Cincinnati Southern Railway

[swinstandley]

The following is taken from J. H. Hollander's dissertation "The Cincinnati Southern Railway: A Study in Municipal Activity"" published in 1894 by The John Hopkins Press.

On June 4, 1869 a resolution was passed, reciting the powers conferred by the Ferguson Act, and declaring it "essential to the interests of the said city of Cincinnati that a line of railway, to be named the Cincinnati Southern Railway, should be provided between the city of Cincinnati and the city of Chattanooga."

The General Assembly of Tennessee convened in the autumn of 1869, and a bill granting right of way to the Cincinnati Southern Railway was at once introduced. The measure was strongly supported by popular sentiment, and with some slight additions became a law on January 20, 1870.

The Kentucky legislature reconvened in December, 1872, and the enabling measure was again introduced. For several weeks the issue hung in doubt. Finally, on February 13, 1873, a partial compromise was effected, and the bill passed. The Cincinnati Southern Trustees were required to survey a specified route via Nicholasville and Danville, to Chattanooga. The Kentucky act required that actual construction be inaugurated before February, 1874. A tunnel three-fourths of a mile in length, through King's Mountain was chosen for the initiation of the work.

Ludlow continued as the northern terminus of the road until December, 1877, at a total cost of $802,171.26, the bridge across the Ohio was so far completed as to allow the passage of trains.  The Railway was at this time in actual operation between Cincinnati and Somerset.

In the early part of February, 1880, the entire Railway had been so far completed as to allow the slow passage of through trains. On the evening of February 21, 1880 [130 years ago today], the first two south-bound freight trains left Cincinnati, laden with meats, whiskey, clothing, drugs, starch, furniture and hats, for Chattanooga. After several weeks of freight traffic to accustom the engineers to the grades and stations of the Railway, the first passenger train was sent on a trial trip from Cincinnati to Chattanooga on March 8, 1880.

In 1881, proposals were invited for the lease of the road. Ten proposals in all were received, the more important representing the present lessees, several bodies of Cincinnati capitalists, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, and the Erlanger syndicate. On September 3, 1881, the bid of the Erlanger syndicate was accepted. An organization was promptly effected by the lesses under the franchise of the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway Company. The Railway became thus incorporated with an important truck line, The Alabama Great Southern, or Erlanger system. In April, 1890, the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad purchased from the Erlanger syndicate a controlling share of the stock. The two systems have since been associated in operation as the "Queen and Crescent Route," with Cincinnati as the northern terminus.

The Cincinnati Southern Railway is recognized as clearly the most fundamental and persistent factor that has contributed to the economic development of Cincinnati.