Re: (rshsdepot) Willshire, Ohio (Not Indiana)

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

Ohio, not Indiana

Thanks, Mark.

Jim

> > 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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