Past and present of the city of Zanesville and Muskingham County, Ohio, Part 12

Author: Sutor, J. Hope, 1846-
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 898

USA > Ohio > Muskingum County > Zanesville > Past and present of the city of Zanesville and Muskingham County, Ohio > Part 12

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Under an agreement made June 10, 1890, the Pittsburg, Cincinnati and St. Louis ; Chicago, St. Louis and Pittsburg; Cincinnati and Richmond ; and Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis companies were consolidated October 1, 1890, into the Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway Company.

THE OHIO AND LITTLE KANAWHA RAILROAD COM- PANY.

The Zanesville, McConnelsville and Pomeroy Railway Company was incorporated under the Ohio statutes, June 16, 1883, to construct a rail- way from Zanesville to Marietta ; May II, 1885,

the name was changed to The Chicago, Zanesville and Atlantic Railway Company, by decree of the Court of Common Pleas, of Muskingum county, and January 23, 1886, the name was again changed, by the same authority to The Zanesville and Ohio River Railway Company.

The first rail was laid in September, 1886, and January 1, 1887, regular service was opened to Malta ; as the tracklaying proceeded the road was opened for traffic as follows: to Stockport, Au- gust, 1887; to Swift, September 5, 1887; to Wat- erford, December 24, 1887; and to Harmar, or West Marietta, July 2, 1888, and the line was ac- cepted from the contractor September 15, 1888. From Fair Oaks junction to Zanesville the tracks of the C. & M. V. were used and the latter com- pany's terminals were used in the city.

August 16, 1889, the bondholders took pos- session of the property, and September 1, 1889, the executive officers of the company retired and the bondholders' officers took charge in the per- sons of C. M. Wicker, president, and J. Hope Su- tor, general manager and treasurer.

The financial difficulties which had caused the bondholders to take charge of the property were so great that J. Hope Sutor was appointed re- ceiver July 20, 1892, and continued as such until March 1, 1900, when the property passed to the Ohio and Little Kanawha Railroad Company, a West Virginia corporation, which had been or- ganized by the bondholders to operate the road in conformity with the plan of reorganization. Jan- uary 1, 1002, the B. & O. began the operation of the road, in which it had acquired a stock inter- est, and the general offices in Zanesville were closed.

ZANESVILLE AND WESTERN RAILWAY.

The Columbus and Eastern Railroad was char- tered February 20, 1882, and construction was be- gun about June 1, 1883. The road was completed from Columbus to Alum Creek, and from Thurs- ton to Cannelville, January 1, 1887, trackage rights between Alum Creek and Thurston having been secured from the Toledo and Ohio Central Railway, and from Darlington to Zanesville simi- lar privileges were obtained from the Cincinnati and Muskingum Valley Railway ; the latter com- pany's terminals in Zanesville were occupied and trains first entered the city January 10, 1887.

September 30, 1889, the Columbus, Shawnee and Hocking Railway Company was incorporated, and organized October 24, 1889, and November 25. 1889, took charge of the Columbus & Eastern Railroad and the Shawnee and Muskingum River Railway, the latter a road in Morgan county run- ning from Muskingum river to Shawnee, which was incorporated March 23, 1887, and opened in June, 1889; and a connection, fourteen miles in

PAST AND PRESENT OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.

length, was constructed to unite the properties, which was completed June 1, 1890.

December 23, 1893, the Columbus, Sandusky and Hocking Railway Company was organized, as a consolidation of the Columbus, Shawnee and Hocking Railway and the Sandusky and Co- lumbus Short Line Railway, and June 28, 1895, a receiver was appointed, and the property sold October 19, 1895, under foreclosure of the mortgage. October 22, 1895, the Columbus, San- dusky and Hocking Railroad was chartered as the successor of the railway of the same name, and possession was taken of the property, November 14, 1895.

January 15, 1897, a receiver was appointed and on the 26th was discharged, the appointment hav- ing been made upon a technicality, but the road soon became in default for interest and in a suit brought to set aside the sale of October 19, 1895, the Court of Common Pleas, of Crawford county, on May 25, 1899, appointed N. Monsarratt, re- ceiver ; upon appeal to the United States Circuit Court the Common Pleas Court was reversed, and S. M. Felton was affirmed as receiver, who was later succeeded by Joseph Robinson.

The Bellaire and Southwestern Railway Com- panv was chartered March 26, 1875, to construct a railroad from Bellaire to Athens, and was com- pleted as a narrow guage, from Bellaire to Woods- field, November 27, 1879: October 26, 1881, the charter was amended extending the franchise to Cincinnati.

The commercial interests of Zanesville did rot view with complacency the prospect of a railroad which would divert to other points the legitimate trade of the city and county, and sought to secure a change of the' route which would insure the benefit of Muskingum county. The county was owner of a large interest in the Central Ohio Rail- road, whose stock was then valuable and it was suggested that as the county had nothing more to anticipate from it than the value of the investment. it should be sold and the proceeds devoted to securing another railroad. The question was submitted to the voters and the sale was endorsed, and April 1, 1881, the Gen- eral Assembly passed an act to create the Muskingum County Railway. and May 16, 1881. it was organized, the Court of Common Pleas having appointed F. H. Southard, James Herdinan, R. D. Schultz, M. Churchill and A. P. Stults as trustees. The citizens were conscions

that the Muskingum County Railway could not construct a line to Woodsfield, and May 24, 1881, the Zanesville and Southeastern Railway was in- corporated to continue the construction beyond the terminus of the Muskingum County Railway. and October 24, 1881, the company was formally organized.

Meantime the Bellaire and South Western Rail- way was persuaded to abandon its purpose to build to Athens and to connect with the Zanesville and Southeastern and terminate at Zanesville, and January 31, 1882, an agreement was made be- tween the two companies to consolidate, and Feb- ruary 28, 1882. the consolidation was effected, and the Bellaire, Zanesville and Cincinnati Railroad Company succeeded to the franchises of its pre- decessors.

The first rail was laid on the Muskingum County Railway in February, 1883, and July I, 1883, it was completed a distance of nine miles ; it was never operated by the trustees and was leased to the Bellaire, Zanesville and Cincinnati Railroad Company upon the completion of that line from Woodsville to Zanesville in December, 1883. As the terminus was at Mill Run, track- October 16, 1902, the Zanesville and Western Railway was organized, and November I, 1902, took over the lines of the Columbus. Sandusky and Hocking lving east and south of Thurston. age rights were secured from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, and by means of a third rail the Baltimore and Ohio terminals were reached, and have since been occupied, the first the remainder being acquired by other interests. . train reaching the city August 27, 1884, and ten miles of the narrow guage have been third railed OHIO RIVER AND WESTERN RAILWAY. for the passage of standard equipment.

July 1, 1886, I. H. Burgoon was appointed re- ceiver, and December 1, 1889, the company was reorganized as the Bellaire, Zanesville & Cincin- nati Railway Company and May 15, 1893, it pur- chased the Muskingum County Railway. July I. 1895. the anniversary of the former receivership. James K. Geddes was appointed receiver and another reorganization was effected January 2, 1903, on which date the Ohio River and Western Railway Company took charge of the property.

Dominating interests in the property. having become embarrassed in other properties, as a pre- caution for the protection of the O. R. & W .. ap- plication was made to the Court of Common Pleas. of Belmont county, for a receiver, and January 24. 1905, James K. Geddes was again placed in pos- session as the representative of the court.

WHEELING AND LAKE ERIE RAILROAD.

The Youngstown and Connotton Valley Rail- road Company was organized to build a railroad from Bowerton to Youngstown, and when the Ohio and Toledo Railroad was sold at judicial sale it was purchased by the Youngstown and Conotton Valley, and the route changed, and by decree of the court the name was changed to the Connotton Valley Railroad.

PAST AND PRESENT OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.

The Connotton Northern Railway was incor- porated to build from Canton to Fairport Har- bor, but the northern terminus was changed to Cleveland.

These two properties were consolidated into the Connotton Valley Railway Company, by agree- ment of the directors of each, on October 25, 1880; approval of the stockholders of each, November 8, 1880, and by the ratification of the directors of the consolidated company. December 1, 1880.

May, 1882, the Connotton Valley Railway Com- pany purchased the C. V. & S. R. R., and June IO, 1883, the line was completed and operated between Cleveland and Coshocton.

A plan of reorganization was agreed on by the stockholders and bondholders, and the Cleveland and Canton Railroad was organized June 24. 1885, and to it the Connotton Valley property was transferred July 1, 1885. July 25, 1885, the Co- shocton and Southern Railroad was incorporated and the first rail was laid in November, 1887, and June 17, 1889, the line was opened to Zanesville.

May 17, 1890, the Cleveland, Canton and Southern Railroad was organized to operate all the properties, and September 15, 1893, John W. Wardwell and Frederic Swift were appointed receivers, but Swift soon after retired and Ward- well remained as sole receiver, and July 16, 1898, by order of the court, the line between Coshocton and Zanesville was closed for lack of money to, make the needed repairs.

February 4, 1899, the entire property was sold under foreclosure, and August 14, 1899, the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad Company came into possession.

THE ZANESVILLE BELT LINE

was not an original corporation but the joint enterprise of the Zanesville, Mt. Vernon and Marion, and the Painesville, Wooster and Ohio Railway companies, two of the lines of the Black Diamond system of railways projected by Col. Al- bert E. Boone. February 12, 1887, the city coun- cil granted the franchise for the line to cross and occupy certain streets and alleys, beginning at the north side of Main street in Second street, run- ning diagonally across Beach and Fountain alleys to Third street and by way of Water street and others to the east side of the Greenwood ceme- tery and south of the city by way of Canal and Third streets to the place of beginning, with cer- tain other routes for switches to industrial plants. February 13 ground was broken on the lands of the Townsend Brick Company, Gideon E. Meigs, president of the two companies, throwing the first shovelful of earth, and work was pushed as rap- idly as possible. Bonds of the Z., M. V. & M., to the aggregate of $250,000.00 were issued, and to hold the franchise cross ties and rails were laid

at points without regard to guage, surface or. alignment, in no sense serving as or constituting a railway track and becoming only an obstruction to the use of the street by the public, and the ef- fort to connect the Belt Line with the C. & M. V. tracks was the cause of the shameless disturbance related under the caption of Belt Line Turbulence.

The enterprise soon passed into a receivership and was eventually reorganized under a charter issued May 16, 1890, to the Zanesville Belt Line, Junction and Terminal Railway Company, which took over the Belt Line, Terminal Railway and the city terminals at Third and Market streets. This company passed to the control of the C. S. & H. R. R. and when it went into bankruptcy the constituent properties were divided, the Belt Line passing to the Wheeling and Lake Erie for the Wabash Railway Company, the Terminal Railway becoming the property of the Cincinnati and Mus- kingum Valley Railroad Company for the Penn- sylvania Company, and the city depots and yards being attached to the Zanesville and Western Railroad. The Zanesville Terminal Railway was chartered to construct a line from the northeast corner of Newton township through Springfield and Falls townships into Zanesville to connect the C. S. & H. with the C. C. & S. at Lee street, and was constructed and used as a connecting railway upon which $500,000.00 in bonds were issued; it never possessed equipment and did not have to ex- ceed five miles of track of all kinds.

THE TELEGRAPH

was introduced into Zanesville by the O'Reilly Telegraph Company in the spring of 1847, A. C. Ross being the first operator ; the sending appara- tus was similar in form and operation to those in use at present but the latter are more graceful in appearance and delicate in action ; the receiving device was a register, not dissimilar to the "ticker" seen in stock brokers' offices in the pres- ent day, through which a narrow strip of white paper passed and upon which the dots and dashes of the code were raised or embossed, and from which record the operator translated the message. The office call was distinguished by ear and oper- ators soon discovered that the click of the regis- ter could be read in the same manner, and read- ing "by sound" came into use, but it was many years before some managers would permit the ear to be used and required the register to be operated and used to verify the message taken by sound. Mr. James D. Hoge became manager in 1855, and when the Western Union acquired the lines, in 1860, he remained in the same relation for many years. In 1862 the United States Tele- graph Company opened an office which was dis- continued in 1866, and in 1877 the Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Company opened an office

PAST AND PRESENT OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.

which was closed February 1, 1881, both by the absorption of the lines by the Western Union. In April, 1905, the office was moved to the new Masonic Temple.

The only permanent competition has been given the Western Union by the Postal Telegraph Com- pany, whose office was opened October 27, 1891, in the rotunda of the Clarendon Hotel, with George B. Sidenor, manager, and is now located in Main street, west of Fifth.

CENTRAL UNION TELEPIIONE COMPANY.

The first telephone line was erected in 1879 by M. W. Mansfield and R. A. Cunningham, and was opened for business June 16, 1879, with forty subscribers, and a central office in Maginnis block, over the postoffice, at southwest corner of Fifth street and Fountain alley, where the United States Telephone Company is now located.

November 11, 1880, the Zanesville Telephone Company was incorporated, and having increased the facilities, became owner of the initial plant, January 1, 1881, with the following officers: M. Churchill, president : Thomas Griffith, vice presi- dent; M. W. Mansfield, secretary; T. W. Gat- trell, treasurer ; R. A. Cunningham, superintend- ent. In June, 1881, Chicago parties purchased the stock of the Zanesville Company, with the view of controlling and connecting the telephone lines of the country, and this combination de- veloped into the Central Union Telephone Com- pany. Central offices were maintained in Main street near Potter alley, in the Star block, north- east corner of Main and Third streets, over the Citizens' National Bank, and in the Opera block. southeast corner of Fifth street and Fountain alley, where it is now located, and has connection with 2,278 'phones in the city and neighboring rural district; thirty-one toll stations are sub- sidiary to the central office.

The Central Union Telephone Company is one of twenty-four operating companies holding fran- chises from the Bell Telephone Company for local service; the American Telephone and Telegraph Company owning and operating the long distance lines in connection with the operating companies just referred to.

ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POWER.

The Zanesville Electric Light Company was incorporated August 23, 1886, by John Hoge, A. W. Train, George R. Fox, Noah Shrigley and James D. Hoge, with a capital of $25,000.00, and the company formally organized, September 14. 1886, at Train and Durban's office ; the directors organized February 21, 1887, with John Young. president : Francis Wedge, vice president ; Frank A. Durban, secretary and treasurer; George L.

Beetle and James D. Hoge. A plant was fitted up opposite the works of Griffith & Wedge, in South Fifth street, and in 1889 a brick plant was constructed in Sixth street, near Howard ; May 1, 1890, an agreement was made with the street railway company to supply electric power, when the change was made from animal to elec- tric power.

September 6, 1900, the plant was transferred to a syndicate of Bostonians and in 1903 a modern power house was erected on the north side of Main street, at the east end of the Y bridge. and water power utilized in the production of electricity, but a steam auxiliary was also pro- vided for periods of extreme high or low water. The new station assisted in operating the city cars during the Christmas season of 1903 and in the spring of 1904 the propulsion of cars was con- ducted exclusively from the new plant and the Sixth street plant limited to illuminating. August I, 1902, the Zanesville Railway, Light and Power Company took possession of the plant.

THE ZANESVILLE TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY.

Application for a franchise, in Zanesville, for the Western Telephone Construction Company was made by J. B. Rhodes and A. T. Brennan, in July, 1898, but was not secured. March 9, 1899. the Zanesville Telephone Company was incorpor- ated with a capital stock of $10,000 and an or- ganization effected March II, 1899, by electing S. M. Winn, president ; J. G. England, vice presi- dent : A. T. Brennan, treasurer: J. B. Rhodes, secretary and general manager.

A telephone line was built from the Mill Run depot to Adamsville and Otsego in September, 1899, and several applications were made to the city council for a franchise to enter the city, all of which were refused; finally, one was granted with such onerous and unsatisfactory conditions that it was refused by the telephone company. The line was then extended, over a private right- of-way, to the England Brothers' office, in the Opera block, after a series of injunctions designed to embarrass or prevent the enterprise. After a year or more spent in unsuccessful efforts to ob- tain a right-of-way from the city council, appli- cation was made to the Probate Court, which ruled in favor of the petitioner, when opposing interests assumed the city's contention and on a rehearing the Probate Court reversed its original decision ; appeal was then taken to the Court of Common Pleas, which affirmed the several de- cisions of the Probate Court, and the case was carried to the Circuit Court ; the petitioners' con- tention was sustained and the opposition appealed to the Supreme Court of Ohio, which reversed the decision of the Circuit Court, but upon a re-

PAST AND PRESENT OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.

hearing the Supreme Court reversed itself and left the way open to the petitioners.

After this protracted struggle the company was re-organized and the capital increased to $200,- 000 : construction of the Zanesville, Roseville and Dresden exchanges was begun early in the spring of 1901, the first subscribers being connected November 27, 1901, since when the growth of the business has been phenomenal ; connection is at present made with more than eight hundred farmers in their homes, in Muskingum county, and in the Zanesville and other exchanges in the county there are more than twenty-eight hundred subscribers. Connection is also made with the lines of the United States' Long Distance Com- pany, which furnishes service with all the Inde- pendent exchanges of the state of Ohio and ad- joining states.

STREET RAILWAYS.

About 1874 W. W. Miner established an omni- bus line in Zanesville, the barn being in Fourth street, between Center street and the river and still standing under the viaduct. The unpaved condition of the streets made a bus ride extremely uncomfortable and to be remembered, and al- though the enterprise was not a financial success it demonstrated the practicability of establishing a smoother system of local public transportation.

The pioneer street railway was opened in 1875 and extended from the north end of Seventh street, where the barn was located, by way of Seventh, Main and Third streets, Third street bridge, Muskingum and Woodlawn avenues, Jef- ferson street and Putnam avenue to Woodlawn cemetery. The company was incorporated August 7, 1875, as The Zanesville Street Rail- way, with a capital of $25,000.00 and the follow- ing officers: Josiah Burgess, president ; T. B. Townsend, treasurer: Edward T. Burgess, George W., Frank M., and William C. Town- send, directors, and during the ensuing vear ex- tensions were made to the plant of the Ohio Iron Company, and by way of the Maysville pike and Eppley lane to the County Fair Grounds.

October 19, 1875, Josiah Burgess, T. B., W. C., and G. W. Townsend, W. T. Maher, W. T. Gray. and Thomas Lindsay were incorporated as the McIntire Street Railway Company, with a capital of $15,000.00, and a line was constructed from the barn, in Maple avenue, between Sheridan and O'Neill streets, by way of Maple, McIntire and Linden avenues, the Y bridge, Main, Eighth and Marietta streets and the Marietta road to the city limits, and was opened for business in 1878, in which year the barns were erected on the site of the present barns in Putnam, and the Seventh street barn was abandoned; about the same time an extension was built in Third and Market streets to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad pas-

senger depot, but abandoned after an unsatisfac- tory experience.

The McIntire line was absorbed by the Zanes- ville and in 1884 the flood destroyed the track in Linden avenue and the route to the Terrace was changed to leave Seventh street and pass in How- ard to the Fifth street bridge and by way of La Salle Place and Linden avenue to a connection with the original line, and the Maple avenue barn was abandoned. This route was made more direct upon the completion of the viaduct, the track being laid in Center from Seventh street, and at the west end of the viaduct a new street, called Commissioner, was opened to Maple avenue as an approach to the bridge and at the expense of the county. In 1886 F. M. Townsend came into control of both lines and June 15, 1887, in- corporated the Main Street and West Side Rail- way, with a capital of $25,000.00, and built the line from Gant Park to Greenwood cemetery, and in 1890 sold all his franchises, plant and equip- ment.

The cars used by these pioneer companies were small cabins, mounted on a small four-wheel truck, and the cars teetered merrily as they rolled over the uneven surface of the track, which the unpaved condition of the streets made it impos- sible to maintain in serviceable surface and align- ment ; conductors were not provided, and fare was deposited in a box which was often difficult to reach if the car was in motion ; a practice grew up of passing the fare along to the person sitting near the box and a thrifty Terrace man was ac- customed to select this seat and as nickels were passed to him he would deposit the celluloid check, which was sold six for a quarter, and re- tain the nickel, a system of financing which had no imitators. Small mules were the motive power and Civil war veterans were often regarded with reproductions of army experience as the drivers endeavored to urge the mules to activity when a decision had been reached by them that a rest period had arrived. The retrospect is much more interesting than was the actual experience for it was a not unusual occurrence for passengers to echo the maledictions of the driver.

With the sale of the roads the mules dis- appeared and electricity was substituted by the Zanesville Street Railroad Company, which im- proved the equipment and extended the line from La Salle Place, along Linden avenue, to the works of the American Encaustic Tiling Company, in 1892; the extension to Brighton was constructed in the summer of 1891 by the Brighton syndicate, who paid all the cost and took tickets for the amount ; this line extended from West Main street by way of Ridge avenue and Belknap street to the County Fair Grounds, and neither party to the agreement has had reason to complain of the conditions. Many adverse conditions were en-

PAST AND PRESENT OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.

countered and the company passed into the hands of a receiver.

December 30, 1898, J. R. Garfield, H. A. Gar- field, F. C. Howe, F. W. Poole and M. J. Rudolph incorporated the Zanesville Electric Railway Company, with $300,000.00 capital, which was organized at the Clarendon Hotel, January 3, 1899, with Thomas T. Robinson, president ; John M. Graham, vice president : C. W. Foote, secre- tary and general manager; W. B. Cosgrave, treasurer, and Wm. Christy, director, which com- pany succeeded to the property held by the re- ceiver, and August 1, 1902, the Zanesville Rail- way, Light and Power Company succeeded to the railway property and at the same time took over the electric light and power plant. This com- pany has made radical and extensive improve- ments to the equipment and service ; reduced the guage to standard ; extended the Terrace line one mile to the north and on the south to the works of the Eastern Tube Company ; during the sum- mer of 1903 a new line was constructed from Adair avenue along Blue avenue, Lee street, Lin- den avenue, Y bridge, Main, Underwood and Monroe streets to the south end of the Monroe street bridge. April 1, 1900, a waiting room was opened in Main street, west of Sixth, which was moved, April 1, 1904, to the southeastern corner of Main and Sixth streets, where handsomely furnished waiting room and offices for the com- pany were fitted up. In May, 1905, the construc- tion of a line out Eighth and Marietta streets and the Marietta road was begun, with a loop from Eighth street by way of South and Sixth, to Main, for the accommodation of interurban lines.

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Past and present of the city of Zanesville and Muskingham County, Ohio, Part 12

Author: Sutor, J. Hope, 1846- Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 898

Author: Sutor, J. Hope, 1846-
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 898