History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois, Part 7

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : O. L. Baskin
Number of Pages: 758

USA > Illinois > Montgomery County > History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois > Part 7
USA > Illinois > Bond County > History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois > Part 7

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The charter was obtained in February, 1859, with the determination on the part of the Ilighland corporators to make no delay in eon- structing the section connecting them with St. Louis, but were prevented at the outset by difficulties, sinee overcome, and afterward by the existing rebellion."

The foregoing letter portrays truthfully some of the prominent difficulties with which Bond and other counties on the central line had to contend. State policy was openly urged by many of the leading men north and south of the " Brough road," as it was generally called. Hon. Sidney Breeze, a long resident of Car- lisle, on the line of the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad, publiely declared for that doctrine, " that it was to the interest of the State to en- courage the policy that would build the most roads through the State; that the north and south roads (alluded to in Mr. Wait's letter) should first be allowed to get into successful operation, when the central line should then be chartered, as the merits of that line would insure the building the road on that line at once, giving to Middle Illinois three roads instead of one, as the chartering of the central line first would be a death blow to the other two, at least for many long years to come." Mr. Wait replied immediately, say- ing it was the first instance he had ever known where the merits of a railroad line had been urged as a reason why it should not meet with merited encouragement, and after more than $100,000 was expended on the " Brough " road, further work on it was, of the necessity before referred to, suspended.

In February, 1865, the rebellion nearing its elose, the people along the "Central Line," or "Brough" survey, again renewed their peti- tion to the Illinois Legislature for a negotia- tion of their right to build their railroad on their long-cherished route.

On the 10th of February, 1865, a liberal charter was granted for building the pres-

HISTORY OF BOND COUNTY.

ent St. Louis, Vandalia & Terre Haute Rail- road. The line was designated in the charter as " commencing on the left bank of the Mis- sissippi River, opposite St. Louis, running thence eastwardly through Greenville, the county seat of Bond County, and through Van- dalia, by the most eligible route, to a point on the River Wabash." The persons named therein as incorporators were Henry Wing, T. W. Little, John S. Dewy, Andrew Mills, Solo- mon Koepfli, Garritt Crownover, Curtis Blake- man, William S. Smith, Charles Hoiles, William S. Wait, John B. Hunter, Williamson Plant, Andrew G. Henry, Jediah F. Alexander, Na- thaniel M. MeCurdy, August H. Dieckmann, Ebenezer Capps, Frederick Remann, Mathias Fehren, Michael Lynch, Thomas L. Vest, J. F. Waschfort, Samuel W. Quinn, Chauncey Rose and Joseph H. Morgan. The citizens of Bond County led iu the enterprise of building the road. not only by words, but by liberal indi- vidual and county subscriptions. The county, "small in territory, made the liberal subscription of $100,000, payable in fifteen annual install- ments, with 10 per cent annual interest, all of which has been met promptly, and at this date only $16,000 remain due, all of which will be paid this year, the tax being already collected for that purpose, and Bond County will be free from debt, but the advantages in the use of the road to the people, and the yearly tax paid by the railroad company will continue as long as taxes are levied and collected. The railroad tax paid in Bond County for 1881 amounted to $4.374.29. The individual subscriptions in Bond County were some $46,000 at Greenville and $24,000 at Pocahontas, were not only promptly paid as called for, but some half dozen citizens of Greenville, viz., W. S. Smith, J. F. Alexander, Williamson Plant, Andrew G. Henry and others, gave to the Highland sub- seribers their individual guaranty to refund their $65,000 subscribed by them and being then paid out on call as the work progressed,

if the road was not finished to Highland by July 1, 1863, as per condition in their sub- scriptions.

The road was completed to that point at the date agreed upon, and the Highland subscribers finished the payment of their subscription promptly. And although of the citizens of Bond County it may be said they led in start- ing this great railroad enterprise, which has led to the building one of the most popular lines across the State of Illinois, the fact should not be overlooked that Collinsville, Highland, Van- dalia, Effingham and Clark County did their duty nobly. The entire subscription list along the line amounting to $500,000, and was divided as follows :

Collinsville and vicinity, individual. $ 9,600 Highland, individual, and about $10,000

from St. Louis. 75.000

Highland City 10,000

Pocahontas, in Bond County, individual ... . Greenville, in Bond County, individual . . . . 46,000

24,100

Greenville City, in Bond County, for depot building. 2,000

Bond County 100,000

Vandalia, in Fayette County. 50,000

Douglas Township, in Effingham County ... 50,000

Tentopolis, in Effingham County. 15,000

Moccasin, in Effingham County 5,000

| Summit, in Effingham County 10,000

Clark County. 100,000

Individual subscriptions in Clark County. .. 2,700

Individual subscriptions in Cumberland County 600

Total. $500,000

The first meeting of the Board of Corpora- tors was held at Vandalia, Ill., on the 14th day of November, 1865, for the purpose of organ- izing and electing a Board of nine Directors, with following result : John Scholfield, and Charles Duncan, Clark County, Ill .; Samuel Quinn, Cumberland County, Ill .; J. P. M. How- ard and L. W. Little, Effingham County, Ill .; C. Floyd Jones and F. Remann, Fayette Conn- ty, Ill .; William S. Smith and Williamson Plant, Bond County, 111.

HISTORY OF BOND COUNTY.

At the first meeting of the Board of Direc- tors held at Effingham on the 22d day of No- vember, 1865, for the purpose of electing the first officers of the company, H. P. M. Howard was elected President, and Williamson Plant, Secretary.

Through the influence of E. C. Rice, who was chief engineer of the " Brough " survey, and had made estimates for the work under the same, Gen. E. F. Winslow, a gentleman of great energy and considerable railroad experience, after various propositions being made to build part of the line, or parts of the road, contract- ed. August 22, 1866, to build the entire line from the " west bank of the Wabash, to the east end of the dyke at Illinoistown." The contract was finally ratified at a meeting of the Board of Directors held at Vandalia November 14, 1866. An additional agreement was entered into November 28, 1866, and made part of the original.

The first shock received by the Railroad Company in the outset, was the lamented death of its earnest leader and judicious friend, Hon. William S. Wait, July 17, 1865, thereby de- priving them of his mature judgment and wise counsel in making and carrying out the con- tract about to be entered into for the building of the road under the charter so recently ob- tained from the Legislature.

In 1867, first mortgage bonds were put on the " property, rights, franchises, leases and es- tate," etc., of the company to amount of $1,- 900,000. When the property was leased in Feb- ruary, 1868, a second mortgage was put on the same to amount of $2.600,000, each mortgage bearing 7 per cent interest, payable semi-annu- ally. For the purpose of further equipment of the road, preferred stock has been issued to the amount of $1,541,700, bearing 7 per cent interest. The issue of $2,000,000 has been au- thorized. This stock will take precedence over the common stock of the company in receiving dividends, and as the interest on the preferred

stock may accumulate before any payment thereof, the prospeet for dividends on common stock is remote.

By mutual understanding between the con- tractor and the company, E. C. Rice was en- gaged as Chief Engineer of the company Jan- uary 18, 1867, and he commenced the first sur- vey on the west end of the line in March, and the grading was begun as soon as the line was fixed at the west end, in April following. At the same meeting a code of by-laws was adopt- ed, and Greenville was designated as the gen- eral office of the company.

At the annual election held in January, 1867. J. P. M. Howard was re-elected President, Will- iamson Plant, Secretary, and W. S. Smith, Treasurer. April 3, 1867, Mr. Howard gave up the position, on request, and J. F. Alexander was chosen President of the Company in his place. This gave to Bond County all the officers of the company, and at the same annual elec- tion Bond County had three of the nine Direct- ors. By the charter the company was author- ized to issue first mortgage bonds not to ex- ceed $12,000 per mile. The capital stock was made $3,000,000, which could be increased at an annual meeting by a majority of stockhold- ers in interest, as they should direct.

At the annual election in January, 1868, five Directors from Bond County were chosen out of the nine, viz .: J. F. Alexander, W. S. Smith, Andrew G. Henry, William S. Wait, Jr., and Francis Dressor. The same officers, J. F. Al- exander, President, Williamson Plant, Secretary, and William S. Smith, all from Bond County, were re-elected, giving to Bond County again all the officers and a majority of the Directors. Men- tion is made of these facts only to show that in the building of the road Bond County citi- zens were considered and acknowledged as leading in the enterprise. This may be owing, in some degree, to the geographical position of the county, being twenty miles from Green- ville north, south or east to any railroad ad-

HISTORY OF BOND COUNTY

vantages. It is not the intention of this arti- cle to detract in any way from the many per- sons and places along the line that responded with their liberal subscriptions. Highland, and the country around it in particular, by their heavy individual, though conditional, subscrip- tions, are deserving special recognition for the same. The road was completed to Highland by July 1, 1868, and the stock was issued to the subscribers, and they paid up in full as specified in their subscriptions. The first reg- ular passenger train did not run, however, until August 20. 1868, from Highland to St. Louis.

By the consent of the railroad, company Gen. Winslow as contractor was paid $120,000 for labor expended on the line to the 10th day of February, 1868, and at his request was released from his contracts. The same was ratified and accepted by the company at their meeting March 13, 1868. The railroad company en- tered into a contract February 10, 1868, with Thomas L. Jewett and B. E. Smith, of Ohio ; George B. Roberts, of Philadelphia, and W. R. McKeen, of Terre Haute, in the firm name of MeKeen, Smith & Co., to complete the road at an early day. At the same time and place an agreement was entered into, leasing the St. Louis, Vandalia & Terre Haute Railroad to the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railroad Company. In the report of the President of the Vandalia Company made to the stockhold- ers at their annual meeting held at Greenville, Ill., January 6, 1872, he says :

" When, on the 10th day of February, 1868, the contract was made insuring the completion of your road, another contract was also made, providing for its forming a part of a continuous railroad line from St. Louis (via Indianapolis) to Pittsburgh ; and for perfecting this object your line was leased for a period of 999 years to the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railroad Company, for the joint interest of this company and the several railroad companies forming the said line. I'nder this lease, the lessees were to work your

road at their own cost and expense, and to pay to your company thirty-five (35) per cent of the gross earnings, first paying therefrom all the in- terest due on the bonds of the company, and all taxes assessed against the property of the com- pany, advancing any deficit in the amount needed to meet these liabilities and paying the surplus (if any remained) of the thirty-five (35) per cent to your company. Your board, in view of the light traffic usually done upon a new line, reduced the proportion due your company of the gross earnings to thirty (30) per cent, pro- vided, that after payment by the lessee of the cost and expense of working your road out of the seventy (70) per cent received for that pur- pose, if any surplus remained it should go to your company."

From small earnings from the time the road was opened, first to Highland and Greenville in 1868, and finally through to Terre Haute, July 1, 1870, it has developed a marvelous increase of business, not only to the road, but to the farming and all other industries along the line. The whole cost of the road and equipment of the same to July 1, 1868, when the contractors turned the road over to the lessee, was $7,171,- 355.89, which has increased steadily as the line is more fully developed by " rolling stock " and " betterments," etc., on the road, until the last report of Treasurer W. H. Barnes, made the total cost of road and equipment to October 1, 1880, $8,330,410.75. The amount of business over this line, for the past year, aggregates $1,565,515.04 ; and the rental due to the com- pany from the lessee for the year ending Octo- ber 31, 1881, was $469,654.50 ; and for the same time, $424,827.04 was earned in carrying passengers, $43,490.57 for express, and $90,- 835.98 for mail services.

Under the management of McKeen, Smith & Co., the line was completed to Greenville on the 5th of December, 1868 ; the first passenger train reached Greenville on the night of December 7, and the first regular passenger train on schedule

HISTORY OF BOND COUNTY.

time, from Greenville to St. Louis, was on the morning of December 8, 1868.

The first train ran into Effingham April 26, 1870. On the Sth of June, 1870, an excursion train was run through from Indianapolis to St. Louis, over the St. Louis, Vandalia & Terre Haute Railroad ; and the first regular passen- ger train, over the whole line on schedule time, was on the 12th day of June, 1870; and, as mentioned before, the contractors turned over the road as per contract to the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railroad Company, July 1, 1870.

At first, one passenger train each way was started, but soon found necessary for two ; and now four regular trains each way for passen- gers, and twice as many freights, are needed to keep up with the increasing business. Bond County furnishes its full share of the heavy business of the road as it passes through the county from west to east, passing through Oakdale, Pocahontas, Stubblefield, Greenville, Smithboro and Mulberry Grove.

The St. Louis, Vandalia & Terre Haute Rail- road is 158 miles from East St. Louis to east- ern line of the State, and seven miles from State line to Wabash River at Terre Haute.

The interest of the people of Bond County in the Vandalia Railroad is such that the history of the county would be incomplete without, not only a history of the road, but a detailed his- tory or record so far as can be given of those who have been and now are connected with the same, probably made more appropriate as the general office of the company is located at Greenville, where the annual meetings of the stockholders and directors are held.

Presidents --- J. P. M. Howard, Effingham, Ill., November 22, 1865, to April 3, 1867 ; J. F. Alexander, Greenville, Ill., April 3, 1867, to February 15, 1871 ; George B. Roberts, Phila- delphia, February 15, 1871, to January 11, 1876 ; Thomas D. Messler, Pittsburgh, January 11, 1876, to present time.

Treasurers-William S. Smith, Greenville, III.,

January 18, 1867, to April 14, 1869 ; Williamson Plant, Greenville, Ill., April 14, 1869, to Febru- ary 15, 1871 ; Albert Hewson, Philadelphia, February 15, 1871, to June 26, 1871 ; William P. Shinn, Pittsburgh, June 26, 1871, to Janu- ary 11, 1876 ; W. H. Barnes, Pittsburgh, Janu- ary 11, 1876, to present time.

Secretary, Williamson Plant, Greenville, Ill., November 22, 1865, to present time.

Superintendents and General Managers-R. B. Lewis, first Superintendent in 1868; J. W. Conlogue, second Superintendent, 1869 and 1870; Charles R. Peddle, third Superintendent, 1869, 1870 and 1871; Maj. John E. Simpson, General Superintendent, from 1870 to 1876, and General Manager from 1876 to the time of his death in August, 1880; Joshua Staples, Super- intendent, 1877 to 1880 ; D. W. Caldwell, Gen- eral Manager, after the death of Maj. Simpson August, 1880, to May 1, 1882 ; Joseph ITill, General Superintendent, from January 1, 1881, to the present time, and since the resignation of Mr. Caldwell, May 1, 1882, has the entire management of the Vandalia line from St. Louis to Indianapolis.

HI. W. Hibbard has very acceptably filled the responsible position of General Freight Agent of the Vandalia line to Indianapolis for the past ten years or more. C. R. Peddle has been Mas- ter Machinist and Superintendent of Machinery, etc., since 1870 to present time ; and held the same position with the Terre Haute & Indian- apolis Railroad, for fourteen years continuously before 1870. H. W. Billings was the first Gen- eral Solicitor of the company. John Scholfield was General Solicitor for the company from May 1, 1870, until he resigned to accept the Supreme Judgeship to which he had been elected in the latter part of 1873. R. W. Thompson, of Terre Haute, was appointed Jan- nary 13, 1874. Mr. Thompson held that posi- tion until he was selected by President llayes, in 1877, as one of his Cabinet (Secretary of the Navy). John G. Williams, the present General

HISTORY OF BOND COUNTY.

Solicitor of the company, was appointed in 1877.

The interest of the St. Louis, Vandalia & Terre Haute Railroad and the Terre Haute & Indianapolis, as lessee, being almost identical. a history of one road necessarily includes much that belongs to both, and whilst their organi- zation are entirely separate-each having a Board of Directors, a President, Treasurer and Secretary-many of the other officers and em- ployes, besides the General Manager, General Superintendent, General Freight Agent, and General Solicitors as given above are covered in both roads, under the latter head the names of F. M. Colbun, General Ticket Agent, St. Louis ; W. S. Roney, Auditor; N. K. Elliott, Master of Transportation, and many others will be readily recalled.

The intelligent traveler will soon make the acquaintance of the many gentlemanly conduct- ors on this line, who vie with each other to make the passengers feel at home whilst riding in the " Vandalia " cars. In his memory he will carry the names of John Wise, John Mc- Mahon, John Trindle, Samuel Trindle, L. D. Hibbard, Joseph Haselton, Richard Cornell, D. T. Conway, Curtis Paddock, John T. Elliott and A. E. Robbins. The station agents at Greenville have been : First, S. B. Hynes ; second, J. E. Hunt ; third, M. W. Van Valken- burg, and fourth, our present efficient and affable agent, W. S. Ogden. Pocahontas has had, among others, l'. Powell, Mr. Record and W. H. Spradling, present incumbent. Mulberry Grove, among others. Pitts Powell; M. J. Rob- inson, present incumbent. W. D. Hynes, mail agent since the road started from Greenville, having held his place until the present, is worthy of mention, a period of nearly fourteen years.

The general management of the St. Louis, Vandalia & Terre llaute Railroad is in the hands of W. R. MeKeen, President of the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railroad Company, as

lessee, who has, by his judicious management, and the management of those acting under and in harmony with him, made it one of the most popular lines in the United States.

Col. J. Hill, a gentleman of large railroad ex- perience, has been General Superintendent since January 1, 1881, and has had full control of the line as General Superintendent since the resignation of General Manager D. W. Cald- well, May 1, 1882. Col. Hill, since assuming full control of the line, has shown a determina- tion to keep the good name of the Vandalia in the lead by putting on an extra fast express train for the Eastern cities, and also by extend- ing the Highland accommodation to Effingham, where the company have proper accommoda- tion for their engines and cars, and make an extra connection with trains of the Illinois Cen- tral at that place. This last change will greatly encourage the small stations along the road, and will aid in developing the whole line. But a few years will elapse before the growing de- mands of trade and travel will require the com- pany to make a double track the whole line. Already steel rails are being laid as fast as the finances of the company will allow, and at the rate they are now being being placed, will soon be laid on the entire road.

The Jacksonville & Southeastern Railroad is a project now, not only in agitation, but in the course of construction through Bond County. Its history, however, will be more fully given in the part of this work devoted to Montgomery County.

The Press .- If journalism does not come under the head of internal improvements, there can be no denying of the fact that it is a stanch advocate of all legitimate public improvements, and that the press of the country is ever ready to lend its influence to promote all honest en- terprises for the common good, and for the welfare of the people. The fact is, the people themselves do not appreciate the press as it de- serves. It is a power for good in the country,

IHISTORY OF BOND COUNTY.

and should be honestly supported by all enter- prising and wide-awake people. The press of Bond County merits an extended notice in this work, and the following sketch of the Green- ville Advocate is compiled from an article pub- lished in its columns, January 19, 1882 :

With this issue the Advocate goes to its many readers as No. 1 of Vol. XXV. In other words, it enters upon its twenty-fifth year, or quarter of a century of service. As with individuals and nations, so with newspaper proprietors, there is a pleasure in looking back over the past history on special occasions. Inasmuch as readers have as much, though not exactly the same, interest in their paper that its editor has, it is quite appropriate that this historical review should not be confined to the editor's easy chair, but given to the public through the columns which all read-especially since about all the day-dreaming an editor finds time to in- dulge in must flow from the nib of his pen- Though the Advocate proper, and by that name, is scarcely yet twenty-five years old, it is really a continuation of previous journalism, which only the oldest settlers will remember. It seems that in this review a brief notice of that and cotemporaneons journalism will not be out of place, and that it should come in the order of the respective papers.

Of The Barn-Burner, nothing is preserved, and the memory of the men of that time has been resorted to in order to get even a trace of its existence. Since then, however, everything has been preserved, and all the back numbers that could be obtained have been securely bound, and are kept in a convenient place for reference. The first that is accessible of the above is No. 30 of Volume I of the Protestant Monitor. This was the first paper ever issued in Bond County. As its name indicates, it was a religious paper. By counting the numbers backward from the number just mentioned, which bears the date of Wednesday, January 6, 1846, it will appear that the first number was

issued about the 16th of June, 1845, or more than thirty-six years ago-over a third of a century ago. It was owned and published by Mr. E. M. Lathrap. The subscription price was $2 per annum, in advance ; $2.50 at the end of three months, and $3, if payment was delayed to the end of the year ; single copies, 6} cents. So far as its denominational views gave color to its columns, it was a Protestant Methodist paper, and had a circulation and list of con- tributors reaching over an area of more than a hundred miles in every direction, including Springfield, Jacksonville, Alton and even St. Louis. Though a religious journal, it mingled secular affairs in its columns quite freely, after the fashion of day. There was but little local news, for in those days of little, and at best slow and tedious, travel, people wished to hear from the outside world, a want which is now supplied by the dailies and large city weeklies, which few could take at the then high prices. The last. Protestant Monitor that is preserved in this office is dated May 24, 1848, and is two inches larger each way than the first issue.

On Friday, September 13, 1850, the Green- ville Journal issued No. 37, Vol. 3. This was a four-page paper about the size of the first Mon- itor. J. F. Alexander appears as its editor at this time, though in the absence of other back files we are obliged to rely on the recollection of O. Buchanan, that it was first owned by John Waite. According to Messrs. O. Buchanan and J. Harvey Alexander, J. F. Alexander was in partnership with Mr. Waite for a short time, when he bought out his interest, but subse- quently re-sold the entire concern back again to Mr. Waite. Mr. Waite again sold out, this time, to Alexander Brothers, Harvey and Cal., who had been working in the office. These two sold to another brother, D. W. Alexander, and he in turn to Dr. Smith, whose widow, Mrs. Mary Smith, Greenville citizens remember as a resi- dent of this city only a few years since. Mr. John Harper also owned the paper, but wheth-

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History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois, Part 7

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago : O. L. Baskin Number of Pages: 758

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : O. L. Baskin
Number of Pages: 758