Ligonier Valley Rail Road Newspaper Articles
We have compiled over 1,400 newspaper articles that mention the Ligonier Valley Railroad, or related subjects. The articles were originally published starting in 1873 and our collection runs through 1995. Enjoy!
Latrobe Bulletin
Wednesday, November 16, 1927
Told of the L.V.R.R.s Start
Among the papers left by the Late Colonel John R. Oursler, one of the pioneer residents of Latrobe, were found the following interesting references to the beginning of the Ligonier Valley Railroad, whose 50th anniversary, counting from the time the first train was run from Latrobe to Ligonier is being observed this month.
When the proposition of building the Ligonier Valley Railroad was launched, Harvey Baker and his brother Reuben, my father, my brother Jacob and myself started to help the enterprise. When the Valley People were ready with their subscription papers for stock in the road, H. Oursler and sons, John R. and Jacob H., subscribed $500 and paid it.
An organization was effected. Col. John McFarland was elected president and John Hargnett secretary. The board of directors, consisting of Harvey Baker, Noah Marker, Robert M. Graham, William Lohr and John R. Oursler. It was a long hard pull to collect money enough to do the grading, which cost $60,000. We succeeded, however, and let the contract. We had some trouble with some of the contractors failing to live up to their contracts. One man we never had any trouble with was Armstrong Johnson. He was a thoroughbred, and knew how to work, and did it.
During the grading of the road one young man who had subscribed $100 to the stock was grumbling and complaining about the prospect of the road being built and said that if it was built it would never pay. He so disgusted me that I asked him if he wanted to sell his stock. He said that he did and I asked him what he wanted for it. He said that it had cost him $100, but that he would take $25 for it. I said if he had no more pride and patriotism for his town he ought to be ashamed. I took the stock certificate and paid him the $25.
Mr. Baker and I attended all the meetings at Ligonier summer and winter. We attended a meeting one very cold winter day, driving over the ridge in a sleigh. Before leaving home, Mrs. Oursler filled a three gallon jug with hot water to keep out feet warm and I had the water renewed for the return trip. On the return trip just opposite to where Mr. Potts lives the box of the sleigh became loose and Mr. Baker and I, along with the jug, rolled out in the snow. There was only water in the jug.
After the building of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1852, all the traffic on the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia Pike was withdrawn. Then the people of Ligonier and the Valley began to think of a branch railroad to Latrobe. Colonel John McFarland, whom many of the people of the Valley will remember, was elected as State Senator. He had a charter granted for a branch railroad to Latrobe, in 1853, which was kept alive by him until 1871 when an organization was effected to build, electing Colonel McFarland as president; Harvey Baker, John Hargnett, Noah Marker, Robt. Graham, Wm. Bair and the writer (J.R.O.) directors.
Bids for the grading were advertised and contracts let for the grading and masonry. After the grading and the roadway were made ready for the superstructure we failed to get enough money subscribed to finish the road. The graded road was sold to certain members of the board of directors and by them sold to the Hon. Thomas Mellon and sons, of Pittsburgh, in 1877. In the SAME year it was finished as a narrow gauge railroad. It was a happy day when the road was turned over the Judge Mellon and his sons. It got into the hands of enterprising men, who were able to operate and improve the road. Many people predicted that the road would never pay. If such critics are now living and if they would place themselves along the Ligonier Valley Railroad and notice the passenger and freight traffic over the road, they would take it all back, as the average number of freight cars passing over the road is 100 per day.
After the Pennsylvania Railroad was completed a hack line was established from Ligonier to Latrobe via Youngstown. The fare for the round trip was $2.00. Then the roads were bad it took three and four hours each way and in the winter passengers would almost perish with cold.