Cleveland, Columbus And Cincinnati Railroad
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The Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad (CC&C) was a
railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
that ran from
Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
to
Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, the capital city of the U.S. state of Ohio * Columbus, Georgia, a city i ...
in the
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of
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
in the
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. Chartered in 1836, it was moribund for the first 10 years of its existence. Its charter was revived and amended in 1845, and construction on the line began in November 1847. Construction was completed and the line opened for regular business in February 1851. The CC&C absorbed a small bankrupt railroad in 1861, and in May 1868 merged with the
Bellefontaine Railway The Indianapolis and Bellefontaine Railroad (I&B) was an American railroad founded in 1848. It changed its name to the Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Cleveland Railroad (IP&C) in 1854. Its counterpart in Ohio was named the Bellefontaine and Indiana ...
to form the
Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway The Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway (CCC&I) was formed from the merger of the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad (CC&C) with the Bellefontaine Railway in 1868. The Bellefontaine had been formed by a merger of ...
.


First charter and failure to build


Early proposals

The first railroad from
Lake Erie Lake Erie ( ) is the fourth-largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and also has the shortest avera ...
to Columbus was proposed in 1831. Intended to run from Sandusky on the lake south to
Dayton Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
, with a branch to Columbus, no action was taken on this project. On February 8, 1832, the
Ohio General Assembly The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate. Both houses of the General Assembly meet at the Ohio Statehouse in Colu ...
granted a charter to the Columbus, Marion, and Sandusky Railroad. This line was authorized to have its terminus in Columbus and run through the towns of
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...
,
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, and Upper Sandusky before connecting with the
Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad The Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad was the second railroad to be built and operated in the U.S. state of Ohio (the Erie and Kalamazoo Railroad was first, beginning operations in Toledo during the Toledo War in 1836). It was also the first rail ...
. No construction ever began on this railroad, either.


First charter of the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad

The Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad (CC&C) was chartered by the state of Ohio on March 14, 1836, and authorized to construct a railroad from Cleveland to
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
, passing through the cities of Columbus and Wilmington. The charter required that construction begin within three years, and that the road be completed no later than 10 years after the start of construction. The incorporators of the new CC&C included John A. Bryan and others from Franklin County, as well as investors from
Clark Clark is an English language surname with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland, ultimately derived from the Latin ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educated ...
,
Clinton Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has also been used as a given nam ...
, Cuyahoga,
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...
,
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,
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,
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, Knox,
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,
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,
Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...
, Richland, and Wayne counties, met to plan the railroad. Fundraising failed, no construction occurred, and the charter lapsed.


Revived charter and fund-raising


Revival of the charter

In 1844,
John W. Allen John William Allen (August 24, 1802October 5, 1887) was an American lawyer and politician from Ohio. He served two terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1837 to 1841 and also served as the fourth Mayor of Cleveland. Early lif ...
, Philo Scoville, and five other Cleveland business and civic leaders sought to revive the CC&C charter. They succeeded in persuading the Ohio General Assembly to do so on March 12, 1845. The new charter specified that the railroad must construct a line between Cleveland and Columbus, and was permitted (but not required) to build a line from Columbus to Cincinnati. The railroad also had the right to connect to any other railroad in the state. A group of railroad investors met in Columbus on May 1, 1845, to discuss the organization of the railroad. This group included William Dennison Jr.,
Lincoln Goodale Lincoln Goodale (February 25, 1782 – April 30, 1868) was the first medical doctor to live in Columbus, Ohio, United States. He was a great benefactor to the city and his legacy includes a large parcel of land that today is known as Goodale Park. ...
, and Joseph Ridgway of Franklin County, and Irad Kelley, brother of
Alfred Kelley Alfred Kelley (November 7, 1789—December 2, 1859) was a Banking, banker, canal builder, lawyer, railroad executive, and state legislator in the U.S. state, state of Ohio in the United States. He is considered by historians to be one of the mos ...
, from Cuyahoga County. A temporary board of directors was elected, which included William Dennison Jr., Truman P. Handy, and Samuel Medary. The board agreed to open the corporate books and begin selling stock on June 3. Shares worth more than $25,000 ($ in dollars) were sold, allowing the company to be organized under the terms of its charter. The board determined that, with the
Columbus and Xenia Railroad Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, the capital city of the U.S. state of Ohio * Columbus, Georgia, a city i ...
soon to begin construction from Columbus to Cincinnati, the CC&C should not attempt to build a line from Cleveland to Cincinnati. Constructing the line from Cleveland only to Columbus was considered more feasible. An early estimate pegged the cost of construction at $1.5 million ($ in dollars). The first permanent board of directors of the CC&C was elected on October 11, 1845. The board consisted of Samuel Medary, Robert E. Neil, William Neil, and
William Starling Sullivant William Starling Sullivant (January 15, 1803 – April 30, 1873) was an early American botanist recognized as the foremost authority on bryophytes in the United States. Biography Sullivant was the oldest son of Lucas Sullivant and Sara (Star ...
of Columbus and John W. Allen, Richard Hilliard, Henry B. Payne, Peter M. Waddell, and John M. Woolsey of Cleveland. Allen was elected president by the board, and William Neil the treasurer. Albert G. Lawrence, a non-board member, was elected secretary. Clevelanders predominated on the board because it was assumed that construction would begin in that city. The remainder of the board was from Columbus. By not picking board members from points between the two cities, the board hoped to avoid any appearance of a
conflict of interest A conflict of interest (COI) is a situation in which a person or organization is involved in multiple wikt:interest#Noun, interests, financial or otherwise, and serving one interest could involve working against another. Typically, this relates t ...
in choosing the route.


Survey and failure to raise funds

A survey party began examining possible routes for the railroad at the end of October 1845, and by November 15 a second survey group was in the field as well. The board of directors settled on a route in August 1846, although it admitted that there were no funds to begin construction. President Allen then claimed in November 1846 that the company not only had enough money to begin construction on the first of track but that work would also begin on December 1, 1846. The CC&C attempted to sell stock to raise the necessary funds to begin construction. Shares worth $50,000 ($ in dollars) were sold by January 1847, far below expectations. The officers of the railroad told the board on April 3 that they could not raise funds anywhere in the state. The company resurveyed and restudied the proposed route with an eye toward cutting costs. The CC&C had so little funds on hand that by April 15 it was $3,913 ($ in dollars) in debt. The railroad and its backers publicly admitted the project was likely dead. The city of Cleveland donated $200,000 ($ in dollars) worth of city bonds to the railroad in April 1847 to help save it, but the company found that market conditions were so poor the bonds could not be sold. The board put any further expenditures on indefinite hold in May.


Appointment of Alfred Kelley

Financier An investor is a person who allocates financial capital with the expectation of a future return (profit) or to gain an advantage (interest). Through this allocated capital the investor usually purchases some species of property. Types of in ...
Edmund Dwight, representing the wealthy
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of
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
and
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, visited the city in August 1847. The Dwights and Kelleys had invested in a bank in Cleveland, and the Dwights were strongly interested in Ohio railroads. Edmund Dwight told the board that improved investor confidence was needed to raise funds, and this required that the board seek a new leader who could ensure the efficient and timely construction of a well-built railroad. Allen resigned the presidency, and the board elected Alfred Kelley and Leonard Case Jr. to the board of directors. Kelley was appointed president on August 13. Kelly was well known throughout the state as the "father of the
Ohio and Erie Canal The Ohio and Erie Canal was a canal constructed during the 1820s and early 1830s in Ohio. It connected Akron, Ohio, Akron with the Cuyahoga River near its outlet on Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio, Cleveland, and a few years later, with the Ohio ...
", and was one of the most dominant commercial, financial, and political people in Ohio in the first half of the 1800s. He was also one of the ablest bankers and financiers in the state. Kelley immediately began speaking with his colleagues in the banking and finance fields, and by early September 1847 indicated to the board that a favorable response had been found among investors in New York City. Kelley ordered of the line, beginning at Cleveland, to begin construction as a test of new construction methods and railroad technology. To ensure that the new charter did not lapse, on September 30, 1847, Kelley and other members of the board of directors went to Cleveland's Scranton Flats and ceremoniously filled a wheelbarrow with earth to symbolize the start of construction. The company hired an old man to work five days a week, continuously digging this trench, in order to prove to the state that construction was "ongoing". The railroad announced in late November 1847 that of line from Cleveland to
Berea Berea may refer to: Places Greece * Beroea, a place mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, now known as Veria or Veroia * Veria, historically spelled and sometimes transliterated as Berea and site of the ancient city of Beroea Lesotho * Berea D ...
would be built. This contract was let to J.A. Ackley and Leander Ransom on December 1, although it is unclear how much (if any) of this track was constructed. Kelley also began to raise substantial funds. He began his tenure as president by urging the board of directors (composed of wealthy Ohioans) to show faith in the business by purchasing company bonds. By September 15, 1847, the board had invested $100,000 ($ in dollars) in the CC&C. Board member Leonard Case later invested an additional $500,000 ($ in dollars). Kelley was a former resident of Cleveland, and promoted the railroad heavily in that city. By April 15, 1848, investors in Cleveland had purchased $100,000 ($ in dollars) in company bonds, with pledges to purchase another $100,000 when the company asked. Kelley delivered a rousing one-hour speech in Cleveland in early August 1848, after which another $73,000 ($ in dollars) in stock was sold.


Construction of the line


Resurvey and construction report

Kelley, who had extensive experience with route surveying and knew the topography of the state extremely well, ordered the routes resurveyed again, a process which began in October 1847 and ended about the end of January 1848. Engineers Frederick Harbach and John Childe issued a new report to the board of directors on August 19, 1848. They confirmed that the two most-favored routes in 1846 were still the best, although several changes were identified which greatly improved them both. The engineers' preferred route (known as the Western Route), began in Cleveland and was long, with a
ruling gradient In railroading, the ruling grade is steepest grade on the rail line between two locations. Climbing the steepest part of the line dictates the minimum motive power needed, or how light the train must be, in order for the run to be made without ...
of just 0.28 percent. The proposed temporary southern terminus of the line would be in Columbus, where the CC&C would connect with the Columbus & Xenia Railroad. The estimated cost of construction and equipment was $2.567 million ($ in dollars). These costs included the construction of 13 fuel-and-water way stations, the construction of a passenger and freight depot in Cleveland, the construction of a roundhouse with locomotive and rolling stock repair shops in Cleveland, the construction of a roundhouse in Columbus, and enough equipment to run two passenger trains and one to three freight trains a day between Cleveland and Columbus. The
track gauge In rail transport, track gauge is the distance between the two rails of a railway track. All vehicles on a rail network must have Wheelset (rail transport), wheelsets that are compatible with the track gauge. Since many different track gauges ...
was set to .


Beginning of construction

On September 29, 1848, the railroad announced that it would build the line as a single project. This was different from the approach most railroads took at the time. It was more common for a company to raise only enough funds to construct one segment of the road, and then open operations on that segment before beginning the fundraising needed to work on the next segment. Sometimes years could pass between the construction of segments. The CC&C, however, decided to grade, construct the
track bed The track bed or trackbed is the groundwork onto which a railway track is laid. Trackbeds of disused railways are sometimes used for recreational paths or new light rail links. Background According to Network Rail Network Rail Limited is t ...
, and lay rail over the entire length of the line in one intense burst of activity. The contract for construction was awarded to the firm of Stone, Harbach, and Witt on November 1. Harbach was one of the two engineers who had resurveyed the line in late 1847 and early 1848.
Amasa Stone Amasa Stone, Jr. (April 27, 1818 – May 11, 1883) was an American industrialist who is best remembered for having created a regional railroad empire centered in the U.S. state of Ohio from 1860 to 1883. He gained fame in New England in the 1840 ...
had worked with Harbach and another railroad engineer,
Stillman Witt Stillman Witt (January 4, 1808 — April 29, 1875) was an American railroad and Steel#Industry, steel industry executive best known for building the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad, Cleveland, Painesville and Ashtabula Railroad (1848 ...
, while building railroad bridges in New England. Kelley knew Stone well from his visits selling bonds back east. Kelley reached out to Stone, Harbach, and Witt, and asked them to build the railroad. Stone, Harbach, and Witt formed a company in late 1848 to do so, and agreed to take a portion of their pay in the form of railroad stock. Kelley personally traveled to the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
in 1848 where he contracted with Sir John Guest & Co. of
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for T rails weighing . The of rail purchased was sufficient to lay half the road. By the end of March 1849, the company had also signed contracts to purchase locomotives and rolling stock. By the middle of May 1849, more than 1,000 men were at work grading the CC&C line and rail for the track had arrived in
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from the United Kingdom, awaiting shipment across Lake Erie to Cleveland. The city of Cleveland purchased $200,000 in railroad stock on May 27, 1849. Work was progressing so swiftly that railroad officials told the press in early June that as much as of the line might be operation by January 1, 1850. The rails did not arrive in Cleveland until July 1849, however, and this significantly delayed completion of the first portion of track. As expected, construction began in Cleveland and moved south. Bath Street was regraded and lowered about in order to reduce the grade between Lake Street and the Lake Erie shore. By May 1849, the track bed had been constructed across Scranton Flats and two-thirds of the rail laid. The company was ready to begin grading of the line on the east side of the river as well as erection of the roundhouse. The company was also at work constructing three bridges in the city. The first of these was an iron bridge carrying the main line over the Ohio & Erie Canal. The second was a wooden bridge carrying the main line over the Cuyahoga River. This bridge connected the Scranton Flats with the east bank of the river at Canal and Vineyard Streets (now Canal Street and Lockwood Drive). The third was a wooden bridge carrying a spur of the main line over the Cuyahoga River. This bridge connected the Scranton Flats with the Columbus Peninsula at Columbus Road and Leonard Street. During June 1849, work also began on a large engine house on the south end of the Columbus Peninsula, near the Columbus Road Bridge. This facility was constructed by the Cuyahoga Steam Furnace Company, which had entered into an agreement with the CC&C to build and operate a locomotive repair shop for the railroad. The railroad also erected a temporary depot adjacent to the New England Hotel at corner of Superior and Merwin Streets. It purchased the Bethel Church building adjacent to the hotel (on the square bordered by Superior, Vineyard, and James Streets) for use as an
engine house __NOTOC__ An engine house is a building or other structure that holds one or more engines. It is often practical to bring engines together for common maintenance, as when train locomotives are brought together. Types of engine houses include: * ...
. Some 3,000 to 4,000 men were at work on the line at the end of July, completing the grading, constructing the track bed, and beginning to lay rail. With the cost of the main line appearing to hold steady at $2.5 million ($ in dollars), Kelley personally went to New York City and sold another $400,000 ($ in dollars) in bonds to keep the work going. He sold another $100,000 ($ in dollars) in bonds to Ohio investors the same month.


Opening of the first track

The first of CC&C track, between Cleveland and
Wellington, Ohio Wellington is a village in Lorain County, Ohio. The population was 4,799 at the time of the 2020 census. History The rights to naming the village were given as a reward for how much road could be contracted to build. The original winner of the ...
, opened about September 1, 1849. The northern terminus of the road was at a depot on the shore of Lake Erie at E. River and Bath Streets. Between St. Clair and Vineyard Streets, the road ran along the east side of Spring Street, which was widened by to accommodate the tracks. It crossed the Ohio & Erie Canal and the Cuyahoga River to reach the Scranton Flats. The locomotive repair shops were located at the south end of Columbus Road on the Columbus Peninsula. The line traveled south through the flats, and ascended the heights by following the valley of Walworth Run. On September 13, 1849, the railroad leased from the city of Cleveland land on the shore of Lake Erie. This land was bordered by Bath Street (now Front Street) on the south, W. 9th Street in the east, and the Cuyahoga River in the west, and extended north to the lake. The railroad intended to use the area as the terminus of the main line, and to put a coal yard, dock, freight depot, passenger station, and warehouse there. On November 1, Clevelanders welcomed the first locomotive ever to visit the city. Built by the Cuyahoga Steam Furnace Company of Cleveland, the , $7,000 ($ in dollars) locomotive pulled a
work train A work train (departmental train or engineering train/vehicles in the UK) is one or more rail cars intended for internal non-revenue use by the railroad's operator. Work trains serve functions such as track maintenance, maintenance of way, rev ...
of several
flatcar A flatcar (US) (also flat car, or flatbed) is a piece of rolling stock that consists of an open, flat deck mounted on trucks (US) or bogies (UK) at each end. Occasionally, flat cars designed to carry extra heavy or extra large loads are mounted ...
s for use in building the line. The roundhouse in Cleveland at the foot of Water Street (now W. 9th Street). and another of track opened in November 1849. Passenger cars began arriving in December from the Springfield Car and Engine Co. of
Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is the most populous city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, and its county seat. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ea ...
. By the end of the year, the railroad had received of rails.


Completing the line

Alfred Kelley was reelected president of the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad in January 1850. By this time, the company had graded two-thirds of the line between Wellington and Columbus, and all grading was expected to be finished by December 1. The company anticipated laying track on the line beginning in the spring, after track bed construction was finished. A train carrying Kelley and several board members toured the completed of track in mid-March 1850, and another of track were laid by the end of April. Another of rail arrived in the first week of May. The railroad began operations between Cleveland and Wellington on May 16, 1850. The first train carried three freight cars. Passenger service to Wellington opened on May 27. With the company in need of more rail, Kelley traveled to New York City in late May, where he sold enough bonds to pay for the necessary iron. By the end of May, three-quarters of the line was graded and half the line's bridges erected. Track was laid on about of the road, pushing the line past Wellington. Kelley traveled to the United Kingdom, returning in mid-June having purchased another of rail. By this time, a second locomotive (again built by the Cuyahoga Steam Furnace Co.) had gone into operation on the line between Cleveland and Wellington, and a third locomotive (built by the Lowell Machine Shop in
Lowell, Massachusetts Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, United States. Alongside Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, it is one of two traditional county seat, seats of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in ...
) was due for delivery. With the addition of the third engine, the company began running twice-daily passenger trains between Cleveland and Wellington on July 10, 1850. By late August, the railroad was south of Wellington. The CC&C reached
Shelby, Ohio Shelby is a city in Richland County, Ohio, United States. Located northwest of the city of Mansfield, Ohio, Mansfield, it is part of the Mansfield metropolitan area. The population was 9,282 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. His ...
, on November 12, 1850, about 10 days later than expected. Freight and passenger service began the following day. Shelby gave the CC&C connections to the Mansfield and Sandusky City Railroad (which opened in 1846) and the Mansfield and Newark Railroad. The CC&C received another of rail by the close of 1850, with only of track left to lay as of early December. With less track to complete, layoffs left just 250 men at work on the line. Production of rolling stock was at its peak, with the railroad receiving two locomotives and 20 cars per month. Although winter weather was hindering work, the road had just of track left to lay by the end of the year, and work crews were laying of track each day. The railroad received another of rail in 1851. By mid-January of that year, only of track remained incomplete, and the Cuyahoga Steam Furnace works had delivered its sixth locomotive to the CC&C. Bad weather delayed additional work, and only of track were laid by January 31. An additional to of track were laid by February 12, with this track being laid from Columbus northward. With all bridges now complete, the incomplete track lay south of the town of Cardington to a point east of Delaware. Improved weather allowed work crews to lay track more quickly in early February, so that only of track were unfinished by February 16.


The final spike

The Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad was completed on February 18, 1851. At 7 A.M. on February 18, Alfred Kelley and a party consisting of the railroad's directors, Columbus mayor Lorenzo English, and a number of other business and civic leaders departed on a special northbound train from Columbus. Kelley and Mayor English each laid a final rail on the line. Kelley drove the last spike at noon. The party then reboarded the train and, after a salutary
cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...
ade, proceeded to Cleveland. The train gave three whistles as it entered the city, which was returned by a three-cannon salute.


Celebratory excursion train

The CC&C began freight and passenger operations on February 21, 1851. To celebrate the event, Kelley invited
Ohio Governor The governor of Ohio is the head of government of Ohio and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state's Ohio National Guard, military forces. The officeholder has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to either approve or veto bill (proposed law ...
Reuben Wood Reuben Wood (1792/1793October 1, 1864) was a Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Ohio. He served as the 21st governor of Ohio. Biography Wood was born near Middletown, Vermont, in either 1792 or 1793. While living with an uncle in C ...
, the entire Ohio General Assembly, the mayors and city councils of Cincinnati and Columbus, and numerous other local politicians and business leaders to travel at the railroad's expense on a four-day excursion trip from Columbus to Cleveland and back. The excursion train and its 425 passengers left Columbus on February 21 shortly after 8 A.M., its departure announced by a single cannon shot. The train stopped for lunch in Shelby, where officials of the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad and the Mansfield and Sandusky City Railroad as well as elected leaders of towns and villages along these railroads boarded the train. The train reached Cleveland at dusk, welcomed by a cannon shot. At 10 A.M. on February 22, three
companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether natural, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specifi ...
of Cleveland militia and the entire city fire department paraded in front of the excursionists, who were seated on a grandstand erected on Cleveland's
Public Square A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Relat ...
. Governor Wood,
Cleveland mayor The mayor of Cleveland is the head of the executive branch of government of the City of Cleveland, Ohio. As the chief executive in Cleveland's mayor–council (strong mayor) system, the mayor oversees all city services and is "responsible for e ...
William Case William Case (August 10, 1818 – April 19, 1862) was an American politician of the Whig Party and served as the 12th mayor of Cleveland, Ohio from 1850 and 1851. He was the first Cleveland-born citizen to become mayor. In his early career, ...
, Cincinnati politician George E. Pugh, Cleveland politician
Samuel Starkweather Samuel Starkweather (December 27, 1799 – July 5, 1876) was the seventh mayor of Cleveland, Ohio from 1844 to 1845 and the fifteenth mayor of Cleveland from 1857 to 1858. Starkweather was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island to Oliver and Miriam (C ...
, Ohio state senator Henry B. Payne, and
Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania stat ...
(C&P) president Cyrus Prentiss all spoke. Alfred Kelley was introduced, but did not speak. After the event, the excursionists boarded a C&P train and traveled to
Hudson, Ohio Hudson is a city in northern Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,110 at the 2020 census. It is a suburban community in the Akron metropolitan area. John Brown made his first public vow to destroy slavery here and the ci ...
, where they were served dinner. The C&P train left Hudson at 9 P.M., and Cleveland firefighters welcomed the travelers back to Cleveland with a
torchlight parade The ''Torchlight Parade'' is the longest of a series of parades around the greater Seattle area in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is under the auspices of Seafair, a Seattle summertime celebration. The parade is one of the o ...
. The excursion train left Cleveland for Columbus at 8 A.M. on February 24, its departure saluted by another cannon shot. The train stopped in Shelby for lunch, after which the officials of Mad River and Lake Erie and the Mansfield and Sandusky City railroads, as well as elected leaders of towns and villages along these lines, left the train. The excursionists were treated to yet another dinner after the train reached Columbus. The completion of the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad created the first direct rail link between Cleveland and Cincinnati.


Operational history of the line


Early operations

At the beginning of 1851, the CC&C began to erect a permanent passenger depot at its terminus on Bath Street. The building was not large enough to serve all passengers, so through passengers used the Bath Street station and passengers terminating their travels in Cleveland continued to use the temporary depot next to the New England Hotel. The Bath Street depot opened on May 29, 1851. Although it was initially used only by the CC&C, the depot had been constructed as a cooperative effort by the CC&C, C&P, and the Cleveland, Painesville and Ashtabula Railroad (CP&A). In March, the CC&C began work on a spur to serve the town of Delaware and connect the line with the Springfield, Mt. Vernon, and Pittsburg Railroad. This spur, known as the "Delaware Curves", was completed in 1853. Amasa Stone was appointed superintendent of the road on April 7, 1851, and initiated thrice-daily express train passenger service on April 16. In August 1851, the railroad began building a pier which extended into Lake Erie and a warehouse erected on the pier. By this time, the CC&C had 11 locomotives in freight and passenger operation on the line each day. On December 1, 1852, the CC&C entered into a contract with the CP&A under which the CC&C would operate both railroads as a single line. This contract was superseded by a new agreement on April 1, 1855, which merely gave each railroad
trackage rights Railway companies can interact with and control others in many ways. These relationships can be complicated by bankruptcies. Operating Often, when a railroad first opens, it is only a short spur of a main line. The owner of the spur line may c ...
on the other's line.


Expansion: 1853 to 1860

Collaboration between the CC&C and CP&A extended to more than just a depot. The CP&A's line initially did not extend west of E. 33rd Street in Cleveland. That railroad relied on the CC&C for repair facilities for its locomotives and cars. In the summer of 1853, the CP&A extended its Cleveland tracks to the Bath Street station. That year the two railroads jointly erected and operated a car repair shop northwest of the intersection of Lake Street (now Lakeside Avenue) and Alba Street (later known as Depot Street, now E. 26th Street). The construction of passenger rolling stock began at these shops in late 1853. The two railroads also began sharing locomotives. The two roads jointly owned 89 locomotives in September 1853, with another nine on order from the Cuyahoga Steam Furnace Co. and the
Taunton Locomotive Manufacturing Company The Taunton Locomotive Manufacturing Company was one of the earliest firms in the United States established especially for the manufacture of steam locomotives. Located in Taunton, Massachusetts, the company was organized in 1849 and incorporated ...
. More than half the locomotives owned by the CC&C and CP&A were built by the Cuyahoga Steam Furnace Co. To accommodate the need for locomotive construction and maintenance, the firm rapidly expanded its works on Columbus Road beginning in August 1852. Business "boomed", with the company making two locomotives a month there. The CC&C made other improvements and changes in 1853 as well. Business on the line was so good that the CC&C began to
double-track A double-track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single-track railway where trains in both directions share the same track. Overview In the earliest days of railways in the United Kingdom, most lin ...
its line. By the end of the year, it double-tracked the entire between Cleveland and Grafton. The railroad also began construction of several new piers into Lake Erie, and the erection of a new freight depot on Front Street (formerly Bath Street). Having extensively filled in some of the lake east of its facilities, the railroad began grading this area in October 1855 in order to begin construction of a new engine house and
machine shop A machine shop or engineering workshop is a room, building, or company where machining, a form of subtractive manufacturing, is done. In a machine shop, machinists use machine tools and cutting tool (machining), cutting tools to make parts, usua ...
. On July 1, 1853, the CC&C signed an agreement with the C&X and
Little Miami Railroad The Little Miami Railroad was a railway of southwestern Ohio, running from the eastern side of Cincinnati to Springfield, Ohio. By merging with the Columbus and Xenia Railroad in 1853, it created the first through-rail route from the important m ...
(which connected Cincinnati to Springfield), which gave the CC&C trackage rights on both lines as well as
through service A through service is a concept of passenger transport that involves a vehicle travelling between lines, networks or operators on a regularly specified schedule, on which the passenger can remain on board without alighting. It may be in either of th ...
. Double-tracking of the railroad continued in 1854 and 1855. The CC&C added of double-track between Galion and Crestline in 1854, and of second track completed between Crestline and Greenwich in 1855. About this time, the CC&C also invested heavily in the bonds of the Columbus, Piqua and Indiana Railroad, a line connecting Columbus and Union City, Ohio, via Urbana, Piqua, and Covington. The CC&C entered into a working consolidation with the Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Cleveland Railroad (IP&C) of
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
on April 1, 1856. This railroad was chartered in 1848 and completed in 1851. It extended from
Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
, Indiana, northwest to
Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States * Madison (footballer), Brazilian footballer Places in the United States Populated places * Madi ...
and Muncie before heading due east to the border of Ohio. Its terminus was in the border towns of
Union City, Indiana Union City is a city in Wayne Township, Randolph County, Indiana, Wayne Township, Randolph County, Indiana, Randolph County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 3,454. Union Ci ...
/ Union City, Ohio. A sister railroad, the Bellefontaine and Indiana Railroad (B&I), was chartered in 1848 and was completed in July 1853. This road ran northeast from Union City through Sidney, Bellefontaine, and Marion to Crestline, where it connected with the CC&C. The B&I had entered into a joint operating agreement IP&C on March 14, 1856, and the CC&C's working consolidation gave it access to the important industrial and agricultural heart of Indiana. The CC&C entered into another trackage rights contract in July 1856. Under this agreement, the
Cleveland and Toledo Railroad Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...
agreed to pay the CC&C $86,000 ($ in dollars) annually for 20 years. In return the C&T gained trackage rights over the CC&C line between Grafton and Cleveland. The CC&C also leased its engine house at Superior and Vineyard to the C&T the following September. The company made a number of other operating changes in 1856 as well. It repaired the ice-damaged freight bridge over the Cuyahoga River in February, and in early November the railroad agreed to change its fixed-span bridges into draw span bridges. Conversion of the CC&C freight bridge was complete by November 15, and work on the main line bridge commenced shortly thereafter.


Mergers: 1860 to 1868

By 1861, the CC&C had added miles of double track to its main line, leaving just of single track. The railroad had also added of
siding Siding may refer to: * Siding (construction), the outer covering or cladding of a house * Siding (rail) In rail terminology, a siding is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch lin ...
, and owned 22 locomotives, 74 flatcars, 297 freight cars, 93 livestock cars, and 31 passenger cars. On January 1, 1862, the CC&C purchased a portion of the
bankrupt Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the de ...
Springfield, Mt. Vernon, and Pittsburgh Railroad from its creditors. This added another of track between the towns of Delaware and
Springfield, Ohio Springfield is a city in Clark County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located in southwestern Ohio along the Mad River (Ohio), Mad River, Buck Creek, and Beaver Creek, about west of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus and northeast of ...
. The CC&C opened a new freight depot on Merwin Street in Cleveland in January 1863. Two months later, it opened a new engine house and machine shop on Merwin Street. These latter improvements cost $80,000 ($ in dollars). On April 29, 1865, the locomotive CC&C ''Nashville'' pulled Abraham Lincoln's funeral train from Cleveland to Columbus. The CC&C had also provided one of the nine cars that made up the train. The train had left
Erie, Pennsylvania Erie is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fifth-most populous city in Pennsylvania and the most populous in Northwestern Pen ...
, pulled by the locomotive ''William Case'', owned by the Cleveland, Painesville and Ashtabula Railroad. The CP&A locomotive ''Idaho'' traveled 10 minutes ahead, acting as a "pilot train" to ensure there were no problems on the track. The ''William Case'' arrived in Cleveland on April 28 at precisely 7 A.M. The CC&C's ''Nashville'' departed for Columbus just after midnight on April 29. The CC&C locomotive ''Louisville'' acted as the pilot train in front of the funeral cortege, also traveling 10 minutes ahead. The ''Nashville'' arrived in Columbus at 7:30 AM. The funeral train left Columbus at 8 P.M. on April 29, pulled by a locomotive from the Columbus and Indianapolis Central Railroad. A merger in 1864 intertwined the CC&C with the Bellefontaine railroads. The CC&C had invested heavily in Bellefontaine and Indiana Railroad (B&I) bonds. Then, on September 27, 1864, the Ohio-based B&I and the Indiana-based IP&C merged to form the Bellefontaine Railway. On May 16, 1868, the CC&C merged with the Bellefontaine Railway to form the
Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway The Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway (CCC&I) was formed from the merger of the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad (CC&C) with the Bellefontaine Railway in 1868. The Bellefontaine had been formed by a merger of ...
. The Bellefontaine Railway added miles of main track ( in Ohio) to the merged railroad. The merger brought of siding into the new railroad as well. At the time of the merger, The CC&C was one of the few financially successful railroads in Ohio.


U.S. and Ohio Supreme Court cases

From time to time between 1848 and 1900, the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad and its successors deposited rubble and earth on the shore of Lake Erie. Over time, the railroad
reclaimed Land reclamation, often known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ...
of land between W. 9th Street and the Cuyahoga River. The railroad built coal docks, a rail yard, and warehouses on this reclaimed land. Other railroads with lakeshore properties did the same. In 1893, the city of Cleveland sued the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad, the CC&C, and other railways in state court, arguing that this reclaimed land belonged to city. It also sought to break the lease with the CC&C for the original Front Street property and seize the land for its own use. The case was heard by the Circuit Court of Cuyahoga County, but was removed to the U.S. Circuit Court for the Northern District of Ohio. The federal court held in the city's favor. In July 1906, the
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (in case citations, 6th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * Eastern District of Kentucky * Western District of K ...
found that the case had been removed in error and remanded the case back to the state courts. The Circuit Court of Cuyahoga County heard the case again, and ruled against the city in 1909. The case, now known as ''Cleveland & Pittsburg Railway Company v. City of Cleveland'', went to the
Supreme Court of Ohio The Supreme Court of the State of Ohio is the highest court in the U.S. state of Ohio, with final authority over interpretations of Ohio law and the Ohio Constitution. The court has seven members, a chief justice and six associate justices, ...
, which split 3-to-3 on October 22, 1912, and did not overturn the circuit court's ruling. The railroad appealed to the
Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...
, which in found no grounds for federal jurisdiction. The city of Cleveland, in possession of the land, now sought to prevent the CC&C and other railroads from continuing to reclaim land in Lake Erie. The state of Ohio successfully intervened, taking the lead in the case in order to protect its rights. The Circuit Court of Cuyahoga County found in the railroads' favor, however. The city appealed to the Court of Appeals for Cuyahoga County, which affirmed the judgment of the circuit court. The city appealed to the Supreme Court of Ohio. In February 1916, the high court held in that state law was silent on the matter of a leaseholder improving their riparian property by reclaiming land, and therefore upheld the judgment of the circuit court. In response to the ruling in ''State of Ohio v. Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railway Company'', the Ohio General Assembly enacted the Fleming Act in 1917. This legislation made the
common law Common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law primarily developed through judicial decisions rather than statutes. Although common law may incorporate certain statutes, it is largely based on prece ...
public trust doctrine The public trust doctrine is the principle that the sovereign holds in trust for public use some resources such as shoreline between the high and low tide lines, regardless of private property ownership. Origins Roman law Ancient Roman law se ...
part of Ohio statutory law. It also clarified that the state held title to reclaimed land under the public trust doctrine.


Description of the line

The headquarters of the CC&C were in Cleveland, Ohio. As constructed, the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad had of main track. The line had 20 stations, which included a main (freight and passenger) station in Cleveland. Beginning in Columbus, the 19 stations along the line included Worthington, Delaware,
Ashley Ashley is a place name derived from the Old English words '' æsċ'' (“ash”) and '' lēah'' (“meadow”). It may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ashley (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...
, Cardington, Gilead Station (near Edison),
Galion Galion ( ) is a city in Crawford, Morrow, and Richland counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 10,453 at the 2020 census. Galion is the second-largest city in Crawford County after Bucyrus. The Crawford County portion of Galio ...
, Crestline, Shelby, Mansfield, Salem (at Shiloh),
Greenwich Greenwich ( , , ) is an List of areas of London, area in south-east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London, east-south-east of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime hi ...
, New London, Rochester, Wellington Station (at what is now
Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
), La Grange Station (at what is now
LaGrange Joseph-Louis Lagrange (born Giuseppe Luigi LagrangiaGrafton, Olmstead (now Olmsted Falls), Berea, Rockport (then in Rockport Township, the Bellaire–Puritas neighborhood of Cleveland). The station in Columbus was co-owned by the CC&C and the C&X. There were only nine bridges on the main line. Seven of these were originally constructed of wood, and the other two of iron. The total cost of original construction of the main line was about $3 million ($ in dollars). The 1862 purchase of a portion of the Springfield, Mt. Vernon, and Pittsburgh Railroad added a single-track branch to the CC&C. This track ran southwest from the town of Delaware to Springfield, a town then located about northwest of Dayton.


References

;Notes ;Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cleveland Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad Companies affiliated with the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway Defunct Ohio railroads Predecessors of the New York Central Railroad Railway companies established in 1836 Railway companies disestablished in 1868 4 ft 10 in gauge railways in the United States 1836 establishments in Ohio Rail transportation in Cleveland