James P. Stabler

James P. Stabler (1796–1840) was a chief engineer for two of the earliest railroads in the United States.

Early life and education

Born August 14, 1796, in Sandy Spring in Montgomery County, Maryland, James Pleasants Stabler was the son of Dr. William and Deborah Brooks Pleasants Stabler, who were friends with noted Quaker preacher Elias Hicks.

In 1824, he served as postmaster of Sandy Spring.

He first married Elizabeth Gilpin Stabler, and in February 1830, married Sarah Bentley Briggs (1801-1886) of Alexandria, Virginia, a daughter of surveyor (and friend to Thomas Jefferson) Isaac Briggs.

In 1836, he was hired as the chief engineer of the Wilmington and Susquehanna Railroad, based in Wilmington, Delaware, at an annual salary of $3,500 ($ today).

Both the D&M and the W&S were part of the first rail line south from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; much of their rights-of-way are today part of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. His service with the D&M is noted on the 1839 Newkirk Viaduct Monument.

Late in the year, he fell ill, perhaps with tuberculosis; he returned to work in January 1837. )

He had at least one daughter, born in 1837, and two sons, including Pleasants Stabler and James P. Stabler, Jr. (1860–1901).