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If you were to ask me what my favorite job was during my career, I would have a hard time giving an answer.
Worst job? That's easy, but best job, that's tough.
Certainly one of my most favorite jobs was working for the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh. My wife and I both worked there and it was a time in our life when we had no children and no real responsibilities, so it was a time to be young and fun. My wife worked in the USS Requin, a cold war era submarine that was on its way to the pacific when World War II ended. She gave tours, greeted visitors and worked in their archives.
When we were expecting our first son, I was terrified when she often navigated the many hatches and ladders inside the boat as part of her job. I, on the other hand, kept my feet on dry land working in the Miniature Railroad and Village.
For those readers not familiar with this exhibit, it is a huge model railroad depicting life in Western Pennsylvania. Most of the models on the layout were of places in the region. My favorite was the steel mill, go figure. And the best part about the layout was that it would transition from day to night and at night, the lights would come on in the little model villages.
I helped with many aspects of the layout, primarily though, using the model to explain the history of the region. I helped build a few buildings that are still on the layout. It certainly was a fun job. For awhile, I also helped repair the model train engines on the eight tracks that zoomed throughout the layout. Imagine a model train running for eight hours a day nonstop -- these trains often broke down, so we had our own shop to repair them. I was never any good working on the more modern trains, but the ones from the 1970s and older, I was pretty good at working with. And despite most being more than 50 years old, they still ran great. For me, at this time of the year, Christmas is not Christmas without trains.
The history of railroads in the Weirton-Steubenville area is rich, and although I worked with models, I still love that history. The first railway to come to Steubenville was in 1853 as part of the newly formed Steubenville and Indiana Railroad. This firm was chartered in February of 1847, according to Joseph Doyle in his book "History of Steubenville and Jefferson County." The organizers of the enterprise were the movers and shakers of Steubenville society such as James Means, foundry owner; Daniel L. Collier, lawyer; and James Turnbull, businessman, among others.
The firm was not successful at first with raising the money to complete the project, struggling for years to gain traction, and finally breaking ground in 1851. On Oct. 8, 1853, three locomotives along the new line steamed along with passenger cars, into the city crossing Market Street west of Sixth Street. These engines were made in Pittsburgh and brought by barge down the Ohio River. According to Doyle they landed in Mingo Junction and a special incline was built from the river to the railroad embankment to bring the locomotives and supplies up.
The trains were called Bezaleel Wells, James Ross and Steubenville, and on that day excitement was high. According to the Steubenville Herald, "They, (the trains) passed up to the depot, above Market Street, where a large concourse of people, with the military of the city had assembled, when this being a new era in the history of Steubenville, Colonel Collier was called upon and made an appropriate address, being followed by a lively air from the brass band in attendance. The military and citizens then crowded the cars -- flags were flung to the breeze, firearms discharged and other manifestations made expressive of the general delight."
The farthest point of this railway was Unionport, but later the line extended to Columbus and points west. The fare from Steubenville to Unionport was 60 cents. According to the 1880 book "History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties Ohio" written by J.A. Caldwell, the first freight ever delivered by rail to Steubenville came over this railway on Christmas Eve 1853. It consisted of one bag of coffee, one barrel of molasses, a barrel of Mackerel and two boxes of candles. The future had come to Steubenville.
The second railroad to connect Steubenville to the world was the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad which followed the river but did not cross it. This line was laid down in Steubenville in the fall of 1856, and according to contemporary sources of the day, there was no fanfare or celebrations to commemorate the event. The locomotive on the first trip was called Rhode Island. Later, it was sold to the U.S. government for use during the Civil War.
The issue of how to cross the river and connect to Pittsburgh was a sticking point for Steubenville railways in those early days. Even if they could cross the river, there was the matter of crossing the Panhandle of Virginia to the Pennsylvania state line. There was an attempt in 1847 to apply for a charter from the state of Virginia for a railroad from the Ohio River to the state line, but it was denied. The story of the fight between state officials and locals looking for the charter is an interesting read and you can find it in Doyle's book.
In 1857, construction began on the Steubenville Railroad bridge, but work stalled due to a financial panic in that year. In March of 1860, a charter was granted by Virginia for the Holliday's Cove Railway to cross the panhandle. The Civil War greatly curtailed work on the line but by 1865, the railroad was completed.
There were many improvements to the various railroad lines in Steubenville in the ensuing years. The Steubenville and Indiana Railway extended its service to the North End of the city from Washington Street. Finally in 1868 three railroads combined to form the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railway.
The history of the railroads extends into the decades after this merger and there is more to be discovered about this topic. Although there is no passenger service here in our area anymore, many of these early rail lines are still in existence. From my office in the Hancock County Courthouse, I can see many freight trains traveling on the lines along both sides of the Ohio River.
History is still all around us. If I want to see passenger trains, I must be satisfied with my Lionel train set around my tree. And that's what makes Christmas very special for me.
(Zuros is the Hancock County administrator)