(page 650)
CHAPTER XXV.
Transportation Interests-The Miami and Erie Canal-The Railroads-The Street Railroads.
IN a chapter on the transportation interests of the city, the canal naturally takes first place, even if it is not of the first importance. The history of its construction has been recited in earlier pages of this work, and it is necessary to mention in this connection only some facts with reference to the amount of transportation which annually is carried on by means of this avenue of communication between the Ohio river and the great lakes. And a comparison between the shipments of produce in the earlier days and those for the last few years will serve to show the importance of the canal as well as, or perhaps better than, a full history and statistical account of the work done by the canal for each consecutive year since its construction. For the first three years of the canal's existence the shipments were as follows: Flour, 1829, 27,121 barrels; 1830, 56,864 barrels; 1831, 59,550 barrels. Barrels of whisky, 1829, 7,378; 1830, 7,142; 1831, 5,602. Barrels of pork, 1829, 3,429; 1830, 2,497; 1831, 4,244. Barrels of oil, 1829, 423; 1830, 281; 1831, 344. For the last four years, each year ending November 15th, the shipments have been as follows from Dayton : For 1885, barrels of ale and beer, 68,970; flour, 2,639; oil, 220, and of whisky, 10; bushels clover seed, 335; corn, 23,800; oats, 35,200; rye, 500; of coal, 58 tons. Of various kinds of merchandise, such as hides, iron, lard, rags, etc , there were shipped in the aggregate, 1,346.834 pounds; of lumber, 9,580 feet; of stone, 339 perches, and of bark, 351 cords. Of merchandise received in Dayton by means of the canal, there were 10,000 barrels of beef, and a little flour, oil, and salt. There were 68,000 pounds of pig iron; 94,263 pounds of general merchandise; 272,062 pounds of paper; 141,200 pounds of rags; 352,000 pounds of sand, and 664,740 pounds of' unclassified freight. Of lumber, there were received 409,477 feet, and of bark, 87,000 cords, besides considerable other freight.
In 1886, there was but little freight shipped its barrels, the largest item being 1,267 barrels of four. Of corn, there were shipped 22,100 bushels, and 22,900 of oats, and a few bushels each of clover seed, coal, and wheat. The total number of pounds of various kinds of merchandise was 925,618. Of lumber, there were shipped 51,255 feet, and but 650 (page 651) little other freight. Of Freight barrels, there was received but little except 1,175 barrels of linseed oil. Of various miscellaneous kinds, there were received 865,670 pounds; of hoop poles, 41,000; of slate, 9,550, and of staves and heading, 40,500. There was little else received besides, except 445,580 feet of lumber.
For 1887, the shipments and receipts were as follows: Barrels, ale and beer, 1,037; flour, 167; and linseed oil, 1,018. Bushels, barley, 51; oats, 85; rye, 7,250; and coal, 22,260. The number of pounds of freight of various kinds of merchandise was 4,008,798, the number of hoop poles 18,000, and the number of feet of lumber 193,848. The receipts were: Of linseed oil, 3,000 barrels, and a few barrels of several other articles, as rosin, acid, vinegar, pork, lime, and salt. There were received 5,795 bushels of barley, 100 bushels of oats, and 121 bushels of rye. The
number of pounds of various articles received was 1,863,464. There were received 59,200 hoop poles, 54,300 staves and headings, and a few empty barrels and posts. Of lumber there were received 743,525 feet, and 1,246 cords of wood.
For the year ending November 15, 1888, the shipments were as follows: Barrels, ale and beer, 1,241; linseed oil, 337, and a few barrels of other articles. Of corn there were shipped 18,200 bushels, of oats 30,700 bushels, and a few bushels of other grain. The number of pounds of various kinds of goods shipped was 6,605,014, and there were shipped 101,682 feet of lumber. The receipts were as follows: Barrels, acid, 795; flour, 207; linseed oil, 2,905; vinegar, 876; rosin, 282, and a few barrels of other goods. There were received 1,800 bushels of corn and 425 bushels of oats, and the number of pounds of miscellaneous goods received was 1,681,432. There were received 42,200 hoop poles, and 11,900 staves and headings, 567,500 feet of lumber, and 1,474 cords of wood.
The cash receipts from the canal from November 15, 1879, to November 15, 1885, were
$571,200.04; for the year ending November 1, 1886, they were $76,043.57; for 1887, $87,200.36; and for 1888, $75,955.13. The expenditures for the years from November 15, 1879, to November 15, 1885, were $577,339.22, an excess over receipts of $6,139.18. The expenditures for 1886 were $98,838.94.
The period of greatest prosperity of the canal was from 1831 to 1861, and the largest amount received in any one year since the canal has been in use was $351,897.72, in 1851. The largest amount expended in any one was $270,471.18, in 1852. From 1829 to 1888, inclusive of both years, the total receipts of the Miami & Erie Canal were $5,969,432.56, and the (page 652) total expenditures $4,352,454.711. On all the canals of the State, for the period from 1827 to 1888, inclusive of both years, the total receipts $16,158,441.83, and the total expenditures $10,180,871.87.
Following is a brief outline of the construction of the railroads which terminate in or pass through Dayton: On January 5, 1832, the legislature of Ohio passed an act incorporating the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad Company. This railroad was to run from Dayton, via Springfield, Urbana, Bellefontaine, to or near Upper Sandusky, Tiffin, and Lower Sandusky, to Sandusky, Huron County. The legislature subsequently passed other acts furthering the interests of this corporation -on March 14, 1836; December 19, 1836; March 16, 1839; February 19, 1845; February 6, 1847, and February 8, 1848. The act of February 6, 1847, authorized the town of Springfield to subscribe twenty thousand dollars to the company's stock, the amount to be applied on the construction of the road between that town and Dayton. The contract for the construction of this division was let in the winter of 1848-1849, and the road was completed between the two places January 25, 1851. On the 27th an excursion passed over the road from Springfield to Dayton, and on the 28th trains began running on regular time. The company constructed its road from Tiffn to Sandusky, via Bellevue. The Sandusky City & Indiana Railroad Company, which was chartered February 28, 1851, built a road from Tiffin to Sandusky, via Clyde, and as this route was deemed more favorable than that via Bellevue, the Sandusky City & Indiana Company leased the road to the Mad River & Lake Erie Company for ninety-nine years, renewable perpetually, and has operated the road via Clyde, abandoning the other route. On the 1st of June, 1854, the company leased the Springfield & Columbus Railway, and oil February 23, 1858, the name was changed by decree of the common pleas court of Erie County, to the Sandusky, Dayton & Cincinnati Railroad Company. The road went into the hands of a receiver October 13, 1865, and on July 2, 1866, a certificate of reorganization was filed with the secretary of State, under the name of the Sandusky & Cincinnati Railroad Company. The name of the company was changed again on the 11th of January, 1868, to the Cincinnati, Sandusky & Cleveland Railroad Company, and on June 28, 1870, this company leased the road of the Columbus, Springfield & Cincinnati Railroad Company. A perpetual lease of that portion of the road leading from Dayton to Springfield was made to the Sandusky & Cincinnati Railroad Company, by whom it was transferred to the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis Railroad Company.
The Cincinnati & Dayton Railroad Company was chartered March (page 653) 2, 1846. Its name was changed, by an act passed February 8, 1847, to the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad Company, and the Dayton end of the road was placed under contract in August, 1850. The first excursion train ran over the road from Cincinnati to Hamilton September 13, 1851, and trains began running regularly between Cincinnati and Dayton on. September 22, 1851. The Dayton & Michigan Railroad Company was incorporated March 5, 1851, the road to extend from Dayton to Toledo, and the former company was empowered to lend the new corporation money or to otherwise aid it in the construction of the road. Contracts for building this line were let in December, 1851, and an excursion ran over the road from Troy, Ohio, March 28, 1863. On the 1st of May, 1863, the road was leased in. perpetuity to the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad Company, and on February 18, 1869, the latter company leased the road of the Cincinnati, Richmond & Chicago, and the lease of the latter of the Richmond & Miami Railway, extending to Richmond, Indiana. On the 26th of November, 1872, this company purchased the line of the Junction Railway Company, from Hamilton to Indianapolis, the purchasers soon afterward organizing the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Indianapolis Railroad Company. This company still continues to operate the road.
The Dayton & Western Railroad Company was chartered February 14, 1846. Its purpose was to construct a road from Dayton to a point on the State line between Ohio and Indiana, the point to be selected by the directors. It is believed the survey was commenced in July, 1848, and the contract let on the 21st of April, 1849. Track-laying began August 6, 1852, from the junction west, the road being consolidated with the Indiana Central on the 1st of August. It is thirty-eight miles from Dayton to the State line, and the road was opened in Indiana, in February, 1853. Trains passed over this road to Indianapolis the same year, and the entire road was open October 11, 1853. On the 14th of January, 1863, the track from Dayton to Dodson was leased to the Dayton & Union Railroad Company. On the 4th of February, 1865, this company leased from the Richmond & Miami Railway Company, for ninety-nine years, from January 1, 1866, the entire control of its road, from its western terminus on the line between Ohio and Indiana, to the junction where it diverges and runs to Eaton and Hamilton, and also the use of its western terminus in the city of Richmond, Indiana. On the same day as that upon which the above lease was made, the company agreed to lease to the Little Miami and Columbus & Xenia Railroad companies for ninety-nine years from January 1, 1865, its road, property, and privileges, with certain exceptions, and also provided that a contract between the Dayton (page 654) & Western and the Columbus & Xenia companies of March 12, 1863, be surrendered. Several other leases and contracts were affected by this change, and the Dayton & Western Railroad Company agreed to procure the transfer to the lessees a majority of its capital stock, not less in the aggregate than one hundred and fifty-five thousand dollars. The Columbus & Xenia Company assigned its interest in the foregoing lease of the Little Miami Railroad Company to the Pittsburg, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railway Company, to take effect December 1, 1868, and it was transferred December 1, 1869.' This arrangement is still in existence. The Greenville & Miami Railroad Company was chartered February 26, 1846, with authority to build a railroad from Greenville to some point on the Dayton & Western line, or on the Miami Extension Canal. Authority was given the company March 23, 1850, to extend its road from Greenville west to the Indiana State line. Contracts were let, and the road was built from Dayton, via Greenville, to Union City in 1849, and the road was formally opened to Greenville June 10th, and to Union City, December 22, 1852. On January 5, 1863, the road was sold to trustees, and on the 8th of the same month the company was re-organized as the Dayton & Union Railroad Company. A certificate of this re=organization was fled with the secretary of State January 19, 1863.
During this latter year the Dayton & Union Railroad Company took up the track from Dayton to the junction, and sold the iron for about ninety thousand dollars, with which the debt was in part liquidated. Afterward this company made a contract with the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railroad Company for the use of their track between Dayton and the junction, together with the privilege of crossing the bridge into Dayton for the sum of ten thousand dollars per year, and this arrangement is still in force.
The Atlantic and Great Western Railroad Company was formed in 1865 by the consolidation of several New York and Pennsylvania companies. The broad gauge track of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Company, from Dayton to Cincinnati, was leased to the Atlantic & Great Western, and afterward with the rest of the line reduced to the standard gauge. On June 25, 1874, the stockholders of the Atlantic & Great Western Railroad Company ratified a lease made May 1st previous to the Erie Railway Company, of its own road and leased lines, not including the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton road. After being for some time in the hands of a receiver, the road and all other property of the company-was sold January 6, 1880, to purchasing trustees on behalf of an association of mortgage bondholders. On the 1.5th of the following March the trustees conveyed their purchase to five corporations, who organized an Ohio (page 655) corporation, known as the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad Company, and this company was incorporated March 17, 1880. A similar corporation was organized at the same time in Pennsylvania, and the two were consolidated March 24, 1880, forming the present New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad Company.
The Cincinnati & Springfield Railroad Company was incorporated September 9, 1870, for the purpose of building a railroad from Springfield to Cincinnati. The road was intended to form, in connection with other roads already in existence, a trunk line from Cincinnati to Eastern cities. There was no new road built, except nearly forty-nine miles from Dayton to Ludlow Grove, the Dayton & Western Railroad being used through the city of Dayton and the track of the Cincinnati, Sandusky & Cleveland from Dayton to Springfield, which was ]eased to the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis Railroad Company. This road is the “Short Line" from Dayton to Cincinnati.
The Dayton & Southeastern Railroad Company was incorporated December 16, 1871, with a capital stock of one million dollars, for the purpose of constructing a railroad from Dayton to Gallipolis, length one hundred and forty-four miles and gauge thirty-six inches. By July 1, 1877, it was finished to Washington Court House, and by June 30, 1880, one hundred and fourteen miles were finished and in operation. In March, 1881, the company was consolidated with the Toledo, Delphos & Burlington Railroad Company, the latter having been organized May 23, 1879, by the consolidation of four other companies incorporated at different times, from March 14, 1872, to October 17, 1877. The new company completed the projected line from Dayton to Delphos, and after the consolidation with the Dayton & Southeastern Company, the Toledo & Grand Rapids road was purchased, and on the 15th of April, 1881, a certificate was filed for the construction of a branch line from Dayton to Lebanon. On May 19, 1881, a certificate was fled for the construction of a branch from Wellston to Ironton. The lines, known as the Dayton & Southeastern, the Dayton, Cleveland & Toledo, -and the Dayton, Lebanon & Cleveland, were afterward owned and operated by the Toledo, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railroad Company. In August, 1883, this road passed into the hands of a receiver, E. E. Dwight, who operated it until December of that year, when A. C. Craig was appointed to succeed him. In July, 1884, that part of the road, previously known as the Dayton & Southeastern Railroad, was sold by order of the United States circuit court, and was re-organized as the Dayton & Ironton Railroad. This extended from Dayton to within twelve miles of Ironton. That part of the road extending to Delphos, and previously known as the Dayton & (page 656) Toledo Railroad, was sold and re-organized as the Dayton & Chicago Railroad. In April, 1887, these two roads were consolidated into one road, the Dayton & Southeastern part made standard gauge, and the whole called the Dayton, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad. In March, 1887, this company became embarrassed and was placed in the hands of a receiver, R. D. Marshall, who has operated it ever since. The Dayton Street Railroad Company was chartered in 1869. The capital stock of the company at first was seventy-fve thousand dollars. The route was named Route Number 1, and extended from the west end to the east end of Third Street. The first officers were: William P. Huffman, president; H. S. Williams, vice-president; George W. Rogers, treasurer; secretary, J. P. Whitmore, and superintendent, John U. Kreidler. John W. Stoddard became president in 1882, and was succeeded in 1887 by C. J. Ferneding. H. S. Williams is vice-president of the company. George W. Rogers was treasurer until 1882, when the Dayton National Bank became treasurer, and was succeeded by the Third National Batik in 1883. The Fourth National Bank became treasurer in 1887. John U. Kreidler was superintendent of the company until 1883, when he was succeeded by A. W. Anderson, the present superintendent. John W. Stoddard became secretary of the company in' 1878, and was succeeded by Charles B. Clegg in 1880, and he by C. A. Craighead in 1886. The present directors are E. J. Barney, II. S. Williams, George W. Rogers, W. H. Simms, S. Craighead, C. J. Ferneding, and Charles B. Clegg. The capital stock of the Company was increased to three hundred thousand dollars in 1884.
The Dayton View Street Railroad Company was organized in 1871, with a capital 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; and the officers, J. W. Stoddard, president, and W. A. Barnett, secretary and treasurer. The route of the railroad was from the Union Depot along Main and Water streets, thence along Bridge and Salem streets to the corporation line in Dayton View. This line was leased to the Oakwood Street Railway Company, which was chartered in February, 1875, with a capital of thirty thousand dollars, and the following officers: Samuel B. Smith, president; Edward E. Barney, secretary; G. B. Harman, treasurer, and John M. Oswald, superintendent. The route of this road, named Route Number 3, extended from Oakwood to the corner of Third and Main streets, and thence over the Dayton View railroad to the corporation line in Dayton View. Charles B Clegg became president of this company in 1876 and still retains the office. E. Morgan Wood was secretary from 1878 to (page 657) 1880, Henry V. Perrino until 1882, Marion P. Moore until 1887, and since then A. L. Stout has been secretary. Charles B. Clegg has been treasurer since 1876. W. S. Westerman became superintendent in 1878, and was succeeded in that position in 1880 by Jerome J. Norris, and James Lewis in 1883. William Davis was superintendent one year, as was M. L. Welsh, and since 1876 Charles B. Clegg has been general manager, and since 1887 William Jones has been assistant superintendent. The capital stock of this company was increased to three hundred thousand dollars in 1884.
The Wayne and Fifth Street Railroad Company was chartered September 27, 1871, with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars. Samuel D. Edgar was the first president of the company, and he was succeeded, in 1873, by George W. Shaw, who has been the president ever since. M. Ohmer was vice-president from near the organization of the company until 1885. Since then Ezra Bimm has occupied the position. Eugene Wuichet has been secretary since October, 1872, and also treasurer since 1873, S. N. Brown having been treasurer a short time at first, and then George W. Shaw until 1873. The original directors were S. N. Brown, J. J. Bradford, Joseph Kratochwill, George Lehman, George W. Shaw, S. D. Edgar, and Thomas Schaeffer. The present directors are George W. Shaw, Eugene Wuichet, H. H. Bimm, Ezra Bimm, and John Harris. The route of this road extends from Alaska Street., in North Dayton, to the Dayton Asylum for the Insane, a distance of four and a half miles.
The Fifth Street Railroad Company was incorporated in June, 1880, with a capital of two hundred thousand dollars, which was increased to three hundred thousand dollars in 1886. The first officers were: A. A. Thomas, president; D. B. Corwin, secretary; P. I. Cummin, treasurer; J. M. B. Lewis, superintendent. The present officers are: D. B. Corwin, president; J: C. Peirce, secretary and treasurer; and Charles Shellaburger, superintendent. The directors are A. A. Thomas, D. B. Corwin, R. I. Cummin, J. C. Peirce, L. A. Harris, P. E. Roach, N. L. O'Brien, and J. D. Ellison. The route of this road, which is named Route Number 5, extends the entire length of Fifth Street.
The White Line Street Railroad Company was organized May 25, 1887, by the election of the following directors: J. A. McMahon, M. A. Nipgen, J. E. Lowes, C. D. Iddings, and W. B. Iddings. The Board of Directors organized by the election of J. A. McMahon, President; J. E. Lowes, Vice-President; C. D. Iddings, Secretary, and M. A. Nipgen, Treasurer. The capital stock of the company was $200,000, all of which was subscribed by May 25th. The company selected the Van Doepole (page 658) system of electric motors for their line; and the right of way having been secured, proceeded with the work of constructing the line as rapidly as possible. The route selected was as follows: Beginning at the north end of Main Street at the corporation line; thence along Main Street south to Third Street, along Third to Ludlow; thence along Ludlow to Washington; thence to Germantown Street, along Germantown Street to Eaton Avenue; thence on Eaton Avenue to King Street, and thence north on King Street to Roseyard Avenue. The officers of this company are the same as those first elected.
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