Knox County, Illinois - Chapter 9: Railroads, 1878

The difficulty of reaching market in early day, and the long time it required for the pioneers to "get out of the wilderness " into that region of civilization where railroads and a thousand other public conveniences were omnipresent, need not be illustrated here, as it is sufficiently dwelt upon elsewhere in this volume. The simple fact that the early settlers of Knox county belonged to the Anglo-Saxon race fully accounts for their rising up betimes, equally with the civilized people of the East or elsewhere. Accordingly they were among the first in the State to make efforts for the construction of a road toward that region of the world whence they emigrated. While " paper " railroads were spread all over the rest of the State, leaving Knox county, the " garden of the West," out in the cold, the people here began to act as if they depended upon themselves, and thus they really got ahead of most of her sister counties, which depended more or less upon the promised aid of the " paper schemes." Here was a grand illustration of the moral in the fable of the "Farmer and the Lark," in our school readers.

The Legislature in 1836 and '37 enacted a system of internal improvement without a parallel in the grandeur of its conception. They ordered the construction of 1,300 miles of railroad, crossing the State in all directions. There were a few counties not touched by railroad, river or canal, and those were comforted and compensated by the free "distribution of $200,000 among them. Knox county was among the favored few who received the money instead of the " paper " railroad. William McMurtry was in the Legislature at the time and preferred the former to the railroad.

To carry these stupendous improvements into effect, it was ordered that work should be commenced on both ends of each of the railroads and rivers, and at each river crossing, all at the same time.

The appropriations for these vast improvements were over $12,000,- 000. All this was done in the incipiency of railroading, and while the State had whole counties with scarcely a cabin, and its population was less than 400,000.

and the shares $100 each. A certain amount of the stock had to be subscribed by the 12th of February following before grading could commence, and other conditions were imposed which were soon after found to be burdensome, and were modified by the next Legislature. The affairs of the corporation were to be managed by a board of nine directors, to be chosen annually by the stockholders from among themselves. The following persons were named as commissioners for receiving subscriptions to the stock : Samuel B. Anderson, James Knox, and Daniel Meek of Knox county; Alex. Turnbull, James W. Davidson, and Wyatt B. S.tapp of Warren county ; Preston W. Martin, John McKinney and Robert M. Patterson of Henderson county ; and "William S. Maus, Alfred G. Curtenius and Isaac Underbill of Peoria county.

The first railroad meeting in the county of which we have any account was held at the court-house in Knoxville, (September 9, 1849, a short report of which is given in the first number of the Knoxville Journal. John Johnston was chairman and John G. Sanburn secretary. Hon. John Denny, Senator from this district, made a speech in favor of the railroad ; but the main object of the meeting was to provide for an assembling of all the citizens in the county at the courthouse in the evening of October 9. When the time arrived a large and enthusiastic audience was present. The same officers acted as at the preliminary meeting. R. S. Blackwell spoke in favor of general corporation laws as being preferable to special laws, and Mr. Denny spoke again in favor of the feasibility of the enterprise as contemplated by the charter. Hon. James Knox also spoke eloquently in favor of the same. A motion was made and carried in favor of the principle of voluntary taxation for funds to prosecute the work. The probable cost of construction was estimated at $500,000 to $750,000. This fact illustrates the general impression in regard to the cost of constructing a railroad : the company spent all their money and all that their credit could raise in building the road from Burlington to Young America, leaving the longest part, from Young America to Peoria, yet to be built, and no money left either to build farther or equip the road already constructed. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad, when fully completed and equipped, was found to cost $48,000 per mile, while the original estimate was only $L0,000 per mile, as made by our own people, who of course were not accustomed to railroad building. A resolution was adopted requesting the commissioners in this county to correspond with the others with a view to concerted action.

the people generally became very enthusiastic. Mr. John S. Winter used the influence of his paper, the Knoxville Journal, in an intelligent and zealous manner for the interest of the cause. Scarcely a number was published without a lengthy and ably written editorial upon the subject. He excelled in the art of pouring oil upon troubled waters. The only opposition to the road at this time was at Monmouth, where the citizens were interested in another route, namely, from Quincy to Rockford.

The first meeting at Galesburg was held November 29, 1849, when Mr. Knox and several residents of the place spoke for the road. Rev. G. W. Gale took an active part in stirring up the people to action in the enterjn'ise. At the request of the Peorians a rousing convention was held at Knoxville December 20, Norman II. Purple, Judge of the Circuit Court, presiding. Committees were appointed to collect statistics relative to the cost of railroad construction, and a resolution was adopted requesting the commissioners to open the subscription books, etc. Several very eloquent addresses were delivered. Not a word of opposition was spoken, and the proceedings of this convention were ratified by meetings of citizens all along the route.

About this time a Michigan man came to Knoxville, and convinced some people that a wooden railroad was about as good as an iron one, and being much cheaper it was far preferable!

At this stage of the development of the country, Knoxville did not feel herself large enough to be jealous of Peoria, for one of her arguments in favor of building the road was, it would build up Peoria and thus bring manufactories nearer home.

While the defects of the charter were causing the enterprise to drag, Peoria organized a new company, under a charter which had formerly been granted to one Andrew Gray, to build and operate at least ten miles of road in a westerly direction from Peoria, and finallj^ go through Farmington and thence direct to Burlington, leaving Knoxville and Galesburg to the north. It was called the " Peoria & Mississippi Railroad Company." The citizens of Knoxville and vicinity favored even this road rather than have no railroad in the county at all; but February 10, 1851, the defects of the charter of the Peoria & Oquawka Company were remedied by the Legislature, permission being given to commence work with a less amount of stock paid in, the road to run through Knoxville and Monmouth, with Galesburg left to the north again - by three miles this time. Therefore, only five days subsequently, the " Central Military Tract Railroad Company" was organized under the general law, at Galesburg, with the following members: Lieutenant Governor William McMurtry, C. S.

Colton, James Bnnce, George C. Lanphere, W. S. Gale, Alfred Brown, Silas Willard, A. C. Wiley, Edwin G. Ellet, Edward Hollister, Sylvester Blish, Barney M. Jackson, Myrtle G. Brace, and William Maxwell. Mr. Lanphere, being the only Democrat in the ring, was sent to the Legislature. He was instructed either to secure a change in the line of the Peoria & Oquawka Railroad so as to make Galesburg a station, or else to secure permission to organize a company under the general railroad law, to construct a railroad from Galesburg to some point on the Chicago & Rock Island Railroad; which last was obtained, the former proposition having been refused; but June 19, 1852, the charter was so amended as to give them the right to connect with any railroad leading directly or indirectly to Chicago. Sheffield was the point they first thought of aiming for, and contracts were let in 1851-2 for building the road to that place; but subsequently they determined to meet the Chicago & Aurora road at Mendota. This change was caused bv the following circumstances: While the Peoria & Oquawka road was being slowly worked up by local subscription alone, Mr. C. S. Colton chanced to meet United States Senator J. W. Grimes, of Burlington, Iowa, in Boston, Massachusetts, and Mr. Wadsworth, of Chicago, President of the Chicago & Aurora Railroad, a branch of the Chicago & Galena Railroad; and after consultation they concluded that an independent route direct to Chicago was the most feasible. Soon after this James W. Brooks, President of the Michigan Central R. R. Co., and James F. Joy, both of Detroit, Mich., interested themselves in the Central Military Tract road. They proposed that if the people along the route from Galesburg to Mendota would subscribe $300,000, they would furnish enough more to complete the grading of the road and laying of the ties; and when that was done they could borrow money on the bonds of the enterprise to complete the road and set it in operation.

The company organized under the general law attempted to secure the construction of the road and to obtain subscriptions therefor; but after two years' fruitless efforts to raise money for a railroad whose rates for fares and freights should be subject to legislative action, they found it impossible, for the reason that Eastern capitalists would not invest their money in a railroad organized under the State law then existing, which gave the Legislature the control over the rates to be charged for transportation of passengers and freight. This was made the special and distinct issue at the time. So, after two years' efforts and no success in their undertaking, the enterprise was abandoned, and a meeting was called at the office of W. Selden Gale (the " Intelligencer '' office), and that gentleman drafted a special charter (copied principally from the charter of the Illinois Central R. R.), which obviated the objection above referred to in regard to fixing rates by the Legislature. This charter gave the company entire control over their property, the same as any other personal property, with fall powers to fix rates of transportation. Mr. 0. S. Colton was delegated to visit Springfield and to secure the passage of this special charter through the Legislature, which he did; and this same charter was the foundation of the C, B. & Q. R. R., which is to-day the pride of this county and State; the credit of whose successful initiation, construction and development belongs to Knox county and to its intelligent and enterprising citizens.

One of the first meetings held in G-alesburg, for the purpose of raising stock, was at the old Academy building, when the first three subscribers were Dr. James Bunce, James Bull and Henry Ferris. Dr. Bunce is dead, Mr. Bull never paid his subscription, and Mr. Ferris is therefore the oldest stockholder now in G-alesburg.

After several months' canvassing for subscriptions to the new company of the C.j B. & Q. R. R., for the $300,000 required as a guaranty for the construction of the road, it was found that there still remained $50,000 to be raised. At this juncture Messrs. Joy and Brooks came to Galesburg and gave notice that they would not promise a further extension of time on behalf of their principals, who had agreed to build the! road when $300,000 was subscribed on the line of the road. It was a vital question to be settled; for $50,000 must be raised to complete this subscription, or the whole enterprise be abandoned, and all the work of two years lost. Every precinct had been canvassed, and meetings held in every school-house to arouse the citizens along the proposed line to subscribe. In some instances only a single share would be subscribed, after an evening's presentation of the importance of the enterprise. This was the position of matters when it was found that the final $50,000 was lacking, and no hope left of raising another dollar. In this last and greatest emergency, O. S. Colton and Silas Willard, who had been the principal promoters of the enterprise, consulted together and finally determined to risk everything on the success of the undertaking. These two gentlemen subscribed each for half of the $50,000, and thereby bound all the other subscriptions, and bound also the Eastern capitalists to their contract for building the road. The subscription of the final $50,000 proved to be even more burdensome than these gentlemen anticipated, as they were compelled to borrow the entire amount at ten per cent, interest; all of their own means being fully occupied in their business. For several years they paid this interest on their $50,000 subscription before the road paid a cent of dividend.

February 1, 1851. the Legislature granted the Northern Cross R. R. Co. power to build a branch from some point on their road in Adams county (now Camp Point) to the most eligible point at or near the southern termination of the Illinois & Michigan canal, provided they would not run east of Knoxville. June 21, 1852, they were further authorized to terminate this branch at any point connecting with any railroad extending northward to Chicago.

In 1852 a survey was made from Galesburg to Mendota, by Chief Engineer W. P. Whittle, assisted by B. B. Wentworth and Prof. George Churchill; and C. M. Carr of Galesburg was put into the field as agent to wake up the people. The road at first had been surveyed through Henderson, but afterwards it was thrown four miles to the east, to make it straight and to avoid the breaks of Henderson creek. Henderson of course did not like this, and Dr. Bunce waggishly consoled them by suggesting that some one could take a yoke of stags and draw Henderson out to the road, to the point since called Wataga.

Keithsburg tried to get a branch from their place to connect with the Central Military Tract at Henderson. Meetings were held along the route, but the project was soon utterly abandoned. In 1853 a railroad from Wataga through Henderson to Keithsburg was chartered by the Legislature as a section of the Northern Cross road, but two years afterward this provision of the charter was repealed.

By the year 1852 Knoxville was fighting Galesburg and tried to get the Northern Cross road to come to that place. Throughout 1851-2 the people between Peoria and Burlington were feverishly waiting for their road to go ahead, and wondering what was the matter. The terminal cities, by a corporation vote, subscribed each $75,000 stock. Burlington got ahead of Oquawka, and then Henderson county refused by 100 majority to take any stock iif the road. June 20, 1851, the P. & O. stockholders met at Knoxville, after due notice given by the commissioners, and elected their first board of -directors, namely, Charles Mason and J. W. Grimes of Burlington, Abner C. Harding and Samuel Webster of Monmouth, James Knox and Julius Manning of Knoxville, Asa D. Reed of Farmington, Rudolphus Rouse and Washington Cockle of Peoria, to serve one year. Mr. Knox was elected president, Robert L. Hannaman secretary, and William Phelps of Peoria treasurer. The first contract for grading was let in October, 1851, at the Peoria end. Soon afterwards the following enthusiastic telegram was sent to Burlington:

Peoria railroad was commenced to-day by the persuasive eloquence of the countrymen of Emmet, forty of whom are using their power in the shape of spades, picks and barrows, the only species of influence which have hitherto succeeded in building railroads."

In December of this year the citizens of Oquawka subscribed about $40,000 stock. June 7, 1852, Charles Mason was elected president. A few days previously he had bought the first two locomotives and some cars for road construction.

After a long negotiation between the managers of the Central Military Tract R. R. and the Northern Cross road (Quincy being the initial point), carried on by C. S. Colton on the part of the former and Hon. !N". Bushnell for the latter, a junction of the two roads was made at Galesburg, which was subsequently ratified by an act of the Legislature. In August the Northern Cross company agreed to meet the Central Military Tract at Galesburg.

June 15, 1853, R. Rouse was chosen president of the P. & O. Co., W. Cockle secretary, J. P. Hotchkiss treasurer, and Julius Manning attorney; and the board accepted the amendment of the charter relative to the " Eastern Extension " from Peoria. By September of this year all parts of the P. & O. road were under contract. Burlington organized for a western extension to the Missouri river.

October 14, 1852, the C. M. T. Company increased their stock from $100,000 to $600,000, and elected the following thirteen directors: J. W. Brooks, Henry Ledyard, J. F. Joy and G. V. jN". Lothrop, of Detroit; I. H. Burch, C. G. Hammond and John H. Kinzie, of Chicago; Chauncey S. Colton, W. Selden Gale, James Bnnce and Silas Willard, of Galesburg; William McMurtry, of Henderson; and John H. Bryant, of Princeton. They elected Mr. Brooks president, J. M. Berrien chief engineer, and David Sanborn, of Galesburg, secretary and treasurer. The engineer's and treasurer's offices were to be at Galesburg, and the stock to be called in the rate of five per cent, a month. Work went ahead. September 11, 1854, the cars reached Princeton, and December 7 the first locomotive engine, the "Reindeer," moved into Galesburg, with a construction train. Exorbitant rents at Galesburg soon caused the treasurer's office to be removed to Chicago.

When the eastern end of the P. & O. road was completed to Elmwood and the western end to Monmouth, work ceased. George C. Bestor, of Peoria, was president, Henry Nollte secretary, and J. P. Hotchkiss treasurer. For some time the officers failed to report to the public, and dissatisfaction among the people was thereby engendered; and when in July, 1854, they called for the balance of the stock, the subscribers were suspicious that all was not right. William S. Maus, of Peoria, James Knox, of Knoxville, and A. C. Harding, of Monmouth, contracted to finish the road between the above-mentioned points, but, being unable to fulfil their contract, they soon sold out to the C. M. T. company, the latter agreeing to complete, equip and operate the road.

The road from Burlington to Peoria was not completed until some time in 1856; and about this time the Chicago & Aurora, the Northern Cross, the Central Military Tract, and the Peoria & Oquawka Cos. were all consolidated under the " Chicago, Burlington & Qnincy Pailroad Company," and this name, finally adopted by the company, was derived from the names of the terminal points of the road at the time of the consolidation of the three lines that have been mentioned. J. W. Brooks was elected president of the road. Since the organization of this- corporation the Galesburg division, which is the most important of the road, has been under the immediate supervision of Henry Hitchcock, who by his efficient labors has kept his division second to none.

In all this railroad construction the county of Knox has never been called upon in its corporate capacity to render aid, nor indeed any city or township therein.

A few years ago the C, B. & Q. Company bought the Rockford, Rock Island & St. Louis railroad under foreclosure of mortgage, for $1,600,000. It is said that that road cost $11,000,000, and bondholders in Germany are the losers of about six-sevenths of their investment. The road has a few miles of track in the northwestern portion of the county, and the Peoria & Rock Island railroad has two miles of track across the northeastern corner of the county.

Besides this, from $30,000 to $50,000 a year is paid out in Galesburg for miscellaneous jobs. About $50,000 a month is now paid out in Galesburg alone on the railroad account.

654; damages paid for property destroyed by fire, $13,250. Number of passengers carried, 2,065,143; number of passengers carried one mile, 93,306,293; average distance traveled by each passenger, 45 miles; number of tons of freight carried, 2,660,023.

As one successful enterprise begets others, the success of the C, B. & Q. R. R. has incited other railroad enterprises having Galesburg for a point. As early as 1857 charters were obtained for the Galesburg & Rock Island and the Galesburg & Muscatine railroads. To the former of these the city of Galesburg pledged $30,000. In 1870 the Court Creek R. R. Co. was chartered and preliminary surveys were made, and the city, by an almost unanimous vote, offered for its construction $100,000. In the winter of 1875-6 the Keokuk, Galesburg & Chicago Narrow-Gauge Railway Company was organized; a preliminary survey was made, and pledges to the amount of about $75,000 given in Galesburg for its construction, the money to be repaid in transportation when the road was built.

The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company has always kept a better road than perhaps any other company west. The roadbed is about perfect, the track smooth and firm, and the rolling stock of the first class. The passenger coaches have always been elegantly furnished, and the trains run closely to time. A double track now extends from Chicago nearly to Princeton, and probably will soon be completed through to Galesburg. One from Galesburg to Center Point is already built. The company has control also of the Burlington & Missouri River R. R. as far west as Kearney Junction, Nebraska.

In the personnel of road service the company has also kept ahead of other roads, - agents and conductors obliging, engineers faithful, and brakemen prompt. The superintendents have also been scrupulous and exact, training the men under them to such habits as commend them to good situations here or elsewhere.

Henry Hitchcock has been Superintendent of the Galesburg division and a resident of the city of Galesburg for about 20 }Tears. He is a man of few words, and commands the respect and esteem of all the employees on his division. He stands high as a citizen, and his long service for such a corporation as the C, B. & Q. is a sufficient testimonial to his competency and integrity.

J. T. Clarke, formerly Road-master, and S. T. Shankland, Assistant Road-master, are now division superintendents on the Union Pacific R. R. A. N. Towne worked his way up on the C, B. & Q. road from brakeman to Assistant Superintendent and he is now General Superintendent of the Central Pacific. These men are proofs of the good training given by the C, B. & Q. Company.