Historical Sidney: The Silver Rails Cache
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(regular)
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Three great transportation eras have shaped the history of Sidney, Ohio: the canal era, the railroad era and the interstate highway era. This cache is about the railroad era. But to begin at the beginning, the canals must be given first glance.
The operation of the canals through Ohio spanned just eighty-eight years from construction beginning in 1825 to the abandonment of the canal after the disastrous flood of 1913. The nearly 300 miles of the Miami & Erie Canal cost over eight million dollars and took forty-five years to build the channels & tow paths of the canal & feeder lines, 103 locks, nineteen aqueducts, and three reservoirs.
The addition of the fourteen mile long Miami and Erie Canal Feeder from Port Jefferson through Sidney to Lockington in the mid-1840’s generated Sidney’s first major stimulus for growth and commercial opportunities for local businessmen and farmers.
An even bigger boost to Sidney came with the railroads. As early as 1848, local leadership induced a railroad to build an east-west line through Sidney. Construction began in 1851 for the east/west Bellefontaine and Indiana Railroad. By July of 1853, Sidney was connected to the established eastern markets and developing western markets.
In 1854, steps were taken to secure a north-south line of the Dayton and Michigan Railroad. Completed through Sidney and Shelby County by 1856, the combination of the canal and railroad links provided a powerful economic stimulus for Sidney. In 1860, Sidney’s population was 1,997 and by 1870 it was 2,808. By the 1870s, railroad tracks crossed the state of Ohio with more railroad building proposed.
Other than the addition of numerous spur lines off the main tracks leading up to the loading docks of Sidney industries, little was to change with the railroads through Sidney during the remaining decades of the later 1800’s and early 1900’s. During this time however, there was a growing problem with the high incidence of injuries and deaths on the east-west tracks through downtown Sidney. Unlike the north-south tracks that crossed only one Sidney street (W. North Street - still today), the east-west line was notorious. The tracks of the B & I at that time were laid in a series of curves through the river valley and Sidney crossing numerous streets along the way. Pedestrian, buggy and auto accidents with trains were common evoking talk about moving the tracks south of town. But Sidney’s location in a natural valley created by the Great Miami River presented immense physical and economic challenges to relocate the tracks elsewhere.
Perhaps the most decisive factor for relocating the Big Four (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis - thus the Big Four Railroad) tracks out of downtown Sidney was the aforementioned flood of 1913. The swirling waters washed out some of the track and disrupted operations. A decision was finally made to relocate the tracks south of town just north of Graceland Cemetery.
The Big Four officials did not have an ordinary bridge in mind. To effectively span the entire width of the valley and cross the Great Miami River would eventually require almost 14 miles and 1,000,000 cubic yards of embankment. The Big Four Bridge required 28,000 cubic yards of concrete and 450 tons of steel. The Walsh Construction Company of Iowa managed the two year - five million plus dollar project employing hundreds of workers. By 1924 the bridge was completed and east-west train traffic was moved out of downtown Sidney.
From the past to the present, the names of the railroads have changed and the era of passenger trains has passed. Only freight passes through Sidney on the silver rails today. But some of the monuments of the railroads through Sidney remain.
N 40 16.453 W 084 09.627 The Big Four Railroad Depot (second of two). Built in the early 1920’s at the same time as the Big Four Bridge a short distance to the east, this station on South Chestnut Street was used for passenger train travel from 1924 until its closing in 1966. Consider spotting trains from the pedestrian bridge over the tracks just west of the station (N 40 16.441 W 084 09.677). Since 1979, the station has been home of the West Central Ohio Model Railroad Club. If club members are in, you’re welcomed to drop in and see their Appalachian Mountains train layout as it snakes throughout the stations interior at eye level.
N 40 16.439 W 084 09.267 The Big Four Bridge. This Sidney landmark south of downtown now belongs to and is used regularly by the CSX railroad. If you stick around a little bit, you’re bound to see a train cross the bridge. About 30 trains do so each day.
N 40 17.260 W 084 08.604 Tawawa Civic Park. Dedicated in 1956, this 80 acre park is the centerpiece of Sidney’s park system. The main road through the park was once the east-west rail bed for the Big Four Railroad before the railroad abandoned the tracks in favor of a route through Sidney further south over the Big Four Bridge. The park is closed to vehicular traffic from November 1 to the third Saturday in April. However, pedestrian traffic through the park is welcomed year round from dawn to dusk.
N 40 17.220 W 084 08.099 The Big Rock. This huge glacial deposit was discovered in the mid 1850’s by railroad workers building the first rails through Sidney. Deposited there 16,000 years ago during the last ice age, it’s estimated by geologists to have come from the Hudson Bay area of eastern Canada and that it took several million years to transport this 103 ton, 44ft. circumference rock to it’s Sidney resting place. During a break in the construction of the Monumental Building in downtown Sidney, some stone masons celebrated America’s centennial year and handed down their names to posterity by inscribing their names along with the national emblem and the year “1876” on the top of the rock. Climb up and you’ll see their work is still visible. A sign along the main road through Tawawa Park points to the location of the Big Rock.
Much of the old Big Four roadbed through Sidney is still apparent today… even what may be some old track is still in place. The old line going west through Sidney comes into town on what is now the main road through Tawawa Park, crosses Riverside Dr. and past the BK Root Beer stand, over the Miami River (the bridge was demolished long ago but the concrete abutments remain), continues west behind Bridgeview Middle School (demolished in 2005), crosses North Main Street between Gates Bros. Glass and Sidney Ace Hardware, continues westward crossing Ohio Street, passes Ginn Grain (elevator), City of Sidney Fire Station #1 (Site of the first Big Four Railroad Depot), runs alongside Poplar under the still active north-south rail line, crosses Wilkerson then passes by… what else… Railroad Street. From there, the roadbed crosses Rt. 47 and under the Highland overpass where tracks still exist. These tracks continue through the woods southwestwardly under Fourth Ave., clears the woods passing behind local industries Heidelberg, (under I-75) Sidney Tool & Die and Sidco Industries, crosses the intersection of Campbell and Van Dermark Roads then continues along the north side of the ADM Grain Co. elevator before rejoining the present east-west tracks east of Kuther Road.
There’s more that can be written about Sidney’s railroad history but instead it’s time to get back to caching which is what this page is all about. The cache has been stashed near where the old B & O rail station once stood (and since demolished). This site was the scene of three US Presidential campaign stops. Harry S. Truman stopped here twice for remarks from the rear platform of his campaign train; October 11, 1948 and October 31, 1952. Thirty-two years later on October 12, 1984, Ronald Reagan campaigned through Sidney speaking at this depot as he worked crowds up and down the rail line between Lima and Cincinatti. The station itself last served the riding public on April 30, 1971.
Parking for this cache is just off the intersection of Poplar & Walnut at N 40 17.128 x W 084 09.634 with the short walk to the cache both easy and interesting.
Special thanks… The Bangkok Kid thanks The Shelby County Historical Society for their contributions used in the preparation of this cache.
Now go get it!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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