History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 39

Author: Andrews, Martin Register, 1842-; Hathaway, Seymour J
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1490

USA > Ohio > Washington County > Marietta > History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 39

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Resolved. That the improvement of the Musgingum River, in such manner as to produce slack-water navi- gation from Zanesville to its conflux with the Ohio River, at Marietta, would be an obect of inestimable value. not only to the citizens of the valley, but to the State generally.

Resolved. That we believe it to be only necessary for our wise Legislature to fairly understand and com- sider the subject, to induce them to make said im- provement. at the expense of the State

Resolved That we deem it expedient to memorial- ize the Legislature of Ohio relative to the aforesaid improvement : wherefore.

Resokra, That James Rogers, G P. Frisby. Evan Jenkins, Hiel Dun-moor. Hiram Gard. Elas Puther. and John Maister. be a committee to prepare and present said memorial to the citizens of the township, for signa- tures.

Resched. That Hiram Gard be requested to for- ward the memorial to our Representative, requesting him and our Senator to use all proper means for the attainment of the object of said memorial.

Resolved, That the proceedings of this meeting be signed by the chairman and secretary, and presented to the editors of both papers printed at Marietta for pub- lication.

"And then adjourned.

GEO. P. FRISBY, Chairman. "HIEL DUNSMOOR, Secretary."

A memorial was prepared for the Legisla- ture and a bill was introduced the following winter by Hon. Isaac Humphreys, representa- tive from Washington County, ordering the work and appropriating $400,000 for the pur- pose. The bill passed the House February 5th, and the Senate March 4th. Thanks were expressed to the author of the bill in the fol- lowing testimonial :

Maria, Forukry 15. 1836.

To Paar Humphreys, Esq. Representative in the Assembly of Ohio.

SIR: At a meeting of the citizens of the county this evening, at the Mansion House Hotel, the under- signed were appointed a Committee to express to you as their Representative, the grateful acknowledg-

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HISTORY OF MARIETTA AND WASHINGTON COUNTY,

ments of the citizens of the County for the energy, promptitade and untiring industry you have displayed in procuring the passage of the bill through the House of Representatives for the improvement of the Mus- kingum River by slack-water navigation; a measure which the citizens of the County have long been anxious for. as one of the most important branches of internal improvement, for the honor and interests of the State, and the valley of the Muskingum. And further to re- quest you will accept of a public dinner from your con- stitutents shortly after your return,-and that you ap- point some day when it may suit your convenience to give us that high satisfaction and pleasure.

With cordial salutations, we are, most respectfully, your obedient servants,

Nahum Ward. William Skinner,

Joseph Barker. Angu-ttts Stone,

Sam'l P. Hildreth. Sam'l H. Gates,

Silas Cook.

A. V. D Joline.

Wm. A. Whittlesey,

In compliance with the act of the Legisla- ture, under the direction of William Wall as acting commissioner, and David Bates as chief engineer, the work for the improvement of the Muskingum River was advertised to be let in the fall of 1836. The following is the adver- tisement that appeared in the newspapers, call- ing for bids on the Muskingum River improve- ment :

IMPROVEMENT OF THE MUSKINGUM RIVER BY SLACK-

WATER NAVIGATION.

Proposals will be received on the 20th day of Oc- tober next, at the Court House in MeConnelsville, for improving the Muskingum River, by Slack Water Nav- igation from Zanesville to Marietta. 9 or 10 dams across the Muskingum River, 12 or 13 locks. The excavation of a number of short canals, and the building of sev- cral Canal Bridges, are included in the work.

Bidders will be expected to accompany their pro- posals with a recommendation of a substantial and un- questionable character.

Plans and specifications of the work may be seen at the Court House in MeConnelsville, or at the Com- missioner's Office, at Adams' Tavern, at any time after the 4th day of October.

WILLIAM WALL.

.Acting Comm'r of Board of Public Works. LANCASTER, OHIO, August 6. 1836.

The successful bidders were G. W. Many- penny, who secured the contract for building the dam at Zanesville: Josiah Spaulding. the ! lock at the same place; Hosmer, Chapin & Sharp, the dam at Taylorsville ; Lyon, Buck & Wolf. the lock at the same place ; Arthur Tag- gert, the lock and dam at Bald Eagle; Hosmer,

Chapin & Sharp, the lock and dam at McCon- nelsville; Arthur Taggert, the lock and dam at Windsor; Lyon, Buck & Wolf, the lock and dam at Luke Chute; John McCune, the dam and canal at Beverly : Arthur Taggert, the lock at the same place ; Lyon, Buck & Wolf, the lock at Lowell; Arthur Taggert, the lock and dam at Devois; Hosmer, Chapin & Sharp, the lock and dam at Marietta. The work was com- menced in the spring of 1837 and completed in the fall of 1841. The size of the locks was changed from the original plan-which pro- vided that they should be only 120 feet long by 20 feet in width-to 185 feet in length and 36 feet in width. Even this size admits only the smaller class of boats that navigate the Ohio. The supervisor and chief engineer, at the commencement and during the first two years' progress of the work, was Samuel R. Curtis, a graduate of West Point-a most ex- cellent man, but said to be in a measure de- ficient in practical knowledge and experience. The members of the several firms were dis- tributed as follows: Mr. Taggert supervised all four of his contracts, Mr. Wolf at Taylors- ville lock, John Buck at Luke Chute, Truton Lyon the lock at Lowell. Colonel Sharp at Tay- lorsville dam. Stephen R. Hosmer the lock and dam at McConnelsville, Harlow Chapin the Marietta lock and dam. It was considered at the time of the assigning of the different con- tracts that the dam and lock at Marietta was the most difficult to construct-and justly, too -on account of the liability of back water from the Ohio River, and the other members of the firm insisted that Chapin, in consideration of having had the most experience, should per- form the work, which was accordingly done.

The total cost of the Marietta or Harmar improvements was $120,000.

There was some dissatisfaction with the manner in which the dams were constructed, as is shown by the following extract from a newspaper :

November 16, 1839 .-

"On Thursday night the water broke under

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the dam at this place, and, washed out the gray - el beneath the foundation, at a point near the end, on the Marietta side, so much that the dam had settled, at the lowest point yesterday afternoon, six or perhaps seven feet from the top line. The dam, being completed, was nearly or quite full of water, and of course the pressure was very great-the water still run- ning through at a furions rate. The loss to the State will be very considerable : and should this breach be immediately repaired, there is no certainty that the dam will stand, it being equally as liable to be undermined in other places.

"We are of the opinion that the dam at this or any other point, on the Muskingum, cannot stand, unless the foundation is made of, or se- cured by pilings, where the bed of the river is composed of gravel and quicksands. This oc- currence has confirmed us in the belief of this ; and if it be true, the State would be greatly the gainer, if the whole wooden superstructure were entirely removed from its present loca- tion. The dam at this place, we believe, was not considered difficult in its construction, but unfortunately it was built on a sandy founda- tion."

Lock No. I was built on the Harmar side, which from a commercial and navigable stand- point was a mistake. The dam was washed out in 1892 and the government changed the lock to its present location, where it was com- pleted some four years later. The lock here is 56 by 330 feet. 24 feet above the mitre sill. The lift is from six to 12 feet. according to the stage of the water. The keeper's house, a fine modern brick structure, was built in 1899, at a cost of $3.500, the lot. 45 by 250 feet, worth $12,000, having been donated by the city.

RAILROAD HISTORY.

Undoubtedly the most remarkable instance of early business enterprise, not only in Wash- ington County but in the entire West, is out- lined in a letter now in the possession of E. M. Booth. Esq., dated July 19. 1827-two years

before a successful locomotive had ever been constructed-which reads as follows :

Col J Mille- Sir, the railroad committee, at a meeting held this day, made choice of yourself. Col. 1. Stone and Jos. Holden, as agents, for the purpose of collecting funds by subscription, to defray the expense of surveying a route for the railroad between Marietta and Clarksburg S. P. Hildreth, Sec.

Attached to this is the subscription list of 95 citizens and receipt of James M1. Booth as treasurer for S192. The survey was made. but for reasons political and pro-slavery the western termini were made at Wheeling and Parkersburg within the bounds of the okdl State of Virginia.

In 1837 a committee appointed at a county meeting commissioned Judge Cutler to go to Baltimore to confer with Louis McLane, the president of the Baltimore & Ohio Company, with regard to the route of that road which had been built about 80 miles.

Judge Cutler was again requested by a meeting of citizens, held November 30, 1839. to repair immediately to Baltimore and obtain interviews with the Board of Directors, and seek to impress on the minds of its members the great importance of terminating the road in this section of the Ohio Valley.

The efforts of the citizens of Marietta and Washington counties, however, in calling the attention of Baltimore railroad managers to the advantages of a location of their great work upon a line most direct to Cincinnati and St. Louis as well as most accessible to the fer- tile interior of Ohio, was so far successful that earnest efforts were made to secure legislation from the State of Virginia in accordance with that policy. The opening for public use of the Cumberland turnpike road to Wheeling had directed the attention of Baltimore merchants te: that point on the Ohio river as the only one that would meet their views and interests. The city city of Wheeling availed herself of this preference and exerted such an influence with the Virginia Legislature that years of contro- versy were spent in an effort on the part of the more intelligent and far seeing friends of the Baltimore road to reach the Ohio upon a direct

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HISTORY OF MARIETTA AND WASHINGTON COUNTY,

route that would have given to Marietta the full advantage of her position.

Middle Island was the preferred route of those who had listened to representations urged by the agents from Marietta. Then. as a next choice was Fishing Creek and at one time Fish Creek was accepted by the Baltimore managers as a compromise. But Wheeling influence prevailed and the Baltimore & Ohio Company were obliged to accept Grave Creek, 12 miles below Wheeling, as their point of entrance to the Ohio Valley or continue a struggle that promised indefinite delay.

Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad .- A spe- cial charter was granted to the Belpre & Cin- cinnati ( afterward known as the Marietta & Cincinnati ) Railroad Company in 1845 to build a road to Cincinnati, with terminus on the Ohio River, either at Belpre or Harmar.

The company was organized at Chillicothe and Washington County interests were repre- sented in the Board of Directors by N. L. Wil- son and William P. Cutler.

As the terminus of the Baltimore & Ohio was then undecided, they obtained from the Legislature-with the consent and approbation of the Belpre & Cincinnati directors-the right to extend from Harmar up the Ohio Valley to any point so as to connect with any railroad or other improvement that should be built to the Ohio River on the easterly side thereof.

This legislative grant of a right to extend from Harmar up the Ohio Valley was pro- cured in accordance with advice received from the manager of the Baltimore & Ohio Com- pany, and with their known wishes on that sub- ject.

The following extract from a letter to Hon. William P. Cutler from Louis MeLane, then president of the company, sufficiently indicates their views and fully justifies the efforts made to bring the road to Harmar :

BALTIMORE, January 14. 1848.

Unless it should be indispensably necessary to pre- scribe some limit to the extension of your road. it would appear to me most advisable that the right should be obtained to extend it to any point on the Ohio at which the company should determine to connect with our road. or if a limitation be unavoidable, to obtain the

right to extend it to any point on the Ohio River not higher up than the month of Fish Creek. That would enable you certainly to connet with the pro- jected improvement either from that point of Fishing Creek, and I have very little doubt that before we finish our road to Wheeling our intersecting road will be authorized from the mouth of Fishing Creek.

The Belpre & Cincinnati charter, with Har- mar as an available terminus, and with subse- quent right of extension up the Ohio Valley, so as to meet the views expressed in President McLane's letter as above quoted, made a co- operation of all the above-named interests pos- sible.

The first effort to buildl was by placing 24 miles between Chillicothe and Greenfield, and II miles east of Chillicothe under contract. This was soon followed by a second contract. extending to Byres station on the east and Blanchester on the west. At the date of these contracts the control of the company was in the hands of directors from Athens, Ross, and Highland Counties. Washington County had but two representatives on the board, Messrs. Wilson and Cutler.

Finally, after various vicissitudes, the track of the Marietta & Cincinnati road (the name having been changed because of alteration in the proposed route) was laid through to Har- mar in 1857. In 1868 the road passed into the hands of the Baltimore & Ohio Company and soon, to save Io miles in distance. 30 miles of road were built along the Hocking Valley to Belpre and the old road-bed of the Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad was abandoned. In 1884 a portion of the abandoned road-bed was re- claimed by the organization of the Toledo & Ohio Central Extension Railroad by T. D. Dale, Esq. Its western terminus was at Stew- art, and its northern at Patos, where it con- neets with the Ohio Central lines. In Novem- ber, 1893, it went into the hands of a receiver and in Angust of the following year Mr. Dale was appointed receiver.

Cleveland & Marietta Railroad .- The his- tory of the enterprise, which resulted in the building of this road, is one of numerous fail- ures. The company as originally organized was known as the Marietta & Pittsburgh Rail-

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road Company, and it was brought into being for the purpose of constructing a road from Marietta to Dennison, Tuscarawas County, passing through the counties of Washington, Noble, Guernsey, Ilarrison, and Tuscarawas. The certificate of organization was filed Sep- tember 29, 1868, and the first meeting of the stockholders, pursuant to a call of the corpor- ators, was held December 8, 1868, at the First National Bank of Marietta. The original cor- porators were: William H. Frazier of Cald- well, William Glidden of Noble county. Will- iam C. Okey, William P. Cutler, and Rufus R. Dawes. The stockholders elected the follow- ing gentelmen as the first directors of the com- pany, viz: William P. Cutler. A. J. Warner. and Rufus R. Dawes, of Washington County : William Frazier, of Noble: Isaac Morton. Thomas Greene and William Lawrence of Guernsey. At a meeting of the directors, held upon the same day William P. Cutler was chosen president, and Rufus R. Dawes, sec- retary. At the second meeting, held Febru- ary 18, 1869. A. J. Warner resigned his place as director of the company and became, with James McArthur, party to a contract to con- struct the road from Marietta to Caldwell, a distance of 33 miles, the original purpose being to purchase the nearest good coal fields. They agreed to build the road for about $17.000 per mile, taking their pay in the stock subscrip- tions and bonds of the road. The contract was made and submitted February 18. 1869. and the directors were ordered to place a mortgage upon the road and issue bonds to the amount of $15,000 per mile. Construction was com- menced in the summer of 1869. On June 30th the company was authorized to issue a mort- gage of $1,500,000, it having been arranged to extend the construction from Caldwell to Dennison or some other point to connect with the "Pan Handle" or Pittsburgh. Cincinnati. Chicago & St. Louis Railway. Of these bonds $500.000 were to be used in payment for build- ing that part of the road between Marietta and Caldwell already under contract. This action by the Board of Directors was ratified by the

stockholders July 1, 1870. At the annual meet- ing of the stockholders December 14. 1870, it appears from the president's report that six miles of track had been laid. The grading was completed to Caldwell, and cross ties furnished for nearly the whole of the line. It was shown that the sum of $115.870 had been expended by the company, which by this time was largely in debt to the contractors.

At this meeting a new Board of Directors was elected. viz: William P. Cutler, Rufus R. Dawes, Samuel Shipman, James Dutton, of Washington County: William II. Frazier and David Mckee of Noble. This Board organ- ized by the election of Mr. Cutler as president, Mr. Frazier as vice-president. Samuel Ship- man as treasurer, and J. A. Kingsbury as sec- retary.

Up to this time no effort had been made to carry out the company's plan of extending the line north of Caldwell. At a meeting of the directors, May 1. 1871, the following resolu- tion was adopted :

Rester. That we deem it advi due to take the necessary steps at med to ward extending our line north- ward from Caldwer. und that W Richard on and Sam- tel Shipman be a commitice to take all pre unary ind necessary afost that the effort

At the same meeting Mr. Warner submit- ted a proposition on behalf of the firm of War- ner & Mc Arthur, proposing to build the exten- sion contemplated, and a resolution was passed authorizing the company to enter into a con- tract with them, the company agreeing to fur- nish the right of way. An agreement was exe- cuted on the 12th of June following. The con- tractors immediately began the work of locat- ing the line through to Newcomerstown, which point had finally been selected as the place of junction. At a meeting held November 30, 1871, the northern terminus of the road had been changed from Newcomerstown to Canal Dover. Tuscarawas County, and the contract- ors were given authority to take subscriptions in the name of the county, and to enter into contracts for rights of way. By this time the road was completed and the rolling stock was

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HISTORY OF MARIETTA AND WASHINGTON COUNTY,

moving over it between Marietta and Cald- well. The first train went over the road- from Marietta to Whipple, 14 miles-on the first day of April, 1871.

On the first day of January. 1872, the fourth annual meeting of the company was held, and the following directors were chosen, viz: A. J. Warner. Samuel Shipman, W. |and the line was got in readiness for the lay- Richardson, W. H. Frazier, Isaac Morton, A. Wilhelmi, and William P. Cutler.

A. J. Warner was chosen president, and from this time on almost the entire responsi- bility of the affairs of the company rested upon him. The company had become largely in ar- rears to the contractors, being unable to collect subscriptions fast enough to pay for the con- struction. Arrangements were made with the several counties to provide subscriptions of stock to a given amount and to furnish right of way as conditioned prior to entering upon the construction of the road in them. As soon as the line was definitely located between Cald- well and Canal Dover, a branch was projected to run from Liberty, Guernsey County, via Coshocton, to Mansfield, to be known as the "Northwest Extension," which it was intended should become the main line. A considerable amount of money was subscribed, and county and township aid was voted to this line, but before work could be begun the panic of 1873 overtook the company and put an end to opera- tions. Prior to this, however, Mr. Warner had negotiated the Ist mortgage bonds through parties in New York City and Amsterdam, which enabled the company to prosecute their work vigorously through the season of 1872.

February II. 1873. the annual meeting for that year was held. The old Board of Direct- ors was continued in office, with the exception of Mr. Richardson, whose place was filled by Thomas W. Ewart. During this year the name of the company was changed to that of the Marietta. Pittsburg & Cleveland Railway Company: the "Marietta City Branch" was built, affording connection with the Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad at Front street ; and a consolidated mortgage was authorized to be is-

sued for the purpose of providing additional funds, and taking up the mortgage previously issued.

It may be remarked, that during the sum- mer of 1873 the work of construction was pushed ahead with all of the rapidity possible. Most of the grading was done, ties provided, ing of iron, except in the construction of tun- nels, of which four were proposed between Caldwell and Canal Dover. One of these it was necessary to complete before cars could be run on the road. On this tunnel, south of New- comerstown, work was carried on night and day for several months. In order to hasten the track-laying and get the road into running order, the three other summits were crossed by steep grades and zig-zags. Progress, how- ever, was considerably delayed, and the com- pany and contractors were embarrassed by the tardiness of subscribers in paying the money they had promised, and the difficulty in selling bonds. But by employing every energy at their command and using their own funds, the contractors pushed the road forward until the panic came on. The track was then laid nearly to Cambridge, from the south, and most of the way from Canal Dover to Newcomerstown, upon the north, but none of the road had been ballasted and the cuts and embankments were new and required constant attention. At this juncture it became a serious question whether it was possible to complete the line or whether it must be abandoned. Bonds could not be negotiated, and it was almost impossible to make any further collections on stock subscrip- tions. The floating debt was large and press- ing.

Up to this time Mr. Warner was not per- sonally involved beyond the direct obligations he had assumed as contractor in building the road. The construction of the road came to a halt. Mr. Warner, knowing that if the work was long delayed, the iron on hand must be sold and the enterprise fail completely, and the subscribers along the line not only lose all of the money they had paid in, but also lose the

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road, determined to carry the project through, even if he did so at the expense of heavily in- volving himself, personally. In February, 1874. he went to Europe, and after some time spent there succeeded in effecting a negotiation whereby the first bonds were substituted by the new consolidated bonds and additional funds provided for carrying on the work. The business of the road, however, which was largely dependent upon the development of the coal and iron field, came to a standstill, fur- naces "blowing out" and rolling mills "shutting down." The road was left by these causes without sufficient earnings to pay the interest on the bonds. This complication of troubles, being supplemented and aggravated by an un- paralleled flood in Duck Creek, which did great damage along the southern part of the line, made it necessary to apply for a receiver. On August 5, 1875. A. J. Warner was appoint- ed to this position by Judge Marsh of the Court of Common Pleas of Guernsey County. The road was operated by the receiver from this time until June 13. 1877, when it was sold un- der order of the court, Cyrus W. Field, John Paton, and Isaac Morton becoming the pur- chasers as trustees for the bondholders. The trustees conducted the business of the road un- til May 1, 1880, when, in accordance with an agreement made by the bondholders, the road was transferred to the new organization, the Cleveland & Marietta Railroad Company, a ! corporation duly formed under the State law, and having for directors Isaac Morton, of Cam- bridge; Douglas Putnam, of Marietta; Stan- ley Mathews, Larz Anderson, F. H. Short, and Charles W. West, of Cincinnati; Cyrus W. Field, Charles Lanier, and John Paton, of New York City : C. D. Willard, of Washington, Dis- trict of Columbia : and S. C. Baldwin, of Cleve- land. These directors elected Isaac Morton. president and treasurer, and S. C. Baldwin, vice-president and secretary.

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History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 39

Author: Andrews, Martin Register, 1842-; Hathaway, Seymour J Publication date: 1902 Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1490

Author: Andrews, Martin Register, 1842-; Hathaway, Seymour J
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1490