History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 38

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1060

USA > Ohio > Stark County > History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio > Part 38

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).

$5,000,000.000. an amount almost bankrupting the science of numbers to comprehend.

The first railroad touching Stark County, and which was carried to a successful termina- tion, was the present Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad. Prior to this, however, railroad en- terprises had been strongly agitated in the county. In 1830-31, a road was chartered to run from Pittsburgh to some eligible point on the Ohio Canal. Another early survey was for a road on the present line of the Valley Rail- road. The people of Stark County took con- siderable interest in these projected roads, and for a time there seemed to be a strong proba- bility of the county getting a railroad. But the time had not yet come, and the projects were abandoned. on account, it is said. of the supposed impracticability of the routes. It was not until nearly twenty years later that a road was built from Pittsburgh through Stark County, upon a less advantageous route as to heavy grades. The Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad which, as we have said, was the first road in the county, passing through a corner of Lexington Township and the town of Alliance,

gives Stark but a few miles of track. A char- ter was granted for this road by the Legislature of Ohio on the 14th day of March, 1836. Work upon the road not being commeneed within the three years designated in the law, the charter became dormant, and remained so for six years, when. by an act passed March II, 1845-just nine years after the granting of the original charter the project was revived and the charter amended. The promoters of the enterprise, though the times were hard and money scarce, prosecuted the work as rapidly as similar enterprises were then built, though very slowly in comparison with more modern railroad operations, the road not being com- pleted on the Cleveland end as far as Hudson, in Summit County. until the latter part of the winter of 1851-52. From the beginning the Cleveland & Pittsburgh has been under an able and etlicient management, and has never ex- perienced any of those reverses and drawbacks so common to railroad corporations in their earlier days, and so disastrous and unprofitable to the original stockholders and builders. So small a part, however. of this road is in this county, that an extended notice of it can be of no great interest to our readers. It was duly finished, and it gave to Stark County two sta-

HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

223

tions. Alliance and Limaville, which was better than no railroad.

The Pittsburgh. Fort Wayne & Chicago Rail- way was the next railroad built through the county. From the most reliable facts to be obtained. the history of this road may be thus briefly given : In February. 1848, the Legisla- ture of Ohio passed an act incorporating the " Ohio & Pennsylvania Railroad Company." On the 11th of April following. the Legislature of Pennsylvania passed a similar aet. making the company a corporation of that State. The act of incorporation of the Ohio Legisla- ture gave the company power to construct a railroad from Mansfield. in Richland County, eastward by way of Wooster. Massillon and Canton. to some point on the cast line of the State, within the county of Columbiana, and thence to the city of Pittsburgh ; and from Mansfield westwardly to the west line of the State. The work on this road was commenced in July. 1819. and the entire track was laid and the road was opened for travel from Pittsburgh to Crestline on the Ith of April. 1853. The Board of Directors had determined. in 1850, to make Crestline the terminus of the Ohio & Pennsylvania Railroad. This made further action necessary by the people west of this place, and the subject was warmly discussed for some time by the counties through which it must pass. west of Crestline -efforts that were eventually successful.

On the 20th of March. 1851. the Ohio Legis- lature granted a charter to the " Ohio & Indiana Railroad Company." for the purpose of buikling a road from some point on the Cleveland & Columbus Railroad. through Bucyrus and Up- per Sandusky to the west line of the State. and thence to Fort Wayne. in Indiana. The organization of the company was completed at Bucyrus on the 4th of July, and officers elected. On the 10th of the same month JJ. R. Straughn was elected Chief Engineer, and work at once commenced in making surveys for the road. In September following, the Directors fixed the eastern terminus of the road at Crestline, to connect with the Ohio & Pennsylvania Railroad. In January. 1-52, the contract was let for the entire distance between Crestline and Fort Wayne, and prosecuted with so much vigor that on the Ist of November, 185.4. it was ready for the passage of trains. The people in the counties between Fort Wayne and Chicago, de-

termined to make a strong effort to build the last link in the chain between Philadelphia and Chicago. A convention was called at Warsaw, Ind .. in September. 1852. for devising ways and means for accomplishing the object. This meeting was largely attended, and the object in view was finally accomplished. In 1856, the work was so nearly completed on this new line. that by using a portion of the Cincinnati, Penn- sylvania & Chicago Railroad, a continuous line was opened on the 10th of November, 1856, from Pittsburgh to Chicago. On the Ist of August. 1856. the three corporations-the " Ohio & Pennsylvania. " the - Ohio & Indiana,' and the " Fort Wayne & Chicago"-were con- solidated under the name and title of the " Pitts- burgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway," by which name it has ever since been known. Stark County took stock in the original Ohio & Pennsylvania road to the amount of $105,000. This was increased up to 18544. by the issue of stock dividends, to $127.000. When the con- solidation of the three companies took place, the Ohio & Pennsylvania stock was consid- ered more valuable than that of the other com- panies, and in the new issue of stock certificates, the amount held by Stark County became. in round numbers. 8172.000. which was subse- quently sold by the commissioners to pay off the bonds issued by the county for the payment of the original stock. Such is a synopsis of the facts pertaining to the building of this, one of the best railroads in the United States, and the first to lay its lines through the full length or width of Stark County.

The Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Rail- way belongs to the Pennsylvania system, and is the direct source of its communication with the great West. Says a local writer, dilating upon the subject : " Where was once an isolated wilderness is now a thriving garden, connected with all parts of the continent. Less than a generation ago, the necessary supplies of life could be sceured only by tedious journeys through almost trackless forests . now we take the cars and speed away to the best market in the world in less time than the pioneers went forty miles to mill on horseback. with a bushel of grain divided between the two ends of the saek.

A railroad operated at present by the Pitts- burgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad. or rather by the Pennsylvania Company. known

224

HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

as the " Massillon & Cleveland Railroad," de- serves some mention in this connection, as a part of the Stark County system. The Massil- lon & Cleveland Railroad (commonly called the Massillon Branch) was built by the Massillon & Cleveland Railroad Company, and runs from Clinton. in Summit County, to Massillon, in this county. a distance of some eight or ten miles, only. This road was leased to the Pitts- burgh. Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway Com- pany June 22. 1869 ; lease assigned by that company to the Pennsylvania Railroad Com- pany July 1, 1869 ; and by that company and the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Rail- way Company lease assigned to the Pittsburgh, Mount Vernon, Columbus & London Railway Company (now Cleveland. Mount Vernon & Delaware Railroad Company). November 4. 1869. The road is owned by the Massillon & Cleveland Railroad Company, and is now (1881) operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad Com- pany operating the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway.

The Cleveland. Tuscarawas Valley & Wheel- ing Railway is the next road claiming our attention. It enters Stark County at the north- west corner. passes through Canal Fulton. Mas- sillon. bearing southwest through Sugar Creek Township. and leaving the county near the southwest corner. It was originally chartered as the " Cleveland. Medina & Tuscarawas Rail- road." and work begun on the northern end of it as early as 1852, and a considerable amount of grading done between Grafton and Seville. The main interest in this road centered in Me- dina County, which at that time was without railroad communication. Bonds were issued, stock subscribed, and great energy displayed by the people of that county. But the enter- prise met with many reverses and misfortunes. The bonds which had been issued and placed in the hands of a broker in New York for ne- gotiation, were squandered by him and ul- timately lost to the company. This misad- venture prostrated the whole enterprise, and work on the road stopped at once, leaving large liabilities to be borne by those who had taken an active part in the project. Though greatly disappointed, the people of the sections to be most benefited by it. were by no means dis- couraged or dispirited by the unfortunate ter- mination of their enterprise, and ways and means of reviving the Tuscarawas road were

constantly discussed. Many propositions were made, and routes suggested, when, on the 31st of March, 1871, the Lake Shore & Tuscarawas Valley Railroad Company was organized. The company went to work. solicited subscriptions along the route. Massillon responding with $25,000 and Navarre $17,000. Under the new organization work was begun on the southern end of the road at Grafton on the 3d of No- vember, 1873, much of the old road-hed being used. The title was finally changed to the " Elyria & Black River Railroad Company," and under this organization completed. The subsequent history of this road has not been completely satisfactory, though quite in keep- ing with the general history of railroads. Be- coming involved, a receiver was appointed in 1874, and on the 26th of January. 1875, it was sold, and the name and title again changed, this time to the " Cleveland. Tuscarawas Valley & Wheeling Railway " (which title it still bears) and a new company formed to operate it. In 1879. the road was extended from Urichsville to Wheeling by the way of Flushing. It has twenty-three and eighty-seven hundredths miles of main track in Stark County. with sidings at Massillon and Canal Fulton, and is of consider- able value to the county.

The Valley Railway, extending from Cleve- land to Canton. is another railroad that is of material benefit to Stark County, and at the same time. of the utmost advantage to Canton, as giving it more direct communication with Cleveland. As early as 1869. a charter was obtained for the Akron & Canton Railway, which afterward developed into the larger and more important enterprise, the Valley Railway. duly incorporated on the 21st of Angust. 1871 The authorized capital stock of the company was 83,000.000, the road to run from Cleveland, in Cuyahoga County, via Akron, in Summit County. Canton, in Stark County. through Tu -- carawas and Carroll Counties to Bowerston. in Harrison County. on the Pan Handle Railroad. The first great movement for the promotion of the enterprise was made at a meeting held at the Academy of Music, in Akron. on the 4th day of January. 1872. Representatives from Cleveland. Canton, Wheeling and intermediate points on the contemplated route were in attend- ance. The meeting was presided over by James 1. Faxton, Esq., of Canton, with Mr. H. Coch- ran. of Wheeling, as Secretary, and llon. Ste-

225

HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

1 phen II. Pitkin, of Akron. as Assistant Secretary. David L. King. Esq., of Akron, briefly stated the objects of the ineeting, saying that the proj- ect of a road down the valley of the l'uyahoga, from Akron to Cleveland. and south from Ak- ron to Canton and Wheeling, was no new proj- ect. Such a road. Mr. King said, would devel- op large quantities of coal and other minerals south of Akron, and a locomotive, after draw- ing an ordinary train to Akron. could by rea- son of continnous down grade. draw as many loaded ears from Akron, as the same locomotive could draw empty cars back. The importance and feasibility of the road was conceded by all. the discussion being mainly over the ques- tion of gauge. estimates being presented show- ing the comparative cost of both the standard, four feet eight and one-half inches, and the narrow. three feet tracks. At the conclusion of the discussion. the following resolution was unanimously adopted :

Resolved. That it be the sense of this meeting that all our efforts be devoted to raising stock for the ordinary four-foot right and one half inch gauge.

Subscription books were opened at Cleveland, Akron, Canton, and intermediate points on the 15th day of January. 1872, and a vigorous campaign opened " all along the line." for rais- ing the necessary funds to build the road. Cleveland parties were pledged to raise $500,000. the quota assigned to Akron and Canton being $150,000 each. with such additional amounts as could be raised at intermediate points in the several counties interested. Meetings were hekl. speeches were made and subscriptions were obtained with commendable celerity. Canton was the first to announce that her full share was raised, Akron coming in soon afterward with a similar good report. Cleveland, how- ever, was backward. trusting to the plan of rais- ing the requisite amount, under the Boessel law. by a tax upon the city. The proposition, however. was voted down, though the amount pledged was subsequently raised by voluntary subscriptions to the capital stock of the com- pany through the vigorons efforts of her solicit- ing committees. Other localities subscribed more or less liberally, so that the total amount subscribed in each of the three counties was as follows : Cuyahoga, $508,250 ; Summit. $191.700 ; Stark. 8149,750. The first stock- holder's meeting was held April 24. 1872. at which James Farmer, Ambrose B. Stone. and

Nathan B. Payne, of Cleveland : David L. King and John F. Sieberling, of Akron, and James A. Saxton and George Cook, of Canton, were elected Directors. At a subsequent meeting of the Directors the same day. James Farmer was elected President ; David L. King, Vice Presi- dent, and Warwick Price, Secretary and Treas- urer. At a meeting of the Directors held May 10, 1872, l'lymouth H. Dudley. of Akron, was appointed chief engineer for the road. The route was finally agreed upon, and the contract for building the entire line from Cleveland to Bowerston was awarded to Nicholas E. Van- sickle and Arthur L. Conger, of Akron, on the 3d day of February, 1873. The work was com- menced at once. and a report made to the Board of Directors ou the 5th of August, 1873, stated that nearly two thirds of the distance from Cleveland to Canton were graded, and that with favorable weather the remainder could be com- pleted and ready for track-laying by the Ist of October. These anticipations, however. were not realized, and a difference of opinion having arisen between the Directors and contractors, Messrs. Vausiekle and Conger, the contract was canceled, and the work suspended on the 16th of May, 1874. Reuben Hitchcock was elected President of the company, April 24, 1874. but on account of failing health. a few months later. was compelled to fender his resignation. and David L. King was elected in his place. on the 25th of September, with James Farmer as Vice President. The general stagnation of business. and especially of all new railroad enterprises. following the failure of Jay Cooke & Co .. ren- dered the immediate resumption of work im- possible. The Directors, as a condition prece- dent to Mr. King's acceptance of the Presidency. individually assumed the entire liabilities of the company, which, owing to inability to collect stock subscriptions, amounted to over $150,000

a burden from which the Directors were not relieved until April, 1879. But, by the self- sacrificing assumption of this responsibility. the life of the company was saved through the long period of financial distress the country was then experiencing. Failing. through the stringency of the times, to secure aid in this country to complete the road. at the earnest solicitation of the board, Mr. King sailed for England, on the 6th day of February. 1875. to present the advantages of the investment to the capitalists of London. After weeks of pa-

226

HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

tient effort, struggle and disappointment, he , Cleveland to Canton, with the officers, Directors, finally succeeded in securing a proposition for and other friends and promoters of the road on board, started from Cleveland at 9:30 A. M .. January 28, 1880. Making short stops at the several stations on the route, the train arrived at Canton about 1 o'clock P. M. Starting from Canton on the return trip at 3 o'clock P. M., the run from Canton to Akron. twenty-two , miles, was made in thirty-eight minutes, the en- tire trip from Canton to Cleveland. fifty-nine miles, being made in two hours-a remarkable run, considering the newness of the road. and evineing a very excellent degree of work in the laving of the track and the ballasting of the road-bed. The first regular trains com- menced running February 2. 1880, and have continued uninterruptedly to the present time. with constantly increasing freight and passen- ger tratfie, and though. by reason of the partial occupation of the ground by other similar en- terprises and prospective connections, the ex- tension of the road beyond Canton has been indefinitely postponed, the Valley Railway may well be considered a successful venture for its promoters, and a very valuable acquisition to the travel and transportation facilities of the people all along the line. the sale of the company's bonds on highly ad- vantageous terms. and a time was fixed for the execution of the contract. On the morning of the day agreed upon for closing the matter up, the publication, in the London papers, of the report of a committee of the House of Com- mons, discrediting the value of American se- curities in general. and railroad securities in partienlar, together with a cable dispatch re- ceived from New York. published in the same papers, that the Toledo, Wabash & Western Railroad (a very large amount of the bonds of this road being held in London) had passed into the hands of a Receiver. By the advice of the parties with whom he had been in negotiation. Mr. King returned home without having ac- complished the object of his mission. to "await the logie of events." as it was considered dam- aging to future sales, on the return of prosper- ity at home, to urge the bonds of the company further upon the attention of English capital- ists at that time. The merits of the line were, from time to time, brought by President King before the capitalists of Cleveland and the East, and a succession of struggles to keep the enterprise alive were continued for three years The Tuscarawas Branch of the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad touches a corner of two townships in Stark County, passing through Minerva, in Paris Township, and Waynesburg. in Sandy Township. It, however, has but a limited space in the railroad history of the county. It was built a good many years ago. and extends from Bayard to New Philadelphia. Its completion at a time when Stark had few railroads, gave it some importance, but at pres- ent, when her system is well nigh perfect, it is of no materiał benefit. except to the two towns through which it passes. longer. happily resulting in placing the bonds on highly favorable terms at home with Cleve- land and New York capitalists, the capital stock having in the meantime (April 13, 1876) been increased from $3,000.000 to $6,500.000. On the 7th day of August. 1878, the work on the line between Cleveland and Canton was resumed by the new contractors. Messrs. Walsh and Moynahan, the first rail . upon the line being laid and the first spike driven by President King. at Akron, at a point near the " Old Forge." at 12 o'clock M., on the 26th day of October, 1878, track-laying being immediately proceeded with from this point both ways, and also commenced in Cleveland a few days there- after. The operations of the new contractors not proving satisfactory to the company, the contract with them was annulled, on the 25th day of January, 1879, and the work again tem- porarily suspended. Subsequentty, a new con- tract was made with Messrs. Strong and Cary, and work resumed on the 3d day of June, 1879. The road was finally completed through from Cleveland to Canton, in the winter of 1879- 80. The first continuous train from

The latest accession to the railroad system of Stark County is the Connotton Valley Rail- way. It is a narrow-gange road (three feet) and though intended more especially for the transportation of coal, its complement of roll- ing-stock embraces an adequate supply of box freight ears, and elegantly finished and furnished passenger coaches. The southern terminus of the road is at Bowerston, on the Pan Handle road in Harrison County, and its northern ter- minus Fairport, on Lake Erie, with a branch to the city of Cleveland. The line passes through Carroll, Stark, Summit, Portage and Cuyahoga

227

HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

Counties ; the capital stock is $3,000,000, the funds being furnished mainly by Boston cap- italists, though a majority of the Directors are the proverbial " Ohio men." The Connotton project grew out of the old Ohio & Toledo road, running from Carrolton to Minerva. This road was bought in 1878-79 by N. A. Smith, t. G. Patterson and others, who extend- ed it to Dell Roy. Some time in 1879 Mr. Patterson conceived the idea and made it pub- lie, of running the road from Onekla, the orig- inal northern terminus of the Ohio & Toledo road, to Canton. He succeeded in interesting other parties both at home and abroad, result- ing in the final organization of the Connotton Valley Railway Company. No aid or donations or bonds were asked, only a free right of way. Work was begun and pushed forward so vigor- ously that the road was completed to Canton early in May. 1880, and appropriately celebrated by an excursion of its friends from the south- east to ('anton. where they were dined and wined to their hearts' content. Its completion to Osnaburg Village a short time previous, was duly celebrated in that suburban burg.

Upon the completion of the road to Canton, it was decided to extend it on north to Fair- port. on Lake Erie, two miles north of Paines- ville, with a branch to Cleveland. An effort was made to sell the Alliance & Lake Erie road to the company. but this offer was declined, the company preferring to build a new road, if a free right of way could be obtained, rather than undertake the organization of any more rail- road wrecks, as the Ohio & Toledo had been rather expensive in this respect. Work was begun on the northern extension under the most favorable auspices. and at the present writing it is being rapidly pushed forward. The entire length of the road is 118, sixty-two miles of which is now (May. 1881) in running order, be- ing completed as far north as Mogadore. in Summit County, and as far south as Dell Roy. in Carroll County, and it is expected that cars will be running over the entire line by July of the present year. This road passes through from sixteen to twenty miles of valuable coal fields, tine beds of iron ore, potters clay, build- ing-stone, etc .. besides having on its line some of the most enterprising manufacturing cities and villages in Northern Ohio.

The present officers of the road are as fol- lows . William J. Rotch. of New Bedford. Mass.,

President ; Samuel Allen, of Dell Roy, Carroll County. Vice President : A. B. Proval. of Canton. Stark County, Secretary and Treasurer ; W. N. Moffat. formerly of the Pittsburgh. Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad. Superintendent. and Robert Leamouth, formerly of the Pan Handle road. Roadmaster. The machine and repair shops. and the general offices of the company, are located at Canton. The Depot buiklings are among the finest in the country, and an orna- ment to the city. The main building is 230 feet long and extends from Tuscarawas street to Fifth street, and is 40 feet wide, exclusive of porches which run along the entire building on each side. The structure is built of pressed brick, laid in black mortar, and with white sand stone trimmings, giving it a very handsome appearance. It has a tower on Tuscarawas street, 96 feet high, containing an elegant clock which tells off the passing moments by Colum- bus time. The first floor is devoted to waiting rooms, toilette rooms, ticket and telegraph offices, baggage room, etc. I'pon the second floor, which is reached by both a front and back stairway. are eleven rooms, used as follows : General manager's office, general business office. Secretary and Treasurer's office : Auditor's of- fice : general freight office : general ticket agent's oflice ; Conductor's room : Superintendent's of- fice : train dispatcher's office : roadmaster's room ; Chief Engineer's office, and Engineer Corps' room, all of which are finished off in the best style. and are well. and even elegantly. fur- nished.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 38

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1060

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1060