Montgomery County, Ohio - Chapter 16, 1882

Chapter 16

IN July, 1845, the County Commissioners paid a premium of $501) : Howard Daniels for the best plan of a court house, to be built at the rortt west corner of Main and Third streets, and, in August of the same year, th contracts for building were let. The old jail and court house that occupie the ground were sold at auction October 4, 1845, and, in the spring of 1841 were torn down and removed. In the spring of 1847, the foundations for th new building were laid, and, in the spring of 1850. the building was com pleted. court being held in the new court-room for the first time on April 1- 1850. The building is constructed of Dayton limestone, fire-proof throughou and covered with a stone roof. From the street, eight wide stone steps lea to the terrace on which the building is erected, and another flight of step leads from the terrace to the floor of the portico, which is on a level with th second story windows of houses on the opposite side of the street. The fror of the building is ornamented with six massive stone pillar's, which also sm port the roof of the portico. The entrance to the main hall or corridor is b two massive ornamented iron doors, each of which is of more than 2,00 pounds' weight. The hall leads to the rotunda, which is twenty feet in dhui eter and forty-two feet high, ornamented with a dome, the eye of which light the hall below. Around the rotunda, a circular flight of stone stepis leads t the gallery of the court-room on one side and to public offices on the othei The court- room, which opiens from the rotunda is in an elliptical form, an occupies the space of both stories, being lighted by a dome, the eye of which i forty-three feet high. The court house is sixty-two feet, fronting on Mai street, by 127 feet on Third street, and forty-four feet high. The estimate cost of the building was $63,000, but the actual cost greatly exceeded tha amount. The house was built after the form of a Grecian temple and is to-da one of the handsomest and most classical-looking buildings in the State.

The County Commissioners authorized the purchase of the brick, etc fo a new jail, on August 5. 1844, and, on the same day, a p> pointed Horace Peas and John Mills Special Commissioners to procure a suitable site for the build ing. In September following, they purchased Lot No. 276, on the north wes corner of Main and Sixth streets, of Nicholas Longworth, for $2,000. On th 3d of September, the contract for building the jail was awarded to George B Davis and Goodloe Pendry for $8,000. Extra work on the walls, cells and othe parts of the jail increased the cost of the building to $9,322. It is sixty fea wide, fronting on Main street, by 100 feet deep, and is built of hammer- chessei limestone, with walls two feet thick, and a tower at each corner of the front The building is now used by the city for a work-house. It contains a hall am ten rooms, above and below, in the front of the building. In the rear, then are thirty-two cells arranged in tiers, one above the other, with a hall on aithe side, one of the latter being used as a dining-hall. On the 31st of July, 1S52 the County Commissioners ordered the walls of this jail to be torn down anr the building rebuilt; whether or not this was done cannot be gleaned from th' records.

o missioners to advertise for a vote of the people on the question of building iw court house, on the north part of the court house lot; the building to be f ';ick and not to exceed $40,000 in cost. On the 13th of March, 1867, an iras passed by the Legislature empowering the Commissioners to build a h court house, but nothing further was done until May 5, 1869, when the omissioners paid Kellogg & Burrows $800 for their plans of a new build- _ and it was agreed that they should receive $400 for superintending the traction of the same, should the Commissioners conclude to build. The a lion of building was again postponed and nothing done until -July 14,

) when a call for plans was issued, and, on July 17, the plans for three kS, as submitted by Peters & Burns, were adopted. This action was after - ajl reconsidered, and the plans submitted by Leon Beaver were settled upon, i u'they were not formally approved until November 21, 1879, at which time e'er gave a bond of $10,000 and received a premium of $300 for the best ui3. The second premium for $200 was awarded to E. E. Myers, of Detroit, i<l, he third of $100 to Thomas Boyd. Pittsburgh. Bids were advertised for, ii on February 23, 1880, contracts for the work and materials were aw'arded. u larch 11, 1880, these contracts were all annulled on account of the esti-

. E. Buvinger, $6,121; cut-stone work. Leopold, Cutter & Co., $45,500. ;i architect's total estimate of the cost of the building was $174,945.21. k excavations for the building were commenced in the summer of 1880, and -i building soon thereafter commenced; it will probably be completed in 3i . The building is to be entirely faced and ornamented with dressed o!i. The ground floor only slightly elevated above the street, and easy of X;is, is to be occupied exclusively by those offices which are most frequented, ii in which the most public business is transacted, viz., the Treasurer's, the . u. tor's, the Recorder's, the Probate Judge's, the County Commissioners', u evor's and Prosecuting Attorney's. The next floor is to be occupied by * court-rooms, with a wide hall between, each connecting with a Judges' hi, and both those, as well as the court-rooms, connecting with the ldw li- "7- On the same floor and in the front of the building, are the Clerk's and i( Sheriffs offices, witness-rooms and all necessary accessories - everything M ected with the courts. The third floor contains offices for all other county firs, together with grand and petit jury rooms, and a room that can, if nec- "J, be used for the accommodation of another court.

It being decided that a new jail was needed for the county, J. Hodson, architect of Indianapolis, Ind., was ordered, on the 18th of March, 1869, -epare plans and specifications for the proposed edifice. After much diffi- Lji, it was finally decided, on November 1, 1869, to locate the jail on the nnd west of the court house, belonging to Boyer & Jameson. Accordingly, oiewas duly given of the location as above, G. A. Grove, Commissioner, iffinting. On April 6, .1871, the Auditor was directed to advertise for bids, on May 29, 1871, the contract was awarded to Rouzer & Rouzer, for $78,- 6 - "the entire building to be fire-proof, the front or residence faced with ratus to be built outside of the jail proper, and the prison walls to be lined wif quarter-inch plate iron." This contract was afterward annulled, and, on Jui 25, 1872, new plans were adopted and the contract awarded, July 30, 1872 Marcus Bossier to build the jail, Warden's residence and boiler-room, for 115- 000, he to allow $306 for the work already done on the boiler-house. On t] 12th of August, the contract was ratified and the contractor put under bon The building was to have been completed by the 30th of June, 1873, but w not completed and accepted until February 8, 1874. the cost of constructii having been increased to $190,553. The building is two stories high, with mansard roof, and consists of the jailer's residence, in which there are a dwelling- rooms and two rooms used for the female department, and the prise proper, in which there are twenty-six cells, arranged in two tiers, with a h; running between and a corridor around the whole. The residence part thirty-six feet, fronting on Thud street; is faced with dressed freestone, ai has a circular flight of steps leading from the street to the entrance. The cc of construction, including the price paid for the lot and the Superintended salary, makes the entire cost exceed $220,000.

In 1841, there were thirty-six miles of railway in Ohio; in 1880 there we 5,654. 62 miles, and still the work goes on. In 1880, Morgan was the on county in the State which had not a railway within its limits. The impo tance of railway communication was early seen by the inhabitants of Mot gomery County, and measures were adopted for securing the benefits thoreof themselve.?. January 5, 1832, the Ohio Legislature passed an act incorpora ing the

Mad River & Lake Erie Railroau Company

This road was " vested with the right to construct a railway from Dayti via Springfield, ITrbana, Bellefontaine, to or near Upper Sandusky, Tiffin ai Lower Sandusky, to Sandusky, Huron County."* Acts furthering the i uteres of the corporation, were passed March 14, 1836; December 19, 1836; Mar 16, 1839; February 19, 1845; February 6, 1847; February 8, 1847; the act February 6, 1847 authorized the town of Springfield to subscribe $20,000 the stock of the company, to be applied on the construction of the line betwe Springfield and Dayton. The contract for the construction of this divisi of the road was let in the winter of 1848-49, and the last rail between ti two cities was laid January 25, 1851. Two days later, an excursion passed o\ the road from Springfield to Dayton, and the next day, January 28, 1851. trai began running on regular time. In the following December this road, as w< as the C., H. & D., the D. & W.. and the Gr. & M., suffered heavily by Hoods.

" The Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad Company located and ed its road from Tiffin to Sandusky, by way of Bellevue. In 1851, the Sa dusky City & Indiana Railroad Company, which was chartered by act of Fe ruary 28, of that year (49 Ohio L.. 434), proceeded to build a road from Tifi to Sandusky, via Clyde, and this route being deemed more favorable than t other, December 1, 1854, the last named company leased the road for t term of ninety-nine years, renewable forever, to the Mad River & Lake Er Railroad Company, which has since operated the same as a part of its line, h timately abandoning the other route. The organization of the Sandusky Ci & Indiana Railroad Company is kept up for the purpose of perpetuating tj lease, the interests of the companies being identical, and the road having be< built in the interests of and with means furnished by the Mad River & Lai Erie Company, one person acting as President of both corporations." f

June 1. .1854, the company leased the road of the Springfield & Column-Railway, for the term of fifteen years, agreeing to certain provisions. Feba,y 23, 1*858, by decree of the Common Pleas Court of Erie County, the name fne company was changed to the Sandusky, Dayton & Cincinnati Railroad c.pany. July 2, 1866, the road having been in the hands of a receiver, and

.ecial Master Commissioner since October 13, 1865, a certificate of re-or- , alzation was filed with the Secretary of State, under the name of the Sandy & Cincinnati Railroad Company. October 8, 1866, this company leased soad to the Cincinnati, Dayton & Eastern Railroad Company for ninety-nine els, but by mutual agreement the lease was surrendered January 9, 1868. vt decree of the Erie County Court of Common Pleas, filed with the Secreu of State, January 11, 1868, the name was changed to the Cincinnati, Sanuy & Cleveland Railroad Company, and June 28, 1870, this company leased uroad, property, and rights of the Columbus, Springfield & Cincinnati Railk Company (successors to the Springfield & Columbus Railroad Company, r iously lessors of the Mad River & Lake Erie Company), with certain prosms to be carried out by the C., S. & C. Company. A perpetual lease of that . olon of the road leading from Dayton to Springfield was made to the Cinrati & Springfield Railway Company, by whom it was transferred, together ith a lease in perpetuity of its own railway rights, priveleges and franjfes to the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis Railway Oomak "March 9, 1881, this company and the Columbus, Springfield & Cini ati Railroad Company leased their roads to the Indianapolis, Blooming- >ik Western Railway Company for ninety-nine years, renewable forever."

Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Eaileoad Company

On the 2d day of March, 1846, a charter was granted to the Cincinnati & lailton Railroad Company, its name being changed by an act of February 8. S ', and another of March 15, 1849, the latter being "An act to amend the 71 ral acts relating to the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad Compav The Dayton end of the road was put under contract in August, 1850, in September 13, 1851, the first excursion from Cincinnati and Hamilton,

-" ' over the road. Trains began running regularly between Cincinnati and hton September 22, 1851, distance, sixty miles. The Dayton & Michigan t road Company was incorporated by act of March 5, 1851, to extend from 'Eton to Toledo, 142 miles, and the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Comal was empowered to lend it money, or otherwise aid in the construction of i road. In December, 1851, contracts for building this line were let, and Dihe 28th of March, 1853, an excursion train arrived over it, from Troy. Tular trains were put on April 28, 1853. May 1, 1863, the line was leased l erpetuity to the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Company (lease subseuitly modified), and February 18, 1869. the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Day- )i Company also leased the road of the Cincinnati, Richmond & Chicago b road Company - Hamilton to the Indiana State Line. 36 miles - and the of the latter of the Richmond & Miami Railway extending to Richicd, Ind. November 26, 1872, the management of this company purchased i1 line of the Junction Railroad Company, from Hamilton to Indianapolis - b 0 miles, the purchasers soon after organizing the Cincinnati, Hamilton & n anapolis Railroad Company.

Dayton & Westekn Eaileoad Company

A charter was granted to this company February 14, 1846, its purpose oei-g to construct a road from Dayton to a point on the State line between JL and Indiana, such point to be selected by the directors. The railroad commissioner's report for 1880 states that work was begun on this road in Jul 1848,* and other authority gives April 21, 1849, as the date on which the eoi tracts were let. From the junction west, track laying began August 6, 185! the road being consolidated with the Indiana Central on the first of that montl The distance from Dayton to the State line is thirty-eight miles. In Indian! the road was opened to Richmond February 19, 1853. In September of tl same year, trains passed westward to Indianapolis, and October 11, 1854. tl entire road was opened for regular business. January 14, 1863, the track fro Dayton to Dodson, fifteen miles, was leased in common to the Dayton & Unic Railroad Company. " Under date of February 4, 1865, the company lease from the Richmond & Miami Railway Company of Indiana, for ninety-air years from January 1, 1865, renewal forever, the entire control of its roai right of way, buildings, etc., from its western terminus on the line dividing tt States of Ohio and Indiana, to the point of junction or switch where its aai road diverges and runs to Eaton and Hamilton ; also the use of the remainin portion to its western terminus in the city of Richmond, three miles in all, f< the semi-annual payment of $2,750, payable each first of January and Jul February 4, 1865, the company entered into an agreement to lease to the Litt Miami and Columbus & Xenia Railroad Companies, for ninety-nine years fro January 1, 1865, renewable forever, its road, property and privileges, excep ing certain leased premises and other property in Dayton, the shop, machiner tools, etc., and providing that a contract between the Dayton & Western ar Columbus & Xenia Companies of March 12, 1863, be surrendered and settle up to the above date. The lease was made subject to a contract lease fcetwee the Dayton & Western and Dayton & Union Railroad Companies of Jannai 14, 1863, by which the latter have the use of the Dayton & Western track fro. Dayton to Dodson. Also, of a contract between the Dayton & Western and Cii cinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad Companies, relating to the joint use < tracks of the two said companies in Dayton and the bridge over the Great Mi an River. The lease of the Richmond & Miami Railway was also transferred ar assigned, the lessees assuming all the stipulations and conditions of the sever named contracts of the Dayton & Western Company, and agreeing to carry oi the several provisions thereof. The Dayton & Western Company agreed : procure to be transferred to the lessees a majority of its capital stock, not lei than $155,000 in the aggregate. The lease was made subject to a deed of tru dated November 1, 1864, to secure the payment of $738,000, bonds of tl Dayton & Western Railroad Company, due and payable January 1, 1895, tl lessees assuming payment of the semi-annual interest thereon as i-ental for sa property, and also agreeing to indorse and guarantee the payment of the pri; cipal and interest of said bonds, the Dayton & Western Company agreeing upon the full payment thereof and the interest thereon, to convey in fee simp to the said lessees the railroad and property thereby leased. The foregoir contract for lease was duly approved and ratified by a, majority of the stocl holders of each company party thereto. The Columbus & Xenia Company a signed its interest in the foregoing lease of the Little Miami Railroad Cor pany, to take effect December 1, 1868, and it was transferred by that conipat together with its own and other leased lines, to the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati St. Louis Railway Company, to take effect December 1, 1869, and the road sin< that time has been operated by that company, in connection with its own ar. other leased lines." f

Dayton & Union Bail Way Company

February 26, 1846, the Greenville & Maimi Railroad Company was char- ,y, with authority to build a railroad from Greenville to some point on the ran & Western line or on the Miami on the Miami extension canal, to be f mined by the directors. By an amendatory act passed March 23, 1850,

- 1 >rity was given the company to extend its road from Greenville west to the In a State line. Under the charter and amendments, the road was built n Dayton by way of Greenville to Union City, contracts having been let in la! 1849. The formal opening to Greenville was celebrated June 10, 1852, Mo Union on the 22d of the following December. The Dayton & Western r was first used as far as the junction, but a parallel line was subsequently c vhicli was finally taken up and the Dayton & Western track again came ise. Financial troubles came upon the company, and January 5, 1863, :e pad was sold to certain trustees, and on the 8th of the same month the . i, any was re organized as the Dayton & Union Railroad Company, and a dicate filed with the Secretary of State January 19. 1863. December 23, 7 the road was transferred to a trustee and is still held and operated under :rsteeship. Its total length of track is 48.53 miles, including 1.79 miles of

The Dayton, Xenia & Belpre Railroad Company

(This company was chartered February 19, 1851, with authority to construct mad from Dayton to Xenia, and thence intersect with the Belpre & Cinujti Railroad, in Highland County. Work was begun in 1852; contracts for ung the division from Dayton to Xenia were let March 15, 1853, and May 854, the line was opened between those two points, distance sixteen h. The company having become financially embarrassed, the road was cFebruary 4, 1865, under a decree of foreclosure, to the Little Miami and lmbus & Xenia Companies, for the sum of 8415,000. The road is now a of the lines leased to and operated by the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St, u Railway Company.

Atlantic & Great Western Railway

this corporation was formed in the fall of 1865, by the consolidation " the above name, of several New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio Cornpades| The broad-gauge track of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Company, h Dayton to Cincinnati, sixty miles, was leased to the Atlantic & Great mrn, and afterward, with the balance of the lines, reduced to the standi:,auge. Work was begun on this road at Dayton, November 7, 1853, but it siot finished, nor were trains run until after the war of the rebellion, r 25, 1874, the stockholders of the Atlantic & Great Western Company ratiu lease made May 1, in the same year, to the Erie Railway Company, of jra road and leased lines, not embracing the use of the Cincinnati, Hamo & Dayton Railroad. After numerous financial embarrassments the road s laced in the hands of a Receiver. January 6, 1880, the road and all other | rty of the company were sold on foreclosure to purchasing Trustees, on - m of an association of morto-ao-e bond-holders and others interested, -na 15, following, the Trustees conveyed their purchase to five corporators, -organized an Ohio corporation, known as the : ' New York, Pennsylvania Cio Railroad Company," (of Ohio), and the company was incorporated - a 17, 1880. A similar corporation had been organized at the same time, j nnsylvania,* and the two were consolidated March 24, 1880, forming the 3:Qt New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad Company.

Cincinnati & Springfield Railway Company

This company was incorporated September 9, 1870, to build a road frou Springfield to Cincinnati, through the counties of Clark, Montgomery, Greene Warren, Butler and Hamilton. The road was intended to form, in connee tion with other roads already constructed, a trunk line from Cincinnati to th Eastern cities. No new road was built except 48.80 miles from Ludlow Grov to Dayton, the Dayton & Western road being used through the city of Daytor and from Dayton to Springfield the track of the Cincinnati, Sandusky & Cl eve land Company, leased to the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapo lis Railroad Company in perpetuity, the latter now operating the entire lin from Cincinnati, under lease in perpetuity from the Cincinnati & Spring field Company, to Dayton, and the others as above stated. This road is th well known " short line " to Cincinnati.

This company filed articles of incorporation, December 16, 1871 ; capita stock, $1, 000, 000 ; object, to construct a road from Dayton through Xenia, -lame! town and J ackson Court House, to Gallipolis. intersecting Greene, Fayette, Rost Vinton, Jackson and Gallia Counties; length, 144 miles; gauge, 36 inohet Very little was done on this road for several years, but by July 1, 1877, it wa finished as far as Washington Court House, 48.71 miles. Hp to June 3(

Railroad Company. The latter company was organized May 23, 1879, b the consolidation of the following companies : Toledo, Delphos & Indianap olis, incorporated March 14, 1872 ; Toledo & Maumee Narrow Gauge, incoi porated May 16, 1873; Delphos & Kokomo, incorporated July 18, 1877 (th.es all under laws of Ohio), and the Delphos, Bluffton & Frankfort, incorporate under the laws of Indiana, October 17, 1877. On the 17th of May, 1880, th Toledo, Delphos & Burlington Company entered into a contract with the Daytoi Covington & Toledo Railroad Company for the consolidation of the two, the con tract being subsequently ratified by the stockholders of both companies. Th new organization was also known as the Toledo, Delphos & Burlington Rai road Company, being formed June 21, 1880, a little over a month after th contract was made for consolidation. The new company completed th projected line from Dayton to Delphos, and after the consolidation with th Dayton & Southeastern Company, the Toledo & Grand Rapids road was pm chased (extending from Toledo via Waterville to Grand Rapids, in Woo County) and on the 15th of April, 1881, a certificate was filed for the cor struction of a branch line from Dayton to Lebanon,* Warren County, t form connection with the Cincinnati Northern Railway. May 19, 188.1, a cei tificate was filed for the construction of a branch from Wellston to Xrontoi the northern terminus of the Ironton & Huntington Railway. The lines which were originally the Dayton & Southeastern, the Dayton, Cleveland an Toledo, and the Dayton, Lebanon & Cleveland, are now owned and manage by a recently organized corporation known as the Toledo, Cincinnati & S' Louis Company, with principal offices at Toledo.

structed by the Toledo, Dayton & Burlington Company, from its main hm another by the Little Miami Division of the Pan-handle Company; and thii'd by the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Company, all extending foot jiyton. The route over the Toledo, Dayton & Burlington is the most round - . out, and, since the construction of the other two lines, it is comparatively tie used.

At the close of 1880, Montgomery County had within its limits, 75.129 les of railway, valued at $1,183,168. Railroads have become matter-ofcorse institutions, and the construction of a new line is not viewed with iat enthusiastic interest which was manifested in the early days of the work, he Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton road was completed to Miamisburg, .igust 18, 1851, and on the 20th, an excursion, filling four platform cars, mt down from Dayton to help celebrate the event ; tickets 25 cents for l'e round trip ; J. Carey, couductor. Dinner was served at Zimmer's btel, and when it was over, speeches avere made by several prominent men. a Saturday following, the party, accompanied by pieces of artillery and a nd, made the round trip to Carlisle Station, stopping for breakfast at Mi- , lisburg on the return. When the Dayton & Western Railroad was being cated in Dayton it was desired to condemn an acre and a quarter of land longing to N. Longworth, for depot purposes, and a jury was chosen consting of S. D. Edgar, Robert Means, and J. L. Williams, men of property id good standing, who decided the value of the condemned land to be $600, id the benefits accruing to other property of Mr. Longworth were placed at i.,500, making him really indebted $900 to the company. The first railroad mident in Dayton occurred June 25, 1851, when a seven- year-old son of John legg fell from a, car in the old Miami River & Lake Erie Railroad yard, >rth of First street, and had his right leg crushed below the knee by is entire train passing over it. The injured limb was amputated by Dr, ewett.