Baltimore Street bridge to be dedicated to longtime House speaker

Greg Larry, Cumberland Times-News, Md.
·2 min read

May 10—CUMBERLAND, Md. — The Baltimore Street bridge will be renamed the Casper R. Taylor Jr. Bridge in a dedication ceremony to be held May 21.

Several citizens attended the Feb. 1 meeting of the mayor and City Council to request the bridge be named for Taylor, a Cumberland resident and former Maryland Speaker of the House.

The bridge at Baltimore Street, which crosses Wills Creek, is a primary artery into the downtown.

The citizens requesting the bridge be named for Taylor included Ed Mullaney, former downtown manager; Al Feldstein; Jim Stafford; and Becky McClarran. Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss and the City Council agreed to the request.

"I was glad to see unanimous support from the mayor and City Council for this effort," said Mullaney. "I think people realize what that man did in his tenure of office for our community and uniting the rest of the state of Maryland."

Taylor was a 1956 graduate of the University of Notre Dame and owned a restaurant on Mechanic Street before being elected to the House of Delegates in 1994. He rose to House speaker and served until 2003. He is currently retired and lives in Cumberland.

"I think it's a great opportunity to honor Cas and show him how much we appreciate all he has done as an elected official, and we're happy to do this," said Morriss.

Morriss said at the meeting that Taylor was a "bridge builder in the legislature."

Projects mentioned by the officials that Taylor was involved with included Interstate 68 improvements, the former Rocky Gap Music Festival, Canal Place, the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, Allegany Museum and the effort to retain the Kelly-Springfield Tire Co.

"He was a very effective leader and a unifier," said Mullaney. "He was a true legislator and well respected across the state.

"I witnessed his expertise of listening to what everyone said and absorbing it without making comments and sorting it all out and making a positive statement to make things better," he said. "He was the silent, strong type. Many people I've talked to thought this was long overdue and this is a way of thanking him."

The span is expected to undergo a $4 million renovation this summer, including new lighting and sidewalks.

The dedication event will begin at 2 p.m.

Greg Larry is a reporter at the Cumberland Times-News. To reach him, call 304-639-4951, email glarry@times-news.com and follow him on Twitter.