The Mayor’s of Ocean City
1918-1940
Visit City Hall at 301 Baltimore Avenue to view "The People's Choice" Exhibit in its entirety
Mayor Edward M. Scott was an agent with the Baltimore, Chesapeake & Atlantic Railway. He served the town for two years from 1918-1920. Scott was responsible for bringing a telephone company to the island. He is pictured here with his son, William Scott.
Mayor Elbridge E. Collins served from 1920-1922. He was a conductor with the Baltimore, Chesapeake & Atlantic Railway. The remorse of a tragic pony accident that claimed the life of his son caused him to be an ineffectual mayor.
Mayor William V. McCabe served the town for twelve years from 1922-1934. McCabe was a builder and developer. Several disasters occurred under his administration. A great fire in 1925 ravaged three blocks of major Ocean City Boardwalk properties. The Hurricane of August 23, 1933 destroyed much of the downtown area and created a new inlet at South Second Street. This storm was a major event that caused sudden and dramatic change to the town. Mayor McCabe was instrumental in obtaining $781,000 from the State and the War Department to keep the inlet open as an important economic asset to the island.
Prohibition was Federal law under the administrations of both Mayor Collins and Mayor McCabe. The beach here at Ocean City and on Assateague Island was a highway for rumrunners. Many arrests were made and much liquor was confiscated in December 1929. To the chagrin of the Coast Guard, who watched over this cache, a lot of it disappeared. Locals had a happy and bubbly New Year’s Eve.
During 1931, Harriett B. McCabe, the wife of Ocean City Mayor William W. McCabe, single-handedly promoted surf fishing at the resort. She was an avid angler and enjoyed showing off her catch to those strolling on the Boardwalk.
Mayor William Thomas Elliott served the town from 1934-1938. He was a commercial fisherman and co-owner of Elliott Brothers Fish Company.
Much of his administration dealt with the completion of the Ocean City Inlet. His tenure oversaw the dredging of a deep-water channel behind the island that opened up the shallow bay to sport and commercial fishing boats.
As often happens, projects started under one administration are not completed until a new mayor takes office, as in the case of the Route 50 Bridge which began under Elliott’s term. He is pictured here with wife, Edna, porch sitting: Ocean City’s favorite pastime in those days.
Baseball’s Hall of Famers Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx were frequent fishers during Mayor Elliott's tenure. Many monied people and important politicians were photographed with “the catch and the captain.” Jimmie Foxx is pictured here, with Ocean City Councilman, Captain Crawford Savage fishing aboard the Hilda.
Mayor Edmond H. Johnson was Ocean City’s top official from 1938 to 1940. He was a lawyer, the State’s Attorney for Worcester County and Associate Judge of the First Judicial Circuit. Under his administration, the 28-mile-long Beach Highway from Ocean City to Rehoboth was opened.
The beachfront at Seventh Street as it appeared during Edmond H. Johnson’s administration.