The Cairo and Vincennes Railroad was a 19th-century

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

railroad that connected

Cairo, Illinois Cairo ( ) is the southernmost city in Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County. The city is located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Fort Defiance, a Civil War camp, was built here in 1862 by Union General Ulysses ...

, with

Vincennes, Indiana Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the lower Wabash River in the Southwestern Indiana, southwestern part of the state, nearly halfway between Evansville, Indi ...

. It was chartered by the state of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

in 1867 through the efforts of former

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Green B. Raum, who subsequently oversaw the planning and engineering of the proposed line. Within a few years, the fledgling railroad company named another former general,

Ambrose Burnside Ambrose Everett Burnside (May 23, 1824 – September 13, 1881) was an American army officer and politician who became a senior Union general in the Civil War and three times Governor of Rhode Island, as well as being a successful inventor ...

, as its president. The Cairo & Vincennes began laying track in 1870 and completed the initial portion in 1872 to haul coal from southern Illinois mines. However, the route was not fully completed until late in 1874. In January 1874, the railroad was teetering on bankruptcy and the contractors, the firm of Winslow & Wilson, applied for control. In February, a new board of directors assumed control of the railroad and named industrialist

J. P. Morgan John Pierpont Morgan Sr. (April 17, 1837 – March 31, 1913) was an American financier and investment banker who dominated corporate finance on Wall Street throughout the Gilded Age. As the head of the banking firm that ultimately became known ...

as the new president, replacing Burnside. In April, the C&V formally went into

receivership In law, receivership is a situation in which an institution or enterprise is held by a receiver—a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights"—especially in ca ...

. The next month, receivers H. L. Morrill and A. B. Salford took possession of the Cairo and Vincennes Railroad.PRR Chronology 1874
/ref> The line was reorganized into the Cairo and Vincennes Railway in 1880, which in turn became part of the

Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railway The Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including track in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Missouri and the province of Ontario. Its primary con ...

in 1881, but was resold to the Cairo, Vincennes and Chicago Railway at the Wabash's

foreclosure Foreclosure is a legal process in which a lender attempts to recover the balance of a loan from a borrower who has stopped making payments to the lender by forcing the sale of the asset used as the collateral for the loan. Formally, a mortg ...

in 1889. The CV&C became part of the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway (Big Four) system, which itself became part of the

New York Central Railroad The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Midw ...

system in 1906. Much of the original route of the C&V remains in usage for freight hauling. Part, in Illinois, has been rededicated as the Tunnel Hill State Trail.

Cities on the line

* St. Francisville, Illinois *

Allendale, Illinois Allendale is a village in Wabash Precinct, Wabash County, Illinois. The population was 475 at the 2010 census. History Allendale was founded in 1869, taking its name from Colonel C. M. Allen, a railroad official. 1989 tornado On January 7, 1 ...

Mt. Carmel, Illinois Mount Carmel is a city in and the county seat of Wabash County, Illinois, Wabash County, Illinois, United States. At the time of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the population was 7,284, and it is the largest city in the county. The ne ...

Grayville, Illinois Grayville is a city in Edwards and White counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2010 Census, the city's population was 1,666, reflecting a decrease of 59 (-3.4%) from the 1,725 in 2000. Grayville is the birthplace of naval hero James ...

Carmi, Illinois Carmi is a city in and the county seat of White County, Illinois, United States, along the Little Wabash River, where the population was 5,240 at the 2010 census. History Carmi post office has been in operation since 1817, and then a WPA oil on ...

Norris City, Illinois Norris City is a village in White County, Illinois. The population was 1,275 at the 2010 census. History Norris City was incorporated in 1901. The original plat of Norris City was filed for record in the White County Courthouse in Carmi, Ill ...

Eldorado, Illinois Eldorado () is a city in Saline County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,122 at the 2010 census, with a 1980 peak of 5,198. Although the city's name is spelled as if it were Spanish, the name was originally "Eldereado" or “Elder-Re ...

* Muddy, Illinois *

Harrisburg, Illinois Harrisburg () is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Illinois, United States. It is located about southwest of Evansville, Indiana, and southeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Its 2020 population was 8,219, and the surrounding Harrisbur ...

Ledford, Illinois Ledford is an unincorporated community in the Harrisburg Township, Saline County, Illinois, Harrisburg Township, Saline County, Illinois, Saline County, Illinois, United States situated between Carrier Mills, Illinois, Carrier Mills and Harrisburg ...

Carrier Mills, Illinois Carrier Mills, formerly Carrier's Mills and Morrilsville, also known as Catskin, is a village in Saline County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,672 at the 2020 census. Carrier Mills was named after George Washington Carrier's saw ...

Stonefort, Illinois Stonefort is a village in Saline and Williamson Counties, Illinois, United States. The population was 297 at the 2010 census. History Stonefort is named for an ancient rock fortification that stood in the vicinity when the first settlers starte ...

New Burnside, Illinois New Burnside is a village in Johnson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 211 at the 2010 census. History In 1878, New Burnside peaked in population at 1,200 when the railroad ran through the middle of the town. The population dec ...

Parker City, Illinois Parker City, also known simply as Parker, is a former settlement in Johnson County, Illinois, United States. Parker City was west of New Burnside, south of Creal Springs, and founded at the crossings of the former Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicag ...

* Tunnel Hill, Illinois *

Vienna, Illinois Vienna ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Johnson County, Illinois, United States, and it is the site of two well-known state penitentiaries. The population of Vienna was 1,434 at the 2010 census. History Vienna was originally an Indian t ...

* Forman, Illinois *

Mound City, Illinois Mound City is a city and the county seat of Pulaski County, Illinois, United States. It is located along the Ohio River just north of its confluence with the Mississippi River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 588. History Mound Ci ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cairo Vincennes Railroad Cairo, Illinois Knox County, Indiana Companies affiliated with the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway Defunct Illinois railroads Defunct Indiana railroads Predecessors of the New York Central Railroad Ambrose Burnside Railway companies established in 1867 Railway companies disestablished in 1880 American companies disestablished in 1880 American companies established in 1867