Cincinnati Northern Railroad (1894-1938)
Encyclopedia
The Cincinnati Northern Railroad was a railroad that stretched from Franklin, Ohio
(near Cincinnati) north to Jackson, Michigan
, a distance of about 186 miles (299.3 km). It was acquired by the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway
in 1901 and the New York Central Railroad
several years later. Most of the line has since been abandoned.
. Construction on a north-south line through Ohio's western tier of counties did not begin again until the 1870s. The Van Wert, Paulding and Michigan Railway was incorporated in December 1874 to build a short branch from the Toledo, Wabash and Western Railway (at Cecil) to Paulding. However, the Paulding and Cecil Railway was incorporated for the same purpose in December 1879, and opened in September 1880.
Another short segment of the future Cincinnati Northern was built by the Celina, Van Wert and State Line Extension of the Columbus and North–Western Railway, incorporated in May 1878 for the purpose of building a line from Celina north to the state line in Williams County. Near the state line it would meet the Columbus and North–Western Railway, which had been incorporated in 1872 to build from Columbus to the state line in that same county, but was never constructed. The line was built to narrow gauge
to connect with the growing Toledo, Delphos and Burlington Railroad
(TD&B), opening from Van Wert south to Ohio City on the TD&B in August 1879, to the Mercer County line in January 1880, and to Rockford in September 1880, for a total of 13 miles (20.9 km). At Rockford, it connected to another TD&B branch, which had been completed from Delphos in December 1878; the TD&B finished a line (later part of the main line to Dayton) from that branch at Mercer south to Celina in November 1880. Thus the Celina, Van Wert and State Line had helped to form a line south to Celina, but it ended at Van Wert in the north.
The Cincinnati, Van Wert and Michigan Railroad (CVW&M) was incorporated in January 1881 to complete the line, and soon leased the Celina, Van Wert and State Line and Van Wert, Paulding and Michigan. The former was converted to standard gauge
on June 4, 1881, and the latter built a line that year from Van Wert north to the county line at Scott. The CVW&M itself, which bought the property of its two lessors later that year, built from Scott north to Paulding and Rockford south to West Manchester before merging with a Michigan corporation, the Jackson and Ohio Railroad (incorporated January 1884), in March 1886, to form the Cincinnati, Jackson and Mackinaw Railroad (CJ&M). That company bought the Paulding and Cecil in May 1887, and that year completed the full line from Addison, Michigan
south to Carlisle, Ohio
. Trackage rights
were initially secured over the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad
(CH&D) from Carlisle into Cincinnati in 1888, but the CJ&M also extended its line from Carlisle to Franklin in 1888, and in January 1896 changed its Cincinnati access to the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway
(Big Four) from Franklin to Middletown, the recently-opened Middletown and Cincinnati Railroad
to Hageman, and the recently-standard-gauged Cincinnati, Lebanon and Northern Railway (CL&N) into Cincinnati.
The CJ&M bought a second line from the Michigan and Ohio Railroad
in March 1887, stretching from Allegan past the north end of the main line at Addison to Dundee, Michigan
. This line, however, was sold at foreclosure to the Toledo and Milwaukee Railroad in 1897, soon after the Jackson and Cincinnati Railway (incorporated 1895, sold 1898) built an extension north to Jackson.
The CJ&M was not a profitable enterprise, and went through a reorganization in 1892 as the Cincinnati and Michigan Railroad, immediately merging with the Michigan and Mackinaw Railroad (which had acquired the Allegan-Dundee line) to form the Cincinnati, Jackson and Michigan Railway. Throughout this period, the CJ&M attempted to convince the CH&D to acquire it by threatening to buy the CL&N and thus obtain its own line into Cincinnati. But when the CH&D tried to buy the CJ&M in the early 1890s, the CL&N protested and obtained an injunction due to a state law forbidding anti-competitive mergers. The CJ&M continued to improve its value to a potential purchaser, organizing the Dayton and Cincinnati Terminal Railroad in May 1894 to build a Cincinnati-Dayton line including a long tunnel under Cincinnati's Walnut Hills. Finding that the older Cincinnati Railway Tunnel Company owned such a franchise and an incomplete tunnel, the CJ&M bought up that company's first-mortgage bonds and forced a foreclosure
, acquiring the tunnel in May 1896. The new terminal company was renamed the Cincinnati Northern Railroad in December 1894, and bought the CJ&M at its final foreclosure in July 1897. The Big Four subsequently acquired the Cincinnati Northern in 1901, and sold the unused tunnel property, as well as about 10 acres (4 ha) of land it had acquired for a Cincinnati terminal, to the CL&N, now owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad
, in 1902.
The Cincinnati Northern was formally merged into the Big Four effective June 30, 1938. Since then, most of the line has been abandoned, with only a few short pieces still in place, mostly operated by short lines: Germantown Rail Siding from Carlisle to Germantown, R.J. Corman Railroad/Western Ohio Lines (which is owned by the R.J. Corman short line railroad company) from Greenville to Ansonia, Chicago, Ft. Wayne and Eastern Railroad at Van Wert, and Norfolk Southern Railway
at Jackson, MI and Bryan, OH.
Franklin, Ohio
Not to be confused with Franklin County, Ohio.Franklin is a city in Warren County, Ohio, United States. The population was 11,771 at the 2010 census.-History:...
(near Cincinnati) north to Jackson, Michigan
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
, a distance of about 186 miles (299.3 km). It was acquired by the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway
The Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, also known as the Big Four Railroad and commonly abbreviated CCC&StL, was a railroad company in the Midwestern United States....
in 1901 and the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
several years later. Most of the line has since been abandoned.
History
In the 1850s, a line was surveyed and partially graded from Cincinnati north to Van Wert, but construction was halted by the Panic of 1857Panic of 1857
The Panic of 1857 was a financial panic in the United States caused by the declining international economy and over-expansion of the domestic economy. Indeed, because of the interconnectedness of the world economy by the time of the 1850s, the financial crisis which began in the autumn of 1857 was...
. Construction on a north-south line through Ohio's western tier of counties did not begin again until the 1870s. The Van Wert, Paulding and Michigan Railway was incorporated in December 1874 to build a short branch from the Toledo, Wabash and Western Railway (at Cecil) to Paulding. However, the Paulding and Cecil Railway was incorporated for the same purpose in December 1879, and opened in September 1880.
Another short segment of the future Cincinnati Northern was built by the Celina, Van Wert and State Line Extension of the Columbus and North–Western Railway, incorporated in May 1878 for the purpose of building a line from Celina north to the state line in Williams County. Near the state line it would meet the Columbus and North–Western Railway, which had been incorporated in 1872 to build from Columbus to the state line in that same county, but was never constructed. The line was built to narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
to connect with the growing Toledo, Delphos and Burlington Railroad
Toledo, Delphos and Burlington Railroad
The Toledo, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad was a narrow-gauge railroad based in Ohio. It began as a subsidiary of the Toledo, Delphos and Burlington Railroad , which was opened on July 4, 1875, but in 1882 the two companies merged and retained the TC&StL name, which was more descriptive of its...
(TD&B), opening from Van Wert south to Ohio City on the TD&B in August 1879, to the Mercer County line in January 1880, and to Rockford in September 1880, for a total of 13 miles (20.9 km). At Rockford, it connected to another TD&B branch, which had been completed from Delphos in December 1878; the TD&B finished a line (later part of the main line to Dayton) from that branch at Mercer south to Celina in November 1880. Thus the Celina, Van Wert and State Line had helped to form a line south to Celina, but it ended at Van Wert in the north.
The Cincinnati, Van Wert and Michigan Railroad (CVW&M) was incorporated in January 1881 to complete the line, and soon leased the Celina, Van Wert and State Line and Van Wert, Paulding and Michigan. The former was converted to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
on June 4, 1881, and the latter built a line that year from Van Wert north to the county line at Scott. The CVW&M itself, which bought the property of its two lessors later that year, built from Scott north to Paulding and Rockford south to West Manchester before merging with a Michigan corporation, the Jackson and Ohio Railroad (incorporated January 1884), in March 1886, to form the Cincinnati, Jackson and Mackinaw Railroad (CJ&M). That company bought the Paulding and Cecil in May 1887, and that year completed the full line from Addison, Michigan
Addison, Michigan
Addison is a village in Lenawee County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 627. The village is located on the boundary between Rollin Township on the south and Woodstock Township on the north.-Geography:...
south to Carlisle, Ohio
Carlisle, Ohio
Carlisle is a village located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio in northwestern Warren and southern Montgomery counties. As of the 2010 census, the village's population was 4,915, down from 5,121 in the 2000 census. This population loss caused Carlisle to once again become a village...
. Trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
were initially secured over the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad
Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad
The Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad was a railroad based in the U.S. state of Ohio that existed between its incorporation on March 2, 1846, and its acquisition by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in December 1917...
(CH&D) from Carlisle into Cincinnati in 1888, but the CJ&M also extended its line from Carlisle to Franklin in 1888, and in January 1896 changed its Cincinnati access to the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway
The Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, also known as the Big Four Railroad and commonly abbreviated CCC&StL, was a railroad company in the Midwestern United States....
(Big Four) from Franklin to Middletown, the recently-opened Middletown and Cincinnati Railroad
Middletown and Cincinnati Railroad
The Middletown and Cincinnati Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in the southwest portion of the U.S. state of Ohio.It connected Middletown, Butler County with Middletown Junction, Warren County, a distance of 14 miles....
to Hageman, and the recently-standard-gauged Cincinnati, Lebanon and Northern Railway (CL&N) into Cincinnati.
The CJ&M bought a second line from the Michigan and Ohio Railroad
Michigan and Ohio Railroad
The Michigan and Ohio Railroad is a defunct railroad which operated in southern Michigan in the mid-1880s. Originally intended to forge a new line from Lake Erie to Lake Michigan, it came close to its goal, completing a line between Allegan and Dundee before financial embarrassment landed it in...
in March 1887, stretching from Allegan past the north end of the main line at Addison to Dundee, Michigan
Dundee, Michigan
Dundee is a village in Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,522 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Dundee Township. Through a series of annexations and land transfers, the village has greatly increased in size over the past several years...
. This line, however, was sold at foreclosure to the Toledo and Milwaukee Railroad in 1897, soon after the Jackson and Cincinnati Railway (incorporated 1895, sold 1898) built an extension north to Jackson.
The CJ&M was not a profitable enterprise, and went through a reorganization in 1892 as the Cincinnati and Michigan Railroad, immediately merging with the Michigan and Mackinaw Railroad (which had acquired the Allegan-Dundee line) to form the Cincinnati, Jackson and Michigan Railway. Throughout this period, the CJ&M attempted to convince the CH&D to acquire it by threatening to buy the CL&N and thus obtain its own line into Cincinnati. But when the CH&D tried to buy the CJ&M in the early 1890s, the CL&N protested and obtained an injunction due to a state law forbidding anti-competitive mergers. The CJ&M continued to improve its value to a potential purchaser, organizing the Dayton and Cincinnati Terminal Railroad in May 1894 to build a Cincinnati-Dayton line including a long tunnel under Cincinnati's Walnut Hills. Finding that the older Cincinnati Railway Tunnel Company owned such a franchise and an incomplete tunnel, the CJ&M bought up that company's first-mortgage bonds and forced a foreclosure
Foreclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
, acquiring the tunnel in May 1896. The new terminal company was renamed the Cincinnati Northern Railroad in December 1894, and bought the CJ&M at its final foreclosure in July 1897. The Big Four subsequently acquired the Cincinnati Northern in 1901, and sold the unused tunnel property, as well as about 10 acres (4 ha) of land it had acquired for a Cincinnati terminal, to the CL&N, now owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, in 1902.
The Cincinnati Northern was formally merged into the Big Four effective June 30, 1938. Since then, most of the line has been abandoned, with only a few short pieces still in place, mostly operated by short lines: Germantown Rail Siding from Carlisle to Germantown, R.J. Corman Railroad/Western Ohio Lines (which is owned by the R.J. Corman short line railroad company) from Greenville to Ansonia, Chicago, Ft. Wayne and Eastern Railroad at Van Wert, and Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
at Jackson, MI and Bryan, OH.