Miami County, Indiana - Chapter 14: Canal and Railroads Wabash and Erie Canal, 1896

HE old Wabash and Erie canal is a subject of much material interest to the ils people of this county. It was projected and opened during a period of wonderful progress ef internal improvement in Indiana. It was destined to form @ great link in the chain of communication of trade and travel from New York City to the Mississippi. The cana) did a great deat for tbe early development of the state When it was opened for navigation emigrants poured into the Wabash valley. Land was taken up, the forests eleared, cities sprang up, and streams of commerce opened all along the canal. A near market was furnished and the price of products doubled.

The first ground was broken for this canal at Fort Wayue Feb. 22, 1832. Thirty-two miles was completed that year. 'The first contract let in this ecounty was in July, 1834. 'Fhe first boat, the ''Indiana,".commanded by Capt. Columbia, was to have arrived in Peru the Fourth of July, 1837. A great crowa had gathered to witness its arrival, but the banks were at first very poruus, the water was readily absorbed, and there was not enough water to buoy the boat and 1t could not reach here. It was gotten. however, within about a mile of the town and the passengers walked in. They were givena royal reception and a dance was held in honor of the event, 'fhe 'Prairie' was the first boat to pass here, the 6th or 7th of July, 1837.

The digging of this great canal and the building of dams and locks for feeders required a great deal of work. No doubt but that there was enough whisky drank to float a small boat the full length of it. Men.would not work then for a neighbor, much less on the canal. without whisky. Intoxicants became such a nuisance that the contractors met at Maumee and resolved to dispense with the use of liquors.

O. P. Webb relates an incident in relation to the old canal. He says that at that time a thief was regarded almost as bad as a murderer. A larve sum of money, $75.000, was sent here to pay the men working on the ie 7 The paymaster's office was on Broadway, opposite to where the Bearss House now is, in James B. Fulwiler's store. The money was brought in a grea. sack and thrown into one corner of the store. Little was thought of it uniil the paymaster went to get it to pay the men. It was not there. There was only one man On whom any suspicion could rest. The contractors took this man out on the banks of the river and forced him to tell where the money was con- cealed. They whipped him until he was bruised and then hung him to a tree until he was almost dead. Then they took him down and told him they would horse, saddle and bridle, $75. and agreed to take him to Dr. Fitch, of Logansport, and have his wounds cured, 'he man then admitted that he took the money and guided the contractors to the spot -where it was concealed. It had been placed in a hole near Shearer's warehouse aud a large stone was rolled over it. This is the way thieves were treated in those days.

The Wabash and Erie cana! was one of thirteen great public works in Indiana, and it was the policy of the government to prosecute these simultaneously. The great majority of the people were in favor of this, but many were strongly Opposed to it. This gave rise to two political parties, one in favor of borrewing a great sum of money to complete the works, and the other against increasing the state debt. The greatest of these public works was the Wabash and Erie canal. In 1838 the state had berrowed $3,827,000. $1,927,000 of which was for the canal. 'The interest was then $200,000 per year. The aggregute length of the canals embraced in the system in 1840 was 1,160 miles. Only 140 miles was then completed. The amount expended had reached the sum of $5,600,000, and it required $14,000,000 more to complete them. The state had been granted every alternate section of land for five miles on each side of the proposed route of the canal, but much of the best lacd had been granted to the chiefs and head men of the Miamis. 'Ihe state was permitted to select from any unsold government land an equivalent in quantity to the reservations. This was done 4nd the sale* of these lands was held in Peru, 1844. Lands sold readily, population increased rapidly, little hamlets grew to towns and towns to cities, but the great state of Indiaua had undertaken more than it could do. That was clear after four or five years of unparalleled improvement. The canal had been completed to Lafayette, much money wus due the contractors, but there was no money to pay them, and they surrendered their contracts to the state. The governor issued to the vontractors certificates of indebtedness on yellow paper, which was called -'yellow dog." In 1840 bills of $5 and $10 denominationus were issued in their stead, and these were called ''white dog." 'The money used to pay the contractors south of Laiayette was called ''blue pup." 'This money was very limited in circulation and was much depreciated. It could be used only in the purchase of canal land and was worth from 40 to 50 ceaots on the dollar. This was a great loss to the contractors, but a blessing to the poor who wished to buy eaval land. It was very elear that the state must abandon its great scheme of internal improvement. But the main course of the canal was completed after working about ten years from time to time.

There were two passenger boats that passed Peru each day, one from the west and one from the east. The freight boats were numerous, but had no exact time to reach a given point and could not be depended upon. The canal was profitable for twenty years or more. When the Wabash railroad was built its great facility of rapid transportation soon a the business of the canal. The passenger boats were taken off. The Silat yearly cut down the rates on the canal and the freight boats gradually disappeared one by one. It was not long until extensive repairs were needed all «ai:ng the line, but there was no money for the work, and the last boat slowly rippled its waters in the summer of 1872. For several years stagnant, malarial waters filled its course. In most of the cities and towns it has been filled up, and in the country on the site of the old canal are cultivated fields. The canal - through the city of Peru lies open and until recently was filled with the deadliest stagnant, malarial water.

There are six railroads in Miami County, namely: Luke Erie & Western Pittsbure, Cineinunatti, Chicago & St. Louis; Wabash; Eel River; Peru & De troit; Chigago & Evie. 'Tae total number of miles ia this couaty of main track is 84.23, of side track 27.95. The total value of track, rolling stock, improyme nts and personal property amounts to $2,075.800, fourteen and two-fifths per cent of the total value of the property in Miami County. For a complete and full report of the assessment of railroad property, we refere you to p ge 95.

The Lake Erie & Western was incorporated under the name of the Iodianapolis & Peru railroad company, January 11, 1846. 'The board of directors was then elected and this county was represented by J. T. Miller, G. S. Fennimore, William Kessler, R: L. Britton, W. J. Holman and N.O. Ross. Ia June 1849 a subscription of $20,000 was asked for to carry on the project, and the people readily voted this amount and $10.000 was at once borrowed and placed in the hands of the directors. It was soon found that this sum was. not snfficient and many other appeals were made and the road was finally completed to Peru in the spring of 1854, and later to Michigan City, the northern terminus. This road has 32.61 of main track and 9.49 of side track in the county. Peru has been the beadquarters for many em,;loyes of the road and for much of its rolling stock. Its shops and round-house was built here in 1853, in the southwest part of the city. The road passed into the hands of the I. P. & C. in 1873 and the old shops were torn away and new ones ware built in the northwest part of the city. The buildings and grounds cover about ten acres. 'The number of hands now employed are 150. The road changed hands in 1878 and was then known as the Lake Erie & Western. In 1831 the Wabash leased it until 1837 when they surrendered the lease to tha Lake Erie & Western company, who are the present owners.

In 1852 plans we 'e made to build a road along the beautiful and fertile valley of the Wabash, connecting Toledo ana St. Louis. Logansport was a central point on the proposed route and a meeting was called to be held there the 23 of June 1853. A large number of eastern capitalists, contractors, survey_ ors, civil engineers and business men of the Wabash valley assembled at that place on the appointed day. Among the Peruvins who are now living that attended the meeting were James B Fulwiler and L. D. Adkison.

writer of Ben-Hur. D. D. Pratt, an attorney of Logausport, who was later sent to the United States senate, was called to make a speech. He walked to the desk and signed his name for a certain sum of money for the road. He said: «There is my speech." Others followed with the same kind of speech and a very large sum of money was soon subscribed. A company was incorporated.under the name of the Wabash, St, Louis & Pacific railroad compuny, whose purpose it was to construct a roau from Toledo to St. Louis. Such encouragement was given all along the line that it was commenced at once and was completed in 1856. When the 'Wabash company leased the Lake Ene & Western in 1833. preperations were soon made to move the head quarters of the western division form Fort Wayne to Peru. A large two story fire- proof building was put up at the station and in 1883 the offices were removed to this place. The officers of tnis division are: E. A. Gould, superintendent; J. S. Stevens, master of transportation; A. B. Adams, general road master; W. S. Danes, superintendent of bridges and buildings; E. K. Wood ward, resident engineer. 'lhe chief dispatcher's office is located here.

Tbe Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis (commonly known as the Pan Handle) was built through this county in 1867. This road was a great aid to the early development of the south part of the county. A number of prosserous towns bave been built along the route. Converse, Amboy, North Grove and Bunker Hill were laid out as soon as the route was surveyed. This road has 17.45 miles of main and 6.08 miles of side track in this county, and is assessed higher than any other road. 'Though it is not as long as the L. FE. and W., yet its track is much more valuable and its roliing stock is much better than any other railroad.

The Peru and Detroit road runs from Peru to Chili. It there connects with the Ee] River and runs to Butler, thence over another line to Detroit. A company was organized in 1889 for the construction of the road. C.H. Browne)] was elected president, IL. B. Fulwiler secretary, and seven directors were chosen, among the number being R. H. Bouslog, R. A. Edwards ana J. O. Cole. On the 28th day of May Peru township voted an appropriation of $40,000 and the commissioners tben ordered that for the years of °89 and 90 a tax of $1 on each $100 of valuation of real estate and personal property in Peru township be assessed for the construction of the road. By this levy # tax of $43,- 995.84 was raised. Afver paying the railroad the amount of money voted the balance was turned into the township fund. Private individuals subscribea $95,000 for the road. It was completed in 1889 and was at once leased to the Wabash for ninety-nine years. The Wabash repair shops and round-house were built in Peru.in 1890 and the engines of the Peru and Detroit and Kel River roads are here «stabled" and repaired. The length of this road is 7.26 miles, with a side track of .388 of a mile. The valuation of the track and rolling stock was, according to the assessment of 1895. $711,665. The improvements and personal property of this road are assessed to the Wabash.

this county. It was constructed in this county in 1871 and 72. The total valuation of the road in the county is $245,675. It is leased by the Wabash for ninety-nine years and has been the subject of much litigation to recover the lease. The Chicago and Erie crosses the northeast corner of Perry township. It has only .35 of a mile in the county and the total valuation is estimated at

The majority of the citizens of this county may not be aware that at one time Peru was about to become one of the leading railroad centers of the west. It was in the year 1853, when surveyors were running hither and thither all over the west surveying routes tor proposed railroads. It was a period of giant schemes in railroad coustruction. The road of the east were seeking to unite with the most favorable proposed routes to the great metropolises of the west. A railroad company was organized in Peru in 1853 and was incorporated under the name of the Marion, Peru and Chicago Railroad company. M. G. Mitchell. of Piqua, Ohio, was elected president. L. B. Fulwiler vice-president. and Ira Stanley, N. O. Ross, John A. Graham, Jesse Higgins and L. D. Adkisoo of this county were elected directors, and also Dr. C. 5. Ellis, of Somerset, and M. Pierce, of Marion. Capitalists of New York made the proposition to the directors of the company that if they could form connections witb the Columbus, Piqua and Indiana and the Marion and Mississinewa Valley Railroad companies they would furnish money to build the road. - This was not a very great task. M. G. Mitchell, the presiden. of the new company, was the director of the Columbus, Piqua aud Inliana. A Mr. Lomax was the president of the other road. Be it remembered that this new road was to be » a trunk line and was to connect the east with not only Chicago but St. Louis and the great west. The proposed route was to connect with the two roads above mentioned at Union City, then run to Marion, thence along the Mississinewa river to Peru; thence to the north and west. Such a scheme, if carried out, would have made Peru a great city in a few years. The people of this county and all along the proposed roxte were very anxious for the road and a very large sum of money was subscribed. Mr. Fulwiler went to Marion and by a written agreement formed a connection witb the two railroads that the New York capitalists had mentioned. He came home loaded with laurels, only to soon learn that his great plaus were diverted. Thomas Tyner, an uncle of James Tyner, and a Mr. French of Cincianati, who represented themselves as Capitalists, succeeded in changing the route-so as to pass througb Cambvidge City. A great deal of money and lands were donated for the road» the surveys were made, the land was sold, the money was pocketed, and the road was dropped.

In the spring of 1893 a company incorported under the name of the Chicago, Indiana and Eastern Railroad company proposed to build a road through this county, providing liberal appropriations were aae. An election was held in Peru and Jackson Townships on the 2d of June. 1893, and it was decided that Peru Township should appropriate $50,000 and cackson $15,000. There were 1.003 votes cast in favor of the appropriation and 457 against. Accordingly the commissioners ordered that for 1893, 75 cents on each $100 valuation in the two townships be levied for the appropriation. The company did nothing toward building the road that year, and the levy was ordered to be erased from the books. The company built about ten miies of the road. from Matthews to Fairfield, and then beeame much involved in litigations in the matter of right of way. In November, 1895, the company passed into the