Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/321

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��HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

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��uary, 1862, that part extending from vSpringfield to Delaware, then in an. operating condition, was sold b}' the Trustees to the Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Railroad, and has since been operated by that corporation. It is now known as the Spring-field Branch.

This railroad has since been incorporated and consolidated with the Bellefontaine Railroad Compam'. which in turn is the consolidation of two companies, the Indianapolis, Pittsburgh & Cleveland Railroad, and Bellefontaine & In- diana Railroad Company. The last-named road was chartered February 25. 1848, with power to construct a railroad from Marion to the west line of the State, in Darke County. An amendment was made to the charter February 19, 1849, allowing the corporators to extend the road eastwardly from ^Marion to or near Mansfield. In 1856. the Company affected an arrangement with the Indianapolis, Pittsburgh & Cleveland Railroad, whereby both companies acted in unison until December 26, 1864. when they were consolidated under the name of the Belle- fontaine Railroad Company. Maj' 18, 1868, this Company was consolidated with the Cleve- land. Columbus & Cincinnati Railroad, and the present name, the Cleveland. Columlius. Cincinnati & Indianapolis Railway Company, adopted.

The third railroad built in Richland County is the Pittsbui*gh, Ft. Wayne & Chicago Rail- road, now one of the grand trunk Hues lietween the East and the West. It, like all other roads, is the consolidation of several small lines whose interests demand they should l^e united. The road, as it now exists, extends from Pittsburgh to Chicago, a distance of 468 miles, of which distance 251 miles are in this State. The road is the consolidation of the Pennsylvania, Ohio & Indiana and Ft. Wayne & Chicago Railroad Companies August 1, 1856. The first-men- tioned road was chartered February 24. 1848. the charter authorizing the " construction of a railroad from Mansfield, Richland Co., Ohio,

��eastwardlj', by way of the towns of Wooster, Massillon, Canton, to some point on the eastern boundary of the State ; thence to the city of Pittsburgh." The road was also to extend "from the town of ^lansfield westwardl3% b}- way of Bucyrus, Crawford County, until it intersects the west line of the State of Ohio at such point as may be most eligible." The Leg- islature of Pennsylvania. liy an act of April 1 1 of the same yeai\ concurrently made the Company a corporation of that State. Amend- ments were made to the charter afterward in both States as well as in Indiana and Illinois, which States had chartered the Ft. Wayne & Chicago road — authorizing and requiring coun- ties and towns along the route to •• subscribe stock to aid in building the road, upon an aflSrmative vote of a majority of the qualified voters of the same."

It will be observed by the abo^e. that Mans- field was made the central starting-point on this line. The county and city, l)y a popular vote. subscri))ed in all about $90,000 for stock — the city taking one-third, the county two-thirds. The stock was not subscribed, however, until the early part of 1850. after work had begun. The 4th day of July, 1849, was the day on which work on the line east of Mansfield began. It was vigorously pushed forward and the road opened for traffic between Allegheny City and Crestline. 187 miles. April 11, 1853. The road was extended across the Alleghany River in September, 1857, and connected with the Penn- sylvania Railroad at Pittsburgh. The charter for that part of the Ohio & Pennsylvania road, from Mansfield west to the State line, was amended, and a new company, called the Ohio & Indiana Railroad Company, was chartered to Iniild a road from some point on the Cleveland. Columbus & Cincinnati road, westward over a new route, instead of over the designated one for the roail as originally chartered. " This point." says the charter. •• was to be selected . by the company near Selzers Tavern, in the

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