University of Richmond UR Scholarship Repository Honors Theses Student Research 1937 The Louisa Railroad (1836-1850) Charles W. Turner Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Turner, Charles W., "The Louisa Railroad (1836-1850)" (1937). Honors Theses. 1051. https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/1051 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Research at UR Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of UR Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UNIVERSITYOF RIC HMONDLIB RARIES llllll~llll~~iililllllllm~llll~IIIIII _ . 3 3082 01028 3231 THE· 'LOUISA RAILROAD (1836-1850) History Thesis May 24 ,1937. Presented by Charles w. Turner. (In this paper, there will be found facts concerning the lives of many of the characters connected with the railroad.) BIBLIOGRAPHY Books 1. Freeman, D.S., R. E. Lee, Vol. II, III, IV, Charles Scribners Sons, NewYork, N. Y., l934-36. 2. Harris, Malcohn H., ~ History of Louisa County, Virg~n1a, The Dietz Presa, Ric~mond, V1rg1n1a, 1937. 3. Morton, R. L., Historx of V1r5lnia, Vol. III, Amertcan Historical Society, New York, N. Y. 1924. 4. Nelson, James P., Hlstor~ of the c. and o. Ra11 a~ Co., I.ew1e Printing Company, R1cnmond, -VirginTa, -r~ 7. -- Newspapers and Magazines 6. Reli6ious He~ald, ~eb. 13, 1873~ 7. Richmond Ingui-rer, 1835-50• 8. Stanard, W. G. ed., Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. XXIX, Virginia Historical Society, Richmond, Virginia, 1921. · 9. Stanard, w. G. ed., •virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. XXXVI.V1rgin1a7lietorical Society, Richmond, Virg1r;iia; 1928. 10. Tyler, Lyon G., ed., Tyler Quarter!z ~1sto~ical !nd Genealostcal Magadine, Vol. IV, Richmond Press Inc., Printers, Richmon ,Virginia, 1925. 11. Virginia !dvoc-at#i, Feb. L), 1836. Reports and Pamplets 12. Jones, B· M.~ Railroads: Considered in Re~ard to their Effect .a Upon the Va!ueortfie Landn Increasing Production, Cheapening Transports, Prevent1n5 Em1gr1t­ ion and as Investments for Capital, Richie, Dunnavant an~ Company, Richmond, Virginia, 1860. 13. Nelson, Jamee P., The Realization of the Drea~ of George Washington,-rfie Survey r on-:'theBanks ofthe Kanawaka, !litcneII and Hotchk 1es-,-Pr1nters, Richmond, Virginia, 1916. BIBLIOGRAPHY(contin.) 14 . Proceedings of the Fourth Annual Meet in~ of the Stockholdersot:tfie Louisa Railroad dompany,~ep­ herd and do11il; Printers, R1chmond, Virginia, 1839• 15. Proceed1n~ of the Fifth Annual Meeting of the Stockholders of .fil!e L5utsa RaUroad Compani-;-miep­ herd and Colin, Printers, Richmond, Virginia, 1841. 16. Proceedings of the Seventh Annual Meeting or the Stockfioldersor~e7:ou1sa Ra1lroaa00mpanf:" Shep­ fierd and Colin, rrintera, Rich mond, Virginia, 1842. 17. Proceed1 ~ge of the Ninth Annual Meeting 6f ' the Stockholders~e Louisa Railroad Company7'"°Shep:• herd and Colin, Printers, Richmond, ~1rgin1a, 1844. 1~. Pr oceedings of the Eleventh Annual Meeting of the Stockfioidersof~e Louis a Ra1Iroad--aompanx, Shep­ nera and Colin, 'ffinters, Richmond, Virginia, 1846. 19. Sixteenth Annual Rep~rt of the President and Direc­ tors or the V!rginla OentralRailroad Company to the Stocknolders at their Arinuaf Meeting Held at Louisa ~ourtfiouee O~tobe~;I,-:--!850: to which ts-A'tmended the Annual Report of th~oardof-Public Works, R. ff. Gal­ laher, Printers;- Rrohmond, Vfrginia, I85l. (The above proceedings and this •particular · report were found ·at the Virginia Historical Soc.1ety, Richmond, Virginia.) J,Usce llaneous 20. Charter of the Louisa Railroad Com2an and the Several Other Acta Ofthe General Assembly Re1 aUng to the Same, rrorfn-;--Baptist and Nowlan, Printers, R!chmond, Virginia, 1849. (Found at the Virginia State Library.) 21. u. s. Supreme Court 13, Howard. CONTENTS Page Background and Agitation 1 Organization 2 Frederick Harris 11 Organization (continued) 15 The Opening 26 The Louisa Opening 28 The First Dividend Declared 29 The Gordonsville Extension 30 Schedule Change and Capt. Harris' Report 31 Advances Made During 1839-40 33 C • Y. Kimbrough 39 The Stockholders' Meeting or 1842 40 The Retrenchment Progra~ 41 The Transportation Contract Renewal 42 Events or 1844. 42 Edmund Fontaine 44 Annual Stockholders' Meeting 44 The Stockholders' Petition or 1846 45 Early Desires for Extension Westward 46 The R. F. and P. Railway Co. Contract Set Aside 47 Controversy over Westward Extension 47 The Stockholders' Decision 51 L CONTENTS(continued) page The Mandamus Nis1 Case 52 The Powell's Gap Extension 53 Extension to the Richmond Docks 53 The R. F. and p. Railway Co. vs. Louisa Railroad co. 54 Further Extensions 56 The Aot of February 2, ·1850 57 The Sixteenth Annual Repc,rt 58 Conclusion 59 Map Scenes 1. 1. BACKGROUNDAND AGITATION. The rirst railroad built in Virginia was chartered March 8, 1827. By the year 1860, there were 1,350 miles ot railroad in Virginia . 1 Among the first to be chartered was the Louisa Railroad from which the great Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad of today has its org1n. Thia paper is a history of this railroad during the years it was known as the Louisa Railroad. There had been much agitation, prior to 1836, for a railroad that would extend from somewhere in the neigh­ borhood of Taylorsville by Louisa Courthouse to the stage­ coach road leading rr.o~ Charlottesville to Fredericksburg. This would end on the ridge between the headwaters of the North and South Anna Rivera near Gordonsville in order that, later, it might be continued to Barboursville and Swift Run Gap. 2 Some talked of its continuance to Harrison­ burg and Jenning's Gap and a section might even extend to Orange Courthouse, Madison, and Culpeper, The main pur- pose of this railroad was to accommodate trade, as the portion of the pomlace reached was quite inaccessible to water carriage. The first terminus would be placed at Gordonsville where travelers from Charlottesville might 1. Riohard L. Morton, Hietorx .Q.! Virginia, Vol. III, p. 356. 2. Report of B. M. Francisco, eect'y., Richmond Inquirer, Sept. 22, 1835. 2. board the train.3 At Louisa Courthouse, on September 14, 1835, a. meet­ ing of interested citizens was held to consider the build­ ing of such a road. Thomas Johnson was elected chairman and B. M. Francisco, secretary. Edmund Fontaine took the floor and declared that $59(1 had alre ady been raised to defray the expenses for surveys of possible routes for the proposed railroad. These surveys were to be finished prior to the convening of the legislature. A resolution was ma.de to request Moncure Robinson, -if engagements per­ m1tted, to survey two routes, one on either side of Little River and rePort the advantages of each. 4 The fund spoken of above and other similar funds raised were deposited to the credit of Moncure Robinson in the Bank of Virginia, Richmond, Virgtnta.5 II. OROANIZATIOH In the session of the legislature of 1835-36 the bill to incorporate the stockholders into a company called the Louisa Railroad Company .was introduced. Frederick Harris, later the first president of this rail .road, was· a member of the House or Delegates from Louisa, at that time. The Sena,te passed t.he bill with the prov1e1on that 3. fil£!!mond Inquirer, Nov. 20, 1835• 4. Report of B. M. Francisco, sect'y., Ibid._, Sept. 22, 1835. 5. Richmond Inquirer, Oct. 6, 1835• 3. the terminus might -be placed at Newark instead of Gordons­ ville. The House ot Delegates -~ on February 4, 1836, on the motion of Mr. Harris discussed the bill with the Senate amendment. Finally, Mr. Harris moved that they recede from their disagreement. However, the motion was decided ln · the . negative.6 On February 18, 1836, the bill was passed and the Senate amendment was so changed as to be a compromise. The act provided first, for the opening of the stock sub­ scription books in Richmond under the direction of Richard Anderson, Captain Thomas Nelson and others; at Tay.lors- ville ln Hanover, w. D. Winston, Edmund Fontaine, and others; at Jackson's Tavern in Louisa, David Richar dson, Frederick Harris and others; at Louisa Courthouse, Rich­ mond Terrill, B. M. Francisco, and others; and at Gordons­ ville, William F. Gordon, Colby Cowherd and others. They were to sec ure subscriptions to the amount of $300 , COO at $100 per share to form a .1oint capital stock for the pur­ pose of running the railroad fro m a certain point on the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Pot omac Railroad in the vi­ cinity of Taylorsville to a point in the County of Orange near the eastern base of the Southwest Mountains. They might extend 1t to the vicinity of Harris onburg later. 6. Virginia Advocate, Feb. 10, 1836. 4. The company was to provide everything required for con­ venient tra.nsporta.t1on. If the stockholders after a gen­ eral meeting,thought it injurious to run the railroad to the point determined, then they might end 1t at some point between Newark and Gordonsville.7 If the commissioners should sell 3000 shares of stock within ten days, then it was their duty to reduce the num­ ber of shares subscribed proportional to the number each subscriber took. The books were to remain open for ten days and after 1000 shares had been subscribed the Louisa Railr oad Company would be incorporated. The subscribers might pay as little as two dollars down per share for the stock and the residue was to be paid 1n in s talments. If they failed to meet their payments, the company could get .1udgement against them in the local courts. 8 A st ockholders' meeting should be called, after in- corporation, in which a ~aj ority was req~ired to be pres­ ent.