USA > Michigan > Mecosta County > Portrait and biographical album, Mecosta county, Mich., containing portraits and biographical sketches > Part 65
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frequent changes of management occur, lawsuits re- tard operations, and perhaps the road is sold two or three times.
GRAND RAPIDS & INDIANA R. R.
United States land grant for the building of a great north and south line was in exist- ence from about 1850, and efforts were from time to time made to find a company who would accept it and commence the work. In the carly part of 1860 a party of English capitalists sent a representative to this country in the person of Mr. Samuels, a civil engineer, to examine the route, the character of the lands and country through which the road was to be constructed, and to make his report to the American directors, which, if favor- able, would at once secure all the means required. To show what a trifling cause gave check to the growth of this entire region for nine years longer, it is worth recording that Mr. Samuels made the sur- vey, was gratified with the prospect, and was before the Board of Directors in the city of New York to say that he would accept the securities and furnish the money at once; and while making the final arrangements, news came of the disastrous defeat of
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MECOSTA COUNTY.
the Union army at the first battle of Bull Run. Rising in his seat, Mr. Samuels said: “Gentlemen, you cannot give us proper security for our money. Your armies are defeated, and you have no country ! Our conference is at an end, and I return to England upon the next steamer."
After the war closed, the project was again revived and the work commenced, the objective point being Little Traverse Bay, and it was only through the un - tiring perseverance and determination of one man that a direct line was secured through the embryo village of Big Rapids, and the great benefit of a rail- road secured to Mecosta County. This road, the Grand Rapids & Indiana, was built and operated for some years under contract with the original owners, by the "Continental Improvement Company, of Pennsylvania."
The road was built very slowly, and the various townships and villages along the proposed line were thouroughly canvassed for subscriptions to aid the construction. Big Rapids, Green Township and others responded liberally, voting the maximum amount allowed by law. The line was gradually constructed from Grand Rapids northward as far as Cedar Springs, and there seemed for a time "stuck ;" but in the summer of 1869 work was resumed north of that place. A thousand men were put at work, with teams, etc., and a short journey from Big Rapids would bring the citizen face to face with the van of the army of laborers. During August, work was prosecuted on the contract of William S. Patterson, commencing two miles south of Big Rapids and ex- tending six miles southward.
The natural supposition would be that the advent of this road would have united the interests of all in the hitherto isolated Big Rapids, but on the contrary there now commenced an internecine strife between the upper and lower portions of the town, which were alike disastrous and disgraceful. The railroad company, desirous to conciliate all parties, endeav- ored to stand aloof from the contention. About this time the afterwards famous railroad magnate, Tom Scott, bought a tract of land of T. C. Hunt, on the east side of the river near the upper dam, paying therefor $14,000. It was at that time really the in- tention of Mr. Cass, President of the Continental Improvement Company, to locate the repair shops of the road at this point; and it was of course generally
supposed that this fact would transfer the center of commercial business to the north part of the city. Residents of that part were elated over the prospect, and when visiting the inhabitants of the lower town would facetiously observe that grass would soon grow in their streets, generously offering to furnish the necessary timothy and clover seed, even drinking to the prosperity of the "street dairy farm." Soon after, when the citizens, by a donation of forty acres of land, bound the railroad company to perpetually maintain a station on east Maple street, a party from the lower part of town retaliated by going in a body to the north side, and in open day actually sowing grass seed in the streets and harrowing it in. Bitter words and still more bitter feeling resulted, and as a matter of course all general interests suffered.
As the road actually approached Big Rapids, the question of location of the depot became an impor- tant one. The company offered to build the depot on the west side of the river, on the site just north of the old red saw-mill, provided the city would procure for and donate to them the right of the way through the city limits, and the above mentioned field as a site for depot and shops, also' $8,ooo in cash, or in lieu thereof the bonds of the city to the amount of $10,- ooo. The citizens thought this demand was too ex- orbitant, and the railroad authorities claimed that it was no more than would fully compensate them for the extra cost of earth-work, and several hundred feet of extra track which they claimed would be re- quired. The result was that as the citizens refused to pay the amount asked, the depot was located about sixty rods east of the river, at least three times as far from the business center of town as the proposed lo- cation on the west side. Another depot was con- structed at the same time at the upper end of town, and trains now stop at both "Lower Big Rapids" and " Upper Big Rapids."
Early in September, 1869, G. A. McDonell & Son, contractors, broke ground for the railroad within the city limits of Big Rapids, east of the river Muskegon.
October 11 of the same year, the company began to run daily trains each way between Grand Rapids and Morley, in this county. One was a passenger train, and the other a mixed train, having in addition to freight cars two passenger coaches. The passenger made the trip each way in two hours and a half. This made Morley a place of some consequence, being the
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MECOSTA COUNTY.
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temporary terminus of the road, and the growth of the village really dates from that time. A post-office was established at Morley, the first postmaster being also first station agent on the railroad,-F. P'. Bodwell.
In the latter part of May, 1870, the company be- gan to lay iron north of Morley at the rate of a mile a day, during pleasant weather, and on Monday, June 20, 1870, the track reached the site of the pres- ent depot east of the lower bridge, and the citizens of Big Rapids at last had the pleasure of seeing a real live locomotive in their midst. A barrel of sugar, surrounded by about a hundred citizens, greeted the thirsty track-layers when they reached the depot grounds, thus testifying to the satisfaction felt by all in witnessing the fulfillment of what had been so long promised. June 30, the track was laid to Paris.
July 6, work was commenced on the lower depot at Big Rapids, which was built 24 x 60, and was ready for use the same month. Another was built of the same size at the upper station, one mile from the lower.
July 27, the interests of the railroad met with a temporary check. An injunction was issued out of the Circuit Court of Mecosta County enjoining and restraining the company from running their cars across certain lands belonging to Col. Stewart Ives, the company having made no arrangements about the right of way. In the afternoon of the same day, Marshall Lynch, of Big Rapids, with a corps of as- sistants, " tore up " one length of the rails which was laid across the said lands. This caused but a tem- porary delay, however. The company relaid the rails and brought suit against Col. Ives for trespass. The rails were not again disturbed, and on Monday, Ang. 8, the first regular train came through Big Rapids. Paris was now for a short time the termi- nus of the road.
The citizens of the County began to derive benefit from the railroad before regular trains were run, as freight was carried to some extent on the construc- tion trains, by arrangement with Mr. Zimmerman. Between June 24 and July 2, 11312 tons were brought from the South to Big Rapids, 341/2 tons on one day.
September 13, 1870, a special train was run from Grand Rapids to Paris, for the accommodation of Gov. Baldwin, whose dnty it was under the law to inspect cach twenty-mile section of road, as completed, in
order to make the necessary certificate to secure the railroad company the Government land to which the construction entitled them. The Governor was accom- panied by Hon. T. W. Ferry and other prominent citizens of the State. The party stopped at Big Rapids for dinner, at the Mason House. The Gov- ernor and others were profuse in praises of the road, of Big Rapids, Paris and the surrounding country. A week later a train containing railroad notables and others was run from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Paris, 200 miles, in ten hours.
For some time it was expected that the company would locate car shops at Big Rapids; but Grand Rapids held out to the railroad officers such in- ducements that the shops were erected in that city.
The annual report of the road for the year ending June 30, 1870, contained the following with reference to business between Grand Rapids and Morley :
From Passengers,
$45,903 60
Freight,
71,978 51
Other Sources,
7,533 22
l'otal,
$125,415 33
Operating Expenses,
65,182 97
Net Earnings,
$60,232 36
Oct. 10, 1870, the road was formally opened through from Fort Wayne to Paris. Early the next year it was completed to Reed City. We will follow its detailed history no farther. It has since been completed to Traverse City and Mackinaw. The importance of the road to Big Rapids, and also of Big Rapids to the road, is shown by the following table of receipts for 1871, at both stations at Big Rapids :
Upper Depot.
Lower Depot.
January,
8453 99
$3,867 73
February,
341 46
3,829 24
March,
611 92
3,802 94
April,
748 62
3,543 19
May
752 97
3.548 68
June,
816 82
3,249 78
July,
688 56
3.799 32
August,
575 00
3.836 96
September,
1,098 57
4.637 83
October,
974 31
3,906 37
November,
1,162 98
5,480 71
December,
841 72
5,353 05
$9,066 92
8,8,862 40
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MECOSTA COUNTY.
The total at both stations was therefore $57,929-32. Of course the business now is much larger.
SMASH-UP.
On the evening of Tuesday, April 8, 1872, occurred a smash-up on this road, in Mecosta County, which was the most destructive that had occurred up to that time anywhere on its line. It took place between eight and nine o'clock in the evening, about five miles south of Big Rapids, the regular mail train from the south being the victim. On that Tuesday morning, some time after the early mail train had gone south, a small portion of the road-bed over a little swamp, a short distance north of Morley, had settled so as to render it impassable for a time, and necessitated the transfer of passengers and bag- gage from train to train on either side of the sink. For this purpose locomotive No. 14, driven by Engineer Tinkham, with two box or freight cars, backed down from Big Rapids in the evening, to meet the regular mail train from the south, which was due at 4:46. Workmen had been engaged on the sink during the day, and at a little before nine o'clock succeeded in repairing it so far as to admit of the passage of trains; and instead of transferring, the coaches composing the mail train were attached to the rear of the box cars, and the whole proceeded toward Big Rapids, at about 20 miles an hour.
In passing through the long, deep cut south of the " high bridge," about half or three-quarters of a mile south of Byers' Station, the, train encountered a quantity of earth that had caved down from the eastern bank. The locomotive was thrown from the track, and the box cars, being crowded forward by the momentum of the baggage cars and coaches, were crushed and smashed into a promiscuous pile of splinters and rubbish, while the tender turned a complete somersault, landing clear in front of the engine, with its rear to the north.
Three men were in the engine cab at the time of the accident-M. H. Tinkham, engineer; Isaac L. Walker, fireman, and Ed. Stoff, brakeman on a freight train. Walker and Stoff were instantly killed, both being so wedged in between the wrecked cars and engine that it was impossible to extricate them till the debris had been removed by the wrecking train. The engineer was pitched forward through the front cab window, and landed in the mud beside the
boiler, the tender passing over him in executing its flying leap. He was considerably bruised, but had no bones broken. His escape from an instant and terrible death was almost miraculous.
The forward end of the baggage car pitched into the bank on the opposite side of the track from the engine, while the rear end was thrown off the other way, leaving it diagonally across the track. Its inmates, the mail agent, baggage-master and express agent, all escaped with only slight scratches and bruises.
Forward of the baggage car, between that and the box cars, was a freight caboose, which contained a large number of laborers who had been at work on the sink; and although the caboose was somewhat stove up and turned partially across the track, as well as canted up on one side, none of the men were seriously hurt.
The passenger coaches were brought to a standstill without being thrown from the track. They were all well filled, and, marvellous as it may appear, all escaped with nothing more serious than fright, and slight scratches, bumps and bruises for a few. This good fortune is probably attributable to the fact that the crushing of the box car materially diminished the shock which the coaches must otherwise have sus- tained, as well as the moderate speed of the train. Had it been going at as high a rate as the mail train usually runs, with no box cars to receive the force of the shock, the inevitable result is simply terrible to contemplate.
The excitement and confusion which followed the crash can only be realized by those who have wit- nessed and experienced similar scenes. The dark- ness was impenetrable, the mud on both sides of the track miry and deep, and the whole hemmed in by a steep bank on either side, higher than the tops of the cars. The escaping of steam from the disabled engines made a most frightful noise, drowning the voices of all about the wreck, and adding to the al- most perfect bedlam which seemed to reign for a time.
The train was in charge of Conductor Arnold, who walked to the lower depot in Big Rapids, bringing the first intelligence of the disaster, and reporting the same by telegraph to the company authorities. Quite a number of passengers walked through to Big Rapids, and during the night several women and
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MECOSTA COUNTY.
children were brought up in wagons which were sent down for them; but many remained till morning, suffering from hunger and numerous other discom- forts incident to their castaway situation. These then got away as best they could, some on foot, a few on a hand-car, and others in wagons which went clown from this city.
Early that morning, the telegraph operator at Lower Big Rapids was transferred to the wreck, the wire tapped, and direct communication opened with headquarters. Supt. Gorham and Ass't. Supt. Walk- er were on the ground as soon as they could reach there from their respective headquarters, and a force of men put to work at removing the debris.
Walker had been in the employ of the company some time, and was a favorite among his associates. He was a single man. Stoff was a married man, his family residing in Middleville, Barry County, Mich. He had but just entered the employ of the company, and was making his second run when his earthly career was thus suddenly and tragically ter- minated. No blame was attached to the engineer or any other employe on the ill-fated train. It being very dark, and the obstruction of exactly the same color as the road-bed, it is not at all surprising that he shoukl not discover it till so near; and having passed safely over the same track within the preced- ing hour, there was nothing to occasion unusual cau- tion on his part. If blame rests anywhere, it is upon the company, for permitting stumps and trees stand- ing upon the very brink of cuts, to become gradually undermined, and finally tumble down the bank with the disastrous result witnessed in this instance.
RE-ORGANIZATION OF THE ROAD.
Jan. 14, 1874, at a special meeting of the Conti- mental Improvement Company, held at Grand Rap- ids, the formal transfer of the road from the C. I. Co. to the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad Com- pany was completed, the latter having taken actual possession on the first of December previous. Un- der this new arrangement, W. O. Hughart, of Pitts- burg, formerly President of the Pittsburg & Connells- ville Road, was elected President of the G. R. & 1. R. R., and entered at once upon the active duties of his office. He made Grand Rapids his home, and from that time on the road has been managed exclu- sively from that city.
CHICAGO & WEST MICHIGAN R. R.
HIS was the second road built into Me- costa County, and was projected soon after the G. R. & I. Ry. first entered the County. Feb. 5, 1870, a meeting of representative citi- zens was held at the Mason House in Big Rap- ids, at which resolutions were adopted favoring the building of a railroad from Muskegon to Big Rapids, and a committee was appointed to confer with citizens of Muskegon and intermediate points. This committee consisted of Gen. S. Bronson, Hon. C. C. Fulier, J. F. Brown, Col. Stewart Ives, Andrew Green, George F. Stearns, T. D. Stinson, J. (. Rose, D. M. Benjamin, Charles Shafer, E. Fisher and G. WV. Crawford.
Another meeting was held March 21, at Brown's Hall, at which enthusiastic speeches were made ; and it was reported that the citizens of Muskegon had already subscribed $30,000, and would raise the amount to $So,000. Resolutions were adopted in favor of Big Rapids Township aiding the scheme to the extent of $40,000.
The Muskegon & Big Rapids Railroad Company was formally organized April 12, 1870, at Muskegon. Big Rapids was represented on the Board of Direc- tors by George F. Stearns, John F. Brown, Jacob (). Rose, Col. Stewart Ives and Sumner Stickney. Gen. Bronson and Col. Ives were appointed from this city to receive subscriptions. At a subsequent meeting of the Directors, officers of the company were elected as follows: Alexander Rogers, President; George F. Stearns, Vice President; Stewart Ives, Secretary ; Chauncey Davis, Treasurer. Early in May the actual survey of the road was commenced, and all seemed to be going on well, when unexpectedly the Supreme Court of Michigan decided against the constitution- ality of local aid given to railroads. This decision killed many railroad projects in the State, and for a time the Muskegon & Big Rapids Railroad seemed to have been effectually strangled.
After a year or so, however, the company was once more organized, with Hon. L. G. Mason as President, and F. A. Nims as Secretary, and it was determined to build the road with no aid except that of individ- uals. In the summer of 1872 they visited New
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MECOSTA COUNTY.
York, and on returning announced that the road could be built and equipped that year, under one ar- rangement. This was nothing more nor less than a consolidation of the company with the Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore, whose road was then built and operated as far north as Pentwater. This arrange- ment was cordially endorsed by the stockholders and directors resident at Big Rapids and Muskegon, and the contract for the construction of the entire road, to be completed and in running order by the first of January following, was let to a Mr. Thompson, a rail- road contractor who had just been performing a piece of work for the Michigan Central, and who at once transferred his entire force of about 1,000 men, with all the necessary tools and equipments for railroad work, to this Muskegon & Big Rapids road, begin- ning at the same time at both ends of the line. With this large, efficient and well organized corps, the work was pushed as rapidly forward as it could have been under the circumstances.
Owing to bad weather and other obstacles, the completion of the road was delayed till the summer of 1873. In July, regular trains-two passenger and one freight-were put on the line. The stations and distances on the line are as follows : Big Rapids; Hungerford, 61/2 miles from Big Rapids ; Traverse Road, 11 miles; Pingree's Dam, 19 miles : Morgan Station, 20 miles; Alleyton, 21 miles; Wor- cester, 25 miles; Fremont Center, 31 miles ; Fre- mont Lake, 33 miles ; County Line, 36 miles ; Holton, 39 miles ; Twin Lake, 45 miles; Big Rapids Junc- tion, 51 miles ; Muskegon, 55 miles.
The completion of the road was celebrated by an excursion from Big Rapids to Muskegon, which was well patronized. In connection with this road's his- tory, it may be mentioned as an interesting fact that it crosses the natural bed of Mitchell Creek thirty- two times within two miles of Big Rapids, and thirty-eight times within three and a quarter miles. Five or six years after the completion of this road, the Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore and the Muske- gon and Big Rapids railroads were organized as one road, under the name of the Chicago & West Michi- gan railroad.
Thus the city of Big Rapids has direct communi- cation with Chicago and all the lake ports interven- ing.
DETROIT, LANSING & NORTHERN R. R.
HIS was the third railroad built into Me- costa County. Its present northwestern terminus is Big Rapids. The Ionia & Stan- ton Branch of the D., L. & N. R. R. was made by consolidating the Ionia & Stanton road with the D., L. & N., a number of years ago, and almost every year since the project has been dis- cussed of extending that road to Big Rapids. Feb. 21, 1879, Col. J. O. Hudnutt received a letter from J. B. Mulliken, Superintendent of the D., L. & N., saying that he was then "ready to talk railroad to Big Rapids, and listen to any proposition the citizens might wish to make." On the evening of the next day a meeting of business men was held at the Mason House to talk up the matter and answer a list of questions proposed by Mr. Mulliken. John F. Brown, F. Stearns, F. Fairman, J. T. Escott and C. P. Bigelow were appointed a committee to confer with the railroad authorities. The railroad company finally agreed to ask no money bonus, but to build the road at once, if the citizens would procure the right of way through the county, which was done.
A meeting was held at Big Rapids, May 10, to discuss means for obtaining the right of way. It was finally decided that the most feasible and prac- tical way would be to solicit subscriptions from the resident property-holders of the city, equal to about two per cent. of their respective assessed valuations, to be paid as needed in ten per cent. installments. The following committeer were appointed to solicit such subscriptions: First Ward, E. P. Clark and F. W. Joslin; Second Ward, H. E. Hardy and S. S. Wilcox; Third Ward, G. W. Warren and C. D. Crandell; Fourth Ward, S. G. Webster and J. T. Escott; Fifth Ward, P. Erikson and S. S. Griswoldl. These committees met with gratifying success in their canvass, and in four days reported from the First Ward $1,200; Second Ward, $2,100; Third Ward, $900; Fourth Ward, $500; Fifth Ward, $100; total $4,800.
The road was completed to Big Rapids in the spring of 1880, and regular trains began running on Monday, May 31. This road is now the principal medium of traffic with the East, and Mecosta County has now railroads extending to each of the four points of the compass.
MECOSTA COUNTY.
607
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A
S the settlers of Mecosta County came hom a country of free schools, their attach- ment to such institutions re- mained with them, and soon became manifest in their works. They believed that such agencies were the most powerful in advanc- ing the condition of the people. The great Frenchman, Jules Simon, said: "That people which has the best schools is the best people; if it is not so to-day, it will be so to-mor- row. " The first school-house in the county was built in May, 1858, nine years before the people were able to build the first church. During the summer of the same year, Mrs. Martha J. Evarts taught the first school. This was on sec. 28, in the township of Green. The schools of the county have more than kept pace with the progress of other matters.
The following are the latest educational statistics for Mecosta County, being compiled for the year 1882:
School Children and Apportionment.
Whole number of children in cen-u -. 1,597
Number included in apportionment. 1.176
school fund apportioned
General School Statistics.
No. township- and cities 17
.. school district-
.. districts that maintained school during year
graded schools
children between five and twenty years of age 5,005
No. of children attending school during the year 3,560 Average number of months school were main- lained 6.6
No, of brick school-house- I
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