Fayette County, Indiana - Chapter 8: Internal Improvements, 1885

Chapter 8: Internal Improvements

ONE of the gi-eat inconveniences attending the settlement of a new country is the utter destitution of improvements. The pioneer as he journeys onward into the wilderness over hills, through trackless and tangled thickets, crossing bridgless streams and through swamps, at the very outset is impressed with the idea that a road would be most desirable.

The first roads in Fayette County were mere trails or paths for horses made by the Indians while en route to and from their favorite hunting grounds and camps, or to the trading-posts established at points along the beautiful Whitewater, whence they went to barter their pelts and furs.

One of these early paths was the " Indian Trace " leading from Connersville, or the trading-post of John Conner, to the northwest to an Indian village located in the center of the Thorutown Reservation, in what_is now Boone County, this State.

One of the earliest provisions of the laws enacted for the government of the Northwest Territory was that which provided a "road fund." Various roads through the county were early proposed and some of them constructed, but these for years were little more than tracks through the woods cleared of timber, with no bridges, and in the rich and fresh condition of the soil became next to impassable in the wet seasons. As early as 1820 Commissioners were appointed to lay out " State roads." One materially affecting Fayette County was from Lawrencoburg through Brookville by way of Southgate and Tanner's Creek, Connersville, Waterloo and Centreville to Winchester. Over a half century ago it was familiarly called the Connersville State road, and from Brookville it was a continuation of Main Street, up the hill northward

"In 1819 or 1820 another road was made from the Whitewater Valley, near Connersville, passing through Rush County, and crossing Big Flat Rock not far from where Smelser's mills were afterward built; then crossing Blue River above Morristown; thence to the site of Indianapolis. I am under the impression that this road was made by George Pogue and John McCormack, as it has always been understood that these two gentlemen were the first persons who, with their families, moved from the Whitewater Valley, and settled in the neighborhood of where Indianapolis now stands." - i[Elijah Hackleman.^

Mail And Stage Routes

In the spring of 1833, long before the county had advanced to the era of gravel or macadamized highways, the notes of the bugle horn could be heard announcing the arrival of the stage coach from Cincinnati, which if not detained by a " stick in the mud " was on time. The mail lines of stages of which we write were at this period owned and managed by Abner McCarty, of Brookville, who informed the public by a notice in a paper of that village that "the stages will leave William Henries, near City Hall, in Cincinnati, every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday for Brookvilje; leave Brookville every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for Cincinnati; leave, Centreville every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday for Brookville; every Saturday for Richmond; leave Richmond every Sunday for Brookville.

"To and from these points was uia Harrison, Trenton, Brookville, Connersville and Milton to Centreville. From Brookville via Fairfield, Dunlapsville, Liberty, Brownsville and Abington to Richmond."

The entrance of the route from Cincinnati into the village of Connersville, as given by a pioneer, was "over by Swifts' and Orr's, where it left the main road and passed by old Uncle Sol Claypool's, then across the strip of woods in the river bottom to the ford opposite where Root's foundry now stands."

Whitewater Valley Canal

One of the early demands of the people of a new country is for means of intercommunication. So soon as the western country began to be settled there began the cry for national aid in opening up all sorts of avenues for ingfress and egress to and from the frontier lands. New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio had given great attention to the subject of canals, and Indiana early in its history turned its attention to the same subject.

The project of a canal through the Whitewater Valley was agitated as early as 1822 or 1823, by Alvin Joselyn, then connected with the Brookville press; subsequently there was held at Harrison, Ohio, a convention of delegates from Franklin Wayne, Union, Randolph, Fayette and Dearborn counties. A survey was soon made under the supervision of Col. Shriver's Brigade of United States Engineers. Col. Shriver died before the survey was completed, and after his death the work was continued by Col. Stansbury, who began at the mouth of Garrison's Creek, but discontinned his labor on the approach of winter.

Nothing further seems to have been done until in 1834, when from the Connersville Watchman it appears that " a corps of engineers are surveying the route of the contemplated canal down the valley of the Whitewater."

In January, 1836, was passed by the General Assembly of Indiana the celebrated act to provide for a general system of internal improvements under which were commenced the Wabash and Erie Canal, the Madison & Indianapolis Railroad, Indiana Central Canal and the Whitewater Valley Canal. The last named work was to extend from Hagerstown to Lawrenceburg. (The State of Ohio, or a company chartered by the State, afterward constructed a branch from Harrison, Ohio, to Cincinnati.)

The passage of this bill was celebrated at Connersville by an old-timo jollification on the evening of the 18th of January, which, however, ended in a very appalling accident by which one young man lost his life and three others were maimed. An account

The survey and location of the Whitewater Valley Canal were completed and the contracts for building the various sections were let at Brookville, September 13, 1836, which event was there the occasion of a celebration, and that day made a general gala day. The orator on the occasion was Hon. David Wallace. Gov. Noble, ex-Gov. James B. Ray, Dr. Drake, of Cincinnati, and George H. Dunn, Esq., of Lawrenceburg, were chosen as representative characters to perform the ceremony of "breaking ground " for the new canal.

Under the auspices of the State, the canal was completed from the Ohio River to Brookville, as well as aboat half the work from Brookville to Cambridge City. The cost of the work to Brookville was $664,- 665. At this time (1839) the State found itself in debt some $14,000,000, and was compelled to abandon all public works.

The first boat to reach Brookville was the " Ben Franklin." This was on Saturday, June 8, 1839. The citizens gave vent to their joy by the firing of cannon and other demonstrations.

At the session of 1841-42, the Legislature chartered the Whitewater Valley Company, with a capital stock of $400,000. Samuel W. Parker, of Connersville, afterward member of Congress from this dis trict, took an active part in getting up the company, and, in connection with J. G. Marshall and others, secm'ed the granting of the charter by the Legislature, of which they were both active members. One of the principal contractors under the State and company was Thomas Tyner.

The citizens of Cambridge City celebrated the commencement of operations by the company, on the 28th of July, 1842, b}' a barbecue, which was attended by about 10,000 persons. The first wheel-barrow load of earth was dug and wheeled out by Hon. Samuel W. Parker; the second, by Hon. Jehu T. Elliott, of New Castle, since a Judge of the Supreme Court. Every one preseot will remember the witty little speech of Parker on first "breaking ground" in the name of the company, and the able-and more formal address which he afterward commenced, but which a terrible thunder-storm prevented him from completing. Letters from Henry Clay and other distinguished persons who had been invited, but failed to attend, were read on the occasion.

In October, 1843, the canal was extended from Brookville fifteen miles to Laurel; to Connersville, twelve miles further, in Juno, 1845; and in October, the same year, it was completed to Cambridge City, the entire cost to the company being $473,000.

On the first day of January, 1847, a tremendous freshet damaged the canal so badly that it cost upward of $100,000 to repair it; by the flood was carried off the aqueduct across Symon's Greek, near Cambridge, and that across the West Fork of Whitewater, at Laurel, besides washing immense channels around the feeder dams at Cambridge, Connersville, Laurel, Brookville, the one four miles below, and that at Harrison, and also did much damage along the whole line. A second flood in November, 1848, only a few weeks after the repairs had been completed, damaged it to the amount of $80,000. It was, however, again repaired and operated, to some extent, for several years, until superseded by railroads, one the Whitewater Valley Railroad, constructed along the tow-path, and part of the way in the bed of the canal, which had been previously placed in the hands of a receiver, and the right-ofway transferred to the railroad company for that purpose.

The canal constructed by the company extended north only to Cambridge City. (The length of the canal from Lawrenceburg to Cambridge City was seventy miles.) Subsequently, in or about the year 1846, the Hagerstown Canal Company was organized and the canal completed to that place in 1847. But a small number of boats, however, ever reached that place, and the canal soon fell into disuse, except as a source of water-power,

Hydraulic Company

The Whitewater Valley Canal Company transferred its hydraulic interest to the Connersville Hydraulic Company, which was organized in December, 1865, with a capital stock of $10,000, under the following officers: President, P. H. Roots; Treasurer, F. M. Roots; Secretary, Samuel Enyart; Board of Directors, P. H. and F. M. Roots, and Matthew Pfafflin. The Hydraulic Company secured a lease from the Canal Company in February, 1866, which was^ approved by the receiver and the United States Circuit Court of the Southern District of Indiana. The company control the Hydraulic from Cambridge City, including the feeder dam at that point, and the one at Loekport; also to Heron's lock, about one mile below Connersville. It is officered at this time (1884) by F. M. Roots, President; F. T. Roots, Superintendent and Treasurer; E. Woodward, Secretary; F. M., F. T. and D. T. Roots, Directors. It has been under the same manaorement from the beginnino'.

Turnpikes And Bridges

decade between 1850-60. A number of such roads were projected in and through the county soon after the passage of the bill relating to such highways, approved May 1, 1852.

Ai'ticles of association under the name of the Milton & Rushville Turnpike Company were tiled in the spring of 1854, with the object in view of constructing a gravel road from " Milton in Wayne County, in the direction of Rushville, in Rush County, to the eastern boundary line of said county, via Bentonville in Fayette County," but it is the understanding that this road was not then constructed.

Articles of association were next filed by the Connersville & Rushville Gravel Road Company, for the purpose of constructing a road " from a point on the Connersville and Rushville State road, a half mile west from the corporation limits of Connersville, thence west on and near the line of said State road, to where the same intersects the county line dividing Rush and Fayette Counties at Vienna; distance about eight miles." This road was constructed.

At about this time several roads were projected and constructed, and in 1856, as shown by a map of the county, the following gravel or macadamized roads were in process of construction, or completed, the distance in the county being given:

The first bridge of auy particular size in this county was built over Whitewater River, on the road leading from Connersville to East Connersville. The contractors were Minor Meeker, H. B. Woodcock and James Veatch. It was built between the year 1838 and 1842. The contract for a now wrought iron bridge over Waterloo ford was awarded to the Canton, Ohio, Wrought Iron Bridge Company, in June, 1881, for 110,637.37. This company had constructed, two yearri prior, the bridge at Nulltown. The new bridge at Waterloo was viewed and accepted by the Commissioners in March, 1884. Cost $4,555. The greater number of the larger bridges of the county have been built within the last decade.

The Cincinnati, Hamilton <& Indianapolis Railroad was constructed by the Junction Railroad Company, which was incorporated by the State of Indiana, February 15, 1848, tor the purpose of constructing a railroad from Rushville, Ind., by the way of Connersville and Osford, to coQuaat with the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad at Hamilton, Ohio. The Legislature of Ohio, on the 8th of March, 1849, granted to this company the right to extend its road from the State line to Hamilton, and gave to it all the rights, privileges and powers granted to railroad companies by the general law of Ohio, passed in February, 1848. The company was organized in 1849, and surveys were made preparatory to the location of the road from Rushville to Hamilton; but a diiference of opinion arose as to the best route, which 'produced a temporary suspension of operations on the road Early in 1852 the company was re-organized, and new officers elected, who adopted measures to make the location of the road upon the route originally designated in the charter. The construction of the road was commenced in 1852, and was continued with moderate progress, at intervals, until 1864, when it was completed to Connersville.

In 1853 the officers of the company were as follows: President, John Woods; Directors, J. D. Jones, of Cincinnati; J. M. Ridenour, of College Corner; S. W.Parker, of Connersville; W. M. Smith, of Connersville; John Woods, of Hamilton; George Hibben, of Rushville; J. Blake, of Indianapolis; Treasurer, William Tindall, of Connersville; Secretary, J. Leach, of Connersville; Chief Engineer, A. H. Campbell, of Liberty. Mr. Campbell served as Chief Engineer of the road continuously up to 1871.

In February, 1853, the Ohio & Indianapolis Railroad Company was incorporated for the purpose of constructing a railroad from Rushville to Indianapolis. This company was organized by the friends and stock-holders of the Junction Railroad, for the purpose of obtaining a direct communication upon a continuous railroad of the same gauge between Indianapolis and Cincinnati. This company in

April, 1858, was consolidated with and merged into the Junction Railroad Company. By this means the Junction Railroad was extended from Indianapolis to Hamilton, ninety-eight miles, where it connects with the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad.

In 1806 an effort was made to complete the construction from Connersville to Rushville, and the following winter and spring the company became financially embarrassed, and the work was suspended.

In April, 1867, a party of some twelve individuals of means purchased a controlling interest in the stock, and assumed the purchase of the unsold first mortgage bonds of the company, and commenced work to complete the road and equip with rolling stock the entire line to Indianapolis. This was effected so far that trains ran over the whole road from Cincinnati to Indianapolis, in June, 1868.

The estimated average cost of the construction of the road per mile from Indianapolis to Hamilton ready for the rolling stock was made by the Chief Engineer at $21,516.75.

The Whiteioater Valley Railroad from Cincinnati, constructed along the tow-path, and, part of the way, in the bed of the canal, passes through the county from south to north to Cambridge City, its northern terminus. The articles of association of the company constructing the road were filed with the Secretary of State June 8, 1865, and the road was completed to Connersville in the spring of 1867, and soon thereafter to Cambridge City. Prom the latter city the road passed to Hagerstown on the Columbus, Chicago & Indiana Central.

The Fort Waytie, Cincinnati <& Louisville Railroad filed its articles of association with the Secretary of State December 6, 1881. The road was originally a branch of the C. & I. Junction R. R., extending from Connersville through Cambridge City to New Castle, and was known as the Connersville & New Castle Junction R. R. The road was built directly after the completion of the C. & I. Junction R. R. It was subsequently extended and became known as the Fort Wayne, Muncie & Cincinnati Railroad.

The Jeff ersonville, Madison d- Indianapolis R. R. - The railroad crossing the northwestern corner of the county, running from Rushville to Cambridge City, known as the J. M. & I., of which it is a branch, was completed July 4, 1867. The road was originally a part of the Lake Erie & Louisville R. R., extending from Freemont, Ohio, to Rushville, Ind., and by connections to Louisville.

The C. H. & L R. R. has 15.3 miles of main track in the county of Fayette; the Fort Wayne, Cincinnati & Louisville, 4.87 miles; the J. M. &I., 8.43 miles; and the Whiowater Valley 14.16 miles, making in all 42.76 miles.