History of Richland County, Ohio : (including the original boundaries) ; its past and present, containing a condensed comprehensive history of Ohio, including an outline history of the Northwest, a complete history of Richland county miscellaneous matter, map of the county, biographies and histories of the most prominent families, &c., &c., Part 46

Author: Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Mansfield, O. : A. A. Graham & co.
Number of Pages: 968

USA > Ohio > Richland County > History of Richland County, Ohio : (including the original boundaries) ; its past and present, containing a condensed comprehensive history of Ohio, including an outline history of the Northwest, a complete history of Richland county miscellaneous matter, map of the county, biographies and histories of the most prominent families, &c., &c. > Part 46

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

The merchandise was consigned to John Culp and W. W. Drennan. The train went back up the road carrying its load of human freight. many of whom enjoyed that day their first ride on a railroad. in cars drawn by steam.

The construction of the road-bed was solid, if a multiplicity of timbers could make it so. First a " mud-sill " was laid down, lengthwise of the road : strong cross-ties were then spiked on this " mud-sill :" into these " gains," as they were called, were cut, which received the wooden rails, sawed to fit the " gains." These rails were about five inches wide. broadening out as they

entered the " gains," and were about seven inches high. On them. the "ribbon " was spiked, being a strip of hardwood. about two and a half inches wide, by one inch thick. and on this the strap-iron rail was laid. Spikes were driven through the strap-rail and the rib- bon into the large wooden rail underneath. The heads of the spikes were sunken into " eyes " in the strap-rails. leaving a smooth surface for the wheels. This superstructure required fully three times as much timber as the present sys- tem of ties and iron rails.

That portion of the road in this county. almost the entire part of the Mansfield & New Haven road, lying south of Plymouth, was built mainly by Matthew McConnell and Henry Leyman. They were then living in the county and engaged in business. In building the road, they were known by the firm name. "McConnell & Leyman," and the contract com- | Mansfield took hold of the work, and. by their

monly went under the name, "McConnell & Leyman contract." This part of the road was built after considerable effort had been ex- pended on the part of its friends and principal supporters in Mansfield and vicinity. Rail- roading was a new enterprise then to most people, whose ideas concerning such thorough- fares were rather meager. The principal abet- tors to the enterprise were E. P. and Edward Sturges, James and Ellzey Hedges. Jabez Cook, Benjamin Johns (the original proprietor of

"Jolis' Addition " to Mansfield, and from whom it received its name), William Patterson, Charles T. Sherman, Robert Bentley. Dr. William Bush- nell and a few others. They were the foremost men in the enterprise. and, when the time for the beginning came. were the foremost to put their money and time into the work. When the day came to throw the first shovelful of earth, a great concourse of people assembled at the place of beginning, and made the day a memorable one in the history of the town. The work had been presaged by meetings in school- houses all over the county, and earnest efforts made to get the people to understand the im- port of the work. the benefits that would accrue from its completion, and the necessity for them to assist in the enterprise with subscriptions for stock and other material aid. The Legisla- ture had been for some time in the habit of granting charters to every corporation that de- sired one. until the evils of this unquestioned granting became so apparent that a re-action set in, and that body began to refuse any charters whatever, unless the citizens or those interested could show some substantial reasons for the privilege of the charter. This required earnest work on the part of the promoters of the rail- i road; hence the meetings held in all parts of the county to awaken an interest and secure subscriptions to the stock of the road. Once or twice it failed. but rallied under the lead of others. Finally, the best business men of money and personal efforts, carried it through.

As has been stated, the road was completed in the spring of 1846. and a train of cars, drawn by the " Empire," came triumphantly into the city over the old strap-bar tracks, the forerun- ner of that countless number of trains that have entered and passed out of Mansfield.

The completion of this road gave the city and towns along its route an extra advantage over all other towns and cities in this part of Ohio. Mansfield now became a great center for

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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

buying and selling grain and produce, which were sent forward to the lake. A depot was erected at what was then the foot of North Wal- nut street in Mansfield, to which point the road was brought ; another depot or two were soon added by the merchants, who found the grain trade an exceptionally good one. The first grain depot is now the flouring-mill of Gilbert Waugh & Company, while the others serve in various capacities. The fall of 1846, and, in- deed, two or three succeeding years, saw an immense grain trade here. Wagons came in from all parts of the country, often blocking the streets while waiting their turn to be un- loaded.

The warehouse in Plymouth was built on the deep cut, over the track, in the fall of 1846, and was completed in time for the wheat erop, which, Mr. Drennan says, was very large, and was the first crop of wheat shipped in bulk, not in bags or barrels, from this county. This was in the latter part of August. The price was 45 cents per bushel. the same price paid at Milan. and said to be the lowest price paid for wheat since the opening of the Erie Canal. Owing to the European demand, the price advanced, before all the crop was sold. $1.50 per bushel in Plym- outh and Mansfield.

The cars used then were square box cars, covered with canvass or tarpaulin, and would hold about one hundred and forty bushels. They were the only kind used for three or four years after the road was put in operation. Time wrought improvements here as well as else- where. Mr. Drennan, in speaking of the feel- ings of many persons regarding a railroad then, states that there were in Plymouth Township a good many citizens who, because they were not compensated liberally for the land used in the construction of the road, and not realizing the advance sure to follow when the road was opened, determined to resist, and. when the lay- ing of the iron rails was all that remained to complete the track, they armed themselves and

prepared to resist the laborers. The contractor, a jolly, fat Irishman, got word of the scheme in some way, and came suddenly on the scene with a strong force of workmen able to defend- themselves. The citizens chose discretion and abandoned their siege.

The road was in tolerably good running order by 1847 and 1848. A branch, extending from Oxford to Huron, eight miles, was built about this time, but, proving unremunerative, as other roads were constructed in the State, was, in after years, abandoned. It was chartered Feb- ruary 27, 1846.

The purchase of the Monroeville & Sandusky City Road by the Mansfield & New Haven Road, gave the latter corporation, which had received its charter March 12, 1836-one year after the former-direct control of a line from Mansfield to the lake. The road, as consol- idated, was fifty-four miles in length, and had a busy traffic. All along this line, at convenient distances, stations for receiving produce and discharging merchandise were established, and, until 1853, the road enjoyed the monopoly of the grain trade of this part of Ohio.

An extension farther south than Mansfield began to be agitated before the road was put in running order. Considerable opposition was, however, exhibited among many classes of citizens, who firmly maintained the opinion that a prosperous railroad town must be a ter- minal point. A charter for a road, known as the Columbus & Lake Erie Railroad, was granted March 12. 1845, and, five or six years after, a road was built between Mansfield and Newark. where it could connect with a road to Columbus, known then as the Ohio Central Rail- road. now part of the Baltimore & Ohio, and which was completed in 1854, so that trans- portation was begun. That part of this road running through this county, south from Mans- field, was mainly built by Mr. Frederick M. Fitting, now a resident of Jefferson Township. He began the work in January. 1850, at Mansfield,

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doing the grading, furnishing the ties, and laying the iron. By August, he had the road in running order, and had his construction train running to Lexington. He went on south in the construction of the road, doing the entire work from Mansfield to a point about six miles south of Bellville. The part through Knox and Licking Counties was being built at the same time, so that, by 1852, the cars went on down to Newark. This gave this county a river com- munication. The two roads-the Mansfield & Sandusky City and the Columbus & Lake Erie- continued under separate organizations (as was also the case with the Huron & Oxford branch), until November 23, 1853, when they were all con- solidated and took the name of the Sandusky, Mansfield & Newark Railroad. The consolid- ation of these roads did not bring the financial aid desired. Each corporation was burdened with debts and judgments, and had hoped, by uniting, to establish a road that would meet the past liabilities and maintain itself in the future. This did not prove to be the case, and under an act of the Legislature, passed April 8, 1856, the road and property were sold and the company re-organized. Soon after this the Huron & Ox- ford Branch was abandoned and the rails re- moved. The re-organized company put the road in a better condition, and materially in- creased its traffic. Owing to various delays, the deed of conveyance from the old to the new company was not made until March 29. 1865, several years after the sale had been made, and after the new company had taken charge of the road.

This organization remained the same until February 13, 1869, when a contract was entered into by and between the Sandusky, Mansfield and Newark, the Ohio Central and the Balti- more & 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 built through Richland County is the present Cleveland, Columbus &

Cincinnati, familiarly called the "three C's." It was chartered March 14, 1836, two days after the Mansfield & New Haven, and was intended, as the charter expresses it, "for the purpose of constructing a railroad from the city of Cleveland. through the city of Columbus and the town of Wilmington to the city of Cincinnati." Various amendments were made to the original charter prior to the commencement of the work, one relieving the company from any obligation to construct its road " to or through any particular place." Had this road been constructed on a direct line between its terminal points, Mansfield would now be one of its stations. The company desired to bring it through on such a route, but the refusal of the city to aid in its con- struction caused it to be built on its present route as far as this county is concerned.

The original charter of 1836 became dormant, and was not revived for active work until March 12, 1845. A few years of delay now occurred again. and not until 1848 was work begun. It was, however, rapidly pushed for- ward, and in two years the work had so far pro- gressed that the cars ran as far south as Shelby, and then shortly to Crestline. By the next year (1851), the entire line was open from Cleve- land to Columbus. One year before, that part of the road south of Columbus was finished, and the first direct line between the lakes and the river was in operation. From the first, a very large traffic has been enjoyed by this road. The road controls a line from Delaware to Cincin- nati, fifty miles in length, which, when com- menced, was expected to run from Springfield to Mansfield. It was chartered as the Spring- field & Mansfield Railroad March 21, 1850, but the next year it was allowed to change its eastern terminus, and the next year the name was changed to the Springfield, Mount Vernon & Pittsburgh Railroad. The road, however, failed in the construction, and, in 1860, was sold for the benefit of its creditors. In Jan-

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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

uary, 1862, that part extending from Springfield to Delaware, then in an, operating condition, was sold by the Trustees to the Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Railroad, and has since been operated by that corporation. It is now known as the Springfield Branch.

This railroad has since been incorporated and consolidated with the Bellefontaine Railroad Company, which in turn is the consolidation of two companies, the Indianapolis, Pittsburgh & Cleveland Railroad, and Bellefontaine & In- diana Railroad Company. The last-named road was chartered February 25. 1848, with power to construct a railroad from Marion to the west line of the State, in Darke County. An amendment was made to the charter February 19, 1849, allowing the corporators to extend the road eastwardly from Marion to or near Mansfield. In 1856. the Company affected an arrangement with the Indianapolis. Pittsburgh & Cleveland Railroad, whereby both companies acted in unison until December 26, 1864, when they were consolidated under the name of the Belle- fontaine Railroad Company. May 18, 1868. this Company was consolidated with the Cleve- land, Columbus & Cincinnati Railroad, and the present name, the Cleveland. Columbus. Cincinnati & Indianapolis Railway Company. adopted.

eastwardly, by way of the towns of Wooster, Massillon, Canton, to some point on the eastern boundary of the State; thence to the city of Pittsburgh." The road was also to extend "from the town of Mansfield westwardly, by way of Bueyrus. Crawford County, until it intersects the west line of the State of Ohio at such point as may be most eligible." The Leg- islature of Pennsylvania, by an act of April 11 of the same year, concurrently made the Company a corporation of that State. Amend- ments were made to the charter afterward in both States as well as in Indiana and Illinois. which States had chartered the Ft. Wayne & Chicago road-authorizing and requiring coun- ties and towns along the route to " subscribe stock to aid in building the road, upon an affirmative vote of a majority of the qualified voters of the same."

It will be observed by the above, that Mans- field was made the central starting-point on this line. The county and city, by a popular vote. subscribed in all about $90,000 for stock-the city taking one-third, the county two-thirds. The stock was not subscribed, however, until the early part of 1850, after work had begun. The 4th day of July, 1849, was the day on which work on the line east of Mansfield began. It was vigorously pushed forward and the road opened for traffic between Allegheny City and Crestline. 187 miles, April 11, 1853. The road was extended across the Alleghany River in September, 1857, and connected with the Penn- sylvania Railroad at Pittsburgh. The charter for that part of the Ohio & Pennsylvania road, from Mansfield west to the State line, was amended. and a new company, called the Ohio & Indiana Railroad Company, was chartered to build a road from some point on the Cleveland. Columbus & Cincinnati road. westward over a new route. instead of over the designated one for the road as originally chartered. " This point," says the charter. " was to be selected

The third railroad built in Richland County is the Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne & Chicago Rail- road, now one of the grand trunk lines between the East and the West. It. like all other roads. is the consolidation of several small lines whose interests demand they should be united. The road, as it now exists, extends from Pittsburgh to Chicago, a distance of 468 miles, of which distance 251 miles are in this State. The road is the consolidation of the Pennsylvania, Ohio & Indiana and Ft. Wayne & Chicago Railroad Companies August 1, 1856. The first-men- tioned road was chartered February 24. 1848. the charter authorizing the " construction of a railroad from Mansfield, Richland Co., Ohio, [ by the company near Selzer's Tavern. in the

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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

county of Richland." This tavern occupied a position east of Crestline, on the old Mansfield and Leesville wagon road. It is now in Crest- line, and the name of the crossing was desig- nated Crestline. The route from Crestline west was to be " to Bucyrus, Upper Sandusky, and on such a route as the Directors may select to the west line of the State, and thence to Fort Wayne, Indiana." This company was made a corporation by the Indiana Legislature January 15, 1851.

The company did not commence its surveys ' until the 10th of July, 1850, but pressed the work of construction with so much energy, that on the 1st of November, 1854, the line was opened to Fort Wayne, a distance of 131 miles. That part of the road, running from Fort Wayne to Chicago, was completed in 1858, and that year-the three companies being before con- solidated-cars ran on one continuous road from the Iron City to the city on the lake. Mansfield had now a direct line to every cardinal point of the compass.

The Atlantic & Great Western, the third rail- way built through the county, is, like the Pitts- burgh, Ft. Wayne & Chicago road, one of the great through lines of railway connecting the East and the West. It was intended. when built, to connect New York and St. Louis by a continuous gauge of six feet. The route fol- lowed was by the Erie Railway to Salamanca, thence, in a southwesterly direction, through Pennsylvania to Dayton, Ohio; thence to Cin- cinnati, over the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Day- ton road-then a broad gauge-at which city it connected with the Ohio & Mississippi, and over that road to the city of St. Louis.

That part of the Atlantic & Great Western Railroad. in Ohio, was chartered March 10, 1851, as the Franklin & Warren Railroad Com- pany, and authorized to build a railroad from Franklin, Portage County, via Warren, Trumbull County. to the east line of the State. with power "to continue the same from its

place of beginning, in a westerly or southwest- erly direction, to connect with any other rail- road within this State, which the Directors may deem advisable." Under this authority the line was constructed from a point on the State line, in Trumbull County, to Dayton, a distance of 246 miles. Preliminary surveys, to construct this part of the road, began in October, 1852, and active operations in July, 1853. In Sep- September, 1854, the name was changed to the Atlantic & Great Western Railway. Delay and embarrassment intervened, causing a temporary stoppage of the work ; but the work was finally pushed forward with great activity, the line being opened from Salamanca to Warren, Ohio. 161 miles. in January. 1863; and from Warren to Ravenna, 24 miles further, the month following; to Akron, 17 miles, in May following ; to Galion, 82 miles, in February, 1864, and to Dayton, 104 miles. in June of the same year. The above statement shows that the road came through this county early in 1864. Work had been done on the road here the year before, and. in some places, a year or more before that ; but delays of one kind and another kept the work back, sometimes almost threatening its permanent abandonment. It was finally finished, and became much more impor- tant than its projectors anticipated. By its im- portant connections with the Erie in the east, and the Ohio & Mississippi, west of Cincinnati, it became a great trunk line from New York to St. Louis. taking in on its way many large and important commercial cities. Its broad gauge -six feet-was supposed at first to be the strongest argument in its favor, and would make it, in time, the leading road in America ; but experience has demonstrated the fallacy of this, the broad gauge operating adversely to the general expectation. It has demonstrated the fact that a railroad can be built too wide, as well as too narrow. to pay; the best results having been obtained from a medium width of track. A law seems to govern these things,

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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

which cannot be violated with impunity. A common vehicle on the road cannot be made wider or narrower than that in common use, without detracting from its usefulness. Ever since the Atlantic & Great Western has been in operation, there has been continual talk of reducing the gauge to the ordinary width, and over a great portion of the road between New York and St. Louis, this has been accomplished. All the new cars and machinery manufactured for the road are, and have been for years, made with a view to this narrowing of the track. That portion of the track now in Ohio still retains the broad gauge, with slight exceptions. and upon this part, therefore are concentrated that part of the material and machinery first constructed for the broad gauge. A few years more will, with- out doubt, see the road ent down to the ordinary width, from New York to St. Louis. From Day- ton to Cincinnati it is already ent down. When the passenger on the Atlantic arrives at Day- ton, he finds the car in which he is seated being hoisted by machinery, using steam power ; the trucks are quickly changed, and the train pro- ceeds on its way with the loss of but a few minutes' time. The road was sold at the in- stance of the foreign bondholders, January 6, 1880, and the name changed to the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad. Under the new regime, the entire track is to be narrowed to the standard gange. A large amount of foreign capital was used in the construction of this road, and much of its stock is yet held by London capitalists.

The Mansfield, Coldwater & Lake Michigan Railroad Company, the fourth and last, to date, of the railroads passing through or entering Mansfield, filed its certificate of incorporation with the Secretary of State May 20. 1870, to build a railroad from Mansfield to a point on the State line between Ohio and Michigan, eighteen miles from the northwest corner of Ohio, 123 miles in length.

By articles bearing date December 28, 1870, ratified and taking effect May 19. 1871. the Mansfield, Coldwater & Lake Michigan, and the Ohio & Michigan Railroad Companies were consolidated, taking the name of the Mansfield, Coldwater & Lake Michigan Railroad Company. Capital stock. $4,000,000; road to extend from Mansfield, Ohio, via Tiffin. to Alle- gan, Mich., 223 miles.

This railroad was projected and pushed through principally by citizens of Mansfield, who thought to advance the interest of the city by connecting themselves with the rich country northwest, which seemed to lack railroad facili- ties. The road was built. but not as at first intended, and the result was a disappointment.

A contract was entered into (unfortunately, perhaps) July 20, 1871, by which the Pennsyl- vania Company was, after the road-bed was graded, bridged and tied, to iron the same, build all depots, machine-shops and everything necessary to a first-class road; and to receive for the same, $4,460,000 of 7 per cent, first- mortgage gold bonds and $5,000 of common stock in excess of all stock issued to all other parties-the subscription stock to be preferred, and to receive a dividend equal to 7 per cent, after expenses and interest on bonds are paid, and a reasonable amount reserved as a sinking fund for the redemption of said bonds, prior to any dividends on common stock : the Pennsyl- vania to equip the road, but to pay the cost from the earnings.

By this contract, the road practically passed into the hands of the Pennsylvania Company, and the original object for which the road was projected was ignored. By this contract, Mans- field lost the road she intended to build and received another in its stead. To obtain stock subscriptions from the people of Mansfield, it was announced that the Pennsylvania Company had agreed to locate the shops of the railroad at Mansfield. With this understanding, a large amount of stock was subscribed, and. when

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payment was demanded, these subscribers re- fused to pay until the shops should be located according to agreement. This was not done, and litigation ensued in consequence.

Under provisions of the act of May 4, 1869, the city of Toledo contracted with this and the Toledo, Tiffin & Eastern Railroad Company, to build the Toledo & Woodville Railroad, and, March 18, 1873, leased the same to the said companies for the term of 999 years. The Pennsylvania Company, having secured a lease of this line, came into possession of a line directly from Mansfield to Toledo. and have since operated this line as a feeder to their great trunk road. The road was completed to Tiffin in June, 1873 ; beyond Tiffin it was also graded. tied and the rails laid for ten or twelve miles. but was never used. the labor and expend- iture of money beyond Tiffin being thrown away.

Much litigation and trouble for a few citizens of Mansfield, who were prominently connected with this road, has ensned ; and the benefits to the city. if they have been anything, are far behind the popular expectation.

Mansfield has now a system of railroads that places her among the most important of the cities of the State for manufacturing and whole- saling purposes.

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Author: Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848- Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Mansfield, O. : A. A. Graham & co. Number of Pages: 968

Author: Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Mansfield, O. : A. A. Graham & co.
Number of Pages: 968