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PIX #1 - The Elliott Branchof the U.S. Baking Co.

PIX #2 - Kilbourne & Jacobs Manufacturing Co.

PIX #3 - D. Kelly

PIX #4 - Born & Co.'s capital brewery

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the fifty in a series of articles about the CHV&T railroad, now the Chessie System, the towns along the line from Toledo to the Ohio River...some ofthe industry and scenery, as it was before and after the turn of the century.)

Today's ride leaves Delaware and heads for Columbus, the capital city.

The Remembrancer, published by the CHV&T in 1893, said, "Famous among pros- perous cities of America is Columbus, Ohio. It is located in the center of population in the United States, the capital ofthe central state in the union. Its progress and growth have not been spasmodic, but ofthe nature to establish confidence and attract the attention of people everywhere.

"Situated at a point in the Ohio Valley, midway between the great fresh water lakes on the north and the Ohio river on the south, it furnishes as delight- ful a dwelling place the year round as can be found in the 44 states."

COLUMBUS HAD 15 RAILROADS

"Columbus, with its 15 lines of railway, among which are all the main trunk lines of the country reaching out in every direction, the business man and manufacturer find the shipping advantages necessaryto the success of their enterprises.

"The past 10 years has shown the greatest growth in Columbus, the population decreasing from 51,000 in 1880 to 90,000 in 1890. Its wide streets and ave- nues have been paved with the most substantial materials, with granite and stone blocks for its chief business thoroughfares, and asphalt and several varieties of hard-burned brick on residence and side-streets."

Back before the turn of the century, Columbus already had its fine state capitol, plus many institutions for public welfare. These included the Institution for Education of the Blind, Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, Institutionforthe Feeble Minded, and the State Penitentiary.

The annual death rate in the Columbus area was less than 13 percent compared to 20-30 percent in the rest of the United States.

COLUMBUS BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY

There isn't space to list all of the many businesses and industries in Colum- bus, but the following are a few showing the variety, along with photos of some which existed at that time.

Columbus Cabinet Co., manufacturers and dealers in furniture. Organized in 1861, located in the 200 block of South High Street.

Columbus Bicycle Co., located on West Spring Street, organized in 1890.

Coleman & Felber, organized in 1866, manufacturers of crackers, biscuits, cakes, and confections.

Sciota Boiler Works, located on North Sciota Street, manufacturers of boil- ers, tanks, and sheet iron, started in 1878.

J.F. Williams & Sons, proprietors of Franklin Roller and Roscoe Star Mills (millers of grain), started in 1892.

Hand Cut File Works, makers of all kinds of files and rasps, located at Water and Spring Streets, started in 1877.

Jeffrey Manufacturing Co., makers of all types of coal mining equipment, or- ganized in 1878.

Rock Wall Plaster Co., since 1889, located on West Broad Street, volume per day was 1,500 100-pound bags.

The Capital Sheet Metal Co., started in 1893, makers of metal ceilings, gut- ters and siding.

John Immel & Son, builders of carriages, buggies, wagons, coupes and rocka- ways, located on East Livingston Avenue.

The Case Manufacturing Co. began operations in 1879 on Curtis Avenue, manu- facturers of leather, rubber and cotton belting, wire cloth, pulleys and everything for grain mills.

The Kilbourne & Jacobs Manufacturing Co., since 1881, making grading machin- ery, road scrapers, wheel barrows, sinks and troughs.

Capital Brewery, started in 1859, 50,000 barrels of beer per day.

D. Kelly, located at Front and Noughten Streets, wholesale grocers and job- bers in wines, liquors, and cigars.

Elliott Branch of U.S. Baking Co., located at South High Street and South Pearl Street, bakers of bread, cakes, crackers, confections, established in 1859.

The CHV&T Railroad, the number of men employed in their Columbus shops was extensive to keep the locomotives, freight and passenger cars in operating condition.

The census report of 1880 established there wre 316 manufacturing plants in Columbus employing 5,490 people. By 1892 the factories numbered 1,005 with 15,809 employees.

(TO BE CONTINUED) READER FEEDBACK RODE CHV&T AT 11 MONTHS Willis Wyant, West South Street, reported that he recalled his mother telling him that she had taken him to Vinton on that railroad when he was only 11- months-old. They wre to attend the funeral of his greatgrandmother. Vinton as almost at the south end of the line. HAM-BEAN DINNER AT VINTON Willis Wyant also told me that for many years the small community of Vinton held an annual ham and bean dinner. He said people came from all over that area to get in on the feed. Presumably, some of them rode the CHV&T to get there. RODE THE CHV&T OFTEN Evelyn Myers, 324 Elm St., after reading the articles about the old Hocking line, told me that she rode it manytimes when she worked in Toledo, and came home on weekends to see her family. MAP SETTLED ARGUMENT A Potluck reader residing in Bradner telephoned to inquire the date of the first article in the series about the CHV&T. He had read the article which included a map of stops along the way. He and a friend had discussed it and he needed to get another copy having lost his to prove that the train went through Vinton since the friend disagreed. Hopefully the map settled it.