Century history of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Ohio, and representative citizens, 20th, Part 31

Author: Sanderson, Thomas W., comp
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1074

USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > Youngstown > Century history of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Ohio, and representative citizens, 20th > Part 31

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we have seen, it was leased to the Erie Rail- road Company:

PENNSYLVANIA LINES.

The Ashtabula & New Lisbon Railroad Company was chartered in 1853 with a capital of $1,000,000. After being partially construc- ted it was leased to the New Lisbon Railroad Company, a new organization; but this com- pany becoming financially embarrassed, the road, 35 miles in length, was sold in 1869 to private parties, who organized the Niles & New Lisbon Railroad Company, and operated the road until 1872 under that title.

A company known as the Ashtabula, Youngstown & Pittsburg Railroad Company was chartered in 1870, and entered into a con- tract with the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chi- cago Company to construct a line from the terminus of the Lawrence branch of the Penn- sylvania road at Youngstown to Ashtabula Harbor. The partially constructed line of the Ashtabula & New Lisbon Company was adopted from Niles to Ashtabula. Five and a half miles of the track of the Liberty & Vienna Company, from Youngstown to Niles, was purchased for $200,000, and a connecting line from Niles to Girard being constructed, the road was completed May 1, 1873. A contract was made with the Pennsylvania Company, by which it was to operate the road in harmony with its other lines, and divide the net earnings pro rata. The road was sold in 1878 to a com- pany known as the Ashtabula & Pittsburg Railroad Company.

The Lawrence Railroad & Transportation Company was chartered in Pennsylvania and Ohio in 1864, and lines were constructed from Lawrence Junction, Pennsylvania (where con- nection is made via the New Castle and Beaver Valley Railroad with Homewood, and the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad), to Youngstown, Ohio, the work bein completed in 1868. The line, in 1869, was leased to the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Company for a term of ninety-nine years. With its several branches it has a continuous line from Ashtabula Harbor to Pittsburg, thus giving

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Youngstown competing lines from Lake Erie to the Ohio river.

In order to afford easier grades for the movement of heavy traffic between Pittsburg and the Mahoning Valley, the New Brighton & New Castle Railroad was built, and opened for operation August 18, 1884, from Kenwood, on the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Rail- way to a connection with the New Castle & Beaver Valley Railroad at Wampum Junction, and on May 1, 1891, an independent line was completed between Lawrence Junction and Wampum Junction. In 1898 the track and grades between Lawrence Junction and Wam- pum Junction were adjusted so as to form a double track between these points.

The Alliance, Niles & Ashtabula Railroad was completed August 7, 1882, from Niles, Ohio, to Alliance Junction, where it connected with the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway, thus affording a more direct western connection with the extensive iron producing district in the Mahoning Valley.

For the purpose of securing under one or- ganization the line connecting the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway with the lake at Ashtabula, the Ashtabula & Pittsburg Rail- way Company, the Lawrence Railroad Com- pany, the Alliance, Niles & Ashtabula Rail- road Company, and the New Brighton & New Castle Railroad Company, the extent of whose lines is above mentioned, were consolidated August 17, 1887, under the name of the Pitts- burg, Youngstown & Ashtabula Railroad Com- pany ; and by the merger of the New Castle & Beaver Valley Railroad Company into the latter company, the Pittsburg, Youngstown & Ash- tabula Railway Company was formed January 16, 1906. The Pittsburg, Youngstown & Ash- tabula Railway is operated by the Pennsyl- vania Company, as was its predecessor, under lease.

The Erie and Ashtabula division, which now comprises the Pittsburg, Youngstown & Ashtabula Railway, the Erie & Pittsburg Rail- road, and some smaller branches, were estab- lished September 1, 1881.

The following is a chronicle of the events relating to the Mahoning Valley taken from

the annual reports of the Pennsylvania Com- pany :

Report for 1888 : Quite a large amount was expended on the Crab Creek Branch at. Youngstown, and a branch about half a mile in length reaching the Mahoning Valley Iron Works was built, and was opened for traffic December 25th. In accordance with the pro- visions of the city ordinance, a heavy retain- ing wall was built on Water Street from Front Street to Spring Common, and a new passen- ger station was almost completed on Spring Common, in consideration of the grant of that property by the city for that purpose, and of the permission to lay an additional track at that point. Several bridges were renewed in stone and iron at various points, and a new station. house was erected at Briar Hill.

Report for 1889. The new passenger sta- tion at Youngstown was completed in June, in- cluding platform, sheds, driveways and side- walks, and the old passenger house moved to. a lot on the Crab Creek Branch to be used as a freight house. The second track was laid. from the crossing of the New York, Penn- sylvania & Ohio road to the west of the new passenger station. The total increase in the- track was 4.6 miles. The bridges over the Ma- honing River at Haselton, and over Mill Creek,. were replaced with more substantial structures.

Report for 1890. Second track extended at Youngstown, Ohio.

Report for 1891. The bridge over Rock Creek was replaced by an iron structure, and the tressels over the Mahoning River on the Alliance Branch and bridge No. II were filled with earth.

Report for 1894. Expenditures were made. for right of way for second track between Market Street and Crab Creek in Youngs- town, Ohio.

Report for 1895. Second track extended in Youngstown, Ohio.

Report for 1896. Expenditures were made for second track between Youngstown and Brier Hill and for real estate between Brier Hill and Girard.

Report for 1898. New yard tracks were laid at Mosier, Crab Creek and Haselton.

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HISTORY OF MAHONING COUNTY

Report for 1900. The work of construct- ing a second track between Struthers and Niles was commenced.

Report for 1901. The second track work from Lawrence Junction to Niles progressed as follows: Haselton to Crab Creek, in part. Spring Common, west; right of way had been acquired as far west as Brier Hill Iron and Steel Company's plant and the Youngstown Steel Company, and the track is now under way.

Mosier and Girard, work nearly completed.

Joint track with Pittsburg and Western Railway to reach Youngstown Sheet Iron and Steel Company; about one mile of the track built to reach this industry, which is located east of Youngstown on the north side of the Mahoning river.

Considerable work done at Haselton toward the extension of the yard, and the yard facili- ties at Niles, Mosier and Haselton considerably increased.

Bridge No. 32 to Haselton : Masonry com- Haselton in course of construction for double track.

Report for 1902. Second track work was prosecuted as follows :

Lowellville to Struthers, 3 miles, grading completed and track partially laid.

Struthers to Haselton, 1.93 miles, grading and masonry completed and 1.9 miles of track completed and in use.

Bridge No. 32 to Haselton : masonry com- pleted and super-structure in course of erection.

Haselton to Coal Creek, 15 miles, com- pleted, except crossing at Haselton.

Spring Common, west : Alignment changed and two tracks in operation to a point west of Brier Hill, making two tracks in operation as above between Haselton and Brier Hill, a dis- tance of 4.23 miles.

Mosier to Girard: second track built from a point west of Brier Hill to end of double track at Mosier and from Girard to Robbins, making double track in operation between Brier Hill and Robbins, a distance of 5.05 miles.

Report for 1903: Second track work was prosecuted as follows: Kenwood to Wam- pum, 12.2 miles, in progress; Lawrence Junc-

tion to Edenburg, 4.3 miles, completed ; Eden- burg to State Line, 4.6 miles, completed; State Line to Lowellville, I.I mile, in prog- ress; Girard to Niles, 5.0 miles, completed. This completes the second track from Law- rence Junction to Niles, with the exception of I.13 miles through Lowellville, which is in progress, and the Briar Hill gauntlet.

Yard facilities at Haselton and Mosier were materially increased.

A new frame engine house 26x60 feet was constructed at Youngstown.

Report for 1904: The second track work between Kenwood and Wampum and between State Line and Lowellville, referred to in last year's report as in progress, was completed.

A new station was constructed at Lowell- ville; also a new coaling station at Youngs- town, Ohio.

Report for 1905: The Arrel branch, two miles in length, connecting with main line at Lowellville, was completed; also two storage tracks having an aggregate capacity of 50 cars.

A new route between Cleveland and Pitts- burg was opened in the latter part of the year, by connecting the Mahoning Valley Western Railway, over which permanent trackage rights have been secured, with the Cleveland & Pittsburg Railroad near Ravenna and the Pittsburg, Youngstown & Ashtabula Railroad near Niles, and using that road and the Pitts- burg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway to Pitts- burg. This line furnishes a low grade route and will greatly facilitate the handling of busi- ness between Cleveland and Mahoning Valley points and Pittsburg.

LAKE SHORE & MICHIGAN SOUTHERN RAILWAY. (Franklin Division).

The Jamestown & Franklin Railroad com- menced work in 1864. The principal projec- tors of this road were, The Buffalo & State Line Railroad, George Palmer, president; the Cleveland, Painesville & Ashtabula Railroad, Amasa Stone, president; and William Gibson of Jamestown, Pennsylvania, the last named holding a charter of the old Pittsburg & Erie

TERMINAL STATION OF THE YOUNGSTOWN SOUTHERN RAILWAY. YOUNGSTOWN

VIEW ON THE LINE OF THE YOUNGSTOWN & SOUTHERN RAILWAY (Nortti Lima Coal Mines on the Left)

VIEW ON THE LINE OF THE YOUNGSTOWN & SOUTHERN RAILWAY NEAR YOUNGSTOWN

JOHN FRECH BUILDING, LOWELLVILLE

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.R. R., which was originally intended to run from Pittsburg to Erie, via. Meadville, Penn- sylvania. Owing to the failure to procure funds and the proper enterprise, the line was abandoned, not, however, until quite an amount of work was done. William Gibson trans- ferred that portion of the right of way between Jamestown and Sugar Grove (now Osgood) to the Jamestown & Franklin R. R., taking in payment stock.

The tracks were laid to the mines of the Mercer Iron and Coal Company, Stoneboro, a distance of twenty-one miles, leased and oper- ated by the Cleveland, Painesville & Ashtabula R. R. Company. In August, 1865, the line was opened for business between Jamestown and Stoneboro.

In the same year running arrangements were made with the Erie & Pittsburg Company whereby coal trains of the Jamestown & Frank- lin Company were allowed to run between Jamestown and Girard, a distance of 42 miles, at a percentage of the earnings similar to those made between the Cleveland, Painesville & Ashtabula R. R. Co., for the running between Girard Junction and Erie of the Erie & Pitts- burg trains.

June 24, 1867, the Jamestown & Franklin- Railroad was completed to Franklin, a distance of twenty miles. Trains commenced running June 27, 1867. George H. McIntire was ap- pointed assistant superintendent, with head- quarters at Franklin, and also acted as road master and agent.

In 1869 work was begun on the extension from Franklin to Oil City, a distance of nine miles. The grading under the first contract ·proving a failure, the work was relet to another firm which completed it satisfactorily, and in August, 1870, trains commenced running from Oil City to Jamestown, a distance of fifty-one miles.

The Oil Creek Railroad, being the only line running up Oil Creek, took advantage of the situation, by charging exorbitant rates. Inducements were held out by business men operating in Oil City, for the extension of the Franklin Division of the Lake Shore road to Petroleum Center, a distance of seven miles.

The company accordingly began work on the extension, but after spending quite an amount in grading and stone work the enterprise was abandoned, arrangements having been made with the Oil Creek railroad for handling freight at fair rates to correspond with those charged by the Lake Shore road.

On the roth day of June, in the pursuance of a resolution adopted by the stockholders of the Cleveland, Painesville & Ashtabula Rail- road Company, it was ordered that a branch of this line be located and constructed in the coun- ty of Ashtabula, commencing at a point on the main line at or near the village of Ashtabula, thence southerly through the village of Jeffer- son, to a point where the western terminus of the Jamestown & Franklin Railroad intersects the eastern line of the State of Ohio, provided that the right of way one hundred feet wide, and suitable ground for depot and water sta- tion for the same, should be donated free of cost to the company. The citizens of Jefferson, and adjoining towns on the line of the pro- posed road, thereupon agreed to procure the right of way and depot grounds free of charge, among the most prominent leaders of the movement in Jefferson being E. B. and H. B. Woodbury. The contract being let, work was begun in 1864 and a large amount done, when, for some reason only known to the railroad company the enterprise was abandoned, and not resumed until 1871. The line between Ashtabula and the Pennsylvania .state line was constructed under the Cleveland, Paines- ville & Ashtabula Railroad charter, thirty-one miles from the State line to Jamestown, Penn- sylvania, and a distance of five miles under the charter of the Central Trunk Railroad. This charter was procured from William Gib- son, of Jamestown. The original connection for the western end of the Central Trunk was Clinton.

The Air Line Railroad was a line projected by certain persons of Hudson, Ohio, for a through line East ; but after quite an amount of money had been expended for grading, the projectors for some reason abandoned the en- terprise. The road between Ashtabula and Jamestown was commenced and opened for

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HISTORY OF MAHONING COUNTY

business August 4, 1872, forming a part of the Franklin Division, the distance being thirty- six miles. On this date trains running on the Erie & Pittsburg R. R. were discontinued, except those carrying east-bound freight ac- cumulating on the Jamestown & Franklin R. R., for points in Erie, the arrangement being that freights east of Erie should go over the Erie & Pittsburg Railroad, and that all freight from Erie and all points east of Erie for points on the Jamestown & Franklin Railroad should be hauled over the Erie & Pittsburg Railroad.

In June, 1872, work was commenced on the Mahoning Coal Railroad, between An- dover and Youngstown, a distance of thirty- eight miles, with branches from Tyrrell Hill to coal mines near Vienna, a distance of about four miles ; also a branch at Coalburg connect- ing with the Andrews & Hitchcock furnace and coal tracks, a distance of about three- quarters of a mile. This track was abandoned on the completion of the Sharon branch in 1888. The road between Andover and Youngstown was completed and trains running by August 3, 1873. In April, 1874, it was leased to the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Co., and in the same year was made a part of the Franklin Division. The Vienna branch, from Tyrell Hill to Vienna, was aban- doned, the rails being taken up and subsequent- ly laid in the Liberty Switch Branch, which was graded and owned by the Mahoning Rail- road Company. A short branch, 0.73 of a mile in length, to Keel Ridge Coal Bank, was built in 1882.

Work was commenced on the Sharon branch under the charter of the Mahoning and Shenango Valley Railroad, a distance of 5.97 miles; and from Doughton to the junction of the Pennsylvania State line, and from the Ohio State line to Sharpsville, un- der the charter of the Chenango Valley Rail- road. This road was only completed to a point about 500 feet from the northern boundary of the borough of Sharon, distance 1.77 miles, where it connects with the Sharon Branch Rail- road (leased by the Erie Railroad), as owing to satisfactory arrangements for the running

of Lake Shore & Michigan Southern trains to Sharpsville, that portion of the road was aban- doned. In 1887 a short branch, about half a mile long was built from the Ohio State Line to the Stewart Iron Company's property under the charter of that company. The Mahoning Valley & Shenango Railroad merged into the Mahoning Coal Railroad, and now forms a part of the Franklin Division. Similar ar- rangements were made with the Erie Railroad for the running of Lake Shore & Michigan Southern trains to Middlesex as were made for running trains to Sharpsville.

The branch from the Main line to Harbor was completed in June, 1873, and attached to the Franklin Division. The first coal received and shipped by rail was shipped by Strong & Manning, in 1873, from a dock built by them, and was located near where the present Ma- honing & Shenango dock is situated. No. I dock was built in 1873, and occupied by An- drews & Hitchcock, who purchased two hoist- ing machines for handling ore and coal. Later, in 1874 and 1875, dock No. 2, was built, and also chutes with pockets for loading coal into vessels. Still later they purchased an auto- matic hoisting machine, which, with the chutes, proved to be a failure, and was sold, being re- placed by a better machine. The first ore was. received in 1876.

What is known as the "Low Grade" of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway, was constructed in 1902-03 as an adjunct to- the Youngstown branch, the regular line not being able to handle all the freight. Instead of following the regular line on an elevated track, it takes a somewhat circuitous direction, having been so planned in order to require a little grading as possible. Diverging from the main line at Brookfield, it describes a curve to the west, returning to intersect the main line at Latimer. After curving in a northeasterly direction it again crosses the main line, this time at Dorset Junction, and then, after de- scribing a westerly curve, unites with the main line at Plymouth, from which point to Ashta- bula there are double tracks. The section be- tween Latimer and Brookfield Junction, the last part of the road to be completed, was

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turned over for traffic about the middle of Sep- tember, 1903.

The construction of the Mahoning Coal Railroad affords the means by which the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway gained entrance to the Mahoning & Shenango Valley to participate in the immense tonnage of freight into and from out said location. And this branch of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway has, from the date of its completion, proved the most profitable line in proportion to its mileage operated by the latter company.

PITTSBURG & LAKE ERIE RAILROAD.

In view of the enormous first cost of the Wabash extension into Pittsburg, the early his- tory of the Pittsburg & Lake Erie, known as the "Little Giant," credited with being the most profitable piece of railroad for its size in the world, is especially interesting. Capt. John F. Dravo, who has done such yeoman service for the improvement of navigation on the Ohio, Monongahela and Allegheny rivers, probably deserves the credit for conceiving the initial scheme of the Lake Erie, and for carrying it through to a successful conclusion. Although the sixty miles of Wabash extension will aver- age a cost of $375,000 per mile, it will probably cause surprise to know that the entire sixty miles of the original Pittsburg & Lake Erie, including real estate and right of way, was only $3,814,054.27, an average of a little more than fifty-six thousand dollars a mile; while the average cost of the Butler & Pittsburg ex- tension of the Pittsburg, Shenango & Lake Erie, now the Bessemer & Lake Erie, was only $100,000 per mile, although the Carnegie line was considered very costly initial construction at the time. But the Wabash was built through wilder and rougher territory and in a much more modern fashion.

It was originally within the power of the Pennsylvania to seize the south bank of the Ohio for its own, and had the late J. N. Mc- Cullough of the Pennsylvania lines followed out the suggestion of friends, he would have built the Cleveland & Pittsburg road along the

southside of the Ohio River. He thought of it for a time, but while he had it under con- sideration Captain Dravo and the late Wil- liam McCreery, at one time president and con- troling spirit of the Pleasant Valley Traction Company, quietly slipped along and made their location from Youngstown to the Smithfield street bridge. They then came to Pittsburg. and sought subscriptions to the stock. That was along in the late 70's. They secured in. Pittsburg subscriptions altogether for $1,400,- 000 of the proposed capital of $2,000,000,. Jacob Henrici, then head of the Harmony So- ciety at Economy, taking $250,000.

The Pittsburg & Lake Erie Company was formed May II, 1875, with Mr. McCreery as president and the following directors: Joshua. Rhodes, James Westerman, George C. Reis, John P. Dravo, P. W. Keller, John Bissell,. secretary, William M. Short, treasurer, and A. J. Mckinley. Seven days later the company was chartered, and the line was surveyed and. and located from Water street depot of the Baltimore & Ohio across the Monongahela and across the south bank of the Ohio over its. present location. In February, 1876, President McCreery was sent to Europe to confer with the officers and stockholders of the Atlantic & Great Western railway at London to secure their assistance in building the railroad. He failed, and that was how the English missed one of the golden opportunities of their lives ..

The stockholders kept alive the organiza- tion and continued their efforts in Pittsburg,. and early in 1877. they interested the late Dr. David Hostetter, James M. Bailey, M. W. Watson, and Col. James M. Schoonmaker in their project, and these business men were added to the board, John D. Scully having. succeeded A. J. Mckinley the year previous. James I. Bennett was also made a director in place of Mr. Short. In April, 1877, the ar- ticles of association were filed to protect the- Ohio location, James I. Bennett, James M. Bai- ley, and Captain Dravo were made the execu- tive committee, and in July, 1877, the board was reorganized and Mr. Bennett was made- president, and John Reeves, Jacob Henrici, W. M. Lyon, and Jacob Painter directors in place-

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of Mr. McCreery, George C. Reis, P. W. Kel- ler and Mr. Bissell; Samuel George, Jr., was elected treasurer and Samuel Rea secretary.

In the fall of 1877 the Vanderbilts sub- scribed $300,000 of the stock, and the contract for the building of the road was awarded to B. J. McGrann of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who agreed for $1,150,000 cash, $1, 150,000 first mortgage bonds, and $200,000 common stock, to build the line from the mill of Jones & Laughlin's,limited, to Haselton Furnace, Ohio, including the grading, masonry, bridges and main track, and 10 per cent of the main track in additional sidings. The extension from the Smithfield street bridge to Jones & Laughlin's had been covered by a charter for the Pitts- burg & Becks Run Railroad, the cost to the Lake Erie being only $50,000.

It was in October, 1877, that the important contracts which still remain were made with the Vanderbilts for an interchange of traffic. The Atlantic & Great Western also made a similar contract, and the voting power was placed in the hands of five trustees to ensure the execution of the plan of the original stock- holders. This trust consisted of William H. Vanderbilt, president of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern; J. H. Devereux, Jacob Henrici, James I. Bennett and David Hostet- ter. In the late fall the capital was increased to $2,000,000, and in December, 1877, a con- tract was made with the Mahoning & Pitts- burg Railroad for certain property rights in 'Ohio which it had secured by the consolida- tion of the Pennsylvania & Ohio canal in 1873.

In January, 1878, the Youngstown & Pitts- burg Railroad was consolidated with the Pitts- burg & Lake Erie, and the old directors were re-elected, John Reeves being made vice-presi- dent; Samuel George, treasurer; Sebastian Wimmer (who, by the way, assisted in the construction of the Wabash extension), chief engineer; Samuel Rea, secretary ; James H. McCreery, general solicitor, and William Stearns, superintendent of construction.

On September 1, 1878, the first locomotive crossed the Ohio river bridge, W. C. Quincy "was made general manager, and in October

the construction of the New Castle branch was determined upon.

The promoters had wisely provided for tonnage by enlisting the interest of the promi- nent South side manufacturers and coal op- erators, and in February freight was moved in small quantities. On February 24, 1879, regular passenger trains began to move, the New Castle branch was opened, and the first car of coal from the Montour railroad was sent over the line on June II.

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Century history of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Ohio, and representative citizens, 20th, Part 31

Author: Sanderson, Thomas W., comp Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1074

Author: Sanderson, Thomas W., comp
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1074