![]() Several orators made speeches while standing on a chestnut stump. At the groundbreaking ceremony, Franklin Taylor threw one shovel of earth towards Philadelphia and another towards Baltimore. The survey completed, the corporation was reformed as the Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad with Franklin Taylor as President. There was considerable controversy over the exact placement of the line because the presence of a railroad could bring significant financial benefit to communities and individual landowners near the right of way. The engineering survey began in 1852 and was completed in 1854. Franklin Taylor of Kennett Square formed a Corporation to undertake an engineering survey for a rail line leaving the Philadelphia-West Chester line at Wawa (near Media), going through Kennett Square to Oxford. ![]() In the early 1850s, a group of citizens under the leadership of Dr. It was planned to use a portion of the Philadelphia-West Chester tracks for this new line. At the same time, there was considerable interest in a railway line from Philadelphia to Baltimore by way of West Chester. In 1851, the West Chester and Philadelphia Railway Company was formed to offer direct service between these cities by a different southerly route through Media. In succeeding years, local railroad companies began springing up like mushrooms. A trip from Philadelphia to Lancaster could be made in seven hours. A passenger car could carry dozens of passengers and a freight car could carry many wagon loads of goods. Operation of this line demonstrated the tremendous improvements offered by the railroad. In addition, the time required for travel meant that travelers often stayed overnight at inns.Ī rail line from Philadelphia to Columbia, Lancaster County, was opened in 1832. Road tolls could range up to 25 cents for a wagon to travel 10 miles. Wagons hauling freight were much slower and a team of oxen required 3 days to travel 25 miles. A stagecoach could travel 6 miles per hour. Present day roads, such as the Baltimore Pike, following the same routes as turnpikes, still bear their names. Beginning early in the 1800s, several turnpikes, which were toll roads, served the area. The limitations of land transportation before railroads easily explain the enthusiasm for building railroads. Exhibiting considerable effort and perseverance, a number of visionary civic leaders successfully brought a railroad to our area, which dramatically improved the social and economic lives of Kennett Township residents and became an important part of the history of the development of our community. In the mid 1800s, the idea of building railroads swept the country in a way comparable to the way the internet has swept the country in recent years.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |