(rshsdepot) Willshire, Indiana

["James Dent" <james.dent_@_itochu.com>]

-From the Decatur, IN Tribune...

Piece of history hidden in river brush
By JIM LANGHAM April 28, 2001

 Hidden in the river brush on the north edge of Willshire is a chunk of
American history that once reached from St. Louis to Toledo and eventually
to regions beyond.
About a fourth of a mile north of the intersection of Ohio 49 and 81, stands
a well preserved bridge that was once a part of the Toledo, St. Louis, and
Western Railroad as it passed through that village.

The bridge is neatly tucked in the woodlands and brush that meander along
with the St. Marys River as it makes its way through the community and on
toward Decatur.

Better known as, "Clover Leaf" Railway, the line was part of the "Toledo
Division" of the railroad, which stretched from Toledo to Frankfort, Ind.,
including parts of Adams County. The other section, known as the "St. Louis
Division," stretched from Frankfort to St. Louis.

Records of the time indicate that the Toledo, St. Louis, and Western
Railroad was a remnant of the old Toledo, Cincinnati, and St. Louis, a
business effort originally attempting to establish a narrow-guage railroad
system. The gauge was the distance between the rails.

Standard distance was considered to be four feet, but narrow gauge distance
was three feet.

Business people investing in the Toledo, St. Louis and Western did so
because narrow gauge was thought to be more economical because of supposedly
using less steel. However, not having a standard gauge width soon started to
cause serious problems in not having standard moving regulations.

Narrow gauge construction seemed to work okay in some areas, but not others.
It seemed most effective in remote regions of the west when traffic on the
rails was light and the line was not considered to be a long-term solution.

The Toledo, St. Louis and Western was part of a recovery effort for what had
been a sagging railroad business. Backed by the famous Chicago meatpacker,
Phillip Armour, the effort was a second reorganization of the Clover Leaf to
become more efficient and a good fit with the Nickel Plate moving into the
20th century.

However, overeactionary business decisions once again sent the company into
receivership for eight years. Although the company met its obligations
during that time, the infrastructure was declining. Very few repairs were
made to the tracks and the purchase of new passenger cars was in limbo.

Finally, after concerted efforts to save the company, the Toledo, St. Louis,
and Western Railroad became part of the Nickel Plate on Dec. 28, 1922.

As was the case in most small communities, the arrival of the T, St.L. and W
to the Willshire community opened up the area to the outside world. Opening
up the Black Swamp and developing a community for commerce had been no easy
task, especially following the great sweep of illness that nearly wiped out
the community in the middle of the 19th century.

Once the railroad was completed, grain mills, factories, and places of
business immediately sprung up in its path. Everything from passenger
service to freight and shipping had now become as close to Willshire as the
shake of a hand.

Early pictures of the railroad in the community include the neatly-built old
depot and  a section hands vehicle surrounded by local residents Hobart
Strickler, Will Lahmon, William Reece, Bennie Brandt, and Jim Wyer.

Once the train got rolling, eastbound passenger trains left at 6:57 p.m.
5:38 a.m., 12:08 p.m., and 2:15 p.m. Westbound trains left at 11:09 a.m.,
9:01 p.m., 10:00 a.m., and 5:05 a. m.

The early Willshire area was described in the 1981 Van Wert County history
book as some of the finest farm area in the region. "Hogs ranged at large
and were ready for the knife," described the book. "Wild honey could be
found in superabundance. The forests up to this time swarmed with choicest
furs."

A little walk across the old bridge these days is like a stroll into the
past, particularly in walking to the west.
The tower of the local grain mill can be seen at the "end" of the track, as
though it were waiting to be unburdened of a heavy load of grain. A small
marker just west of the bridge has a well-preserved "W" on it.

Although the railroad bed is nothing more than river stone, stripped of its
original purpose, one can almost hear a distant whistle of some phantom
train traveling through time as a reminder of days when the Toledo, St.
Louis, and Western Railroad passed through Willshire.

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