USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > Discovery and conquests of the Northwest, with the history of Chicago, Vol. II > Part 41
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The Illinois Central Railroad.
City on the Ohio river, and thence by steamer to Cairo. Owing to cholera, which then prevailed there, and what appeared to me a very fair prospect of being drowned, we made a short visit, returning by steamer to Mound City; then followed back substantially on our route near Decatur; thence to Urbana, the expectation at that time being to have the Chicago branch leave the main line at some point between Decatur and Van- dalia. Going north from Urbana, we traveled over an unbroken prairie, almost .the entire distance to Chi- cago, with no settlement in view on the whole 128 miles, except at Spring Creek and Bourbonnais, until we came near Chicago, where we arrived in about one month from the time we left there, traveling by private conveyance between 700 and 800 miles. During the journey I met all my assistants except R. V. Provost, and found them well equipped and entering very heartily into a vigorous prosecution of their work. After spending a few days at Chicago, I went again by packet boat to La Salle, and thence by private convey- ance to Dubuque through Dixon, Freeport and Galena, meeting Mr. Provost at Freeport, who had his work well in hand, . returning to Chicago, where I
spent several weeks. But during the summer and fall I visited different portions of the line several times, and was able to complete the location substan- tially and get my profiles and maps ready to take with me to New York late in the fall. On February 2, 1852, I went to Washington to deposit the map of our loca- tion with the commissioner of the land department, as required by law, and to get his approval of the selection and quantity of the land. This was not accomplished until March 14. While in Washington in the early part of March, I directed the work to be put under contract from Chicago to Calumet, in order to enable the Michigan Central railroad to reach the city. . Every effort was made to complete the work from Chi- cago to Calumet as soon as possible, and May 21, 1852,
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The Illinois Central Railroad.
the first passenger train from Detroit entered Chicago, using the Illinois Central railroad track from Calumet to about Twenty-second street, and from thence by a temporary track over the prairie almost in a direct line to the east side of Michigan avenue, immediately south of Thirteenth street, where a temporary passenger depot was provided and occupied more than a year, until the road was completed to the present depot at the foot of Lake street. The only towns of importance on the main line were Galena, Freeport, Dixon, La Salle, Bloomington, Clinton, Decatur, Vandalia, Richview. Jonesboro and Cairo. Richview and Jonesboro were not immediately on the line, but within about one mile. We did not go through a single settlement on the branch, but passed near Urbana and Bourbonnais. With the exception of more or less timber in the imme- diate vicinity of the towns mentioned above, we passed over prairie from Galena to Big Muddy river within about sixty miles from Cairo. This sixty miles was quite heavily timbered almost the entire distance. In going north on the Chicago branch from the main line we passed over patches of timber and prairie to a point a little south of Mattoon, and from there to Chicago it was entirely prairie, except for a short distance at Spring Creek and Kankakee. In going south from La Salle we soon came on to a prairie and traveled forty miles without seeing a house of any kind, and gener- ally there was scarcely any settlement between the towns mentioned above, which were from twenty-five to fifty and sixty miles apart. On the branch I think there was no settlement immediately on the line of the road from where it leaves the main line until within about twenty miles of Chicago. . In June, 1852,
the contract was let for grading the road from La Salle to Bloomington in the early part of 1853; and on the completion of the Rock Island road to La Salle a temporary bridge was constructed over the Illinois river, and a track laid from the foot of the plane to
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The Illinois Central Railroad.
connect with the Rock Island railroad, making a con- tinuous railroad track from Chicago to Bloomington. During 1852 the entire line was put under con- tract, and was completed on September 27, 1856; but, owing to the few settlements, it was very difficult to get men, teams and supplies for them. Agents were sent to New York and to New Orleans to get men, and in some cases their fare was paid, with the promise of refunding it out of their work. But these promises were frequently entirely disregarded. Some men would not even go on to the work, a few miles only from the steamboat landing; others would come on per- haps at evening and get their supper, lodging and breakfast, and start off next morning for other quar- ters; but, notwithstanding these drawbacks, many men were procured in this way. In the early construction of the road large supplies for men and teams came from St. Louis for the main line south of Decatur, and from Indiana for the Chicago branch. In many cases flour and other supplies were hauled nearly or quite 100 miles. . To give you some idea of the pleasure of traveling in Illinois at that early day, I will describe a trip made with David A. Neal, vice- president of the Illinois Central Railroad Co., in the fall of 1852. We went by packet boat on the Illinois and Michigan canal to La Salle; thence by steamer on the Illinois and Mississippi rivers to Cairo, arriving at St. Louis on the 14th, and Cairo on the 17th of November-a very comfortable journey. But our plan was to return by private conveyance near the line of the railroad to Chicago. Leaving Cairo on the 18th, we reached Vandalia on the 23d, and Decatur on the 25th, with our team nearly exhausted, and unable to go any further. The roads were so bad it was thought nearly impossible to get through; and it was deter- mined to go to Springfield, and then by railroad, which had just been completed to Alton, and then by the Illinois river and Illinois and Michigan canal to Chicago.
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The Illinois Central Railroad.
We found it difficult to get a team to take us to Springfield; but an offer of $15 induced a liveryman to agree to take us through (about forty miles a day). Leaving Decatur Friday morning, November 26, we toiled through the mud, water and ice to a small town within twelve miles of Springfield, arriving there about dark, with our team tired out and entirely unable to go any farther. The train left Springfield Saturday morning at 8 o'clock, and an offer of $15 more induced a man, who had a good team, to agree to take us there in time for the train, or forfeit the $15, we agreeing to go at once, or let him fix the time of starting; he named 2 o'clock in the morning. So, getting a little rest, we were under way at 2 o'clock. It was then very cold, and ice of considerable thickness had formed on the water, cutting the horses' legs very badly to go through it, and in some cases the driver would go through on foot and break the ice before driving through it. We arrived at Springfield about twenty mintes before the train left. He earned his $15. We had a comfortable journey from there to St. Louis, where we stayed over Sunday, and took a steamer Mon- day morning for La Salle; thence by packet boat to Chicago, arriving there December 4, 1852.
"It was considerable time after the work was com- menced before a local treasurer was appointed to be stationed at Chicago, and in the meantime all the funds for the payment of the engineers and contractors passed through my hands, so that I carried large amounts of money to all parts of the road in my carpet bag. In going into the extreme southern part of the state, I went to St. Louis with my funds, or sometimes procured them by drafts on New York, and then secured a reliable police officer to go with me until I had dis- bursed them. But after a time I was relieved by hav- ing John B. Calhoun sent out to Chicago as local treas- urer. He was a competent, faithful, reliable man, and I am not aware that one dollar was ever lost or
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The Illinois Central Railroad.
misappropriated during the construction of the road. There was an important reason for completing the main line of the road by January 1, 1856, and some months previous to that I was authorized to use every possible effort to complete it by that time, regardless of ex- pense. . The work was finished within the time; but the contractors did not secure a very large bonus. Extra track layers were engaged and teams employed to cart iron a few miles in advance of the regular party, when the extra party would commence, and when the regular party reached that point, they would go on a few miles in advance of the extra party and commence again. So by this and various other methods the track was completed December 28, 1855, and a tele- gram was sent to New York announcing the completion of the main line of the Illinois Central railroad on that day.
"Engine No. 42, with four cars, was the first train to run over the high bridge at La Salle (August 21, 1854, at 5:30 P. M.).
"Engine No. 5 pulled the first train into Cairo (Au- gust 26, 1854). (Signed) ROSWELL B. MASON."
The writer has tried to show the financial and physical condition of Illinois at the time of the grant of lands by congress to the state, and a few years prior thereto. In 1850 the government was possessed of 19,- 989,025 acres, ceded to the state under the act of con- gress of September 20, 1850, leaving the actual number of acres still held by the government in the state 17,- 394,025. This was the time the Illinois Central rail- road began what, with no impropriety, may be called its relief work.
The school lands, which had been set apart for educational purposes by the government (being the six- teenth section in every township), amounted to about 984,977 acres, which, deducted from the 17,394,025 acres, would leave 16,409,048 acres held by the United States
1
588
The Illinois Central Railroad.
in Illinois. By reference to the map it will be seen where the bulk of these lands ceded to the Central rail- road lay. They were largely located in unsettled dis- tricts, along stretches of prairie wilds, from fifty to 100 miles sometimes intervening without a habitation. This cession comprised the alternate sections along the whole length of the line. Col. Mason, in locating the line, had sought the great open country, so far as prac- ticable, for a double purpose, namely, for the cheap con- struction of the road and to obtain the largest amount of lands in a compact body, keeping steadily in view the directness of the road between the objective points; starting in at the northwest corner of the state, at Dunleith.
It was late in the spring of 1852 that the company found itself ready to begin collecting and putting their lands in shape preparatory to founding and organizing a land department which would have the entire control and management of the landed interest of the company in their behalf. It was found to be an immense under- taking, second only to that which was to follow in the final disposition of the lands embraced in the grant. In looking over the situation they found that the state originally embraced within its limits 35,455,469 acres of government land, with less than one-half sold up to June 30, 1850, or 15,466,444 acres then disposed of. It found a state with 55,405 square miles of territory, with a population of 851,471, with its chief city, Chicago, bragging of a population of 29,963; and worse than all else, it found a state embarrassed with a debt (as al- ready told) of $16,724,171.41. In that early day not a railroad was crossed from Dunleith to Cairo, nor from Cairo to Chicago. Seven hundred and five and one- half miles was the length of the road without an inter- secting railroad.
The company, in erecting its stations, made them sufficiently large for the accommodation of a family, most of them with necessary facilities for housekeeping.
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The Illinois Central Railroad.
They were thus built for the use of the station agents in particular. There was also built at each station a first-class (for that time) freight house, nearly opposite the station, on a side track. These stations were generally put in at an average of eleven miles apart on the main line, while on the branch the average was thirteen miles. There were nineteen of these be- tween Chicago and Centralia, and seventeen between Centralia and La Salle. The same ratio would hold good over other parts of the road, where the country was unsettled. Half of these stations were out of sight of any other improvement than the railroad and the appurtenances thereto, including the section houses for the men. By one unacquainted with the country at that time the foregoing improvements would have been looked upon as an extravagrant and unjustifiable outlay of the company's money-a useless expenditure in the wilderness. But those at the helm knew whereof they were hewing. There was a double purpose in view: The station agents must have a place in which to live; and other employes of the company must have an abid- ing place when caught out in these unsettled and wild regions. But another and all-important object was to have some attractions for the new comers, the emi- grants. The great prairies surrounding these stations had to be settled, and it was well that the company had the forethought to do everything on the broad gauge plan. Time has verified the wisdom of this measure. Besides all this the company provided for the spiritual wants of the settlers along the line, by employing a minister of the Gospel to go from town to town and preach to the new settlers at stated periods, thus form- ing a nucleus for churches.
In January, 1853, the railroad was completed from La Salle to Bloomington. The fourteen miles between Chicago and Calumet was also built, the Michigan Central train running into the city over it. Robert Schuyler was the president of the road, though
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The Illinois Central Railroad.
David A. Neal, vice-president, attended to matters at the Illinois end of the line. As many of the approved plats of the lands had been received from Washington, Mr. Neal made immediate arrangements for getting the lands in shape, and thus have them ready for market. With this end in view he appointed John C. Dodge, of Chicago, land agent for the company. Mr. Dodge's past experience in the real estate business probably led to his appointment as the first land agent of the company. He appointed agencies, with the concurrence of Mr. Neal, at Freeport, Dixon, La Salle, Bloomington, Clin- ton, Richview, Jonesboro, Urbana and Kankakee, with agents to manage them.
All settlers living upon the lands that fell to the company under the grant of September 20, 1850, and prior thereto, had the right to prove up their claims, pay $2.50 per acre and take deed for their lands. The government price of these lands had been, up to the time they were withdrawn from the market by the act of congress September 20, 1850, $1.25 per acre.
July 28, 1853, William P. Burrall was elected president of the company. The vice-president, how- ever, continued to have charge of all matters pertain- ing to the lands of the company. The platting and listing of the lands had proceeded far enough to allow pre-emptors of its lands to prove up their claims at the various agencies, so as to entitle them to recogni- tion as soon as the land department was opened for business. The sales by pre-emption quickly followed.
With the close of 1854 there had been sold of mort- gage lands 47,280.39 acres for the sum of $481,006.82, while under the pre-emption act 102,577 acres, at $2.50 per acre, were sold for the sum of $255,693.70.
June 25, 1855, the trustees made a report to the state auditor, touching the pre-emption sales. The lands thus pre-empted were in forty-one counties. The following is their report:
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The Illinois Central Railroad.
"CHICAGO, June 25, 1855.
"TO THE AUDITOR OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS:
"Sir .- Herewith you will receive a copy of the record of each tract of land heretofore sold to pre- emptioners under the 25th section of the act entitled 'An act to incorporate the Illinois Central Railroad Co., passed February 10, 1851.'
"These returns are made to your office in compli- ance with section 16 of said act. Respectfully yours, JOHN MOORE, SAMUEL D. LOCKWOOD, Trustees."
This was the first report made by the trustees to the state authorities in regard to the great trusts placed in their hands.
May 11, 1855, Hon. Stephen A. Douglass pur- chased from the company 4,622 acres, in the Calumet region, at an average rate of $10 per acre on the usual terms.
All the special land agents appointed under the administration of John C. Dodge, both on the main line and Chicago branch, did a large business in the latter part of 1854, and fairly well through the year 1855.
The sales of all lands by the company up to Decem- ber 31, 1855, were 528,863.11 acres. Total cash received for lands up to December 31, 1855, $591,386.89.
(Signed) GEORGE M. REED, Cashier. JOHN WILSON, Commissioner.
Acres.
Lands sold up to December 31, 1855
528,863.11
Lands on hand
2,066,136.89
Total
2,595,000.00
The general government had sold inside the fifteen- mile limit since the grant to the state, up to December 31, 1855, 3,000,000 acres. The census return for 1855 shows an increase in population in the counties adjacent
592
The Illinois Central Railroad.
to the Illinois Central railroad since 1850, of 250,000, and in the state since that date, of 500,000. The amounts of these sales illustrate and show the value of govern- ment lands along this line under the control of the Illinois Central railroad, and the effect of this control upon the finances of the state. The alternate sections still belonging to the government had equally increas- ing sales.
The years 1856 and 1857 were years of great specu- lation in Illinois Central lands. Those who knew the value of timbered lands, and of prairie lands according to their proximity to timber, bought intelligently. They bought for cash or on short time.
At the close of 1856 it was found that the company had sold :
Acres. «
For the year ending December 31, 1856 336,347.90
Price. $ 4,585,686.97
Total sales up to December 31, 1856 865,211.01
10,713,228.41
Lands on hand December 31, 1856 .1,729,788.99
Total 2,931,347.90 .$39,159.31
Town lot sales for 1856
With the close of 1857 there had been sold up to December 31, 1857, 335,722.77 acres, for $4,546,664.73. The sales were distributed among 3,440 purchasers, with an average of 97.56 acres each.
The sales of 1858, up to December 31, were 52,- 387.62 acres, for $610,969.67. The average per acre for this year's sales were $11.66. Almost a total failure of crops throughout the state had much to do with this depreciation. The year 1859, another poor year; heavy frosts in June and September. The sales for the year ending December 31, 1859, were 21,718.14 acres.
The next year, 1860, the sales of lands were 71,- 287.22 acres, to 1,050 purchasers, with an average num- ber of acres to each purchaser of 67.89 acres-a great improvement. The year 1861 was the year of the war. In April of that year Brig .- Gen. R. K. Swift, with his battery of artillery, was ordered to report at Cairo. The Illinois Central was called upon for the transpor-
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The Illinois Central Railroad.
tation thence, which was promptly furnished. From that time until the close of the war the Illinois Central railroad was virtually in the hands of the government. Its entire outfit was at the service of the government, and the government used it. Seemingly, it was a con- fiscation of the transportation facilities of the road until the close of the war-all other shippers over the line had to give way in the interest of the general gov- ernment. Even the growers of corn on the Illinois prairies had to bide their time in order to get this cereal to market. The land department had very large amounts due it from farmers on the lands upon which they had built their homes. These farmers had arranged with the company to deliver ear corn at any station on the line of the road, at an agreed price per bushel, the company to furnish the cars to receive the corn; and here was where the shoe pinched. The corn came to the stations for delivery, even at the low rate fixed, when it was found cars could not be had. Uncle Samuel had them all in use. However, 1,860,000 bushels were received between August 1, 1861, and January 1, 1862; and 3,000,000 bushels were received and put in the bins built for the purpose at Burnside station. The com- pany had made every preparation for housing several million bushels; it bought the lumber and built the cribs. Many of the farmers' bins were filled to over- flowing with the product, but, for lack of cars at the principal shipping points, only a small portion of what the company expected to handle could be received. The farmers stood ready to deliver the corn, but the general government was monopolizing the entire traffic of the road in forwarding army supplies, munitions of war, together with great bodies of soldiers from the northwest and western states going to the front. Nevertheless, the 3,000,000 bushels mentioned above were credited to the farmers along the line of the Illi- nois Central road. It was patriotic in the railroad company and the farmers as well, that they cheerfully (3)
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The Illinois Central Railroad.
submitted to this pecuniary inconvenience. The sales of lands, ending December 31, 1861, were 102,109.22 acres, divided among 1,402 purchasers, being an aver- age of 72.83 acres to each purchaser.
The sales for the year ending December 31, 1862, were 87,599.35 acres, for $972,664.76.
The sales ending December 31, 1863, were 221,518.05 acres, for $2,382,283.50.
The sales ending December 31, 1864, were 264, 432.05 acres, for $2,898,980.01, to 3,501 purchasers. Collected during the year, $2,575,928.40; average, $10.96 per acre.
The sales ending December 31, 1865, were 155,056.82 acres, for $1,872,309.52 =$12.07 per acre. There were remaining unsold December 31, 1865, 998,069.36 acres.
The sales ending December 31, 1866, were 158,015.19 acres, for $1,683,994.16, divided among 2,218 purchasers, average per acre, $10.65. The collections for the year were $2,056,205.80. The expenses for the department for the year were $106,616.90. John B. Calhoun was commissioner in 1866.
The sales for year ending December 31, 1867, were 203,532 acres, for $2,080,154.72. Collections during the same period, $3,166,264.37. Lands remaining unsold January 1, 1868, 710,453.28 acres.
The sales ending December 31, 1868, for the year were 207,008.37 acres, for $2,228,325.90. These pur- chases were made by 2,776 purchasers. Average price per acre was $10.76. Collections for year were $3,200,- 289.21. The total number of deeds issued up to close of year covered 1,124, 446.86 acres of the original grant.
The sales for the year ending December 31, 1869, were 85,860 acres for $899,348.71, divided among 1,521 purchasers. Average per acre, $10.48. Collections for the year, $2,551,717.70.
The sales for the year ending December 31, 1870, were 60,858.23 acres for $625,991.90. Average per acre, $10.28. Deeds issued during year covered 264,- 872.93 acres. Total number of acres sold up to Decem-
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The Illinois Central Railroad.
ber 31, 1870, 2,179,390, of which 1,621,703.44 had been deeded. There were 415,610 acres remaining unsold.
The sales for the year ending December 31, 1871, were 48,927.31 acres. This was the year of the great fire in Chicago. The land office of the company, which was located at 48 Michigan avenue, had been built especially for its occupancy. In its construction great care was taken to make it as near fireproof as possible. It was a three-story stone, iron, brick and cement structure. Nothing had been left undone to make it in every respect a safe building for the valuable records which were to be inside its walls. But the fire of October 9, 1871, included everything in its path. Henry C. Freer, Street Bradley, Thomas Meagher, all three of the land department, early that morning, as by an impulse, hurried from their homes to the office of the land department, where they found John Moe, the night watchman, ready for active work. Freer and Meagher flew across the way to the general office. President John Newell and General Manager Joseph F. Tucker were already on the spot. The Freer party quickly told their errand. Their instructions were to save what they could by packing it into an empty car, fortunately standing on the track. To these four men the company were indebted for the safe removal of the following books of record to a car, which was at once hauled down to Sixteenth street and side tracked out of the fire's reach. John Moe had formerly bought land for a farm at Neoga station, and at this time was an employe of the land department. He was father of the late Bernt Moe, assistant land commissioner. Henry C. Freer and Thos. Meagher were both employes of the department. Street Bradley was book and paper sta- tioner of the company. They saved several cords of land department plat and record books. Among them were the official government record of all lands granted to the company, with field notes of each and every tract ; the sales books, in which had been copied every
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