History of Licking County, Ohio: Its Past and Present, Part 46

Author: N. N. Hill, Jr.
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 826

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Under this act and by virtue of a decree of the court in the case referred to, the road and property were sold and the company reorganized; and un- der the act of April 4, 1863, the directors of the old consolidated company conveyed, by deed, the franchise, or right to be a corporation, to the re- organized company.

A large majority of the stockholders and credit- ors accepted the terms of the new arrangement and surrendered the old securities.

By the terms of adjustment a large amount of the old stock and debts was sunk, and the re- mainder passed into new hands. Since the reor- ganization, the Huron branch, as it was called,

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being the old Huron and Oxford road, has been abandoned and the rails removed.

Up to the time of the transfer to the Baltimore & Ohio road, this road had not, probably, been able to pay a dividend to its stockholders; and often was not able to pay its interest promptly, but managed to maintain the road and rolling stock in good condition. It had always been a favorite project with this company to extend their line by building a road south from Newark into the coal region of Perry county, but nothing was done in that direction, and February 13, 1869, a con- tract was entered into by and between the Sandu- sky, Mansfield & Newark, the Ohio Central and the Baltimore & Ohio railroads, whereby the first named came under the control of the last named, and is now operated by that extensive corporation.

The second railroad that favored Newark with its presence, was the Central Ohio. It was not much behind the Sandusky, Mansfield & New- ark, having been finished to Newark in 1854. The charter for the building of this road was granted February 8, 1847; to run from Columbus, Ohio, through Newark and Zanesville to such a point on the Ohio river as the directors might select. The work was commenced in June, 1850, on that por- tion between Columbus and Newark, and rapidly pushed forward. Those were hard times, how- ever, for building railroads; money was hard to get, and the new road labored continually under financial embarrassment; and before it could be finished and equipped, it was overtaken by insol- vency. In May, 1859, it was placed in the hands of a receiver, and in that condition operated until its final sale and reorganization or capitalization in 1865. By the terms of reorganization concessions were made by all classes of creditors and stock- holders, by which nearly four millions of dollars of stock and debt were sunk.

The road runs in an easterly direction from Columbus to the Ohio river at Bellaire, a distance of one hundred and thirty-seven miles, thirty-three miles (that part between Newark and Columbus), of which is partly owned by the " Pan Handle" road, that company having purchased an undivided half in 1863, for seven hundred and seventy-five thou- sand dollars.

. There are five tunnels on this road, east of

Zanesville, with an aggregate length of one thou- sand eight hundred and seventy feet.

November 21, 1866, the company reorganized, entered into a contract for operating the road, fix- tures and equipment, with the Baltimore & Ohio railroad company, for a term of twenty years, sub- ject to termination in five years at the option of either party upon notice; the Baltimore & Ohio, among other things, agreeing to pay for the first five years as rent, quarter-yearly, the balance of gross earnings and receipts from the road after deducting sixty-five per centum thereof, and sixty per centum after five years, agreeing and guarantee- ing that the amount to be paid shall not be less than one hundred and sixty-six thousand dollars for each year. This contract went into effect De- cember 1, 1866.

The Baltimore & Ohio road which yet operates this Central Ohio, and also the Sandusky, Mans- field & Newark, has grown from insignificant proportions to one of the largest trunk lines in the country. This road was commenced in 1830, its object being to open a line of communication with the west, and the undertaking was looked upon at that day as one of almost unparalleled magnitude. The following items in the early history of this road would, doubtless, cause a ripple of humor in the minds of some of the railroad kings of to-day. In July, 1832, the following appears in print:

"Many passengers and large quantities of freight pass daily on the railroad to and from Baltimore, to the Point of Rocks on the Potomac, at which latter place a new village is being built very rapidly. The entire journey 'out and home', one hundred and forty miles, is now made in seventeen continuous hours, giving ample time to view the Point of Rocks, one of the most agreeable excursions that can be found in the country, and on many accounts highly interesting."

Securing control of the Central Ohio in 1866, and of the Sandusky, Mansfield & Newark in 1869, its way to Lake Erie was open. Not satis- fied with these acquisitions, wishing an outlet to Chicago and the great Northwest, and not being able to get control of any road in that direction, it boldly advanced the capital, purchased the right of way, and built a road to Chicago, from a point in northern Ohio on its line nearest to that piace. This it accomplished in 1873, pushing a road through in a bee line from Chicago Junction, in Huron county, Ohio, to Chicago. This accom-

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plished, and it had a through line to Chicago from Baltimore and Washington, and was in a position to compete with the other large trunk lines of the country. The business on the Central Ohio and the Sandusky, Mansfield & Newark has largely increased since these roads passed under control of the Baltimore & Ohio. A single track carries the trains of this road and the Pan Handle between Newark and Columbus.

The Pittsburgh, Columbus & Cincinnati railroad constitutes the line from Columbus, Ohio, to Pitts- burgh, Pennsylvania, and was the third road to pass through Newark, following closely, however, the other two. It is familiarly known as the "Pan Handle route"-so called from the narrow neck, or section, of West Virginia extending up and along the Ohio river, across which the Pitts- burgh & Steubenville road (being a part of this line) passes. The road runs in an eastwardly di- rection from Columbus to Pittsburgh, one hun- dred and ninety-three miles, and is the shortest and most direct line between these two cities. That part of the road lying in Ohio is one hundred and fifty miles long, from Columbus to Steuben- ville.

The Steubenville & Indiana railroad company was chartered February 24, 1848, and under its charter and amendments thereto commenced work in November, 1851, on the eastern division, opening the road for traffic from Steubenville to Newark, in April, 1855. This line, with a branch from the main line to Cadiz, eight miles in length, constituted the road of the Steubenville & Indiana railroad company. The delay in building the road from Steubenville to Pittsburgh, the want of proper connections east or west, and the unfin- ished and poorly equipped condition of the road, gave insufficient earnings to pay interest and cur- rent expenses; the company became greatly em- barrassed and fell in arrears to laborers and for supplies, and was annoyed and perplexed with suits and judgments which it was unable to fund or pay, and, finally, proceedings were commenced in the court of common pleas, of Harrison county, Ohio, for the foreclosure of mortgages and sale of the road, and Thomas L. Jewett was appointed receiver on the second day of September, 1859. On the first of October, 1864, the receiver, on be-

half of the company, purchased an undivided half of that part of the Central Ohio between Newark and Columbus, as before stated, for seven hun- dred and seventy-five thousand dollars, thus giv- ing the company an independent outlet and direct communication with railroads running west from Columbus.

Meantime the work on the Steubenville & Pittsburgh road was rapidly pushed forward to completion, and on the first of October, 1865, the receiver concluded an arrangement with the lessees of that road for operating the whole line from Columbus to Pittsburgh. The road received the name of Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis, and December 28, 1867, it was reorganized under the name of the Pan Handle. Upon completion it was leased to the Pennsylvania railroad company. by which it is now operated. The construction and equipment of this road cost, in round num- bers, twenty million dollars. This corporation has just now (December, 1880) completed a beautiful brick depot building and a freight house at New- ark. The freight house is of brick and stone, is very large, and both buildings are very substantial.

What is known as the Straitsville railroad, was projected as early as 1854. It was intended to be operated in connection with the Sandusky, Mans- field & Newark road, to tap the coal-fields of Perry county. Moore & Company were the contractors, and the construction of the road-bed was pushed forward to completion, or nearly so. Some of the bridges were built and timber for many others purchased, when the enterprise was overtaken with financial disaster and the work sus- pended. It remained in this condition nearly twenty years. Those who thought of the old road- bed at all-and no doubt there were stockholders across whose minds flashed occasional recollections of money sunk therein-supposed the project abandoned forever. However, during the "flush" times succeeding the war, when a good many peo- ple ran wild after the almighty dollar, a "coal" company was formed in Newark, at the head of which were J. I .. Birkey, William Shields, Lewis Evans, and some other well-known active bus- iness men. They "purchased" a large amount of coal lands in Perry county, borrowed money largely, and proposed making themselves and

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everybody else rich in a few days-or years. In order to get transportation for the coal with which they proposed to supply the United States, they revivified and put new life into the old railroad project. With commendable perse- verance and industry they completed this road to Straitsville about 1875, beginning the work prob- ably in 1873, or just before the beginning of the great financial panic. When this great coal scheme burst, and scattered fragments like a bomb-shell, a good many people in Licking county were hurt, and the old wounds are not yet entirely healed. One good it accomplished, however, was the completion of the Straitsville road, thus enabling Newark to get cheaper coal. Soon after completion, this road passed into the hands of the Baltimore & Ohio company, which still continues to operate it.

In 1870 a railroad was projected from Toledo to Pomeroy, on the Ohio. It was intended to tap the coal-fields in the southern part of the State. It was called the Atlantic & Lake Erie; General

Thomas Ewing was president. It met the usual fate of new roads; struggling along about nine years, when (in 1879) it was sold for debt, and passed into new hands. During these years the road-bed had been mostly constructed, the work being pushed vigorously all along the line. At pres- ent (December, 1880), the larger part of the road from Fostoria, south, is finished, so that construc- tion trains are passing over it, and it is called by the new company "The Ohio Central." It passes through the counties of Lucas, Wood, Seneca, Wyandot, Crawford, Marion, Morrow, Knox, Lick- ing, Fairfield, Perry, Athens, and Meigs. Erom the south it enters Licking county near Licking Summit, passing north along the canal to within two or three miles of Newark, when it makes a bend west, passing through Granville, Alexandria and Johnstown, leaving the county at the north- west corner. Its line is generally through a very rich farming country.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

AGRICULTURE.

THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES OF 1832 AND 1848-AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

"Henceforth to labor's chivalry Be knightly honors paid; For nobler than the sword's shall be The sickle's accolade.

"Lay all the bloom of gardens there And there the orchard fruits; Bring golden grain from sun and air, From earth her goodly roots." -Whittier.

THE first Licking county agricultural society was formed in 1832. General Thomas W. Wilson was elected president, and Israel Dille, secretary. The society held a fair every year on some out-lots or on lands adjacent to Newark, the above named officers continuing to act as late as 1838, and probably later. The late General Lucius Smith and the late E. S. Woods served this first

society as treasurer during a portion, at least, if no during the whole time that it continued to hold annual fairs, which was, as above stated, certainly as late as 1838. The records of 1834 show that the former was treasurer then. Israel Dille, esq., delivered addresses at the fairs in 1833 and 1834.

1837 .- The list of the premiums awarded at the fifth annual fair held on the ninth and tenth days of October, 1837, aggregated only ninety-nine dol- lars and fifty cents. Five dollars was the largest premium awarded to any one person, very few receiving even that small sum, and all were paid in salt spoons, dessert spoons, tea spoons, sugar tongs, sauce ladles, cream ladles, butter knives and the like.

Rev. William Wylie, Dr. John J. Brice, Colonel

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James Parker, and Mr. H. S. Sprague, highly re- spectable gentlemen, representing the clerical, medical, military, legal, and artisan-mercantile professions, were appointed a sort of a committee at large on miscellaneous articles, who reported in writing to the extent of two or three newspaper squares, that they had, "in pursuance of the duty assigned them, examined all the articles coming within the range of their inspection, and asked leave to present to the favorable consideration of the society, and through it to the public the follow- ing articles," to wit: A tin reflecter, made by Isaac Smucker, to whom was awarded a cream ladle val- ued at one dollar and fifty cents; and to E. W. Phelps they awarded a salt spoon, worth a dollar, for a turning machine. The only other miscella- neous article offered was a "power press," made by E. S. Scripture, who, however, obtained no premium, but the committee spoke well of it as a "simple, cheap, and durable machine, well adapted to the making of cider and cheese, and anything else in which the application of power or pressure is required." The committee recommended a discretionary premium, but the society awarded none, at least none appears in the list of premiums, which occupies half a column of the Licking Ohio Democrat. The editor of said paper (Mr. Clark Dunham), of date November 15, 1837, says "the fair went off with its usual eclat, and that he was pleased to see that interest taken in the society, which the good it is annually accomplishing, ren- ders it worthy of receiving. The society, during the five years in which it has been in operation, has exerted a very beneficial influence upon the farming interest, which may be seen in the improve- ment in stock, particularly in cattle." Addresses were delivered at this fair by Hon. Israel Dille and by Robert H. Caffee, esq., a young lawyer who had just been admitted to the bar, son of the late Amos H. Caffee, esq., one of our most prom- inent citizens. The succeeding issue of the Dem- ocrat contains those addresses, Mr. Dille's occupy- ing more than four columns of the paper, and Mr. Caffee's more than two columns. Both addresses are well written and instructive.

1838 .- The fair for 1838 was held November Ist, the premiums awarded amounting to eighty-six dollars, only three of them being five dollar pre-

miums. Basil Beall, Horace Wolcott and T. Mor- ris were the three lucky ones. Mr. Beall, for raising ninety-five bushels of corn per acre; Mr. Wolcott, for raising thirty- nine and one-half bushels of wheat per acre; and Mr. Morris, for exhibiting the best bull.

Interest in the society was evidently on the wane. The premiums were generally smaller than hereto- fore, the aggregate of awards amounting to less in dollars or spoons than the previous year; and the list of premiums awarded was somewhat reduced in number. Mr. Dille, the secretary, in remarking officially upon the fair, admitted that the articles presented were not of so varied a character as at former exhibitions, yet he insisted "that as a fair, it was very creditable to our county, and tended to prove that the influence of the society had been highly beneficial, and that the blight of the season had been baffled in some measure, by industry and skill."

At the fair in 1838, it was resolved to hold a meet- ing of the members of the Licking County Agricul- tural society, at the court house, in Newark, on the first Monday of December next, to appoint delegates to meet at Columbus, with delegates from other counties in the State, for the purpose of forming a State agricultural society, a measure that had been recommended by the directors of the Licking county society, on the eighth of October, and which had met with a favorable response in many portions of the State. This meeting was held in pursuance of the foregoing resolution, on the day named, and Hon. Israel Dille, General Thomas W. Wilson, and Judge Levi J. Haughey were appointed to repre- sent Licking county in the State convention at Co- lumbus, held on the nineteenth and twentieth days of December. It was a numerous meeting, in which all sections of the State were well repre- sented, and a State agricultural society was organ- ized, in which the three above named delegates took an active part, Mr. Dille being appointed one of the vice-presidents, and a member of the exec- utive committee, and General Wilson and Judge Haughey were among those chosen directors.

The instrumentality of the society in taking the preliminary steps looking to the establishment of a State agricultural society, was its principal achievement in 1838. Its revenues were small,

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exceedingly small; the number of its members was small; its exhibitors were small in number; its pre- miums were small in amount, and awarded to a small number of exhibitors; the attendants at its fairs were small in number; indeed, it was the "day of small things" with it from beginning to end; nevertheless it served a valuable purpose and made itself efficient for good as was manifest in our improved and constantly improving stock, and in the better culture of the farms of our county. How long the society continued to hold annual fairs after the one above named, held in 1838, it is impossible to state with certainty. But it is known that the annual fairs were omitted for a number of years before the organization of tbe present society, which has held its thirty-third annual fair, and which was established in 1848. In brief, the original so- ciety of 1832 died some years before the organiza- tion of the present very flourishing society, in 1848, but just when it "ceased to be" is not known;

but it certainly was between the years 1838 and 1848. It had its day, served its generation well in a small way, accomplished some good, and died, probably a victim of the political tornado of 1840.

The present Licking County Agricultural society was organized in 1848. The preliminary steps for its organization were taken at their monthly meet- ing in January, 1848, by the Madison Township Farmers' club, which, on motion of James H. Moore, appointed a committee of three to prepare an address in favor of the encouragement of agri_ culture by the establishment of a county agricult- ural society. The committee, which consisted of Judge William O'Bannon, David Smith, esq., and the secretary of the club, Mr. B. F. Wheeler, acted promptly and their address was adopted by the club, and published in the Newark Advocate of February 5, 1848, accompanied by some favorable editorial remarks. The address concluded with a resolution calling upon the farmers of Licking county to meet on the ensuing fourth day of March, at the court house, in Newark, for the pur- pose` of forming themselves into an association for the advancement of the interests of agriculturalists in the county. The proposed meeting was held accordingly, its officers being General Jonathan Taylor, president; Judge O'Bannon, vice-presi- dent; and Mr. William S. Wright, secretary.

Thirty-three persons present at that meeting hav- ing manifested a wish to organize a county agri- cultural society, it was on motion of David Smith, esq., resolved to appoint a committee of five gen- tlemen to report a constitution and by-laws for the government of said society, about to be formed; whereupon David Smith, esq., General Thomas W. Wilson, Henry C. Taylor, James H. Moore, and Major Elisha Warren were appointed said committee, who reported a constitution and by- laws, which were adopted by the meeting. The organization of the society was then completed by the election of officers, Thomas W. Wilson being elected president; Henry C. Taylor, vice-presi- dent; Israel Dille, secretary; E. S. Woods, treas- urer, and Elisha Warren, P. N. O'Bannon, Benja- min Turner, J. H. Moore and William S. Wright, were chosen directors.

The fair was held October 11th and 12th. Premiums to the amount of one hundred and fifty-eight dollars and fifty cents were awarded. Addresses were delivered by Israel Dille, esq., and by M. B. Bateham, esq., editor of the Ohio Culti- vator, an agricultural paper published in Colum- bus. The members of the society this year numbered one hundred and eighty-seven. James H. Moore was the representative to the State society.

1849 .- The officers of the society in 1849 were Henry C. Taylor, esq., president; P. N. O'Bannon, vice-president ; James H. Moore, secretary; H. S. Sprague, treasurer; Andrew Taylor, David Smith, W. S. Wright, J. M. Fleming, and V. B. Alsdorf, directors. Henry C. Taylor and James H. Moore, were chosen delegates to the State agricultural convention. The membership this year numbered one hundred and thirty, and paid two hundred and thirty-nine dollars and fifty cents in premiums. This year's fair was a great improvement on that of the preceding year. Its revenues, including a balance in the treasury for last year, of one hun- dred and eighty-three dollars and forty-seven cents, amounted to five hundred and thirty-five dollars and ninety-five cents, and the expenditures footed up to three hundred and twenty-six dollars and thirty-five cents. The Licking Herald said: "The attendance was very large and that in every point of view was exceedingly gratifying, and that

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its benefits could not fail to be seen and felt in all departments of agriculture and the mechanics arts." The fair was held on the third and fourth days of October. From this time forward the president of the society was usually the repre- sentative in the State agricultural convention.

1850 .- The officers of the society for 1850 were as follows: Henry C. Taylor, president; P. N. O'Bannon, vice-president; George F. Moore, secretary; H. S. Sprague, treasurer; William S. Wright, A. Taylor, William Barrick, David Smith, and T. S. O'Bannon, directors. The fair this year was held October thirtieth and thirty-first. Pro- fessor Pratt, of Granville college, delivered an able and interesting address. The members num- bered one hundred and fifty, and two hundred and ninety-one dollars were paid as premiums. Mr. George F. Moore represented the society in the annual meeting of the Ohio State board of agri- culture this year. There was an increased interest manifested in the fair, the attendance being much larger than in any previous year. Professor Pratt's address was published. State fairs were inaugu- rated by the State board of agriculture this year.

1851 .- Henry C. Taylor was elected president of the society for 1851; P. N. O'Bannon, vice- president; George F. Moore, secretary; H. S. Sprague, treasurer ; T. S. O'Bannon, W. S. Wright, David Smith, Andrew Taylor and William Barrick, directors. The secretary wrote to the Western Agriculturist that "the fair went off well, one hundred cattle, near two hundred sheep and one hundred and sixty horses being exhibited." This. the fourth fair held by the society, was doubtless a greater success than those that preceded it. The members this year numbered two hundred and fifty-six, and the amount of premiums paid was two hundred and fifty-six dollars. The president represented the society this year in the State Ag- ricultural convention. The fair was held October 16th and 17th.

1852 .- For 1852 the officers chosen were P. N. O'Bannon, president; William S. Wright, vice- president; George F. Moore, secretary; H. S. Sprague, treasurer, and T. S. O'Bannon, John Reed, Samuel Bowlsby, James A. Taylor and E. Follett, directors. The fair was more largely at- tended than ever before; the receipts were larger,

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History of Licking County, Ohio: Its Past and Present, Part 46

Author: N. N. Hill, Jr. Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Number of Pages: 826

Author: N. N. Hill, Jr.
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 826