Allen County, Ohio - Chapter 9: Transportation by Water and Rail, 1906

Canals - The Ohio and Erie Canal - The Miami and Erie' Caml, Formed by the Miami, the Wabash and Erie and the Miami Extension Canals - Railroads of Lima and Allen County - Story of Their Development - Changes in Names of the Roads - Electric Traction Lines, a Recent Development - Railroad and Traction Line Statistics as Relating to Lima.

The world has always been interested in canals. They are older than the Christian -era. They were employed as a means of navigation and communication by the Assyrians, Egyptians, Hindus and Chinese. The Royal Canal of Babylon was built more than 600 years before Christ. The Grand Canal of China connecting two great rivers, the Yangtse-Kiang and the Peiho, was built in the 13th century. This canal is 650 miles long. It has no locks, for the Chinese did not know how to build a lock.

It is a most interesting fact in history, that the common canal lock in use to-day was invented in Italy in 1481, A. D., by Leonardo da Vinci, the great Florentine painter. It is said, however, that the honor is also claimed by Holland. It is somewhat strange that this lock invented so long ago has never been improved upon; in fact, the most expensive lock in the world, in the Sault Ste. Marie, costing half a million dollars, is constructed upon exactly the same plan as the old lock of Leonardo da Vinci. This famous lock in the "Soo" is of solid masonry, 800 feet long, 100 feet wide, and 21 feet deep. It is also a matter of surprise that so few people to-day understand the working of a canal lock, or have ever seen one.

The canal has always been recognized as a great aid to civilization, and will ever be so regarded. The first canal in the United States of any consequence was the Erie Canal, 336 miles long, connecting the Hudson River at Albany and Troy with Lake Erie, at Buffalo. It was begun in 1817 and finished in 1825, at a cost of $7,602,000.00. It was this canal that made the city of New York, and the name of Governor DeVVitt Clinton will ever be connected with it as its builder.

The great success of the Erie Canal induced the people of Ohio to begin the great work of canal building for this State. Governor Clinton lent his great aid to the movement in Ohio and was present at the "opening" on the Licking Summit in Licking County, July 4, 1825. He made an address there and removed the first shovelful of earth.

The history of the canal struggle in Ohio is one of long, continuous effort. After many years of ineffective legislation, it was finally decided by the Legislature, February 4, 1825, to construct the Ohio and Erie Canal, following the old Scioto-Muskingum route from Cleveland to Portsmouth and the Miami Canal, following the Great Miami River from

The work on the Ohio and Erie Canal commenced at once and was pushed along very rapidly. The city of Akron started from a group of shanties occupied by Irishmen who were working on this canal. The pay for laborers during the first few years of this work was 30 cents a day, with plain board, and a "jiggerfull of whiskey." The work on the Miami Canal was not to begin until December 1, 1831, by legislative enactment. Construction, however, did not begin until 1833. The cost of this canal work was paid in part by land grants from the government and from Ohio and Indiana.

Congress, which had on March 2, 1827, granted to the State of Indiana, to aid in opening a canal to unite at navigable points the Wabash River with Lake Erie, a quantity of land equal to one half of five sections in width on each side of the canal, did, by an act approved May 24, 1828, grant to the State of Ohio, to aid in extending the Miami Canal from Dayton to the Maumee River, a quantity of land equal to one half of five sections in width on each side of the canal from Dayton to the Maumee River at the mouth of the Auglaize, so far as the canal should traverse public land. The act reserved to the United States each alternate section of the land unsold, with the provision that such reserved land should not be sold at less than $2.50 per acre. The number of acres included in this grant was 438,301.32.

Indiana, learning after examination that a canal connecting the Wabash with Lake Erie would have to pass through Ohio, thought it advisable to propose to Ohio to transfer to her such part of the land granted to her by Congress, March 2, 1827, as lay within Ohio, if the latter would build the Wabash and Erie Canal from the Indiana State line to Lake Erie. To enable her to do this, section 4 of the act to aid Ohio to construct the Miami Canal from Dayton to the Maumee River authorized Indiana to convey to Ohio, upon such terms as might be agreed upon by the two States, any

Section 5 of the act of May 24, 1828, gave Ohio further grants of 500,000 acres of government land in Ohio to aid her in the payment of the canal debt or interest, such land to be disposed of for this purpose and no other.

Indiana having received the authority of Congress by resolution approved February 1, 1834, conveyed to Ohio her right, title and interest to lands in Ohio, which she had received from Congress for canal construction. This contract was ratified by Ohio in a joint resolution passed February 24, 1834. Thus passed to Ohio another grant of land amounting to 292,223.51 acres.

These three land grants gave to Ohio a total of 1,230,521.95 acres of land to be sold for the aid of her canals. The State has sold most of these lands for $2,257,487.32, and has remaining, principally -within the limits of the Grand Reservoir, land worth perhaps $100,- 000.

A week after accepting the land grant from Indiana, the Ohio Legislature, on March 3, 1834, authorized the construction of the Wabash and Erie Canal. The selection of the line for this canal was made by the Board of Public Works, April 8, 1836, and Governor Lucas having recommended its early commencement, the work of construction began in 1837. This canal was completed in 1842, being 67.75 miles long from its junction with the Miami Extension Canal to Toledo, and having a water surface width of 60 feet, a bottom width of 46 feet, and a depth of 6 feet.

The Miami Extension Canal was completed three years later, 1845, ar>d was IT4 miles long, 5 feet deep, 36 feet wide at the bottom, and 50 feet wide at the top.

Just two years to a day after the auspicious opening of the canals, the first boat descended the northern section of the Ohio and Erie Canal from Akron to Cleveland. "She was cheered in her passage by thousands * * * who had assembled from the adjacent country at different points on the canal to witness the novel and interesting- sight." This boat arrived at Cleveland, July 4, 1827, after having descended through 41 locks, passed over three aqueducts, and through 37 miles of canal. It is worthy of note that this was the most difficult and expensive part of the line to construct. Besides this, several miles more of unconnected sections of the canal had been finished.

A little later, navigation also began on the Miami Canal. On November 28, 1827, "three fine boats, crowded with citizens delighted with the novelty and interest of the occasion left the basin, six miles north of Cincinnati and proceeded to Middletown with the most perfect success. The progress of the boats was about three miles an hour, including locks and other detentions. The return trip was made with equal success."

(See account of first canal boat in Delphos - Chapter VII. See also "History of Ohio Canals" by Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society, 1905.)

By an act of the Legislature, March 14, 1849, the three canals previously known as the Miami Canal, the Miami Extension Canal, and the Wabash and Erie, became known as the Miami and Erie Canal, and so it has remained to this day. It is impossible to state the value of this canal to the country through which it passes.

In Allen County the first immigrants came by way of the canal and naturally settled near it. Thus Delphos and Spencerville were settled earlier than some other portions of the county. It was long thought that Delphos would be the emporium of all Northwestern Ohio, because of its favorable location on the great water-way.

Undoubtedly the canal has greatly aided the development of the county and is yet of great financial worth. The State should protect this property and increase its efficiency, for the usefulness of the canal, both as a source of water power and as a means of cheap transportation, is not yet exhausted.

The townships of Spencer, Marion and Amanda, through which the canal passes, have perhaps been more greatly benefited than other parts of the county, yet the whole county has

The whole length of the Miami and Erie Canal is 301.49 miles. It cost $8,062,680.80. The gifts of land by the State greatly reduced: the cost to the taxpayers.

The Ohio & Indiana Railroad was opened from Crestline to Fort Wayne in 1853 and in 1856 was consolidated with the Pittsburg & Fort Wayne, which is now operated by the great Pennsylvania Company. This was; Lima's first railway and it now forms one of the five great trunk lines, which center in this' city. Judge Hanna of Fort Wayne and Richard Metheany were the leading promoters of this enterprise.

Passenger trains on the Dayton & Michigan road commenced making regular trips to- Dayton on April 5, 1858. This road was finished to Toledo in August, 1859. These two roads - the Pittsburg & Fort Wayne and the Dayton & Michigan - were at that time the shortest and best route from Pittsburg to Cincinnati and were much used for the shipping of freight between those cities. During: the winter of 1859-60 a line of telegraph was opened in connection with the road offices at Tippecanoe, Troy, Piqua, Sidney, Wapakoneta and Lima. During this season the machine shops of the Dayton & Michigan road were built at Lima by Lloyd & Clip - pinger, who were Lima contractors.

The route over which this railroad was built traverses historic ground. North of Dayton the road crosses the Mad River a short distance below the village in which Tecumseh was born. Piqua was the residence of this chief and his brother, the Prophet, before their removal to Tippecanoe. Wapakoneta (Wopocaneta) was the last resting place of the Shawnee Indians within the limits of Ohio. It is the burial place of Blackhoof. Here Captain Logan, accompanied by Capt. William Oliver and Bright Horn, passed through the lines and gave information to the besieged garri- son at Fort Wayne in September, 1812, that General Harrison was hastening to its relief. In 1790 Harmar was defeated below the junction of the St. Mary's and St. Joseph rivers, near where Fort Wayne was afterwards erected. Toledo is in the region of Wayne's -campaign and Harrison led the Northwestern Army through the same unbroken wilderness in 1812, there being not a single white man's habitation left standing after the capture of Fort Dearborn (Chicago) and the siege of Fort Wayne. This was less than a century ago - to-day the same region is the home of millions of souls and a network of steel forms the great highways of commerce through the land.

The Dayton & Michigan road was extended to Cincinnati and is now known as the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railway. It is coupled with numerous branches and subsidiary lines, thus reaching all important county seats in Western Ohio. At Toledo it is linked with the Pere Marquette, forming the "Great Central Route," one of the farthest reaching and most promising north and south railroad properties in the land. Its shops in Lima give employment to more than 500 men, while as a division point from which trains are operated to the north and to the south it is the home of hundreds of railroad men and their' families.

In April of 1872 the Boesel railroad bill passed the Legislature and at a special election on May 25, 1872, a vote was taken on the question of issuing bonds to the amount of $100,000 in aid of two proposed railroads,, which the people of Lima and Ottawa township had been discussing for some time previous. Something over 700 votes were cast and only eight of those were against the appropriation. The two railroads in question were the Lima, Lafayette & Mississippi and the Lake Erie & Louisville. These were put through in 1872 and were later consolidated under the Lake Erie & Western. It is to-day one of Lima's most important lines of transportation. Passing through the oil fields of this State and Indiana, its value to this city is inestimable. The shops of this road, which were brought

The Chicago & Atlantic Railroad, now known as the Chicago & Erie, forms a direct route between the West and the North Atlantic States and was opened from Lima to Marion on May 1, 1883. Thomas Espy, Lester T. Hunt and Janies S. Robinson were among the founders of this great highway. Ten fast passenger trains in addition to the mails and limited express pass daily through Lima over the C. & E. tracks, while the freight tonnage is enormous.

The Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railway, otherwise the old Detroit Southern, was originally built as the Ohio Southern & Lima Northern. This line, once reckoned as a third or fourth-class traffic line, has rapidly advanced in importance until to-day it is recognized as a splendid piece of railroad property, recently selling for twice the appraised value of the line, viz : $2,000,000. It is certain to grow

The Columbus & Lake Michigan Railway, now in successful operation, both freight and passenger traffic, between Lima and Defiance, Ohio, is another line that is bound to become of importance and great business interest to Lima and Northwestern Ohio. In addition to what is now being operated, the road is graded north from West Unity, in Williams County, Ohio, to Cold Water, Michigan, a distance of 48 miles. The route to Columbus has been decided upon, and the right of way secured. In Allen County the road passes through Ottawa, German and Sugar Creek townships. The main offices are situated in Lima.

This road was commenced in 1887 by the late Benjamin C. Faurot, and was known as the Columbus, Lima & Milwaukee Railway. It has passed through various stages of litigation and contest, but under the present management, with Col. C. T. Hobart at the head of the board of directors, the road is doing a most successful business.

Central Route." Along the same line is also found the Toledo, St. Louis & Western, operated between Toledo and St. Louis. This is an old road and one that has added greatly to the advancement of the county. It is 454 miles long. Cutting across the northern corner of the county is the Northern Ohio Railway, running from Delphos to Akron. This road was built as a narrow-gauge, but later it was changed to a standard-gauge railroad. It was bought by Senator Calvin S. Brice largely for its future possibilities, but more directly from the fact that the road passes through his boyhood home, the old farm near Columbus Grove.

The Western Ohio Railway, the pioneer traction line of Northwestern Ohio, was completed four years ago, in the spring of 1901. It is one of the best roads, not only from a mechanical point of view but as a financial proposition in existence. Over it an hourly service is maintained on which regular passenger traffic coaches speed north and south between its terminals, while every two hours a limited service is run between this city and Dayton, Muncie and Indianapolis. Through a combination arrangement, passengers are handled between Dayton and Toledo and St. Louis, via this city and Delphos, thence over the "Clover Leaf" into the cities mentioned. Over this line, too, heavy express and freight service cars are run at frequent intervals during the day, which carry weekly thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, fruits and manufactured products out of the city to the

The Fort Wayne, Van Wert & Lima Traction Company is a close second in importance to the Western Ohio. It traverses a -fertile and prosperous territory, paralleling the great Pennsylvania line all the way from this city to Fort Wayne. It has been projected by Lima men and financed in a large degree by Lima capital and is destined to become one of the greatest traction interests in the country.

The Lima & Toledo Traction Company is being projected and financed by the same gentlemen who own and control our excellent city traction system, at the head of which as president is Joseph B. Mayer, one of the foremost of electric traction men of the day. Associated with him are a syndicate of Eastern capitalists while locally we have Hon. Walter B. Richie, manager; J. A. Bendure, and other men of equal prominence, importance and stability in the list of names of incorporators.

Average number of trains in and out of Lima each 24 hours, on all roads, 143. Average number of cars to train, 52. Average number of freight cars in and out of Lima each 24 hours, 7,436. Average tonnage per car, 30. Average tonnage of freight passing through Lima each 24 hours, 223,080.

Average number of cars in car-load lots received at Lima freight offices each 24 hours, 127. Average tons of freight received in carload lots at Lima freight offices each 24 hours, 3,810. Average number of cars in car-load lots shipped out of Lima each 24 hours, 178. Average tonnage of freight in car-load lots shipped out of Lima each 24 hours, 5,340.

Average number of cars of mixed freight less than car-load lots, received at Lima freight offices each 24 hours, 114, of five tons each. Average tonnage, in less than car-load lots, received each 24 hours, 570. Average number of cars of mixed freight, less than carload lots, shipped out of Lima each 24 hours, 134. Average 'tonnage, in less than car-load lots, shipped out each 24 hours, 670.

Aggregate yard trackage, 73 miles. Number of shifting engines employed in Lima's railway yards, day and night, 16. Number of men employed in Lima's railway yards, day and night, 108. Number of men employed in freight offices, - agents, clerks and warehousemen, 74.

Excluding Columbus and Dayton, Lima has the best railway facilities of any city in the State. She has five trunk lines, running direct to half of the counties in the State - to be exact, 46. These trunk lines are as follows:

Of the interurban lines, the Western Ohio gives the city 20 trains daily, with 4 through cars daily to Dayton. This road will, by spring, be running cars to Toledo, which will give Lima 20 cars more daily. Another interurban line, the Fort Wayne, Van - Wert & Lima, now running 8 cars daily, will in 1906 run 25 cars daily. This road will build a branch to Ottawa in 1906, which will give 16 cars daily. The Lima & Toledo line has a great deal of grading done, and expects to have 20 cars in 1906 running daily to Lima.

As it is, there are 49 steam and 28 electric trains landing passengers in Lima daily, making a total of 77 trains. And when the abovementioned roads will have been completed in 1906, 145 trains will be landing passengers in Lima daily. It is possible to board a train in 44 different counties of Ohio, and reach the county seat of Allen County without a change of cars.