Hillsborough & Cincinnati Rail-road map extending from Hillsborough to the coal field at Jackson, Ohio
Map of the Hillsborough and Cincinnati Railroad (1852) |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Date: | 1852 |
| Author: | L Jacobi |
| Dwnld: | Full size: 01, 02 |
| Source: | Library of Congress |
| Print Availability: | |
 |
|
| See our Prints Page for more details | |
This map isn't part of any series, but we have other maps of Cincinnati that you might want to check out.
Happy Multi-Map Monday.
I love the history of Appalachian coal mining, but I'm afraid I can't help much with this. Here's hoping someone can shed some light.
More Info: Reader Reg Stone provides a great deal of information about the history of the Hillsborough and Cincinnati in the comments section. I'm always edified by my readers; this being a great example. Very thorough, very interesting, and very much appreciated, Mr Stone.
For more map resources and imagery from this period in the region's history, check out the Ohio Historical Society's website.
The H&C had little to do with Appalachian coal mining. The H&C was incorporated March 02, 1846. One year after it’s ally/competitor the Belpre and Cincinnati Railroad. It was “understood” that the B&C would build to Hillsborough (Hillsboro) to connect to the H&C and the two companies would merge. This would be known as the Central Route, a direct line from Baltimore, Parkersburg, Cincinnati, and St. Louis and great profits were expected from the through traffic.
In May of 1850 the directors of the B&C chose to bypass Hillsborough and connect to the H&C at Blanchester, thus placing Hillsborough at the end of a branch line. This infuriated the directors of the H&C. In March of 1850 the B&C changed it’s name to the Marietta and Cincinnati and announced it’s intention to build to Marietta thence up river to Bellaire (across the river from Wheeling) instead of Belpre (across the river from Parkersburg). This infuriated the directors of the B&O. Fearing that an alliance between the M&C and the Pennsylvania Railroad could keep them out of Cincinnati and St. Louis the B&O supported the H&C in making this survey from Hillsborough to Parkersburg.
By 1853 the B&O had lost interest in this route and instead supported the Central Ohio line into Columbus and used connecting lines to reach Cincinnati. On January 01, 1854 the H&C and the M&C singed a “contract of union”. In 1860 the M&C purchased the entire stock of the H&C.
Although never completed, the H&C spent $750,000.00 in attempting to construct the line represented by this map. The M&C spent 250,000.00 in the aborted attempt to reach Bellaire. The debt crippled the combined company and resulted in the B&O gaining control in 1869.
I wonder if some of the tunnels shown on this map were started or completed. 750 thousand was a lot of money in 1852/3.
Years later the railroad that would become the DT&I used the route from just east of Piketon to Jackson. The route of the Pomroy branch was later used by the Kanawha and Michigan.
Wow. Fantastic info, Mr Stone. Many thanks for your time and expertise. Very, very helpful.