Lafayette, Muncie and Bloomington Railroad
Encyclopedia
The LaFayette, Muncie and Bloomington Railroad (LM&B) was a railroad company incorporated in Indiana on July 13, 1869. It operated in Indiana
and eastern Illinois
until its sale on April 28, 1879, to the Lake Erie and Western Railroad
. The LM&B line was so named because it ran from the city of Muncie
west through Lafayette
toward Bloomington
. Four of the railroad's directors were from New York City
, one was from Springfield, Illinois
. Several others were from local towns along the route. The initial president was Ashal Gridley of Bloomington, Illinois
. The road was to be financed almost entirely by bonds issued by the cities and townships along the route. Howard and Weston were chosen as contractors and Richard Price Morgan as chief engineer. With the coming of the railroad many new towns were established. Construction began in 1869. Workers lived in eight company supplied board shanties, with the cost of food and lodging deducted from their wages. The contractors soon found themselves in financial trouble and work was soon halted. Eventually new contractors were found and construction resumed. In November 1871 work was done as far as Saybrook in McLean County where a celebration was head as a locomotive named "General Gridley" pulled a train into the little town. By 1872 freight was being hauled. On 18 June 1872 a construction train on the new railroad ran off the rails east of Paxton
, in Ford County, Illinois; seven workers were killed and twenty-five injured. Complaints about service soon mounted. These concerned "unjust rates", delays in shipping freight, and lack of cars during harvest season. Soon, taxpayers began to protest having to tax themselves to pay off bonds for service over which they had no control. Beginning in October 1876 the LM&B leased the Lafayette, Bloomington and Mississippi Railroad.
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and eastern Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
until its sale on April 28, 1879, to the Lake Erie and Western Railroad
Lake Erie and Western Railroad
The Lake Erie and Western Railroad was a railroad that operated in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.-The beginning:The Seney Syndicate linked several short railroads in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois to form the Lake Erie and Western Railroad in 1879 and 1880...
. The LM&B line was so named because it ran from the city of Muncie
Muncie, Indiana
Muncie is a city in Center Township, Delaware County in east central Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University and the birthplace of the Ball Corporation. It is the principal city of the Muncie, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 118,769...
west through Lafayette
Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
toward Bloomington
Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
. Four of the railroad's directors were from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, one was from Springfield, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
. Several others were from local towns along the route. The initial president was Ashal Gridley of Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
. The road was to be financed almost entirely by bonds issued by the cities and townships along the route. Howard and Weston were chosen as contractors and Richard Price Morgan as chief engineer. With the coming of the railroad many new towns were established. Construction began in 1869. Workers lived in eight company supplied board shanties, with the cost of food and lodging deducted from their wages. The contractors soon found themselves in financial trouble and work was soon halted. Eventually new contractors were found and construction resumed. In November 1871 work was done as far as Saybrook in McLean County where a celebration was head as a locomotive named "General Gridley" pulled a train into the little town. By 1872 freight was being hauled. On 18 June 1872 a construction train on the new railroad ran off the rails east of Paxton
Paxton, Illinois
Paxton is a city in Ford County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,473 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Ford County.-History:...
, in Ford County, Illinois; seven workers were killed and twenty-five injured. Complaints about service soon mounted. These concerned "unjust rates", delays in shipping freight, and lack of cars during harvest season. Soon, taxpayers began to protest having to tax themselves to pay off bonds for service over which they had no control. Beginning in October 1876 the LM&B leased the Lafayette, Bloomington and Mississippi Railroad.