Evansville and Crawfordsville Railroad

Last updated
Evansville and Crawfordsville Railroad
Evansville and Terre Haute Railroad
Overview
Founders
LocaleSouthwest Indiana
Dates of operation1853 (1853)1877 (1877)
Successor Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad

The Evansville and Crawfordsville Railroad Company was Evansville, Indiana's first railroad company. It was first chartered in 1853 by William D. Griswold, a lawyer in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was renamed Evansville and Terre Haute Railroad in 1877. It went on to be consolidated without railroads of the region into the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad. [1] Chauncey Rose was a key player in financing its construction.

The Vincennes railroad was originally chartered as the Evansville & Illinois to connect with the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad at Olney, later at Vincennes January 21, 1849. It was extended to Terre Haute, Rockville, and Crawfordsville. [2] The section from Vincennes to Terre Haute, 58 miles built under WD Griswold and Chauncey Rose, was opened to through traffic on November 23, 1853 [3] and completed in 1854. [4] Rose donated his stock in the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railroad to the Evansville and Crawfordsville to finance its construction. [5]

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References

  1. Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad Historical Society, Corporate History http://ceihs.org/corporate-history/
  2. Esarey, Logan; Rabb Milner, Kate; Herschell, William (1924). History of Indiana from Its Exploration to 1922. Vol. 2. Dayton, OH: Dayton Historical Publishing Co. pp. 728 Google Books.
  3. Hartwell, Will (1913). History of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad Company to June 30, 1913. Chicago: Legare Street Press. p. 44 Available from Google Books.
  4. Bradsby, HC (1891). History of Vigo County Indiana. Chicago: SB Nelson Co. p. 570 Available at Google Books.
  5. Olney Daily Ledger, Apr 1, 1875, p 3 Available on Newspapers.com