has been through quite a journey as it was handed down from Virginia to her son Lewis Curtis Millholland who used it to marry Minnie Martin West. Minnie added her initials to the ring. From Minnie it was handed down to Phyllis Anne “Sue” Millholland (my aunt) who married Jack Bricker Martin. Aunt Sue had the ring’s engravings removed and replaced as follows: VRK, LCM, MMW, 05-1603, J.M., S.M. 8-28-54. Aunt Sue handed it down to her daughter Frances “Fran” Millholland Martin who married Michael Raymond Wolff. Fran has since passed it down to her daughter Hannah Millholland Wolff who used it to marry August Hill.

Obituary of James Allaire Millholland, The Cumberland Evening Times 12-07-1911

The funeral of James A. Millholland who died at 3:30 o’clock yesterday at his country residence on Valley Road, will take place, tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 o’clock from Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Washington street. Rev. William Cleveland Hicks officiating.

The death of Mr. Millholland is generally deplored all over the county. He was essentially a railroad man. His career began as early as 1876 when he became identified with the Georges Creek interests. He was vice president and treasurer of the Accurate Machinery Co., president of the Chinese Trading Co., of Philadelphia, importers of Chinese and Japanese products, a trustee of the Western Maryland hospital and trustee of the Allegheny County Academy. Mr. Millholland was the oldest director in point of service at the First National bank with the exception of Mr. Robert Shriver.

Mr. Millholland’s long service with the Georges Creek and Cumberland railroad endeared him to the many employees of the road who will attend his funeral tomorrow. He was personally acquainted with all his men and was a practical workman himself. He insisted upon all his boys going into the workshops and learning a trade and to this requirement they owe their mechanical expertness. It was not an unusual thing to see of Mr. Millholland’s sons running an engine on the Georges Creek and Cumberland railroad.

The pallbearers are: Honorary Judge Ferdinand Williams, Merwin McKaig, Judge A. Hunter Boyd, W. Milnor Roberts, Sr., J.L. Griffith, Hon. George A. Pearre, and Benjamin A. Richmond.

The active pallbearers are John K. Shaw, Baltimore, Benjamin Bissell, Belaire, O. Roderick Clary, J.P. Gaffney, John Warfield of Cumberland, Roberdeau Annan, Fairmont, W.Va., and Tasker G. Lowndes of Cumberland.

The pallbearers will meet at the Butler parlor at one o’clock, from which they will be conveyed to the country residence of the deceased. A short service will be held at the house and the funeral cortege will then move to Emmanuel Episcopal church. Interment will be in the Rose Hill cemetery.

Obituary of Virginia Randolph Keim, The Gettysburg Compiler 01-28-1896

A Direct Descendant of Pocahontas - A telegram was received in Reading last Tuesday evening by A.K. Stauffer announcing the death at Cumberland, Md., of his sister-in-law, Virginia R, Keim Mulholland (note: notice the spelling), wife of James A. Mulholland, president of the Georges Creek and Cumberland Railroad. Mrs. Mulholland was born in Reading in May 1846 and was descended from the old Keim family of Berks, which received patents from the government of William Penn in 1709 for land in Oley township. On her mother’s side she was descended from the Tuckahoe branch of the famous Randolph family of Virginia and was of the tenth generation in direct descent from the Indian princess Pocahontas. She is survived by her husband and eleven children.