USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > Dayton > History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio, Volume I > Part 62
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The track upon this leased line was likewise converted into a standard-gauge railroad immediately following the execution of the lease, and all of the property has been used by the Dayton, Lebanon and Cincinnati Company since that date, and a terminal contract was also entered into with the Cincinnati, Lebanon and Northern Railway Company, by which entrance into Lebanon was effected.
In 1901, Mr. Arthur E. Appleyard and his associates acquired control of the Dayton, Lebanon and Cincinnati Railroad Company, and following this purchase, the capital stock of the corporation was increased from five hundred thousand dollars to two million dollars, and a bond issue in the sum of two million dollars was authorized for the purpose of constructing the line from Hempstead into Dayton, and from Lebanon south to Cincinnati. With the purchase of the rail- road also exceedingly valuable terminal property and rights were secured in the city of Dayton. This bond issue contemplated utilizing this property for rail- road purposes and also the extension of the company line to Cincinnati as the original charter of the railroad company, provided that the line should extend from Dayton in Montgomery county, through Lebanon in Warren county, and to Cincinnati in Hamilton county, Ohio.
Under the Appleyard management additional rights of way and valuable prop- erties were secured between Hempstead and Dayton and the line constructed to the Dayton State Hospital immediately adjoining the city of Dayton on the south- east. The line into Dayton State Hospital has been in operation since November, 1902, the distance from Hempstead to the State Hospital being four miles.
The Dayton, Lebanon and Cincinnati Railroad property was placed in the hands of receivers early in the year of 1905. The issue of bonds placed into property
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during the Appleyard management, was foreclosed and on June 1, 1907, the property having been sold to a committee of its bond holders, was re-organized as the Dayton, Lebanon and Cincinnati Railroad and Terminal Company, with a capital stock of one million dollars. The re-organized company operated the property from June I, 1907, until January 16, 1909, when all of the stock of the corporation was sold to Mr. M. L. Sternberger, and his associates.
The completion of the line into Dayton has been impossible for a number of years, owing to the failure, to secure franchise rights from the city of Dayton. The franchise, however, was secured by the company in the fall of 1908. Im- mediately upon the present management obtaining control of the property all ad- ditional property rights were secured to complete the line into Dayton, and active work was commenced in May, 1909, and had been pushed substantially to com- pletion.
Freight traffic was established to the National Cash Register plant in Sep- tember of 1909, and general traffic including passenger service was established in November. The work of completion in the city of Dayton was exceedingly heavy on account of grade elevation over Washington street, and the continuous fill south to the canal near the National Cash Register plant, with heavy cuts through the hill to the southeast.
The line furnishes transportation facilities not only to the National Cash Register plant, but to a large number of industries of South Dayton, which have heretofore been without railroad communication, and is opening valuable tributary territory to the city of Dayton. The offices of the company which had been maintained at Lebanon, Ohio, were established in Dayton in November.
Officers : President, M. L. Sternberger, Jackson, Ohio; Vice-President and Treasurer, Frank Brandon, Lebanon, Ohio; Secretary, H. S. Willard, Wellston, Ohio; Assistant Secretary, H. W. Ivins, Lebanon, Ohio.
INTERURBAN LINES.
The Dayton & Xenia Transit Company was organized in about 1900. It operates a branch also to Spring Valley. Its main line runs from Dayton to Xenia. Its officers are : President, C. J. Ferneding, Vice-President, H. L. Ferned- ing; Treasurer, Edward Canby; Secretary, O. O. Ozias; and General Superin- tendent, F. A. Ferneding.
The Dayton & Troy Electric Railway Company, was organized in 1897. It extends from Dayton to Lima.
The Ohio Electric Railway Company is operated under five districts, namely : Southern, Western, Central, Eastern and Northern districts.
Southern District-Cincinnati, Hamilton, Dayton division.
Western District-Dayton and Union City division, Dayton and Richmond division.
Central District-Dayton-Columbus division.
Eastern District-Columbus, Newark and Zanesville division.
Northern District-Lima-Toledo division; Lima-Springfield division ; Lima- Ft Wayne division ; Lima-Defiance division.
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This property was originally built as separate lines between the years of 1895 and 1902, since that period by purchase and consolidation until to the pres- ent time, all of these properties are owned and controlled by The Ohio Electric Railway Company.
The importance of these lines under one management may readily be seen connecting as they do the principal cities and the capital of the state of Ohio, as well as cities in Indiana, namely: Cincinnati; Hamilton ; Dayton; Richmond, Indiana ; Union City, Indiana ; Springfield ; Columbus ; Newark ; Zanesville; Bel- lefontaine ; Lima ; Ft. Wayne; Defiance; Toledo. In this system, there are about six hundred miles of electric road operating local passenger service, limited pas- senger service, freight service and express service. A union traction station is already partially arranged for and will soon be a reality.
STREET RAILROAD COMPANIES.
The Dayton Street Railroad Company was chartered in 1869. At first, the capital stock was $75.000, and the route No. I, extended from the east to the west end of Third street. The first officers were : President William P. Huffman; Vice- President, H. S. Williams; Treasurer, George W. Rogers; Secretary, J. P. Whit- more; and Superintendent, John U. Kreidler. One of the objects in building the road was to promote the sale of lands owned by W. P. Huffman on East Third street and of H. S. Williams west of the river. The proprietors were astonished when it was found that from the first, the traffic paid a profit on the investment.
One of the early regulations as to the street railroads was that no car should be drawn faster than six miles an hour. Another was that in making curves the mules or horses should not be driven faster than a walk. Another was that cars going in the same direction should not be driven nearer to each other than two hundred feet.
The city seems to have been guided in these regulations by the same regard for public safety that led it in 1850, to ordain that the first railroad company and later the Dayton and Western should be allowed to transport their trains through the streets by steam with the provision that "the speed of said trains shall not exceed six miles an hour and provided further that the city council may at any time re- voke the privilege here given and require said company to use horses for the transportation of their trains as aforesaid." This provision had a place among the ordinances of the city until recently.
The Dayton View Street Railway Company was organized in 1871, with a capital stock of thirty-five thousand dollars. The directors were: J. A. Jordan, J. W. Stoddard, William M. Mills, J. O. Arnold, George W. Lane, J. B. Cottom, W. A. Barnett. The route was from the union depot to the corporation line in Dayton View.
The Oakwood Street Railway Company was chartered in February, 1875, with a capital stock of thirty thousand dollars. This company leased the Dayton View Company, and its officers were as follows: President, Samuel B. Smith ; Secretary, Edward E. Barney ; Treasurer, G. B. Harman; Superintendent, John M. Oswald.
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In addition to the route of the leased line, it was named route No. 3 and ex- tended from Oakwood to corner of Main and Third streets. In 1884, the capital stock of this company was increased to three hundred thousand dollars.
The Dayton View and Oakwood Street railroads became bankrupt and were sold at auction in 1876, to Charles B. Clegg and others, who combined the two roads.
The Wayne and Fifth Street Railway Company was chartered September 20, 1871, with a capital stock of one hundred thousand dollars. President, George W. Shaw ; Vice-President, M. Ohmer ; Secretary and Treasurer, Eugene Wuichet. The route was from the southern boundary of the city, along Wayne avenue, Fifth and Jefferson streets, to First street, extended in 1875 to the car works, and in 1889, along Valley street to Alaska street.
The Fifth Street Railway Company was incorported in June, 1880, with a capital stock of two hundred thousand dollars, which was increased to three hun- dred thousand dollars in 1886. The first officers were : President, A. A. Thomas ; Secretary, D. B. Corwin; Treasurer, R. I. Cummin; Superintendent, J. M. B. Lewis.
The White Line Street Railroad Company was organized May 25, 1887, and the following directors were elected: J. A. McMahon, M. A. Nipgen, J. E. Lowes, C. D. Iddings and W. B. Iddings. The directors organized by the election of President, J. A. McMahon ; Vice-President, J. E. Lowes; Secretary, C. D. Idd- ings ; and Treasurer, M. A. Nipgen. The capital stock was subscribed, two hun- dred thousand dollars. The route was from the north end of Main street at the corporation line southward along various intervening streets to Roseyard avenue, and later by a direct line to the Soldiers' Home. This road was operated by elec- tricity from the first and was one of the first electric roads to be established in the United States.
The latest street railway constructed in the city, is the Dayton Street Rail- way, built and put into operation in 1909. It extends from Mt. Anthony in the southeastern part of the city, through its main business section to the Philadel- phia road in the western part of Dayton View, a distance of nearly seven miles. The officers are: President, Adam Schantz; Secretary, Albert Emanuel; Treas- urer, E. W. Hanley ; and General Superintendent, W. L. Smith. The equipment throughout is the best.
Two important street railroad consolidations have taken place. In 1893, the City Railway Company was formed. This company at once acquired the Third street line, the Fifth street line, including the Green line (eastern division). which had been given its franchise in 1889 and began operation in 1890, and the Dayton and Soldiers' Home Railroad, which began operation April 7, 1890. In 1895, the Third street line was extended to the Soldiers' Home. Later still. the Broadway and Kammer street lines were built, the former in 1903-4 and the lat- ter in 1906. The capitalization of the City Railroad Company is three million dollars. The company operated its cars over thirty-two miles of track.
Meanwhile, in 1896, the White Line Company and the Wayne Avenue Com- pany were consolidated under the name of the People's Railway Company. An important addition to this system was made by branch lines extending through new parts of Edgemont and North Dayton and forming the Cincinnati-Leo di-
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vision. The company recently acquired eight and one-half acres of land on Bolender avenue, east of the Big Four Railroad and is erecting thereon new and extensive car barns, repair shops and whatever goes to equip such buildings. Other wholesale tranformations will be made in the equipment of the road.
At an early time, there was a street car line from McPhersontown (River- dale), along Main street, then across to Ludlow street, and along that street to the union station. The line proving to be unprofitable, was later taken up and the route abandoned.
In 1909, there were one hundred miles of street railroad track in Dayton.
DAYTON'S NEW BRIDGES.
One of the attractive features of Dayton, is the magnificent concrete bridges spanning the Great Miami river. Dayton now boasts of four of these structures, located as follows: At Main street, Third street, Washington street, and at Monument avenue.
The first of these bridges to be built was the one crossing the river at Main street, the contract for which was awarded in 1892, to H. E. Talbot & Company, a Dayton firm. At the time of the letting of this contract, bids were received upon both steel and concrete designs of bridges. The bids for the concrete bridge were naturally greatly in excess of those for the steel, but the city fathers with an eye to permanency and beauty, rather than to cheapness of first cost, chose the concrete design, and inaugurated a policy which, followed out by their suc- cessors, has given Dayton its magnificent bridges.
The remainder of the bridges were built in the order named: The Third street in 1903-04, by Hoglen & Kline, contractors of Dayton ; the Washington street in 1905, by F. J. Cullen, contractor of Chicago, Illinois; and the one at Monument avenue in 1909, by Gebhart & Kline, contractors of Dayton.
All of the bridges are of reinforced concrete, Melan System, the patents for which are owned by the Concrete Steel Engineering Company of New York. The first three to be built ; the Main street, Third street and Washington street, are composed of seven arches each, and are very similar in design, differing only in the style of protecting rail. The Dayton View Bridge, connecting Monument avenue and River street, has only five arches, and a number of special features of design, which make it the most beautiful of all the bridges from an archi- tectural standpoint.
The following data on these bridges may be of interest: For the Main street bridge, the length of the spans in their order is, in feet, sixty-nine, seventy-six, eighty-three, eighty-eight, eighty-three, seventy-six, sixty-nine; the entire length between abutments, five hundred and eighty-eight feet; width from out to out fifty-seven feet; depth of piers below low water, twelve feet; con- tract price, one hundred twenty-three thousand, one hundred and seventy- dollars; extra bills, twenty thousand, four hundred fifty-eight dollars and fifty- eight cents ; total cost, one hundred forty-three thousand, six hundred and twenty- eight dollars and fifty-eight cents; contractor paid for royalty and plans, ten thousand, seven hundred and seventy-two dollars; paid to contractor for tem- porary bridge, six thousand eight hundred dollars.
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For the Third street bridge, the length of the spans in their order is, in feet : eighty, ninety, one hundred, one hundred and ten, one hundred, ninety, eighty; the entire length between abutments, seven hundred and ten feet; width from out to out, sixty-five feet, eight inches; depth of piers below low water, ten feet, four inches; contract price, one hundred seventy-six thousand, six hundred dollars ; extra bills, five thousand, three dollars and eighty-nine cents ; total cost, one hundred eighty-four thousand six hundred three dollars and eighty-nine cents ; contractor paid for royalty and plans, twelve thousand dollars; paid to contractor for temporary bridge, six thousand dollars.
For the Washington street bridge, the length of the spans in their order is, in feet : seventy-four, eighty, eighty-six, ninety, eighty-six, eighty, seventy-four ; the entire length between abutments, six hundred and twenty feet; width from out to out, fifty-six feet, eight inches; depth of piers below low water, ten feet; contract price, one hundred sixteen thousand, eight hundred and ten dollars ; extra bills, seventeen thousand, eight hundred thirty-three dollars and ninety-seven cents; total cost, one hundred thirty-four thousand, six hundred forty-three dollars and ninety-seven cents ; contractor paid for royalty and plans, four thousand eight hundred dollars ; paid to contractor by street railroad com- pany, six thousand five hundred dollars.
For the Dayton View bridge, the length of the spans in their order is, in feet : one hundred and twenty, one hundred and twenty-eight, one hundred and thirty- five, one hundred and twenty-eight, one hundred and twenty; the entire length between abutments, six hundred and eighty-five feet; width from out to out, fifty-nine feet, eight inches; depth of piers below water, twelve feet ; north pier twenty-two feet; contract price, one hundred fifty thousand and nine hundred sixty-three dollars.
It will be seen that the longest span is the center span of the Dayton View bridge, one hundred and thirty-five feet. When the frame supports of this bridge were removed, the spans of this bridge settled less than half an inch. The dimensions and cost of the Third street bridge will be seen to exceed those of the other bridges.
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CHAPTER XVIII.
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
PARKS-POST OFFICE-PORT OF ENTRY-DAYTON STATE HOSPITAL-ASSOCIATED CHARITIES-WIDOWS' HOME-FLOWER AND FRUIT MISSION-DOOR OF HOPE- CEMETERIES-WOODLAND CEMETERY-CALVARY CEMETERY-JEWISH CEMETERIES -SOLDIERS' MONUMENT.
PARKS.
Cooper Park is a just memorial to the public spirit of the founders of the city. Though small, it is of incalcuable value situated as it is in the very heart of the city. In 1896, Dayton's centennial year, Van Cleve Park, furnishing a site for the old log cabin, was added. It is small but, situated on the bank of the river as it is, is of value out of all proportion to its size. In the center of the city, the wide streets and the open dooryards with their beauty and adornments serve in part the purposes of parks. In the southern part of the city Park street, in Riverdale the Great Miami boulevard, in the eastern part of the city Findlay Park, are examples of breathing places and beauty spots in what a few years ago were the outskirts of the city. Robert boulevard and the levees are well deserv- ing of mention. The Fair Grounds and the Soldiers' Home have all the advan- tages for Dayton as city parks. Hills and Dales, south of Dayton, if the public should be so fortunate as to secure it, has the finest possibilities for park purposes.
Areas for parks in various directions from the city are being considered. The park commission, as provided for by act of the legislature and approved by the people at the recent election, will, it is hoped, bring order out of confusion and secure for Dayton the system of parks so necessary to the health and enjoy- ment of the people and the beauty and prestige of the city.
POSTOFFICE.
The history of the Dayton postoffice is a record of continuous growth, of mar- velous development. Established in 1804, when the postal service of the United States was in its infancy, and when the territory northwest of the Ohio river was for the most part a wilderness, with settlements remote from each other, and far removed from the populous centers along the Atlantic seaboard, the Dayton postoffice necessarily had a small beginning. It was located in a cabin at the southeast corner of First and St. Clair streets, and all the mail which arrived at or departed from it was carried by a post rider, who visited it only once in two
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weeks. Its facilities, though of vast importance to the pioneers, were no more like those of the postoffice of today than the few log cabins scattered along the south bank of the Miami were like the present magnificent city of Dayton, with its one hundred and twenty-five or thirty thousand population, enjoying all the conveniences that modern ingenuity has been able to devise and all the luxuries that wealth will supply.
The first postoffice was in harmony with the times and its surroundings. It was a great boon to the settlers, for it supplied the means of communication with friends and relatives at distant points and was of decided benefit in the transac- tion of business. Doubtless its limited facilities were as highly appreciated as is the superb postal service of today, when one hundred mails arrive and one hundred and two depart daily from the postoffice, and incoming mail is delivered by carrier at the doors of patrons from two to four times each day, while outgoing mail is repeatedly collected, both day and night, from hundreds of street letter boxes placed at convenient locations throughout the city.
With increase of population and enlarged business came demands for better postal facilities and these were supplied by the enterprise of the inhabitants of the village, supplemented by the aid of the United States government. New post routes were established from time to time and additional mails received and dis- patched. In short, the progress of the local mail facilities steadily kept pace with the wonderful development of the postal system generally. Consequently, no city of its size in the United States can boast of any superiority over Dayton in the matter of postal facilities. The numerous railroads which diverge in all directions from Dayton have contributed materially to the attainment of this result.
Of all the really great improvements made in the postal system, the first in importance was the establishment of the railway mail service. This insured the direct despatch and rapid distribution of mail. The next was the introduction of the city delivery service in 1869 and the rural delivery service in 1900, Dayton being among the first to have the benefit of each. At the present time there are fifteen rural routes radiating from Dayton.
Dayton has had twenty-two postmasters as follows: Benjamin Van Cleve, 1803 to 1821 ; William M. Smith, 1822 to 1823 ; George S. Houston, 1823 to 1831 ; David Cathcart, 1831 to 1843; James Brooks, six months of 1843; Thomas Blair, 1843 to 1845 ; J. W. McCorkle, 1845 to 1849; Adam Speice, 1849 to 1853; Edward A. King, 1853 to 1861 ; William F. Comly, 1861 to 1866; J. R. Hubbell, four months of 1866; William M. Green, 1867 to 1874; Fielding Loury, 1874 to 1882; Abraham D. Wilt, 1882 to 1886; William H. Gillespie, 1886 to 1889; Lewis J. Judson, 1889 to 1890; Edgar B. Lyon, 1890 to 1894; John C. Ely, 1894 to 1898; Ira Crawford, 1898 to 1899; John V. Lytle, acting, 1899 to 1900; Frederick G. Withoft, the present incumbent, 1900.
Benjamin Van Cleve, the first postmaster, was a man of remarkable intel- lect and possessed a wide range of attainments. He was appointed postmaster in December, 1803, but did not open his office till the early part of 1804. The his- torian of "Early Dayton," tells us that "from 1804 to 1806 the people north of Dayton, as far as Fort Wayne were obliged to come here for their mail." The post route on which Dayton was situated in 1804 extended from Cincinnati
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to Detroit. and the post rider visited Dayton only once in two weeks in each direction. Early in Postmaster Van Cleve's administration, however, the service was so improved that Dayton had a weekly mail, and afterward new post routes were established, one from Zanesville, by way of Urbana, and another from the east by way of Chillicothe.
In those days the rates of postage were high. It cost twenty-five cents in 1804 to send a letter from Dayton to Cincinnati or Chillicothe. The rate on let- ters in 1816 was : thirty miles, six cents ; eighty miles, ten cents ; over one hun- dred and fifty miles, eighteen and three-quarters cents ; over four hundred miles, twenty-five cents. A newspaper was sent for one cent anywhere within the state in which it was printed, but for long distances the tariff was high.
After a time stage coaches and packets superceded the post riders as car- riers of mail, and they in turn gave way to the steam railroad lines. The build- ing of the railroads made possible the development of the postal service into the magnificent system of today, when two cents will carry a letter from the Atlantic to the Pacific in less time than was formerly required for its transmission a few hundred miles from the starting point.
The city delivery service was put into operation in Dayton in 1869, under the supervision of Postmaster Green. It began with ten city letter carriers and has been increased at various times to meet the requirements of the service until the force now includes seventy-five. In the business center of the city the car- riers make four delivery and collection trips daily ; in other localities where busi- ness houses abound three trips are made and in the residence districts one and two trips daily. Seven of the carriers are mounted and two of these are assigned to collection service at night, ending at eleven o'clock.
In proportions corresponding to the increase of the letter carrier force, the work to be done inside the postoffice has grown. The money order business and receipt and delivery of registered mail become of greater magnitude each year along with the volume of ordinary mail, as shown by the following statistics :
COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF BUSINESS OF
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