USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume I > Part 94
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New Broad Gauge PASSENGER, FREIGHT, MAIL, EXPRESS & TELEGRAPH ROUTE.
ERIE RAILWAY
GREAT BROAO GAUGE, DOUBLE TRACK & TELEGRAPH ROUTE TO New York, Boston & all Eastern Cities.
CLEVELAND, COLUMBUS, AND
CINCINNATI
RAILROAD.
TOLEDO RAILROAD !
GREAT THROUGH ROUTE,
CLEVELAND AND PITTSBURGH
RAIL
ROAD
IN CONNECTION WITH THE
PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD
TYPICAL RAILROAD ADVERTISEMENTS OF AN EARLY DAY
50
737
HISTORY OF CLEVELAND
June, 1852, when $300,000 had been subscribed. The directors were Jacob Perkins, Frederick Kinsman, Charles Smith, of Warren, David Tod, of Youngstown, Dudley Baldwin, of Cleveland, Robert Cunningham, of Newcastle and James Magee, of Pittsburg. The road is a monument to the devotion, energy and ability of Jacob Perkins. The financial difficulties were of the most discouraging kind. The Pennsylvania & Ohio railroad and the Pitts- burg & Erie, then building, refused to aid the new venture. Offices were opened '1 Cleveland, surveys were made, some land was purchased, but subscriptions failed to come. Attempts to have the legislature of Pennsylvania permit an ex- tension to Pittsburg were thwarted by several rival roads. The impossible money market of 1854 added its despondency to the situation and President Perkins went to Europe for aid, but that country had lost confidence in American rail- road securities and he returned without the needed funds. As a final resort he proposed the heroic measure to the directors of pledging their personal fortunes to the venture, he leading the list with a pledge of one hundred thousand dollars. This succeeded. In 1857 the road was completed to Youngstown and the productive coal fields of the Mahoning valley were opened to Cleveland and the lake ports. The road was a success from its first train.
In October, 1863, the Atlantic & Great Western railroad leased the line for ninety-nine years, for an annual rental of four hundred and five thousand, eight hundred and two dollars and forty-five cents and the purchase of the equipment.
July 25, 1872, the Cleveland & Mahoning, the Liberty & Vienna and the Niles & New Lisbon railroads were consolidated and called the Cleveland & Mahoning Valley railway. July 1, 1880, the consolidated lines were leased with the Atlantic & Great Western system to the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad Com- pany for eighty-two years, the old Cleveland & Mahoning road becoming the Mahoning division. The road is now owned and operated by the Erie system.
THE LAKE SHORE & MICHIGAN SOUTHERN RAILROAD.
The text-books on transportation cite this railroad and its eastern connection, the New York Central, as the classic example of the tendency of railroads to amalgamate into great trunk lines.
There are six sections of Development in the history of this sys- tem. The history of the first section, the Michigan Southern develop- ment, begins in Michigan with the chartering of the Erie & Kalamazoo Railway Company, April 22, 1833, the line to extend from Toledo, then claimed by the territory of Michigan and called Port Lawrence, to some point on the Kala- mazoo river. Only thirty-three miles of the road were built, from Toledo to Adrian. It seems anomalous that this short road, miserably constructed of oak stringers with strap rails five eighths inch thick; at first operated by horse power, then by two puny engines ; built wholly upon credit, with a charter giving it the right to issue paper money and indulge in all the vagaries of a "wild cat" bank, including the repudiation of its debts; plunged into the inevitable bankruptcy within a few years, and managed by a receiver in Toledo and a commissioner at Adrian, who were constantly in each others' hair, it seems anomalous that this puny line should be the first tottering step that culminated in the continental trunk
738
HISTORY OF CLEVELAND
system between the first and second cities of our continent. The state of Michigan, in 1838, began the construction of the Southern railway, surveying the line from Monroe to New Buffalo on Lake Michigan. November 30, 1840, the first train reached Adrian. Not until September, 1843, did it reach Hillsdale, sixty-six miles from Monroe. This was as far as the state built the road.
May 9, 1846, the Michigan Southern Railway Company was chartered and in May, 1849, this company leased in perpetuity the Southern railway from the state and purchased the bankrupt Erie & Kalamazoo railway. The road from Monroe to Hillsdale was at once pushed southward to the state line, where even- tually it connected with the Northern Indiana Railroad Company that had been chartered in Indiana, February, 1835. At this time European capital began to invest in American railway securities and the Michigan Southern and the Michi- gan Central were both provided with ample funds that stimulated them; to a great race of construction from Detroit to Chicago. The Michigan Southern and the Northern Indiana united in building from Jonesville to Chicago, one hundred and seventy-two miles in what was then considered the incredible time of twenty months.
In 1851 the second section, or the Northern Indiana development, began. Ohio chartered the Northern Indiana Railroad Company, giving permission to build from Toledo westward to the Indiana state line, and northward to the Michigan line. The latter line was called the Detroit, Monroe & Toledo railroad. The completion of these roads furnished Toledo with connections with all the northern Indiana lines. On July 3, 1853, the Northern Indiana Company of Ohio and of Indiana were consolidated under the name of the Northern Indiana Railroad Company. In November, 1850, extensions into Illinois were planned, when the Northern Indiana and Chicago Railroad Company was incorporated to build from Chicago, southeasterly to the state line and connect with the western division of the old Buffalo & Mississippi railroad. February 7, 1855, the general consolidation of the western division of the Buffalo & Mississippi, the Northern Indiana Railroad Company and the Northern Indiana and Chicago was consum- mated under the name of the Northern Indiana Railroad Company. Connec- tions were now completed from Toledo to Chicago. Within a few months the new company absorbed the Michigan Southern Railroad Company and subse- quently leased the Detroit, Monroe & Toledo Railroad. The new consolidation was called the Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana Railroad Company.
The third section, the Buffalo and Erie development, began April 12, 1842, when the Erie & Northeast Railroad Company was incorporated in Pennsylvania to build from Erie to the eastern line of Northeast township, and twenty miles of this line were built. October, 1849, saw the organization of the Buffalo & State Line railroad for building from Buffalo westward to connect with a road lead- ing to Cleveland. This road was permitted to join the Erie & Northeast by act of New York legislature, March 9, 1867, the consolidation being known as the Buffalo & Erie Company. Connections now were built from Erie to Buffalo.
The fourth section, the Cleveland and Toledo development, was begun on March 2, 1846, when the state chartered the Junction Railroad Company to build from a point on the Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati, within thirty miles of Cleveland, westward through Elyria to Bellevue, or some other point on the
C. P. & A. RAIL ROAD.
201
Ou and after MONDAY, Vasember 2 4th, Trains leave it follows: Cleveland for Painesville, at 10, A.M. Painesville to Cleveland, at 3. P.M.
Cars will start from the Depot of the C. ", nod C. Rail Road, and Seats enn be pro- cured at the office of that Company.
WM. BECK WITH, Napl.
. Vorombe+ 21h. 1551.
From the original in Western Reserve Historical Society
ONE OF THE EARLIEST RAILROAD TIME CARDS PRINTED IN CLEVELAND
INTERIOR VIEW OF "PALACE COACH" AND SLEEPING CAR From advertisement of the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis Railway, 1875
F.& K.RR
From an old cut First locomotive and "Pleasure car" on the Erie and Kalamazoo railroad, 1837
From an old out Union passenger depot, 1866
739
HISTORY OF CLEVELAND
Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad and thence to Fremont, and a branch from Elyria to Fremont, via Sandusky. The latter branch followed the ancient Ohio railroad, "the road on stilts." In March, 1850, a line was incorporated to ex- tend from Toledo eastward to pass through Norwalk and connect with the Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati at Wellington. Later the company was given the authority to build to Cleveland. This was the Toledo, Norwalk & Cleveland railroad. Still a third line to Toledo was chartered in October, 1852, the Port Clinton railroad, to build from Sandusky to Toledo via Port Clinton. The in- evitable unification took place on July 15, 1853, when a new corporation, the Cleveland & Toledo Railroad Company, absorbed these projected lines, none of which had built their allotted portions.
The lines now completed extended from Chicago to Toledo, from Toledo to Cleveland and from Erie to Buffalo. The sixth section remained, the Cleve- land-Erie line. This was distinctly a Cleveland enterprise. Alfred Kelley, "the Railroad King" and William Case were the prime movers. It began in 1848 with the charter of the Cleveland, Painesville & Ashtabula railroad, to build from Cleveland eastward through Painesville and Ashtabula to the state line. Heman B. Ely was the president of this company ; Abel Kimball, treasurer; Frederick Harbach, engineer. The directors besides these officials were Alfred Kelley, Samuel L. Seldon, Heman B. Ely, George E. Gillett, David R. Paige, L. Lake and Peleg P. Sanford. They began work with the full knowledge that they were building an important connecting link, for an early report of the directors says "Aware that the road must of necessity be the common thoroughfare of two great lines of road converging from the westward at Cleveland, and two great lines converging eastward from Erie, the directors have spared no labor or ex- pense in ascertaining the best possible route, and the result is that the road is located, all things considered, upon the most direct line. * Though not
required for immediate use, in order to lay down a double track, the roadway throughout is one hundred feet wide." And upon this broad gauge policy ninety- five miles were built. The contract for construction was let July 26, 1850, to Frederick Harbach, Amasa Stone and Stillman Witt. The first locomotive traveled the entire line in the autumn of 1852. A distinguished delegation went from Cleveland to Erie to celebrate the event. In May, 1854, the legislature of Penn- sylvania gave authority to extend the road to Erie, along the old Franklin Canal railway line. This last link, to us the most important, was long delayed be- cause the general opinion doubted the ability of the railway to compete with the popular passenger steamers between Cleveland and Buffalo. 'At Erie the new road connected with the Erie & Northeast Railway, a line twenty miles long, run- ning from Erie to the New York State line, there connecting with the Buffalo and State Line road. This small strip of road so essential to the through traffic, was for some reason of a different gauge from either of its larger connecting roads, causing great expense and inconvenience in trans- ferring passengers and freight. When permission was secured for making the gauge uniform, the people of Erie objected and a mob ripped up the tracks and burned a bridge. The people in Cleveland, December 27, 1853, held a mass meet- ing in the courthouse, denouncing the lawless men of the Pennsylvania town and
740
HISTORY OF CLEVELAND
demanding redress. The courts soon put a stop to the disgraceful pettiness of Erie.
The various sections of this system were now built and the railroad at once demonstrated its power to draw traffic. The opening of the far west sent vast streams of travel through the Buffalo-Chicago route, and the inconvenience in transfer, the loss in operation and other considerations led to the inevitable unify- ing of these diverse sections. The consolidation began in Cleveland. October 8, 1867, the Cleveland, Painesville & Ashtabula Company leased the Cleveland & Toledo Company. June 17, 1868, the Cleveland, Painesville & Ashtabula was changed to the Lake Shore Railway Company. In 1869 the Cleveland & Toledo became an integral part of the Lake Shore and one corporation owned from Erie to Toledo. May 8, 1869, the Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana was merged with the Lake Shore and a single new corporation, the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, operated from Erie to Chicago. This name remained unchanged, when on August 10, 1869, the Buffalo & Erie railway was absorbed by the Lake Shore. This was the last step in the consolidation of 1,013 miles of railroad into one of the greatest railway systems of this country. Later the merger with the Vander- bilt system of New York was completed.
In 1873 the extensive railroad shops were located at Collamer, where one hundred and sixty acres were purchased by the company for six hundred and fifty dollars per acre.
In 1908, 1,511.I miles were operated and 8,558,745 passengers carried.9
THE ERIE RAILROAD.
The local branch of this line began as the Franklin & Warren railroad, char- tered March 10, 1845, to build from Franklin, now Kent, in Portage county, through Warren to the eastern boundary of the state, and from Franklin south- west or west. A road was built from the Pennsylvania line to Dayton, through Warren, Akron, and Springfield, which in 1854, was called the Atlantic & Great Western. In April, 1858, a Pennsylvania connection was made, when the Mead- ville railroad was merged with it and the Atlantic & Great Western Railroad of Pennsylvania incorporated. In December, 1858, the 'Atlantic & Great Western Railroad Company of New York was incorporated. These various state cor- porations were all consolidated August 19, 1865. Later the line was leased to the Erie railroad and then began that series of manipulations of stock, of bankruptcy proceedings and of forced sales that made the unfortunate Erie conspicuous among the lines of the country.10 Two Cleveland men acted as receivers at various times. Reuben Hitchcock, from November, 1869, to February 24, 1870, and General J. H. Devereux from December 8, 1874, to January 6, 1880. On the latter date the road was sold on foreclosure to trustees, who acted for the bond- holders. On March 17, 1880, a new corporation was formed, the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad Company.
' "Moody's Manual."
10 See Adams' "Chapters of Erie."
741
HISTORY OF CLEVELAND
CLEVELAND, AKRON & COLUMBUS RAILROAD.
February 19, 1851, the charter of the Cleveland, Mt. Vernon & Delaware railroad was issued to the Cleveland & Pittsburg railroad Company to build a branch from Hudson, Cuyahoga Falls and Akron to connect with some road between Massillon and Wooster. In March, 1852, the company was organized and the road was built from Hudson to Millersburg in Holmes county. It was at first known as the Akron branch. This name was changed in 1853 to the Cleveland, Zanesville & Cincinnati. From 1861-4 it was operated by a re- ceiver, who sold it to parties who in July, 1865, transferred the road to the Pitts- burg, Fort Wayne & Chicago, and with this latter road it passed into the con- trol of the Pennsylvania railroad in 1869.
In May, 1869, the Pittsburg, Mt. Vernon, Columbus & London railroad was incorporated. In the following December this new corporation purchased that part of the Springfield, Mt. Vernon & Pittsburg railway, east of Delaware, and November 4th purchased the Cleveland, Zanesville & Cincinnati railroad from the Pennsylvania railroad. A lease of the Massillon & Cleveland railroad built from Massillon to Clinton, was also acquired by the latter sale. December 20, 1869, the new line was called the Cleveland, Mt. Vernon & Delaware Railroad Company.
On December 17, 1872, the company filed in Columbus, a supplemental certi- ficate for building a branch for Holmes county to other roads running through Muskingum county. In default of interest, December 1, 1881, the road was sold at foreclosure sale, to the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus Railway Company, and operated by them until April 23, 1882, when the courts set aside the sale and appointed a receiver, who again sold the road, on June 9, 1882, to the Cleve- land, Akron & Columbus railroad. January 1, 1886, the road was reorganized and is now operated by the Pennsylvania system.
THE CLEVELAND, CANTON & SOUTHERN.
March 9, 1850, the Carroll County Railroad Company was chartered. It laid a strap railroad from Carrollton to Oneida, twelve miles, operated with horse power. Within nine years the road was sold at a receiver's sale.
. In 1873 the Ohio & Toledo Railroad Company secured the road and ex- tended it northward to Minerva, and southward to Cannonsburg, afterward called Del Rey, planning to connect Youngstown and the Panhandle line. But the company failed before this could be done and George L. Ingersoll, . of Cleveland, purchased the road in 1878, and sold it to eastern capitalists, who at once organized the Youngstown & Connotton Valley Railroad Company. But the plans were soon changed, the new company deciding to make Canton, not Youngs- town, the northern terminus and the name was changed to the Connotton Valley railroad. In 1880 the line was opened to Canton and the same year the Con- notton Northern railroad was incorporated to build from Fairport to Canton, but when the line had been projected into Portage county it was decided to make Cleveland the lake terminal, and in January, 1882, trains were run to the Com- mercial street depot. The Connotton Northern and the Connotton Valley were
742
HISTORY OF CLEVELAND
consolidated under the latter name and a branch was built into the Straitsville coal fields by way of Zanesville and Coshocton. In January, 1884, Samuel Briggs, of Cleveland, was appointed receiver for the line upon suit brought for foreclosure, the bondholders and stockholders agreeing upon a plan of reorgani- zation. The road was purchased and on June 24, 1885, at a meeting in Cleve- land, the road was reorganized under the name of Cleveland & Canton Railroad Company. The road was sold in 1888 to the newly organized Coshocton & South- ern railroad and extended southward to Zanesville. In May, 1892, the Cleve- land & Canton, the Waynesburg & Canton and the Chagrin Falls & Northern roads were consolidated and called the Cleveland, Canton & Southern railroad. In 1892 this road leased the Massillon railroad. September 15, 1893, the court appointed J. W. Wardwell and Frederick Swift, receivers, the latter resigning July 15, 1894. In May, 1899, the Pennsylvania Company acquired control of the road. In 1901, the Apple Creek Branch was completed and the Howard Branch in 1906. Its total trackage is 210 miles.
CLEVELAND, LORAIN & WHEELING RAILROAD.
This line began as the Lake Shore & Turcarawas Valley, incorporated July 2, 1870, to build from Berea to Mill township, in Tuscarawas county, there to connect with the Pittsburg, Cincinnati & St. Louis railroad, a branch to run from Elyria to Medina county. In August, 1873, the road was completed from Elyria to Ulrichsville. Meantime it had acquired eight miles of road from Elyria to Black River Harbor, now called Lorain. In July, 1874, interest was defaulted and a receiver was appointed. The following January the road was sold to Selah Chamberlain, who organized the Cleveland, Tuscarawas Valley & Wheeling Railroad Company and the road was built to Wheeling in 1880. In 1882, it was again in the hands of a receiver and Selah Chamberlain and others bought it and reorganized the company under the name of Cleveland, Lorain & Wheel- ing Railroad Company. November 23, 1893, the road was consolidated with the Cleveland & Southern railroad, which extended from Cleveland to Lester, a dis- tance of twenty-eight miles, thereby giving a Cleveland terminal. The com- pany is controlled by the Baltimore & Ohio Railway Company. Its total trackage is four hundred and fifty-one and fifty-nine hundredths miles.
THE VALLEY RAILROAD.
The need of a railway to the coal fields in the central part of the state was real- ized when the Mahoning supply became depleted. In February, 1871, a public meet- ing was held in the city council chamber to consider the question. Meetings were held in South Brooklyn and other places along the proposed route. The charter for this road was granted August 31, 1871, giving authority to build from Cleveland southward to Wheeling, through Akron and Canton. The building began in 1873, just as the panic was sweeping the country. The stress of financial matters stopped the work until 1878. A number of public meetings were held in Cleve- land to consider means for continuing the work. In 1880 cars were running from Cleveland to Canton, and July 1, 1882, to Valley Junction. It is a coal carrying
From an old lithograph
Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland Railroad Bridge over Rocky River at Berea, 1853
From an old lithograph Lake Shore Railroad Bridge over Enclid Creek, 1853
From an old lithograph
Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland Railroad Bridge over West Branch of Rocky River at Ohinstead Falls, 1833
A GROUP OF PRIMITIVE RAILROAD BRIDGES
743
HISTORY OF CLEVELAND
road, entering Cleveland by the old canal bed, which the state ceded to the city on condition that a new junction of canal and river should be made and a new weigh lock built. The city in turn leased the bed to the railroad company for ninety-nine years, receiving in bonds two hundred and sixty-five thousand dol- lars as a consideration. * When the panic overtook the road the city wished to help the construction and it was proposed to issue bonds for this purpose but voters determined against this. The business men of the city, however, raised $500,000 dollars in stock subscriptions. J. H. Wade, N. P. Payne, James Farmer, S. T. Everett and L. M. Coe were especially active in this enterprise.
In February, 1880, the road was completed. September 10, 1895, the Val- ley railway was sold under foreclosure proceedings. October 3, 1895, the Cleve- land Terminal & Valley Railroad Company was organized and purchased the road. The Baltimore & Ohio now controls and operates the road under the name of the Cleveland division. Its total trackage is 187.85 miles.
NEW YORK, CHICAGO & ST. LOUIS RAILWAY.
This road, popularly known as the "Nickel Plate," was chartered in New York, April 13, 1881. It was planned from the first as a through line from Buffalo to Chicago via Cleveland and Fort Wayne. It was built by the Seney syndicate in record breaking time, traffic beginning October 23, 1882, 523.02 miles built and equipped in less than eighteen months. It was built as a com- petitor of the Lake Shore system and was purchased for the Vanderbilts in November, 1882, by Judge Stevenson Burke. In March, 1885, D. W. Caldwell, vice president of the road, was appointed receiver. In May, 1887, the road was sold at foreclosure and immediately the company reorganized, changing its ter- minology from railway to railroad, so that the new company was the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad Company, which operates the line today. Its total length is 523.02 miles.
THE CLEVELAND BELT & TERMINAL RAILROAD.
This road is six and a half miles long, extending from the Cleveland, Can- ton & Southern tracks to the "Nickel Plate" in Newburg. It was built to facili- tate freight shifting.
THE BELT LINE.
The latest addition to Cleveland railroads is the "Cleveland Short Line Rail- way," called the "Belt Line." It encircles the city from Collinwood to Rockport. For years the rapidly increasing freight traffic of the city was congesting the railways. A method of transferring the through freight without sending it into the city had often been sought. But the engineering difficulties presented by the steep grades of the "Heights" and the broad Cuyahoga Valley seemed to make the work impossible. By long and painstaking investigation, W. R. Hopkins and his brother Ben Hopkins, became convinced that such a line could be con- structed. Senator Charles Dick and H. M. Hanna were drawn into the plan, and in July, 1906, building operations were begun. The road will be completed in 1912. The active work of promotion and guiding the building operations de-
* Act of April 29, 1872.
744
HISTORY OF CLEVELAND
volved upon W. R. Hopkins, to whose energy and perseverance the success of the task is due.
DEPOTS.
In 1853 the Cleveland & Columbus, the Cleveland & Erie and the Cleveland & Pittsburg railroads united in building a "passenger house" on the lake front, three hundred and sixty-three by one hundred and twenty-five feet, an "eating house," two hundred and twenty by forty feet, and a "freight house," one hundred and forty-five by eighty feet, all of wood, with tin roof. The total cost was seventy-five thousand dollars. These buildings were destroyed by fire and in 1864 work on the new Union depot was begun. It was as ample a structure in its day as it has latterly become inadequate, filthy and unworthy. A grand Union station is planned as part of the group plan. Long delayed litigation between the city and the railroads over the ownership of lake front property has delayed its erection.
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