Shenandoah Valley Pioneers and Their Descendants: A History of Frederick County, Virginia., Part 11

Author: Cartmell, T. K. (Thomas Kemp), 1838-1920
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: [Winchester, Va.] : [Printed by the Eddy Press Corp.]
Number of Pages: 607

USA > Virginia > Frederick County > Frederick County > Shenandoah Valley Pioneers and Their Descendants: A History of Frederick County, Virginia. > Part 11

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The Welltown Turnpike fills a long needed want of the fine sections through which it passes, from the village of Welltown North from Win- chester to its intersection with the Winchester and Martinsburg Turnpike. This Pike is main- tained by moderate tolls, under the management of the Winchester and Martinsburg Turnpike Company.

Another road, though not a chartered one, is known as the Apple Pie Ridge Road. This has been a noted thoroughfare for many years; and is becoming more prominent among the roads of the County by reason of the great fruit belt through which it passes, from its intersection with the North Frederick Turnpike two miles from Winchester, to connect with the Berkeley County roads. This old road is always expected to furnish its usual number of snow blockades in winter. It was opened by an order of court about the middle of the Eighteenth Century, and called the Ridge Road-"to lead from the Brad- dock Road into the Quaker settlement to the Northward." The road is kept in good repair by the District Road Board. Another old Coun- ty road not chartered is the Middle Road,-and might be termed a ridge road, for it follows partly the extension of the Apple Pie Ridge southward from Winchester, leaving the Valley Turnpike near Hillman's Tollgate; running thence about southwest along this ridge for a number of miles, to ultimately terminate at Old Forge. As its name denotes, it runs about midway between the Valley and Cedar Creek Turnpike, for about eight miles; then it and the Cedar Creek Road gradually converge to the same terminal-Old Forge. This road is much traveled by the many prosperous farmers living in the rich section through which it passes.

The foregoing sketches of the turnpikes and other public roads, embrace such roads chartered and opened subsequent to the subdivision of the

old County. It must be remembered at this per- iod the other counties, once part of Frederick, were busy with their improvements, and had up to that time accomplished such wonders of devel- opment, that the author deems it best not to embrace their roads and Turnpikes in this Chapter.

The demand for Turnpikes in this territory comprising old Frederick was astonishing. When the great movement was started by the Valley, and Northwestern Turnpikes, this spirit caught hold upon all of these subdivisions ;- and soon they were clamoring for Pikes, for Hamp- shire, Berkeley, Jefferson, and Shenandoah Coun- ties. And in a study of the Acts of the General Assembly for years after, the various sections found the State was giving aid to such enter- prises. Every session was deluged with petitions for charters for turnpikes; and it looked at one time, the state would become bankrupt unless this flood were cut off. We find that the old State was tossing on such billows that no party was strong enough to rescue her from financial ruin. Millions of dollars of a bonded debt, piling up year after year ;- so that nothing but the war period could call a halt. Many who may read these sketches will recall the "Readjuster his- tory" of this great bonded debt; and how many innocent holders of such bonds felt the shrinkage of their value. To give some idea how eagerly all sections were dipping into the Public Crib, we will mention the charters granted to the territory of Old Frederick at the session when the last Turnpike was chartered, to-wit: the short session of 1851, when the following Turnpike Companies received charters. Their names will enable the reader to locate them, and be able to identify them with our Counties :

New Market and Sperryville Turnpike Company. Luray and Front Royal Cross Roads and Summit Point

Jefferson and Frederick

North Frederick

Morgan and Frederick

Cedar Creek and Opequon

Hampshire and Morgan

North River

Potomac

Berkeley and Hampshire

Hedgesville and Potomac

Harpers Ferry and Hillsboro

All of these in one session, besides many ap- propriations made to aid the weak companies who held older charters, and had suspended work for lack of funds to complete their roads.

CHAPTER XI

Railroads, Charters, Locations, Etc.

The last chapter having disposed of the sketch- es and location of old county roads and turn- pikes, the author deems it best to treat the sub- ject of the other great highways in this chapter.

The old county was well abreast of the times with the railroad and its early history. One of the first railroads to make successful an effort to make it possible for the new idea to prevail and attract capitalists, to bring the products of the interior country to the seaboard, was the Baltimore and Ohio. In its infancy, it saw the great possibilities of connecting the western coun- try with the eastern, and that with an interchange of products, a great commercial era would be created. So we find the new company of capi- talists feeling their way towards the Ohio, be- fore the smoke had cleared away from the first trial locomotive near Baltimore. There seemed to be no way to the Ohio but through Virginia. We find in the early history of the B. & O., many plans were proposed; and as success crowned the undertaking on the first section near Baltimore, the people of that enterprising city became enthused, and pressed for an extension, of their line; little dreaming of the success which ultimately crowned their efforts and made it pos- sible for their little city to rise in grandeur and become the great commercial city of to-day. The projectors of the extension, favored striking Vir- ginia at some point West of the Blue Ridge, then taking as direct a route as possible through the mountains, to some point on the Ohio River, near the mouth of the Kanawha River. The engineers never gave encouragement to this route, but favored one entirely through the State of Maryland to Wheeling on the Ohio. Then came the first dissension; and for several years progress was delayed. Finally a compro- mise was made, and the route chosen to enter Virginia at Harpers Ferry, from that point to take the most accessible way to Wheeling. For present purposes it may be added, this plan was adopted; and charters secured from Maryland and Virginia for the route to be located. So we find the northern boundary of the Old Coun- ty was taken, through Jefferson, Berkley, Mor- gan and Hampshire Counties leaving the last named at Greenspring to enter Maryland, and again entering Virginia between Cumberland and

Keyser; and thence through Virginia to the Ohio at Wheeling. After years developed the fact, that those who once favored a route to some lower point on the Ohio, were wise in their view; for the well known route to Parkers- burg, made later on by the B. & O., proves the wisdom of the Company in adopting the original suggestions. In the General Assembly of Vir- ginia, Session 1826-7, we find the first mention of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. The caption of the Act is here given, to establish the date of the charter granted by Maryland: "An Act to confirm a law, passed at the present session of the General Assembly of Maryland, entitled, "An Act to incorporate the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company." Following is the Virginia . Act-passed March 8th, 1827-Preamble: "Where- as, An Act has passed the Legislature of Mary- land, entitled an Act to incorporate the Balti- more & Ohio Railroad Company, in the follow- ing words and figures, viz .: "

The Act then proceeds to give the full text of the Act passed by the Maryland Legislature, much of which would interest the reader, but our space forbids its entry here. The second section of the Act employs this language-That "the Capital Stock of the said Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, shall be Three Millions of Dollars in shares of One Hundred Dollars each, of which ten thousand shares shall be reserved for subscription by the State of Mary- land and five thousand for the City of Balti- more." The twenty-second section reads thus :

"That if this road shall not be completed in two years from the passage of this Act, and shall not be finished within this State in ten years from the time of the commencement there- of, then this Act shall be null and void."

The Virginia Act is embraced in one section, and in part reads thus: "Therefore, be it en- acted by the General Assembly. That the same rights and privileges shall be and are hereafter granted to the aforesaid Company within the territory of Virginia, as are granted to them within the territory of Maryland. The said Company shall be subject to the same penalties and obligations imposed by said Act, and the same rights, privileges, and immunities which are reserved to the State of Maryland or to the

CARTMELL'S HISTORY

citizens thereof, are hereby reserved for the State of Virginia, and her citizens. That the said road shall not strike the Ohio at a point lower than the mouth of the Little Kanawha on said river."

The work on this road was soon under way, after the charters were granted; engineers mak- ing surveys. The Company adopted some and rejected others-contractors submitting bids for work, etc.

Harpers Ferry was soon chosen as a point to cross the Potomac River; where work was be- gun to span the river with a bridge. The route westward from this point followed very nearly along the northern boundary of the Old County.

The General Assembly of Virginia, session 1831, was confronted with a peculiar situation regarding the new idea,-The making of railroads. There seemed to be much rivalry between the Valley people; for we find that an Act was pass- ed the 22nd of March, 1831, to "Incorporate the Staunton and Potomac Railroad Company." The provisions indicate that the object was to make Staunton and Martinsburg the terminals. Strong men were named in the Act, representing Staun- ton, Harrisonburg, Woodstock, Winchester, Charlestown and Martinsburg, to receive sub- scriptions to "the Capital Stock of One and one half Million Dollars." Whether this Act sug- gested the movement for a railroad from Win- chester to Harpers Ferry is not shown. At the same session, by Act passed April 8th, 1831, a charter was granted to the Winchester and Poto- mac Railroad Company. The projectors of this railroad, seemed to have faith in their ability to secure the capital for the enterprise. The Act named John R. Cooke, Alfred H. Powell, Alex- ander S. Tidball, John Gilkeson, Henry W. Ba- ker, M. B. Cartmell, Joseph H. Sherrard, Henry M. Brent, John Brome and John Heiskill, for the purpose of receiving subscriptions to the amount of "Three Hundred Thousand Dollars in twelve thousand shares of 25 Dollars each, to constitute a joint Capital Stock, for the purpose of making a railroad from the town of Winchester to some convenient point on the Potomac River, at or near Harpers Ferry." The first of these two Acts which provided a plan for subscription to the first railroads in the Val- ley proper, was slow of movement, and failed to materialize, while the second Act, was eagerly accepted by the promoters of the W. & P. R. R., and subscriptions were rapidly made; and all the initial steps taken to secure the right to make the road, etc. They were before every session of the General Assembly for years-March 1832- January, 1833, and February, 1834. This is the preamble of the Act passed Feb. 6, 1834:

"Whereas, it is represented to the General As- sembly of Virginia, that the President and Di- rectors of the Winchester and Potomac Railroad Company have placed under contract nearly the entire line of the road, from Winchester to the Po- tomac, upon terms highly advantageous to the Com- pany, to the community at large, and to our State, the latter holding an interest of two-fifths of the stock; that the work is now rapidly and actively prosecuted; that the installments due from private stockholders have been promptly paid, and that owing to the vigor with which the work has been conducted, the number of laborers employed, and the consequent heavy de- mands upon the Company, the funds of the private stockholders are nearly exhausted." This shows the promptness of the promoters of this road to press their progress to completion. The State at this session, under same Act, made it the duty of the Board of Public Works to pro- ceed at once to take steps to furnish the State's quota of her installment, and thus enable the Company to continue their work without em- barrassment. The Stockholders must have been remarkable in their faith in the enterprise, and their compliance with the terms of their sub- scription; for it will be seen by the statement made in the preamble, that they paid their in- stallments promptly. The writer has in his hands the original list of the stockholders, and the amount of stock subscribed; and it has been an interesting study. The list comprises the names of many of the leading citizens of that day, prominent actors in the drama of life dur- ing that period, representing every class of busi- ness. To-day many of those names are not to be found in the population of this section; their places of business long since closed; while others appear in the business affairs of the county; and not a few of their descendants have been prominently before the public as politicians, law- yers, merchants, farmers and tradesmen, some of whom in the same family names have enjoyed the advantages of this railroad from its comple- tion to the present time. Wonderful revolutions have occurred in railroad-making, since the ar- rival of the first railroad car in Winchester. The Writer has before him, the reports of the President and Directors of this Company, one dated Aug. Ist, 1835, signed by John Bruce, President, setting forth fully how the rail track was made-differing entirely from the cross tie and steel rail of to-day. The President congratu- lates the stockholders and the county at large upon the great improvement nearing completion; mentions several reasons for delay at the Har- pers Ferry terminal; says the Company was hin- dered by the general government not acting

RAILROADS, CHARTERS, LOCATIONS, ETC.

promptly, to grant the right of way through the public property at Harpers Ferry, increased the difficulties, always considerable, of carrying the work over the only rugged path, through that village, left by nature for the passage of such an improvement." The report says: "A very small portion of the gradation yet remains un- finished at Harpers Ferry." There was some trouble to form a junction with the Baltimore and Ohio Road. The two Companies finally agreed to jointly construct a viaduct, to trans- mit the trade of the two improvements. It ap- pears, however, that the B. & O. constructed the viaduct and provided accommodations for the expected business. Mr. Bruce in his report says : "We have derived much good counsel and en- couragement in many ways from this enterpris- ing Baltimore Company." He further says : "Nearly two-thirds of the railway have been laid-and materials are gradually deposited and in a state of rapid preparation along the re- maining portion of the line." This was given in the report dated Aug. Ist, 1835, yet the Au- thor in seeking some incident of the opening of the line into Winchester, has been told by sev- eral old men that they remembered when the first train came into the Winchester Station in the Spring of 1835. Such statements have made him very chary in accepting tradition as his authority in the preparation of this work, that there was no station at Winchester at that date. The Presi- dent says : "A large and substantial depot in the vicinity of Winchester is in progress, and will be ready in time to accommodate the trade of the Company and provision has been made for the construction of burthen cars, as well as those for passengers." The report fixes another mat- ter of interest in the history of the two Rail- roads, and is of sufficient importance to justify this transcript : "Already have our farmers and merchants enjoyed a foretaste of the advantages to be justly expected from the improvement in which we are engaged, since the opening of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to Harpers Ferry in December last (1834)." This event stimulat- ed the Winchester Company, as it was generally called during that period; and we find the B. & O. anxious to assist the Valley Branch of the system in many ways, her engineers affording the necessary aid in locating the terminal for intersection of the main line. The arrival of the Baltimore road at Harpers Ferry made that the shipping point of the Lower Valley. The report referred to, mentions this as the chief reason for an early completion, so that the Win- chester and Potomac could make Winchester the shipping point; and estimates the traffic by the wagon trains to be immense-that these trains

will seek the nearest shipping point of the Rail- road, that shippers have learned of the lessened expense; and another great feature to be con- sidered is the passenger traffic. That since Har- pers Ferry has become the station on the Balti- more road, two daily lines of stages were requir- ed to accommodate the traffic from that point to Winchester-all of which was so enlivening to the communities along their way, that the stockholders should take much comfort in the prospect of their road securing this from its first opening. Winchester being the shipping point, commanded control of trade in a far reach- ing sense. The hundreds of tented wagons, com- ing from Southwest Virginia and Tennessee, were glad to make Winchester their discharg- ing and receiving depot. This required additional accommodation-warehouses had to be built to care for the wares changing transportation; wagon yards and tavern stands were to be found in various places in town, offering inducements to the incoming wagon trains-the Valley Turn- pike and Northwestern Road were pressing every point to attract the wagon trains over their high- way when completed; so that Winchester be- tween 1830 and 1840 had much promise from the three great highways struggling through that period to make her their terminal. All three of these highways became important factors in the de- velopment of the Country for miles around. Busi- ness men in Winchester became prominent, and grew prosperous. The agricultural interests were stimulated and products from the splendid farms found a cheaper way to reach the distant mar- kets. For many years the railroad used the primitive burthen cars-and passenger coaches drawn by a locomotive that, at this writing would be a curiosity to attract attention, as it was to those who first beheld the iron horse puffing and snorting into the old station over the old flat rails, more than three score years ago. As time wore on, the old engine was laid aside with the old burthen and queer-looking passen- ger cars, and the "T" rail substituted for the old flat rail, that so often sprang from its bed and penetrated the floor of the coach, much to the discomfort and safety of the passengers, as well as to the inconvenience of the conductor and his crew. The new style of rail, secured to cross ties, with the improved car wheel un- der better and larger cars, brought a great change in the road both for speed and comfort. A day came, however, when still greater changes occurred. In the early sixties, the writer saw hundreds of these rails taken from both the B. & O. and W. & P. Roads, together with sev- eral of the locomotives, and hauled away with great teams to the southward, this was consid-

CARTMELL'S HISTORY

ered a war measure. The Confederate govern- ment needed such sinews of war, to be used on other railroads for transportation of government supplies; and if the Union armies needed these broken places to be repaired, the U. S. Govern- ment had unlimited resources to draw from. Some of this war measure business proved to be a serious inconvenience to this section for several years after the war closed; for the gap or break extended from Winchester to Stephen- son's Station, five miles North of Winchester. Stages and wagons filled this gap; and traffic soon started in this way. The rebuilding of this road in every respect was a burden on the Company; but the day came when the road was in working order, and new life given the old Company. Steel rails found their way to sup- plant the iron; but we regret to say that at this writing, very little improvement in the car ser- vice. The B. & O. Company leased the road after the war, rebuilt what was necessary, and continued to run the line as the Valley Branch of the main line. In recent years the B. & O. Company purchased the stock and became the real owners, but have not changed the name. It is needless to add, the dividends now are very satisfactory to the new stockholders. The B. & O. abandoned the old passenger station, and erected the one now in use, corner of Piccadilly and Kent Streets, which is an attractive build- ing well supplied with modern improvements and more accessible than the old. The B. & O. Road being on the border line of the contending sections North and South, suffered heavily dur- ing the war by frequent raids from the Confed- erate side; the object being to tear up the track, destroy the rails and cross ties, and thus delay the transportation of armies to different points; cut off supplies, and if any train could be cap- tured, carry needed supplies back to the main army. The writer witnessed several of these dangerous exploits. The line was struck at some point generally West of Greenspring and Cum- berland Stations; the rails were rapidly torn up; cross ties piled in heaps, and great fires made. On these, the rails were thrown and soon mis-shapen and useless iron rails were tumbling around. Then the troopers would jump into their saddles again, and move rapidly to another point and await the arrival of the long freights, so rich with the things the soldiers needed; and in the rear of this train at a safe point, more track would be torn up, and the raiders waited for the big freight to hurry back from the scene the Rebels had so lately made for them. On their backward movement, they would run into the break last made, and while the train men were in confusion, the cavalry boys dashed up with

yells and pistol firing that demoralized the B. & O. crew. But these dashing cavalrymen some- times caught a surprise, by picking up a Govern- ment train heavily guarded; and sometimes they would make some show of resistance; and skirm- ishing would ensue that made it best for the raiders to go elsewhere. Sometimes the Con- federate leader was a man of more valor than prudence, and occasionally one of these dashing fellows would get the stray bullet; and this mar- red the pleasure of the raiders. These raids changed the plans of several great battles. Re- inforcements were delayed, and a new order of battle planned. This will be mentioned again in the war periods of Old Frederick. The B. & O. was equal to the emergency, and with the aid of the Government soon got their road bed in shape, but too late to deliver reinforcements and supplies on time. This road was a great loser in one sense by the war, but she was also a great gainer. It was in constant use, the Gov- ernment paying millions for the transfer of shift- ing armies from East to West. Oftener, how- ever, from West to East, to recruit the great army of the Potomac. When the war closed, the B. & O. had a worn-out track; but she was fortunate enough to have the U. S. Government to re-imburse her for her war claim for dam- ages; and thus with these millions she soon put her splendid highway in such condition, that it is now the popular route from the East to the West and vice versa.

Manassas Gap Railroad

This Railroad incorporated by an Act of the General Assembly, March 9th, 1850, amended by Act of Feb. 10, 1851, while not originating in old Frederick County, soon becomes of special interest to two of the subdivisions of the Old County. Starting from Alexandria, passing through Fairfax, Prince William and Fauquier Counties, on through Manasses Gap in the Blue Ridge into Warren County, in the vicinity of Front Royal; thence through Warren County, crossing the Shenandoah at Riverton, running near the boundary line between Warren and Fred- erick, crossing the North fork of the Shenan- doah below Strasburg-it entered Shenandoah County and made Strasburg its southern termi- nal for several years. Then the road was ex- tended to Woodstock, and on to Harrisonburg. This road was in active and profitable opera- tion from Alexandria to Strasburg at the out- break of the war, when the Valley trade was interrupted. The road was used at various times by both armies: the Valley end extending to Harrisonburg being of great service to the South- erners. The line from Strasburg to Harrison- .burg was stripped of its rolling stock by General

RAILROADS, CHARTERS, LOCATIONS, ETC.

Jackson, when falling back from Gen. Banks' army in 1862. The battles of Bull Run and Manassas were fought along its line-places fa- miliar to many old "Vets" of both armies. At the close of the war, the road was ready for the Valley trade, and received a large portion of it, flowing from points South of Strasburg. This road has been for several years, merged in the Southern Railway System, and controls a large traffic; its carrying trade going via Washington City, and on to the sea board.

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Shenandoah Valley Pioneers and Their Descendants: A History of Frederick County, Virginia., Part 11

Author: Cartmell, T. K. (Thomas Kemp), 1838-1920 Publication date: 1909 Publisher: [Winchester, Va.] : [Printed by the Eddy Press Corp.] Number of Pages: 607

Author: Cartmell, T. K. (Thomas Kemp), 1838-1920
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: [Winchester, Va.] : [Printed by the Eddy Press Corp.]
Number of Pages: 607