USA > Ohio > Butler County > A history and biographical cyclopaedia of Butler County, Ohio, with illustrations and sketches of its representative men and pioneers. Vol. 1 > Part 64
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78
" L. D. CAMPBELL, " President of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dagton Railroad Company. "P. S .- It is hoped that the work on the south end of the road also will be ready for letting in a short time."
-
the road in the first place was to be constructed from Hamilton to Cineinnati. It was not long before the work came almost to a standstill because subscriptions could not be obtained to the capital stock, and it was thought in Cincinnati that if forty men could be obtained to subscribe each ten thousand dollars the additional money could be borrowed. These names were procured, and Mr. L'Hommedieu went to New York and obtained the additional capital. Campbell had had much diffi- culty in making them believe in Cincinnati that there would be enough business to take a loaded train cach way every day.
The "First Annual Report of the President and Di- rectors of the Cincinnati, Hamilton, and Dayton Rail- road Company " gave a good account of the condition and prospects of this work. The location of the entire section between Cincinnati and Hamilton had been finally and definitely made, and the right of way secured on all but a few unimportant links near this city. A donation had been made by Jacob Hoffner of five acres of land in Cumminsville for a passenger station, workshops, etc. Nearly five aeres had been obtained by the company, in fec, between Fifth and Sixth Streets, in Cincinnati, east of the Whitewater Canal, for a passenger and miscella- neous freight station.
At Hamilton sixteen aeres had been granted for depots by Messrs. Bebb, Woods, Campbell, and Erwin. In addition several small tracts of land deemed necessary for the uses of the road had been offered between Ham- ilton and Cincinnati. The first section was a fraction over twenty-five miles in length. Of this section twelve miles had a grade from level to ten feet per mile, and thirteen miles from ten to twenty fect per mile; eighteen miles of it ran straight lines, and one-fourth of a mile described a curve, with less than 3,800 feet radius.
The embankments were nineteen feet wide, single track, and the excavations twenty feet at the sub-grade line. The earth work was to be covered with good gravel two feet deep and twelve fect willc. The masonry was all to be of a strong and permanent character; the bridges, of Howe's improved plan; the superstructure, of locust cross sleepers; the T rail, of the most approved pattern, weighing sixty-five pounds to the lineal yard. From Hamilton to Dayton several routes had, on the 231 of May, 1850, undergone preliminary surveys, one of which would be chosen at an early day, and the right of way secured. Between Hamilton and Dayton no curve was required with a radius of less than 5,730 feet to the mile. The length of this section of the work was thirty-four miles, more than three-fourths of which would be straight lines. With reference to other tracks, which would inevitably run into this main and substantial trunk, the report said:
Mr. Campbell was elected that year to Congress, and was succeeded as president by S. S. L'Hommedieu before "The board are happy to add that. as the certainty of the carly completion of our road through this great October, 1848. DeGraff, a noted railroad contractor, built the road. Dayton subscribed little or nothing, as , avenue to the city became apparent during the past sea-
-
1
RAILROADS.
271
son, other lines of railroads naturally falling into it have been projected, and several of them put under contract. The Mad River and Lake Erie Company are pressing forward their road to meet us at Dayton, which will un- questionably be completed before our road can be. The Columbus and Xenia Company obtained from the last Legislature a charter for extending their road to Dayton. This work will soon be constructed. The Greenville road is entirely graded. From Hamilton to Eaton, up the valley of Seven-Mile, has been let to responsible and efficient contractors, and is believed will be graded during the present season. A careful survey of a continuation of the road from Eaton to Richmond has just been con- pleted, demonstrating that a most favorable line can be located between these towns, requiring a maximum grade of only twenty-five feet to the mile. Surveys have also been made from Hamilton up the valley of Four-Mile, and thence through Connersville to Rushville. Both these latter branches, passing up beautiful valleys to the table-lands, with an almost imperceptible grade, aim at Indianapolis, where they cross the Madison and Belle- fontaine roads at right angles, and meet numerous other connections, among which are the roads to Terre Haute, on the Wabash, and to Chicago, ria Lafayette, parts of both which lines are in progress of construction."
The following is a statement of the earnings of the first year by its secretary. The earnings for the month of October, 1852, were over thirty thousand dollars. The abstract is as follows:
EARNINGS OF CINCINNATI, HAMILTON, AND DAYTON RAILROAD COMPANY FOR TWELVE MONTHS ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 1852.
Number
Passenger Furnings.
Freight Eurnings.
Total.
October, 1851, .
18,186
$16,306
8532
$16,838
November, .
13,716
11,862
608
12,441
December, .
14,493
11,445
4,888
16,334
January, 1852,
11,401
S,736
5,00S
14,745
February,
12,311
9,893
4,377
14,270
March,
16,265
13,557
5,509
19,007
April,
17.088
14.314
6,166
20,481
May,
18,096
15,386
7,314
22,701
June,
19,389
16,315
7,781
24,096
July,
22,581
17.768
8,532
26,301
August,
19.733
15,458
9,552
25,011
September,
20,981
10,943
12,194
29,138
204,19$
8167.950
$73,467
$241.427
Of the above earnings, $219,548 was local, and $21,877 was through business.
When it is considered, says the Cincinnati Gazette of that date, that the road had made no pretensions during the year (owing to the want of first-class steamers from Sandusky and the flat-bar rail on part of the Mad River road between Saudusky and Springfield) to compete for through travel, the success of the first year's business unist be gratifying to those who take an interest in such improvements. The Hamilton and Eaton road, con- meeting with the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton at
Hamilton, had only been in partial operation twenty- seven miles for a few months. By the elose of that year it would be open to Richmond. Early in March, 1853, the Greenville and Bellefontaine roads would unite at Union, giving uninterrupted railroad connection between Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Terre Haute, and Lafayette. About the same time the Toledo and Norwalk road would be open to Bellevue, connecting the Cincinnati, Hamilton, and Dayton, through the Mad River road, with Toledo and Chicago. From these sources a large accession of freight and travel might be expected. Be- fore the opening of Spring navigation the Mad River and Lake Erie road would be completely relaid with T rail, fully ballasted, and would then, in connection . with the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton road, make one of the most pleasant routes castward. The compa- nies forming the line would have ready two of the fastest and safest steamers which ever made their appearance on the lakes.
An important decision was made by the board of directors of the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton con- pany, at a regular meeting, which would give much satis- faction to the business community generally, and tend to lessen the cost of transportation between Cincinnati and all portions of North-castern Indiana. The board, with a view to accommodate all the Indiana railroads, built and to be built, entered into an agreement with the sey- eral roads forming the line from Cincinnati to Chicago to lay down a second track as far as Hamilton, on the nar- row or Indiana gauge, by the time the line was finished to Logansport; and the several roads agreed to form an exclusive connection with the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton road for twenty years.
The first ticket was sold on the 19th of September, 1851, at Hamilton, by Henry S. Earhart. The office was at that time in a brick house. at the corner of Cak !- well and Fourth Streets. Mr. Earhart remained ticket agent for more than twenty-five years, and was suc- ceeded by his son.
The number of tickets sold by Mr. Earhart for the north and south line alone, during November and De- cember, 1852, was 4,880, or precisely eighty per day -. an increase of 1,078 over November and December, 1851. The number sold during January and half of February was 4,186, or ninety per day. The number sold at Cincinnati for Hamilton during the Winter was about one-third greater than that of tickets sold for Dayton.
Recently there has been a practical consolidation be- tween the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton, and Cleve- land, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis Railroad, and more recently still an attempt at organic union. Of the exact status of this we are not advised.
There are upwards of twenty miles of rail on this road proper, within the county, and cleven stations. Jones's is the first one on entering from the south; and then
----
-
-.
272
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
follow Smitli's, Schenck's, Lindenwald, Hamilton, North Hamilton, Overpeck's. Busenbark's, Trenton, Middle- town, and Poast-town.
The Eaton road followed next. It was laid out by John W. Erwin in the Winter of 1849. Henry S. Ear- hart was an assistant. It follows the line of Seven-Mile Creek, and goes through Seven-Mile, Collinsville, and Somerville.
John Woods took an active part in the building of the Eaton and Hamilton Railroad Company, of which he became president, on retiring from the office of au- ditor of state. Previous to the second election, after Mr. Woods became president, many of the stockholders had wished a branch road to be constructed from Eaton to Piqua, which was opposed by Mr. Woods. This lost him his election.
The Cincinnati, Richmond and Chicago Railroad Com- pany is the successor to the Eaton and Hamilton Rail- road Company, which was chartered February 8, 1847, with anthority to construct a railroad from Enton, Preble County, by such route as the directors might select, to Hamilton, Butler County.
November 1, 1864, the Eaton and Hamilton Com- pany leased that part of the Richmond and Miami Rail- way extending from the point of connection on the State line to the junction or switch about two miles east of · Richmond. Becoming financially embarrassed, suit was brought against it in the Butler County Common Pleas Court, by Joseph B. Varminn, for foreclosure of mort- gage. Pending the proceedings, the company was reor- ganized, and on the 3d of May, 1866, the new arrange- ment was perfected by filing certificates with the secre- retary of state, the new company assuming the name of the Cincinnati, Richmond, and Chicago Railroad Com- pany. On February 19, 1869, the company leased it's road in perpetuity to the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Day- ton Railroad Company.
The Jonetion Railroad Company was incorporated by the Legislature of Indiana February 15, 1848, for the construction of a road from Rushville, through Conners- ville and Oxford, to Hamilton, with the permission of the State of Ohio. March 8, 1849, the Ohio Legisla- ture passed an act granting the right of way. Other companies were merged and leased, until the road is now known as the. Cincinnati, Hamilton, and Indianapolis Railroad.
John Woods became president of this road after re- tiring from the Eaton road, to the prosecution of which he bent all his energies to bear, and much of its carly success was owing to him. He held his office until the period of his death, half a dozen years.
·
In 1853 the president of this road made his first annual report to the stockholders. We draw upon it for the following information concerning the progress of the work.
An amount of stock which was deemed sufficient to
warrant a commencement of the undertaking was oh- tained, and, an arrangement having been made with the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad Company which secured the completion of the whole road from Rushville to Hamilton, the division from College Corner to Connersville was put under contract in January for the grading, masonry, and bridging. The work was taken in sections and subdivisions by efficient, responsi- ble contractors, at prices much below the rates at which other Western roads had been obliged to pay.
In June a contract was made with Messrs. Bates and Neal, experienced and energetic railroad builders, for the grading and masonry of the division extending from Connersville to Rushville. This was comparatively the most expensive division of the road. On the 2d of August the remaining divisions, from Hamilton to Col- lege Corner and from Rushville to Indianapolis, were put under contract for the construction of the grade and masonry. The division from Hamilton to College Corner was awarded to William Higdon, and from Rush- ville to Indianapolis to Messrs. Craycraft, Williams, and Ryan.
The superstructure of the bridges on the second divis- ion was awarded to Messrs. Tymon and Rindge, who exe- cuted a contract for building the bridges on the plan known as Thayer's Patent Truss Bridge. Bids were also received for building the bridges upon the other divisions. Contracts were made to furnish the cross-ties upon the whole road from College Corner to Indianapolis, and bids received for delivering the cross-ties upon the division from Hamilton to College Corner.
The first division from Hamilton to College Corner was awarded to William Higdon on the 2d of August .. The work was not begun until September, and then was vigorously prosecuted. The foundations of the piers and abutments for the bridge over the Miami at Hamilton were excavated, and the timber and masonry put down during the period of extreme low water, and the masoury raised as high as it was saf to be during the Winter. The whole amount of work done ou this division was more than thirty thousand dollars. A large force was still at work on this part of the road.
The second division, from Connersville to the State line, was put under contract in January. Nearly three- fourths of the work on this part of the road had been done, amounting to one hundred and ninety-five thousand dollars.
The work on the third division, which extended from Connersville to Rushiville, had been commenced. The clearing and grading of the fourth division, extending from Rushville to Indianapolis, was begun by Messrs. Crayeraft, Williams, and Ryan at several points.
The whole amount of the work performed up to that time was two hundred and forty thousand dollars. The estimates were regularly paid to the contractors, and a considerable sum advanced to them on account of the
273
ARCHEOLOGY.
January estimates. The divisions from Hamilton to Con- cersville would be completed in less than one year.
On Saturday, the 4th of June, 1859, the road was opened to Oxford, and two trains of eighteen or twenty cars started at half-past ten o'clock from Hamilton, with about one thousand passengers, to visit the terminus of the read. Upon arriving at the Oxford depot, they were met by a delegation of citizens of that town, headed by Marshal Matson and the Oxford band, when a procession was formed, which marched down to the college campus, where a collation was served. The immense gathering was addressed by Dr. Hall, president of the Miami Uni- versity, in an appropriate and pleasant manner. The doctor was followed by William H. Miller, the energetic president of the Junction Railroad Company, with whose remarks all appeared to be well pleased.
The Junction road was completed as far as College Corner, twenty miles from Hamilton, and the first pas- senger train passed through at the end of November, 1859. A pleasant company of excursionists had been hastily collected for the "opening." They made the trip without any marked incident, but with much jollity and merriment. As far as completed, the work was of the best and most substantial kind.
1
The Junction Railroad crosses the river at Hamilton over a handsome bridge. It is, including its culverts and embankments, two thousand and sixty-five feet long, although the main bridge, where it crosses the Miami, is but seven hundred feet long, and is supported by four arches of one hundred and seventy feet each. It is cov- ered with Mosely's corrugated iron, and is fifty feet above low-water mark. The viaduct at the west end is six hundred and sixty-five feet long, crosses three streets at the tops of the houses, and has seventeen arches built of Dayton stone. The grade from the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton depot for four miles west, to the summit level, is sixty-five feet to the mile. The engineering of this magnificent superstructure was done by John S. Earhart.
The Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapo- lis Railway Company runs through the eastern portion of the county, going uearly north and south. Its orig- inal name here was the Cincinnati and Springfield Rail- way Company, and it was incorporated by filing a cer- titicate of organization in the office of the secretary of state on the 9th of September, 1870. The road was to extend through the counties of Clarke, Montgomery, Greene, Warren, Butler, and Hamilton. It was pro- jected to- form, in connection with other roads already constructed, a truuk-line between the Eastern cities and Cincinnati, starting at Cincinnati. The road was cou- structed from Ludlow Grove to Dayton, a distance of 4,60 iniles, and the remainder of the original route had beeni already built.
-
The Cineinnati Northern runs for a mile through the southeast corner of Union Township.
-
-
ARCHÆEOLOGY .*
A STRANGE race of people, known to the archaeolo- gist as " the Mound-builders," who once inhabited the cen- tral portion of the United States, has left the evidences of its habitation throughout every part of Butler County. With the exception of Ross County, no other place within the State of Ohio contains so many remains of antiquity.
In order to further the study of this lost race, the scientists have divided the carth-works into two general classes, namely, inelosures and mounds ; and these again embrace a variety of works diverse in form and designed for different purposes. The first is characterized by cir- cumvallations, embankments, or walls, and include for- tifications or places of defense, sacred inclosures, and numerous miscellaneous works, mostly symmetrical in structure. They vary in size, ranging from one to four hundred acres. The walls are composed of surface ma- terial, clay, or stone, and vary in height from one to thirty feet.
Under the second head we have the true mound- buildings, which constitute a wonderful system, embrac- ing what has been specifically designated temple, saeri- ficial, sepulchral, symbolical, and mounds of observation, varying in height from three to ninety feet. The temple mounds are regular in form, of large dimensions, are chiefly truncated, having graded avennes or spiral path- ways leading to their summits. Those called sacrificial invariably occur either within, or else in the immediate vicinity of, inclosures, and are regularly constructed in uniform layers of earth, sand, and gravel, disposed alter- nately in strata conformable to the shape of the mound, thus covering an altar composed of burnt clay or stone, upon which are the remains of the sacrifices. The sepul- chral mound is a simple cone heaped over the remains of some chief personage. The symbolical mounds are gi- gantie bass-reliefs formed on the surface of the ground, and representing both animate and inanimate objects. The mounds of observation are so called on account of their location on high bills, which give a commanding view either of the river valleys, or else the surrounding - country.
Taking the system of earth-works for which this peo- ple is noted, no spot could be better adapted for their varions wants than that embraced within the limits of Butler County. It, as it has been supposed, these people were tillers of the soil, then we have here the broad val- ley of the Miami, notably that portion which stretches out and embraces the rich arable lands adjoining the ereeks known as Seven-Mile and Nine-Mile, which would furnish them a evil scarcely surpassed in its fertility. Should danger encounter them in the shape of a formi-
---
By J. P. MacLean.
- -
35
.
1
274
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
dable enemy, the bold headlands, here and there jutting out into thic valleys, present great natural advantages for defense ; and upon the many hills signal stations could be erceted in order to warn the quiet cultivators of the soil when a predatory band was at hand.
The evidence is accumulative that this county must have long been one of the permanent seats of the Mound- builders. This is especially shown in the great number of earth-works and the abundance of implements which have been found. It may be safely stated that nearly every foot of ground has yielded up some relie belonging to a past race of people. That all these belong to the -mouud-building epoch, no one would affirm; but, taken in connection with works known to belong to that age, or time, it may be claimed that a large proportion of the rel- ics should be assigned to that distinctive race. The same kind and variety of implements found in various parts of the State and in the immediate vicinity of earth struc- tures also occur here. Archaeological cabinets have been, and are still being, rapidly formed, almost wholly com- posed of relics picked up within the county. Nearly all the large collections have been sold, many of them pass- ing out of the State.
.
-
The mounds number not less than two hundred and fifty, varying in height from two feet to forty-three. Only two kinds or varieties of mounds are definitely known to be in this county ; namely, mounds of obser- vation and sepulture. Some have been obliterated by the plow, others remain undisturbed, and a few have the forest-trees still growing upon them. The mounds of observation range upon the west bank of the Miami, and the most conspicuous hills are crowned with these works. The hills on the eastern side are not dotted with them, for the reason that the siles are more sloping; besides, they do not command as fine a view of the valley as those on the western side.
The largest of all the mounds within the county is that in Madison Township, located on the land of Joseph Henry, section 19. It is forty-three feet high, and con- tains ucarly twenty-five thousand feet of clay. From its position and height it must have been the principal watch- tower for the people of the surrounding country, and the one which received the signals from the great Mound near Miamisburg. Ross Township presents an interesting group situated on section 21. Here we have a group of four mounds, the largest about twenty-six feet high. Removed from them a distance of a few rods are two more. The largest might have been used as a signal station ; but the smaller mounds would apparently dis- credit this supposition.
The works of inclosure are sixteen in mumber, located on section 36, Oxford; section 3, Milford; sections 14, 30, Wayne; scetion 4, St. Clair; sectiou 22, Reily ; sections 34, 18, 12, Ross; sections 8, 15, 10, 16, Fair- field ; sections 14, 8, 9, Union Townships. These works have been more or less disturbed by the white man,
-
while two have been entirely obliterated. Fortunately these two received a careful survey while yet covered with forest-trees. so that their dimensions are still known. An interesting inclosure, belonging to the class called sacred, occurred partly in section 9, Union, and section 15, Fairfield Townships. It was carefully surveyed May 7, 1842, by John W. Erwin and James McBride. This group of works was composed of four circles and an oval. The main work was situated just east of and touching the township line. It was an exact circle, two hundred and thirty-one feet in diameter. When first discovered the embankment was fully three feet above the natural surface of the ground. As the accompanying ditch within the embankment was two feet deep, consequently the perpendicular height of the wall was five feet from the bottom of the exeavation. East of this inclosure, and removed a distance of one hundred and ninety-eight feet, was another, eighty-six feet in diameter. In a direction S. 15° W. from the last-named work, a dis- tance of one hundred and ninety-eight feet was another work of the same dimensions; namely, eighty-six feet in diameter, and exactly the same distance from the main work as the former. North-west of the center or main work, a distance of sixty-six feet, was another circle, thirty-three feet in diameter. The township line passed directly through it, dividing it into halves. Adjoining and touching this was another inclosure of an oval form, one hundred and fifty feet by one hundred and eighty in diameter. All of the smaller works were also accompa- nied with the interior ditch, eighteen inches in depth, with the surrounding embankment two feet above the natural surface of the ground. The material composing the embankment was a bright yellow clay, different from that appearing on the surface of the surrounding ground. It is more than probable that communications once ex- isted throughout from one work to the other, possibly composed of timber. As only the main work was ac- companied by a gateway, it might also be inferred that the works were never complete according to the original design.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.