PRR CHRONOLOGY
1866
June 2004 edition
Jan. 1, 1866
George C. Franciscus (1818-1870) appointed to new position of General
Agent at Philadelphia, to have oversight of all local Transportation Dept.
functions; S.P. Darlington appointed Superintendent of Philadelphia
Division; Edward Higginson Williams (1824-1899) named General
Superintendent, replacing Enoch Lewis, resigned.
Jan. 2, 1866
Philadelphia & Erie issues $3 million in 7%, 20-year Third Mortgage
bonds; convertible into 8% preferred stock if interest is not paid; PRR
purchases these bonds; retains $2.4 million and sells $600,000 with
stipulation changing convertibility from preferred stock to 7% non-
convertible bonds; PRR uses the $600,000 to purchase P&E stock, giving it
a total of 31,636 shares.
Jan. 3, 1866
Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad Board approves pooling contract with
PFW&C; approves sale of part of Whiskey Island at Cleveland to Amasa
Stone, Jr. (MB)
Jan. 8, 1866
Rep. Thaddeus Stevens introduces bill for federal National Railway
Company between New York and Washington via Lancaster, Reading and
Easton. (NDA)
Jan. 8, 1866
Joseph P. Norris elected Treasurer of Philadelphia & Trenton Railroad,
replacing A.H. Thomson, deceased. (MB)
Jan. 9, 1866
Littlestown Railroad (1864) files certificate of organization. (Val)
Jan. 10, 1866
Atlantic & Great Western Railway and Philadelphia & Reading Railroad
sign 99-year traffic contract; Reading is to build Hamburg-Topton and
Allentown-Easton to link Catawissa with Morris & Essex; A&GW agrees to
standard-gauge its line west of Oil City; Reading joins suit of Philadelphia
& Erie vs. A&GW.
Jan. 11, 1866
Pennsylvania Supreme Court begins preliminary hearings on PRR bill for
injunction against Catawissa Railroad lease; the Reading's counsel Franklin
B. Gowen (1836-1889), a flamboyant and persuasive attorney, unexpectedly
appears on Atlantic & Great Western's defense team; PRR contends that
A&GW is not recognized in Pa. because its 1865 consolidation