Crawford County IL Archives History - Books .....Chapter VI 1883
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Book Title: HISTORY OF CRAWFORD AND CLARK COUNTIES, ILLINOIS

CHAPTER VI.*
* By W. H. Perrin.

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS—THE FIRST ROADS AND BRIDGES—RAJLROADS—COMING OF THE IRON
HORSE—THE OLD WABASH VALLEY ROUTE—PARIS AND DANVILLE—ITS COMPLETION, CHANGES AND
CONDITION—EAST AND WEST RAILROAD PROJECTS—THE NARROW GAUGE—VALUE AND ECONOMY OF
THE SYSTEM—OTHER ROADS THAT WERE NEVER BUILT, AND NEVER WILL BE, ETC., ETC.

THE building of roads and the construction of highways and bridges, rank as the
most important public improvements of a State or a county. When the first whites
came to Crawford County, the canoe of the Indian still shot along the streams;
the crack of his rifle echoed through the solitudes of the great forests, and
the paths worn by his moccasined feet were alone the guiding trails of the
emigrant's wagon. There were no roads through the country, nor bridges over the
streams. But as soon as the white people obtained a hold in the country, and
became firmly settled, they turned their thoughts to roads and highways. Among
the first acts of the County Court after its organization was the laying out of
a road from the house of Edward N. Cullom's to the head of Walnut Prairie, and
another from the same place to Jones' ferry. In 1823 the first important highway
was laid out under an act of the Legislature, viz: a road from Palestine to
Vandalia. This was the commencement of road building in the county, and, while
the system of wagon roads are not of the best quality, yet they compare
favorably with the roads in any prairie country, where the material for
macadamizing is not plentiful, or to be easily obtained. There are places on the
Wabash River, however, where good material for making roads may be had, but the
people have not yet awakened to the necessity of using it for that purpose.
Although the roads of the county are poor in quality, they are sufficient in
quantity for all practical purposes and matters of convenience, and may be thus
classed: good in summer but execrable in winter.

   The first bridge built in the county was across Lamotte Creek at or near
Palestine, and was rather a rude affair. We find in the early court proceedings
an order allowing a small sum for the use of a "whip saw," for sawing lumber for
this bridge. As the people grew well-to-do, and increased in worldly goods, they
devoted more attention to internal improvements, by building roads and bridges
wherever required, until to-day we find the county well supplied with these
marks of civilization.

   Railroads.—But the grand system of internal improvements are the railroads.
They surpass all others, and affect, more or less, every occupation of interest.
Agriculture, manufactures, commerce, city and country life, banking, finance,
law, and even government itself, have all felt their influence. But especially
has it contributed to the material organization for the diffusion of culture
among the people, thus preparing the conditions for a new step in social
progress. Wholly unknown three fourths of a century ago, the railroad has become
the greatest single factor in the development of the material progress, not only
of the United States and of the other civilized nations of the earth, but its
blessings are being rapidly extended into the hitherto semi-civiiized and
barbarous portions of the globe.

   The earliest attempts at railroad building in the West originated in the
desire to enrich that vast domain by the system of internal improvements. This
fever of speculation broke out in several parts of the United States about the
year 1835. It appeared in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois nearly at the
same time, and, when past, left an enormous debt on each. In Illinois, it
amounted to nearly fifteen millions, while in Pennsylvania it was more than
double that amount, and in Ohio and Indiana it was nearly equal to Illinois.
Examination of the legislative acts of the Prairie State at that period,
discloses an almost unbroken line of acts for the construction of some highway,
which was destined only to partially see the light of day in detached parcels,
some of which still remain as silent monuments of a supreme legislative and
popular folly. When the collapse came, in 1837, and work on all was entirely
suspended, only the old Northern-Cross Railroad—now a part of the Wabash, St.
Louis & Pacific—was found in a condition fit to warrant completion, and that
only for a short distance. It was originally intended to extend from Meredosia
through Jacksonville, Springfield, Decatur and Danville to the eastern line of
the State, where it was expected it would be joined to some road in Indiana and
be continued eastward. A vast quantity of flat bar rails had been purchased in
England by the agents of the State, at an enormous expense, too; and quite a
quantity had been brought to Meredosia, preparatory to being laid on the track.
In the spring of 1838, some eight miles of this old track were laid, and on the
8th day of November of that year, a small locomotive, the "Rogers," made in
England and shipped here in pieces—"knocked down," as we would say at the
present day—was put together and made a trial trip on the road. It was the first
locomotive that ever turned a wheel in the Mississippi Valley, and on the day of
this trial trip, carried George W. Plant as engineer; Murray McConnell, one of
the Commissioners of Public Works; Gov. Duncan, James Dunlap and Thomas T.
January, contractors; Charles Collins and Myron Leslie, of St. Louis.

   The most imposing ceremonies characterized the laying of the first rail on
this road May 9, 1837; and on through the summer, the work progressed slowly
until when, as already stated, the locomotive made the pioneer trial trip in the
Valley of the Great West. Only twelve years before had the first railroad train
made a trip in the new continent; and only a year or two before this, had the
first application of steam been successfully made in this manner in England. The
first practical locomotive was probably invented by a Frenchman, Joseph Cugnot,
of Void, Lorraine, France. He made a three-wheeled road-wagon in 1770, which was
used with some success in experimenting; but owing to the French Revolution
breaking out soon after, the machine was abandoned, and is now in the museum at
Metiers. One of the first locomotives built for use in America was made for
Oliver Evans, who, owing to the incredulity existing at that day, could not get
the necessary permits required by the State Legislature to erect one here, and
sent to London, where, in 1801, a high-pressure locomotive was built for him. It
was not, however, until 1830 that one was built in the United States. That year
Peter Cooper, then an enterprising mechanic and builder, constructed an
excellent one for the day, with which, on the 28th of August of that year, he
made a public trial, running it from Baltimore to Ellicott's Mills, twenty-six
miles, at an average speed of twelve miles per hour. From that date the erection
of American locomotives became a reality. Now they are the best in the world.

   The first railway ever built, was a simple tramway of wooden rails, used in
the collieries in the North of England. It is difficult to determine when they
began to be used— probably early in the seventeenth century. The covering of the
wooden rail with iron was only a question of time, to be, in its turn, displaced
by a cast-iron rail; that, by a malleable one, which, in turn, gave way to the
present steel rail.

   When the use of steam applied to road wagons came to be agitated, one of the
first uses it was put to was the hauling the cars to and from the coal mines. By
and by, passengers began to ride on them; then cars for their use were made;
then roads were built between important commercial points, and with the
improvement of the locomotive, and increase of speed, the railway carriage came
to be a palace, and the management, construction and care of railroads one of
the most stupendous enterprises of the age.

   The first tramway, or railway, in America was built from Quincy, Mass., to
the granite quarries, three miles distant. The first railway, built in America,
on which "steam-cars" were used, was the Mohawk & Hudson Road, completed in
1831. On the 9th day of August of that year, the pioneer passenger train of
America was hauled over this road, drawn by the third American locomotive, John
B. Jervis, engineer. The train consisted of three old-fashioned coaches,
fastened together by chains, which, in the sudden starting and stopping,
severely jolted the passengers—so much so, that fence rails were placed tightly
between the cars, thus keeping the chains taut. From the rugged Eastern States,
the transition to the level prairies of the West was an easy matter, culminating
in the efforts already described.

   When the great collapse of the internal improvement system came, leaving only
one small road of a few miles in length, so far completed as to warrant work to
be continued on it, the shock was so great that it was twelve years before
another was begun and put in working order. In February, 1850, the Chicago &
Elgin (now the Chicago & Northwestern) Railroad was completed to Elgin, and a
train of cars run from one city to the other. From that date, until now, the
march of progress in railroad development has been uninterrupted and constant.

   During the speculative fever that raged throughout the Western States, and
the extravagant legislation on internal improvements, several railroad
enterprises were inaugurated, then abandoned, but with returning prosperity and
confidence taken up again and roads finally constructed. The route from Terre
Haute to Alton is one, whose earliest inception may be traced back to 1835, and
the old Wabash Valley Railroad (which was never built) is another. It was not
until about 1849-50, that the country became aroused from its lethargic
condition, and began to open its eyes to a dawning prosperity. By that time the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad had reached the eastern line of the State, and asked
permission to cross to St. Louis, its contemplated western terminus; but it here
met with a check that took it years to overcome. A "State Policy" party sprung
up, denying the right of any foreign corporation to cross the State, especially
when the effect be to enrich the neighboring City of St. Louis, a city Alton was
vainly endeavoring to outstrip in the march of progress, and which she then
confidently expected to do. This "State Policy" party held several rousing
meetings in the furtherance of their scheme—a scheme delusive in its effects
upon the State at large, and confined mainly to the Alton interest.
Counter-influences were aroused, however, and an antagonistic party, much
inferior at first, began to appear. The culmination came when the Terre Haute,
Vandalia & St. Louis Road asked for a charter. The Baltimore & Ohio Road had
succeeded in their endeavor to build their track across the State, a right
mainly brought about by the press outside of the State. It had, with one voice,
denounced the "policy" as narrow, selfish, mean, contemptible and invidious. It
was sustained by the press in the northern part of Illinois, and had already
begun to open the eyes of many influential persons belonging to the Policy
party. When the Vandalia Road asked for its charter the Policy party exerted
themselves to the utmost to defeat it, and for a time prevailed. While these
affairs were agitating the State, Congress had passed the act granting a
magnificent domain of land to the Illinois Central Railroad. The United States
Senators from Illinois wrote letters to many influential men at home, urging
upon them the necessity of being more liberal in their acts to foreign
corporations, and not attempt to arrogate to the State, a right she could not
expect to possess. They further urged that the donation from the general
government could not have been secured had not they pledged their earnest effort
to wipe out this disgraceful policy. These influences had their effect. The
"Brough" road, so-called from its principal projector, afterward Governor of
Ohio, gained a charter and was enabled to begin work on its proposed Vandalia
line. In the meanwhile influences were working to build anew the projected roads
of the improvement period. But to the roads of this county.

   Southern Illinois was far behind the central and northern portions of the
State in railroad progress, and it is but recently that Crawford County could
boast of a railroad, though efforts were made for one many years ago.

   Among the railroad projects which have agitated this section of the country,
and in which the people of the county have taken more or less interest, may be
mentioned the following: "The Wabash Valley Railroad," "St. Louis & Cincinnati,"
"Terre Haute & Southwestern," "Chicago, Danville & Vincennes," "Tuscola &
Vincennes," "Paris & Danville," "East & West Narrow Gauge," "Indiana & Illinois
Commercial," "Pana & Vincennes," "Cincinnati & St. Louis Straight Line," etc.,
etc. Of these the Paris & Danville, now a division of the Wabash, and the East &
West Narrow Gauge Road, are all that have been carried to completion.

   The building of the Paris & Danville, grew out of the old project of the
Wabash Valley Railroad. The latter was agitated as far back as 1850—52, and its
origin, doubtless, might be traced still farther back—to the period of the
Internal Improvement fever. The project was well conceived, and had it been
carried out at that day, it would have proved a formidable rival to the Illinois
Central. It was intended to extend from Chicago to Vincennes, and ultimately to
the Ohio River, thus connecting the commerce of that great water highway, with
the lakes of the north. A company was formed, under the title of the "Wabash
Valley Railroad Company," and work commenced, and prosecuted with more or less
activity, for several years. Much of the grading was done in this county, as may
still be seen between Hutsonville and Palestine, which was the settled route of
the road. But the hard times, an insufficiency of capital, the general
indifference manifested toward it in portions of the country through which it
passed, and downright opposition in others, had their effect, and the project
was finally abandoned.

   After the close of the war, the enterprise of a road from Chicago to the
Wabash Valley was again agitated under the title of "Chicago, Danville &
Vincennes Railroad." As such it was chartered February 16, 1865, and the main
line put in operation in 1872. After numerous changes it became the Chicago &
Eastern Illinois, and with leased lines extends from Chicago via Danville,
through Indiana to Evansville. March 3, 1869, the Paris & Danville Railroad
Company was organized, to extend the Chicago, Danville & Vincennes on south
through Illinois instead of through Indiana, as then seemed the intention of the
latter company. The road was put in operation from Danville to Paris in
September, 1872, about the time the Chicago, Danville & Vincennes was finished,
but was not completed to Robinson until in August, 1875. During the same fall it
was finished to Lawrenceville, on the Ohio & Mississippi, and connection made
with that road, and arrangements effected, by which the P. & D. trains commenced
running into Vincennes in May, 1876, over the O. & M. tracks. This was the first
railroad (out of all the railroad projects agitated from time to time) completed
through Crawford County.

   The Paris & Danville was built on the old grade of the Wabash Valley Railroad
in this county, until after leaving Hutsonville, when it diverged to the west in
order to tap Robinson. It proved of considerable advantage to the county, and to
the country generally, through which it passed—although from its very completion
it has been but poorly managed. There is no just reason why it should not be a
valuable and profitable road, if kept in good condition. In August, 1875, a
receiver was appointed, and the road operated by him until June 30, 1879. The
purchasers then operated it for a few months, when, on the 8th of October
following, a new company, under the title of " Danville & Southwestern," was
formed, and took possession of the property. This company bought, or leased the
Cairo & Vincennes Railroad, built a link from Lawrenceville to St. Francisville
on the latter road, thus making a complete and direct line from Danville to
Cairo. In September, 1881, it was consolidated with the Wabash, St. Louis &
Pacific Railway, and has since been operated as a division of the Wabash system.

   The Danville & Southwestern, or, as now known, Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific,
passes through as fine a section of country as may be found in the State.
Together with the Chicago & Eastern Illinois, with which it connects at
Danville, it forms an unbroken line from Cairo to Chicago, that is said to be
eleven miles shorter than by the Illinois Central. But the dilapidated and even
dangerous condition in which the road is allowed to remain, and the arbitrary
manner in which it is managed, is a reproach to the Wabash company, and a
disgrace to the country through which it extends. The Railroad Commissioners,
and the people who must necessarily patronize it, and who aided in building it,
should take the matter into their own hands, and compel its improvement, or stop
its operation.

   An east and west railroad through this county is an old project, and one
agitated years ago. A company was organized in 1869 at Sullivan, Ind., as the
"Indiana & Illinois Commercial Railroad Company," for the purpose of building a
railroad from Worthington, Ind., to Vandalia, Ill. In November, 1869, a vote was
taken in Crawford County, to donate $100,000 to this road, and carried by 430
majority in favor of the donation. The company was reorganized, or, rather, &
new one formed, which was entitled the "St. Louis & Cincinnati Railroad
Company," and the vote of the county again taken upon the proposed donation of
$100,000, and again carried by a good majority. At the same time the townships
of Oblong, Robinson and Lamotte, voted an additional donation of $20,000 each.
The agitation of the project was kept up for several years, and considerable
interest manifested by the leading citizens of the county, and a strong belief
prevailed that it would be built at no distant day. The enterprise, however,
smouldered for awhile, and about 1875-6 it was revived, and the idea entertained
of building a narrow gauge railroad upon the contemplated line. The project of
building a narrow gauge road from Terre Haute to Cincinnati was receiving
considerable attention, a matter that seemed favorable to the building the east
and west road through this county upon the same gauge to connect with the former
road somewhere east of the Wabash River.

   Upon the subject of narrow gauge railroads in place of our present system, a
late writer says: " As fast as the different lines wear out and need rebuilding,
the narrow three foot gauge is claiming a large share of the attention of
railroad men and capitalists; and it seems not improbable that the arguments in
favor of a complete reorganization of our railroad traffic, will become so
strong in a few years as to make the three foot gauge as prevalent in this
country as the old four foot ten inches has been and is now. The first argument
consists in the economy of construction—the narrow gauge costing but little, if
any, over 50 per cent, per mile upon the cost of present roads. The grading and
embanking require vastly less labor, while for ties, iron, spikes, etc, there is
a corresponding reduction. Another point in their favor is the facility and
cheapness with which the narrow gauge cars can be run after being built. 
   * * * * * *

   "Gen. Rosecrans, an eminent engineer, in a letter published a few years ago,
which attracted much attention among railroad men, showed from official records
that the cost of the railroads of the country up to the close of the year 1867
(39,244 miles), amounted to $1,600,000,000. The narrow gauge would have been
built from 30 to 50 per cent. cheaper, while the cost of transporting thereon
would have been reduced at about the same rate. When we compute the money that
might have been saved in the original construction, and also the annual saving
accruing from decreased expenditures under the narrow gauge system, we find
ourselves in possession of an aggregate amounting to nearly one half of the
national debt. But the amount to be saved when the railroad system of the
country in the future becomes well-nigh developed by the narrow gauge, supposing
the figures given to be accurate and reliable, are prodigious." A work published
a few years ago shows that, should the States composing the present Union come
to have railway mileage "averaging what Ohio already has," it would give us
165,800 miles. The result then of the new system is something worth considering.
It requires but little mathematical genius to calculate the sum to be thus saved
in railroad construction and management.

   The east and west road, after many ups and downs, was built through the
county as the Springfield, Effingham and Southeastern narrow gauge railroad, and
trains put on it in the summer of 1880. A bridge was built across the Wabash
River, and the trains began running through from Effingham to Swiss City in
December following, the road doing an excellent business. But the bridge was
washed away in January, 1882, and has not yet been rebuilt. Everything now must
be transferred at the river by boat to the Indiana division, thus causing great
inconvenience, and losing to the road mach freight and business that it would
otherwise receive. All things considered, the little narrow gauge is a better
road, is in better condition, and much safer to the traveling public than the
Wabash, which, after all, is saving but little to the credit of the narrow gauge.

   The Terre Haute & Southwestern Railroad was an enterprise that at one time
excited considerable interest in this county. It was to start from Terre Haute,
cross the Wabash somewhere between Darwin and York, and thence in a
southwesterly direction, via 01-ney or Flora, tap the Mississippi River at a
convenient place, and so on to a southwestern terminus. This route would open up
a region then having but few railroads, a region rich in mineral wealth, as well
as in agricultural resources. Lines were surveyed, work was commenced and some
grading done in places. Much of the timber for the bridge over the Wabash was
gotten out and collected at the place of crossing, and everything seemed to
indicate the building of the road. But amid the great number of railroad
projects of the country, it was lost or swallowed up, and now it is, we believe,
wholly abandoned. The same fate has overtaken a number of other railroads which,
had they all been completed, would have made Crawford County a perfect network
of iron rails.


Additional Comments:
Extracted From:

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD AND CLARK COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
EDITED BY WILLIAM HENRY PERRIN.

ILLUSTRATED

CHICAGO: O. L. BASKIN & CO., HISTORICAL PUBLISHERS,
LAKESIDE BUILDING.
1883.

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