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CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES - 269 CHAPTER X RAILROADS AND TRANSPORTATION LINES BEGINNING OF THE SETTLEMENT WITHOUT RAILROADS-THE FIRST OF THE RAILWAY ERA-EARLY TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES-THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD-THE BALTIMORE & OHIO SYSTEM- THE WHEELING & LAKE ERIE RAILROAD-THE WABASH LINE- THE CADIZ AND CADIZ JUNCTION BRANCH- NEW YORK CENTRAL LINES-THE TELEGRAPHS AND TELEPHONES OF THE COUNTY. When the hardy pioneer band first crossed the Ohio River and settled in the county now called Harrison (then Jefferson County), they came by boats and teams. As to markets they had nothing to sell or ship, and bought their supplies such as the absolute necessities of the household, on Ohio River points where merchandise was sent by boats from Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. From the landings the pioneer would freight his goods by wagon, over trails, as no worked wagon roads had yet been laid out and improved. He was not waiting for the coming of a railroad, for such a highway had not yet entered the mind of man, for be it remembered that Robert Fulton ran his first steamboat in 1807 and the first passenger trains were ran in 1828, while Morse sent his first telegraphic message in 1835. Hence it will be seen that the pioneers in Harrison County who invaded this portion of Ohio during the latters years of the eighteenth and first decade of the nineteenth century, were long in advance of the railroad and steamboat era in the world. The sound of the shrill whistle had never echoed through the hills and valleys of this county, and did not make themselves heard until the construction of the "Panhandle" railroad, now a part of the Pennsylvania system, in the early '50s. The first machinery for the building of saw and grist mills in this county was hauled in here from Pittsburgh, Wheeling and other points on some great water course. The settlers clubbed together in some of the neighborhoods and went far away for groceries and such supplies as had to be used in the family. These pioneers doubled teams over many a hill and over many an unbridged stream. In fact the first generation of men and women who cast their lot in this county, saw none of the benefits of modern railroading. It is said that when it was agitated, many opposed the construction of railroads and canals, on the ground that it would injure the teamster's business and that the farmers could not then have a market for the oats and corn they were then selling to teamsters and stage lines. It was an innovation in the world and many people were not yet prepared for its coming, but it was not many years after the "iron horse" had been pacing through this domain before all were well pleased with the change and delighted in seeing the freight and passenger trains speed along over the county. As more goods were needed in the county and more 270 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES of the surplus crops had to be exported to other markets the more useful these railroads seemed to the pioneer. MILEAGE OF PRESENT RAILROADS The county records now show the following mileage of railroads within Harrison County : The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, on the western side of the county, (the old C. L. & W. road), has a mileage of fifteen miles in this county. The Lake Erie, Alliance & Wheeling (now a part of the great New York Central system) has eight and four-tenths miles. The main line of the "Panhandle" of the Pennsylvania system has twenty-four miles in this county. The main line of the Wheeling & Lake Erie has twenty-four and one-half miles in this county. The Adena, Cadiz & New Athens branch of the last named railroad has a mileage of five and fifty-two one-hundredths miles in this county. The Adena Branch has four miles in this county. The Pittsburgh Junction line, or the Pittsburgh & West Virginia line has four and forty-seven hundredths miles in this county. The Cadiz branch of the Panhandle or Pennsylvania line, is about eight miles in length. This makes a total of main line trackage in this county of ninety- four and four-tenth miles. The Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad was built through this county in 1887. The other lines were among the early improvements in the county. Several companies going under other chartered names have long since been taken over by great trunk line systems such as the Baltimore & Ohio, the Pennsylvania, the Wheeling & Lake Erie and the New York Central. Some of these railways have many miles of double track and sidings within Harrison County. At Jewett the Wheeling & Lake Erie is now putting in a great yard filled with long side-tracks and planning for the construction of a large set of shops and roundhouse, the total improvements to run into the millions of dollars. The coal mining industry of the county is making a large increase in the tonnage of freight over the various railroads of the county. TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE LINES In 1920 Harrison County had telephones and telegraphs as follows : Telegraphs (two corporations)-1,407 miles. Telephones-1,795 miles of poles having from two to forty wires over which messages may be transmitted to local and "long distance" pomts. We now whisper over wires, but when the next county history is compiled, doubtless the historian will be recording the fact that "wireless" has long since superseded the old style wire telephone systems in use by our fathers. CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES- 271 ROAD-MAKING The principal work of the early boards of county commissioners was to read and act on petitions for wagon roads here and there all over Harrison County. During the year 1813 scores of such highways were asked for and usually granted, and it goes without saying that it is no easy undertaking to construct roads over a hilly, rough country, but year after year the work was carried forward until 1895 when it was written in the record : "We have from Cadiz a pike to New Athens ; Cadiz to Harrisville ; Cadiz to Unionville ; while all other roads lleading from Cadiz have from one-half to two miles of good pike road." At the present time there are numerous State roads well built, running hither and you throughout the county. As to the kind of roads let it be stated that in addition to the common "dirt road" there are one and four-tenth miles of brick paved roads ; five and one-half miles of cement or concrete road ; seven and six-tenth miles of macadamized roads and fifteen miles of cinder roads. The roads of the county always have and will for years continue to be the great item of public expense in the county government of this county. AUTOMOBILES AND TRUCKS Great has been the changes wrought out in this county since the first settlers came into the county by ox and horse teams with covered wagons. Then twenty miles with a load was a good day's work for man and team, over this hilly country, but today the automobile can go its twenty miles and much more in an hour and not break the "speed limit" laws. Now the auto-truck can transport its three tons to a load of live-stock or grain from farm to market with great certainty and quickness of speed, even reaching the early morning markets of the larger cities. The county records and license agent's books for Harrison County show that in 1920 there were 1,875 automobiles in the county and 125 trucks, making a total of 2,000 machines propelled by gasoline in this county at this time. |