John Work Garrett (1820-1884)

He became a partner in the firm established by his father. The company's fleet of Conestoga wagons carried food and supplies over the Cumberland Trail. In later years the business expanded into railroads, shipping, and banking. In 1858, he became the 7th President of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. The Garrett Company and the B&O Railroad interests had strong ties to the London-based George Peabody & Company and, through their business interests, John and George Peabody became close friends, with both Garrett and his father becoming deeply involved with the Peabody Institute. During the Civil War, the B&O railroad was under constant attack from Confederate raiders but it continued to carry troops and provisions vital to the Union's war effort. After the war, Garrett acquired three gunboats that had been used in the blockade service and refitted them into packet ships, establishing the first regular line service between Baltimore and Liverpool. Garrett, a trustee of the Peabody Institute, asked George Peabody to persuade Johns Hopkins to make the bequest that would create The Johns Hopkins University & Medical Institutions. Garrett became one of the most active trustees of the university.