instance, we give the history of what was known as the "Western or Winchester road," which caused considerable strife and difficulty. The settlers west of Greenville joined in a petition to the Commissioners for a county road from Greenville to the State line in the direction of Winchester. A view was ordered; viewers met, started at or near the mouth of Mud Creek, ran nearly direct until they intersected the old Indian trace leading from the Indian town on Mud Creek to Muncie, Ind. This was at the crossing of the West Branch, from which they ran as close as practicable with the old trace to the State line. This location did not satisfy all parties to the petition, and another party arose. Names were bestowed upon each. The first was known as the Squaw road party, the other the Jersey road. The latter petitioned for a road to run a course about a mile north of the other; their petition was granted. There were now two roads, and each party, emulating the other, set to work to open the respective roads. Not long after, an order was received from the Legislature to lay out and establish a State road from Troy via Greenville to the State line. In the mean time Randolph County, Ind., had laid out a road from Winchester to the State line, ending at the corner of a section about midway between the two Ohio roads. The State viewers learning at Greenville of the two roads and the strife, ran their line midway to strike the Indiana road, and in proportion as the one party rejoiced the other was displeased. The line is now the Greenville and State Line turnpike. Soon the defeated party petitioned at Columbus for change of location; it was granted without delay or investigation, and for a number of years the Squaw road was traveled as the State road. Partially foiled, the Jerseys went to work vigorously to open and put in repair their road. It thus happened that there were two roads running parallel not a mile apart. No bridge had been built over the mouth of Mud Creek, and the only entry or exit from the town was around and across Greenville Creek. For several years this anomalous condition of affairs continued; finally the people undertook of their own accord to build a bridge over the mouth of Mud Creek. Abutments were erected, laid on the sills and it was partially floored with split slabs, but its completion was delayed and it was not made passable for teams. It stood in this condition several years, until the timber became rotten, when, at one of the terms of court, some lawyers strolled out one evening, laid hold and shook it down. The County Commissioners then made an appropriation for the building of a bridge at this place, and a temporary structure was in time erected. The rival roads were maintained a score of years, much to the public disadvantage. As a finality there came an order from the Legislature to lay a State road from the branch of Mad River in Champaign County, via Piqua and Greenville to the State line. This was located on the track of the former road, and the difficulty was thus finally settled.

J. S. Patterson, of Berlin Heights, Huron County, in an article to the Ohio Farmer, written in 1870, said: "Who would have thought thirty-seven years ago, when the writer first saw 'old Darke County,' that it would ever stand foremost among the counties of State for its road enterprise. Why the county should have surpassed every other in the State in this regard, I am unable to explain. It may be accounted for on the theory of extremes-the roads were very bad, they are very good. Perhaps the people thrown upon their own resources pushed their way in this direction. It is certain that the pike business became in time a local epidemic. The many rival stations fostered a spirit of rivalry. A condition of things that favored the enterprise of turnpike construction was the tendency of the people to invest in what promised to be a permanent improvement. Whatever may be the explanation, the Secretary's report for 1868 puts down 393 miles of turnpike roads for Darke County; Warren follows with 224; Clermont and Wood. 200 each; Hamilton, 195; Montgomery, 152; Champaign, 136; Greene, 117 ; Butler 112, etc.

Of course, the burden of taxation is heavy and not every farmer is in condition to pay $4 an acre road tax. Some were obliged to sell off land to enable them to meet assessments, but hard as it was, even such gained in the end by the

rise in local values. It is quite a general feeling among the people that they have taken too much upon their hands at once. And as wheat is their staple product, the county ranking fifth in the State, the low price at which their surplus will probably have to be sold, may operate somewhat discouragingly; but the resources of the county are abundant, and the people will no doubt come out all right, and all the better for their excellent system of roads. Parts of the county with which I was perfectly familiar ten years ago, I did not recognize when passing through them last summer." There are now over 700 miles of turnpike in Darke County, and several short roads are building. The writer of the above was correct in supposing that the outcome of this special enterprise would be favorable even to those most heavily taxed, for so it has proven. Within an area of 600 square miles there are just about 200 piked roads and part of roads, having a separate name. To merely enumerate them would be a task; to state their individual history would require almost a volume. The first one was built from Greenville to Gettysburg in 1853. It was then, and is still a toll pike. All the others are free. The turnpikes of this county are estimated by competent authority to have cost in the aggregate just about $1,500,000. The lines radiating from Greenville, as seen on the map, resemble somewhat the radiating lines of a spider's web, while the connecting cross roads complete the ideal comparison. Railroads began to exercise their powerful influence in this section about thirty years ago. The pioneer road of this county was known as the Dayton & Union Railroad. The company was chartered Feb. 26, 1846, as the "Greenville & Miami Railroad Company," for the construction of a railroad from the town of Greenville to any point on the Dayton & Western Railroad, or any point on the Miami or Miami Extension Canal, which the Directors might determine. The incorporators were Daniel R. Davis, Hiram Bell, William M. Wilson, Rufus Kilpatrick, John Colville, George Ward, John McClure, Jr., John C. Potter, Erastus Putnam, Alfred Kitchen, James Hanaway, Henry Arnold, W. B. Beall, I. N. Gard, Abraham Scribner, Russell Evans, John C. Shepherd, Adam Baker, Abraham Studabaker, Charles Hutchins, Joseph Ford and Solomon Riffle, of Darke County; Gen. H. Bell was the first President; Henry Arnold, Esq., first Treasurer; and Hon. William M. Wilson, the first Secretary. The capital stock of the company was $200,000, divided into shares of $50 each. At the expiration of a year, Dr. I. N. Gard was elected President, succeeded by David Studabaker. During 1848, the enterprise was first fully presented to the people of the county for their support. Among those most active in forwarding the undertaking, not only to obtain a favorable vote, but to secure means to do the necessary preliminary work, were Dr. Gard, Judge Wilson, Gen. Bell, Mr. Studabaker, Mr. Kitchen and Maj. Davis. There was then but little money in the county; the largest subscriptions that could be obtained were $500, and there were but eight of ten of these.

On January 5, 1848, an act was passed by the Legislature, authorizing the Commissioners of Darke County to purchase stock in the G. & M. R. R. Company to any amount not to exceed $50,000, provided a majority of the voters of the county were in favor thereof. On the first Monday of April, the proposition to aid was carried by a majority of 637 votes, and on the 13th, the Commissioners subscribed the maximum amount in aid of the road. August 21, the Auditor was authorized to issue an order on the Treasurer for $110, to pay for the survey of the road. February 2, 1849, the Town Council of Greenville was in like manner impowered to subscribe thereto any amount not exceeding $10,000. Judge Wilson continued Secretary of the company from organization to about 1850, that is, during the preliminary work of the company. In 1850, a new organization was effected, with E. B. Taylor as President, and an act was passed authorizing the county and town to sell any or all stock to said company, or any other formed to extend the railroad from Greenville to the State line. Mr. Taylor went to New York, negotiated a loan of $150,000, bought iron and other necessaries to equipment. In July, 1850, the first locomotive intended to be used for laying the track

of the road from Dayton to Greenville, arrived at Dayton. It was brought from the establishment of Swinburn, Smith & Co., of Patterson, N. J., and weighed fourteen tons. The first installment of iron was shipped from New York for Dayton on the 26th of June. The residue of the iron was then on the way from Liverpool to New York. It was of the T pattern, and weighed about nineteen pounds to the square foot. The bridge across the Miami River at Dayton was completed and intended for use by three roads, the others being the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton, and the Dayton & Western. The contract for laying the track was let to A. De Graff. The depot and other buildings were placed under contract, and all the work systematically pushed forward. Two additional locomotives, weighing eighteen tons each, were contracted for delivery, one in August, the other in October. Two passenger cars were constructed at Dayton, in the establishment of Thresher, Packard & Co. The "burthen" cars were manufactured at the Greenville foundry and machine-shops of Messrs. Edmonson & Evans, and Taylor Brothers. The grain crop of 1851 was unprecedentedly large, and the road was expected to highly benefit all interests, whether farming, mechanical, mercantile or commercial. It was stated at the time that this event "was an important epoch in Darke County history," and such it has since proved to have been. It enhanced values and facilitated communication. It was noted that "the running time between Greenville and Dayton will be less than one hour and a half, and the distance may be performed with perfect safety in less than one hour." On February 19, 1851, De Graff started out from Dayton with a train to be used for track laying. The train was platform cars with houses built on them-three for sleeping-rooms, one for dining and one for a kitchen. The job of laying the iron was in charge of John Horrien. On May 25, the main track of the road was finished to the depot buildings, and a meeting was called to arrange for a celebration of the event. The event duly honored, was marked by a large crowd, and made memorable by an emeute at Greenville, on part of the roughs. The Board of Directors, at a meeting held at Dayton August 30, 1853, declared a 10 per cent dividend from the earnings of the road, from January 1 to September 1. This dividend was declared after deducting expense of repairs, running, interest and other expenses, and there remained a reserve fund of $5,000. The receipts for August were for passengers, $6,261; transportation, $4,215; mail, $333; total, nearly $11,000. The cost of the road was about $550,000. Outstanding bonds, $341,000, and the liberal dividend to stockholders created an enthusiasm which greatly facilitated the induction and completion of the road to Union, and of other roads constructed through the county. Mr. Taylor continued to be President of the road until July, 1855, when he resigned. Meantime, the company been authorized by the Legislature to extend the railroad to the Indiana State line, by such route as the Directors might select, within the county of Darke," and the act had been accepted by resolution of the Board of Directors as an amendment to the charter of the company. The road was built through to Union City three years after its completion to Greenville, that is, in 1853. When President Taylor resigned, the road went into the hands of the bondholders, by whom it was operated. At length, suit was brought for foreclosure of the mortgage August, 1861, but a plan of re-organization and capitalization of stock and debt was agreed upon, and the road was sold October 30, 1862, to H. C. Stimson and S. J. Tilden for $1,000, subject to the mortgage of $150,000. In 1855, Judge Wilson, Secretary, resigned, and the chief office was removed to Dayton. All control of the road passed from the citizens of the county that year.

had

In the summer of 1854, the road was completed from Dodson to Dayton, and the company continued to operate the entire line from Dayton to Union City until April, 1863, when, in accordance with an agreement on January 19, previously, the joint use of the track of the Dayton & Western Railroad Company, from Dayton to Dobson (fifteen miles), was secured, between which points each company had a line of road running nearly parallel. By this agreement, the company was enabled

to take up and dispose of the iron between Dayton and Dobson. January 19, 1863, the company was re-organized, under the name of the Dayton & Union Railroad Company. When the road was opened for business, in 1850, land along its line might have been bought for $5 per acre; it has since been sold for $100 per acre. The country was wet, and water stood in the woods and clearings along the track for months at a time. This is now drained, arable and valuable. Then, about Arcanum, houses were to be seen at long intervals; now fine farm houses dot the landscape in all directions. Arrangements are now in progress to relay the old track, and annul the agreement for the joint use of the Dayton & Western rails.

The first

When the road was first opened, a single train-mixed passenger and freight -ran during the day. R. A. Knox was the first conductor on the road. engineer was Mr. Johnson. The first freight and passenger agent was Daniel R. Davis, who, on leaving Greenville, took charge of the station at Dayton. The passenger receipts for 1879, on the Dayton & Union Railroad, were $7,578.85; freight receipts, $13,165.09; freight forwarded, $10,882.99. Of officers, James McDaniel is President; C. C. Gale, Superintendent; John L. Miller, General Ticket Agent, and Charles E. Miller, General Freight Agent.

The Columbus, Piqua & Indiana Railroad, extending across the county in a direct line from Bradford to Union City, was begun within the limits of Darke County in 1852, and the grading completed, or nearly so, during that and the following year. In 1854, the work ceased, the company being much embarrassed in regard to finances. In 1858, the enterprise was again carried forward, and track laying was begun. The completion of the work of laying the iron was effected about the middle of March, 1859. By the last of April, trains were running regularly from Columbus to Union City, making close connections with trains from the west. R. Walkup was Superintendent; L. Purcell, conductor. Judge Mitchell was President until the road was leased to the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railway Company, and he was succeeded by Mr. Smith. William Wilson and John C. Potter, of Darke County, with others from Miami, Champaign, Madison and Franklin Counties, were the corporators. The capital stock was $2,000,000. The road, running from Bradford somewhat north of west, crosses Adams Township, the northern part of Greenville, and crosses Jackson to the State Line at Union City. Intermediate stations are Bradford, Horatio, Stelvideo, Pikeville and Woodington.

The Cincinnati & Mackinaw Railroad was graded but never completed; its history is quite interesting in this connection. In May, 1853, the subject of building this road began to be agitated. A large meeting was held at Van Wert on the 27th of May. An enthusiastic meeting was held in Greenville on June 25, and a committee of fourteen was appointed to attend a meeting to be held at Van Wert July 9. Meetings were also held at New Castine and other points on the line of the proposed road. Survey commenced early in August, and, later in the month, Moses Hart, Esq., had been duly authorized to take subscriptions to the stock of the road, and books were opened at his store in Greenville. Later still, a meeting of incorporators was held at Greenville, and the project so far gained favor that, by October 19, $200,000 had been subscribed, and, an election being held, William Gunkle was chosen President, and the Directors were William Gunkle, C. G. Espich, J. L. Winner, I. W. Riley, I. W. Kirk, P. De Puy and R. Thisbee. The final report of the survey gave the distance from Greenville to the State line, on the route proposed, as 111 miles, with but three-fourths of a mile curved line in the whole distance. No grade exceeded twenty-five feet to the mile. The cost of building was less than $17,500 per mile. The entire line, from the Straits of Mackinaw to Cincinnati, was 500 miles, of which about one-fifth was completed. In 1853, Mr. Taylor became Director, vice Dr. Espich. A year later, the hopes of the company were placed in the prospective grant of land, while pressure in the money market delayed the prosecution of the work. The Directors did not despair, but, from time to time, held meetings to compare notes, view reports of engineer and

general agent, and to determine upon the location of that portion of the line lying between Greenville and Celina-two lines having been run in Darke County-and encouragement was given by a Congressional grant of above a million acres of land to aid in the construction of the northern part of the line. A meeting was held April 21, 1858, at Greenville, to examine bids heretofore received for the work between that city and Celina; distance, thirty-two miles. Alfred Kitchen, of Darke, was appointed to superintend the construction, and J. W. Frizzel was chosen Secretary. On June 2, the Directors held a three-days meeting, in the course of which fifteen miles of road were placed under contract, and the trestle and culvert work of the entire thirty-two miles. Mr. Pomeroy was chosen engineer, vice Col. Frink, resigned. The remaining seventeen miles were resurveyed, with a view of important alterations. In the spring of 1859, negotiations were attempted in Europe for the sale of bonds, without success, and the enter prise was abandoned for want of means, after a large portion of the grading had been done, thus adding in this locality one more to the many failures of the times.

The Cincinnati, Columbus & Indiana Central Railroad.-The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railroad Company operates two lines through Darke Countythe old Columbus, Piqua & Indianapolis, and the first division of the Columbus & Indianapolis Central. In 1861, what was called the Richmond & Covington Railroad Company was organized for the purpose of making a road through Bradford, on Columbus, Piqua and Indianapolis Railroad, to Richmond, Ind., to connect with the Indiana Central Railroad. It was built during the years 1862-63, and trains began to run in the fall of the latter year. An advantage in construction of the road was the grand ridges abounding in the best of material for ballasting the road. Money was liberally subscribed to pay for necessary surveys. The estimate for building the road and placing it in running order was placed at $7,000 per mile. To construct the entire route would cost about $210,000, and Darke County was asked for $25,000. A. Price, contractor, began work June 9. In February, 1863, the Greenville Journal, says: "The work upon the Richmond & Covington Railroad is progressing very rapidly. In the hands of such men as E. Baker, the Careys, P. Pomeroy and Tom Waring, there is no such thing as failure." Evan Baker, of Greenville, was President of the road from the time of its organization. until near its completion, when E. B. Smith, of Columbus, was elected President of this road and also of the Columbus, Piqua & Indianapolis Railroad, at which time he perfected a running arrangement with the Indiana Central. The owners of that line subsequently bought the stock of the Richmond & Covington Railroad, got control of the stock of the Indiana Central Railroad, which embraced the entire line. Subsequently, this company purchased the Chicago Air Line, and the name "Cincinnati, Columbus & Indiana Central Railroad," was adopted. This company is now the owner of the road, including the branch from Bradford to Richmond. In January, 1869, the Cincinnati, Columbus & Indiana Central Railway, made a permanent lease of its line to the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railroad, by which it is now being operated. The following is an exhibit of the passengerr eceipts at the Greenville station, for the year 1879, $9,188. Total for the year of freight was $17,923.67; total receipts, $27,011.67.

An adjunct of the railroad, and a convenience especially to the business man, is the telegraph, which is in use here as elsewhere. About 1870, the Pacific & Atlantic Telegraph Company owned the line on the Dayton & Union road, and the Western Union had charge of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis line; the latter had its office at the lower depot. Postmaster Stevenson was at that time Manager of the Pacific & Atlantic, although not an operator. The two companies were consolidated, and the up-town office was established. This consolidation was perfected in December, 1873, when Jacob F. Martin was appointed manager of the Western Union, which had absorbed the Pacific & Atlantic line. He continued manager until July 2, 1876. Then L. Smith, of Urbana, Ohio, was appointed