AIR LINE RAILROAD.

Together with the main line, the Michigan Central Company operate another connecting link between Jackson and Niles. The road was finished to Niles after it was leased to the Michigan Central railroad, or in February, 1871. The intention of the original projectors of this road, in 1868, was to create a great iron highway between the East and Chicago by making a grand trunk connection at Ridgeway, or with the St. Clair branch of the Great Western railroad of Canada. The project was very popular. The city of Jackson voted a loan of $46,500, and the county one of $150,000; however, the zeal of the people was checked by the decision of the State tribunal, and the proferred loans were consequently not required. The officers of the first organization included Presi dent, Jerome B. Eaton, Jackson; Secretary, O. W. Bennett, Jackson; Treasurer, R. W. Landon, Niles; Chief Engineer, N. Boardman, Jackson; Attorney, Eugene Pringle, Jackson, and Executive Committee members, J. B. Eaton, M. A. McNaughton and R. W.

Landon.

The Michigan Central enters the county at the Southwest angle of Parma, passes through Concord, Sandstone, Blackman, Jackson city, Leoni and Grass Lake. The Air Line traverses Pulaski, Concord, Spring Arbor, Summit and Jackson city. The proposed branch of the Air Line to Port Huron is graded through Leoni and Waterloo, but there is no prospect of the road being perfected.

The Michigan Central Railroad Company operates 803 miles of road, over which were carried, in 1879, 3,513,819 tons of freight, and 1,345,655 passengers, or 93,232,430 for one mile. The earnings of the road for that period equaled $7,415,428.86; the gross earnings recorded for 1880 are $9,140,000.

The depot at Jackson is, perhaps, the finest building pertaining to the line, and takes a position among the great railroad structures of the United States.

MICHIGAN SOUTHERN BRANCH RAILROAD.

A charter, granted by the Legislative council of the Territory in 1836 to the Palmyra & Jacksonburgh Railroad Company, gave the incorporators power to build a road between the two points from which the proposed road took its name. Twelve miles of flat-bar track were completed, from Palmyra to Clinton, toward the close of 1837; but the company failing to comply with the provisions of the charter, the road became forfeit to the State, the rails taken up and the enterprise abandoned. The Michigan Southern Company, however, renewed the work of reconstruction, and in January, 1858, completed their branch line to Jackson. This event was hailed with joy. P. B. Loomis and Amos Root were appointed a committee to issue invitations for an excursion over the road to Toledo. An excursion train of 22 cars left Jan.

14, 1858, with many prominent citizens, including Mayor Wood, Aldermen Beebe, Bascom, Thurber, Livermore and Tunnicliff, Hon. Austin Blair, P. B. Loomis, Eugene Pringle, F. B. Eggleston, Amos Root, C. V. De Land and others. On returning to Jackson a banquet was spread within Bronson Hall, the excursionists made merry, and so was celebrated the advent of the Michigan Southern branch railroad to Jackson.

The track of this road enters Jackson at the Southeast angle, coming through Summit, Leoni, Napoleon and Norvell townships.

GRAND RIVER VALLEY RAILROAD.

The Legislature of Michigan granted a charter to the incorporators of the Grand River Valley railroad May 4, 1846. The shareholders held their first meeting June 23, 1853, when Joseph E. Beebe was elected president. In the fall of 1867 the road was completed to Onondaga; in July, 1868, to Eaton Rapids; in September, 1868, to Charlotte; in April, 1869, to Hastings, and in March, 1870, to Grand Rapids. The individual subscriptions of the citizens to the capital stock were large, while the vote of the city itself recognized the propriety of a $50,000 loan, minus direct interest, save that which might be declared as dividend on the capital stock. The first directors of the road were Amos Root, M. A. McNaughton, W. H. Withington, H. A. Shaw, E. W. Barber, E. S. Lacey and N. Barlow. Amos Root was elected president; Eugene Pringle, secretary; P. B. Loomis, treasurer; R. H. G. Minty, of Jackson, general superintendent, and Nicholas Gleeson, chief engineer.

The track of this road runs northwest from Jackson, through Blackman, Rives and Tompkins townships. At Rives village a junction is formed with the Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw road.

JACKSON, LANSING & SAGINAW R. R.

This corporation was organized Feb. 23, 1864, under the name of the "Jackson & Lansing Railroad Co.," with Henry A. Hayden, President, and W. D. Thompson, Treasurer. A year later the title was changed to the Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw R. R. Co. The city of Jackson contributed a sum of $50,000 to the stock of the new company, and many leading citizens encouraged the work by their liberal purchases of shares. The road was completed to Lansing in 1866, and on Dec. 6, 1867, was reported open to Wenona. In 1866 the railroad builders of Jackson purchased all the rights and privileges of the Amboy, Lansing & Traverse Bay R. R. Co., together with the line from Owasso to Lansing. As early as 1873 these enterprising citizens had completed this road to Gaylord, a village 236 miles north of Jackson.

THE JACKSON, FORT WAYNE & CINCINNATI R. R. COMPANY

was organized in September, 1868, in Michigan, and in October the Fort Wayne, Jackson & Saginaw Railroad Company was organized

in Indiana, and the Fort Wayne, Jackson & Saginaw Railroad Company, as now existing, was organized Feb. 25, 1869, by the consolidation of the companies in accordance with the laws of Michigan and Indiana. Authorized by a vote of the electors, the city of Jackson made a loan to this company of $23,500 on the same terms as that made to the Grand River Valley Railroad.

The first officers were H. H. Smith, President; P. B. Loomis, Treasurer; and E. Pringle, Secretary. The road was completed and running from Jackson to Reading, Mich., Nov. 22, 1869; to Angola, Ind., Jan. 17, 1870, and to Fort Wayne, Ind., Dec. 25, 1870. The first report after completion was made in February, 1871, by P. B. Loomis, President. He says: "I cannot close, however, without referring with regret to the resignation of Mr. Hiram H. Smith, who has served in the capacity of president from the organization of the company until recently. And while success has been secured only by the full, hearty, cordial and united efforts of the people residing along the entire line, we may here, in parting with him as our chief executive officer, justly and gracefully say that to his untiring efforts, more than to any other one individual, we are indebted for success. Mr. Loomis has since continued to act as president and also general manager. B. S. Chapin was elected treasurer in 1871 and is still acting. Mr. E. Pringle is still secretary, having acted in that capacity since the organization of the company. The first directory comprised H. H. Smith, P. B. Loomis, D. Merriman, W. D. Thompson, E. A. Webster, W. R. Reynolds, all of Jackson, with a few others from neighboring towns. The officers were H. H. Smith, President; A. P. Edgerton, Vice-President; P. B. Loomis, Treasurer; Eugene Pringle, Secretary and Attorney, and C. S. Woodward, Chief Engineer; Messrs. H. H. Smith, P. B. Loomis, E. O. Grosvenor, A. P. Edgerton and H. J. Rudisill formed the executive committee.

THE BANKS.

Private banks were established in Jackson quite early in its history, and were conducted by different parties and with various results, but were always valuable accessories, indeed soon became necessities to the commercial intercourse of society. But, like many other useful institutions of early times, the date of their establishment and their individual histories are unobtainable. There are at present one National, two State, and two private banking houses in the city, all of which have been proved with age and tried as by fire during the late financial crisis, and were not found wanting. And to-day they all have the confidence of the business public and are considered among the substantial commercial enterprises of the country.

JACKSON CITY BANK,

situated on West Main street, between Mechanics and Jackson streets, is the outgrowth from a private bank, established by

William D. Thompson & Co. more than a quarter of a century ago. It was organized under a State charter on Jan. 1, 1865, by Wm. D. Thompson and Allen Bennett, with a capital stock of $100,000. Some years after Alonzo Bennett became a stockholder, but when the business of the First National Bank was wound up, in 1879, Mr. Bennett retired, and Mr. Thompson became sole proprietor of the Jackson City Bank, and has so continued until now. He has been its president, and Benjamin Newkirk its cashier from the beginning. This bank does a business equaled by few banking houses in Michigan, and is one of the most reliable, as the sworn financial statement for January 1, 1881, indicates:

is situated on the southeast corner of Main and Mechanics streets, and is the only National Bank in the city. In June, 1865 the charter was granted; the bank was organized with a paid-up capital of $100,000, and the following named gentlemen as its officers: Henry A. Hayden, President; John M. Root, Cashier. Its doors were opened for business in November, 1865, since which time its career has been one of continuous and increasing success. The bank has been so judiciously managed that a surplus has always remained after paying the semi-annual dividends of five per cent., and the volume of business for each six months has exceeded that of the six months previous. About five years after the bank was opened Mr. John M. Root succeeded Mr. Hayden to the presidency, and W. C. Lewis became cashier. Perhaps few institutions of its class in this, or any State, have passed through 16 years of history, -years burdened with a great financial crisis-with such unwaver

ing prosperity as the Peoples' National Bank. Its present officers are: John M. Root, President; Daniel B. Hibbard, Vice-President; W. C. Lewis, Cashier; Directors. H. A. Hayden, Austin Blair, W. R. Reynolds, D. B. Hibbard, J. M. Root, W. C. Lewis and William F. Goodwin.

P. B. Loomis & Co.'s private banking house, located at 109 East Main street, was first established in March, 1856, by P. B. Loomis and Samuel W. Whitwell, in the block opposite the late old Marion House, on West Main street. There was then but one other bank in Jackson, that of Wm. D. Thompson, George B. Cooper & Co. The firm of Loomis & Whitwell was dissolved by the retirement of Mr. Whitwell in 1865, leaving the business in the hands of Mr. Loomis until 1869, when he formed a partnership with Barnabas S. Chapin, the title of the firm becoming P. B. Loomis & Co. Jan. 1, 1878, Nathan S. Potter and George E. Loomis were admitted as partners; and on Dec. 31, 1879, Mr. Chapin retired, since which time the business has been conducted by the other three gentlemen under the old firm name of P. B. Loomis & Co., with N. S. Potter as cashier. The house confines its operations to a strictly legitimate banking, and does a business second in volume in the county.

The Jackson County Bank was established under charter by the State in 1872, with a capital stock of $50,000. The incorporators and stockholders were: Horace S. Ismon, Henry V. Perrin, Ira Wakins, W. B. Reynolds and Thomas Cooley. H. S. Ismon was chosen president and H. V. Perrin, cashier, who still fill the same positions. The bank does both a general and savings business, has been prosperous from the first, and is one of the substantial institutions of the city. It is located at No. 107 South Mechanics

street.

The Jackson Interest and Deposit Bank was established Feb. 3, 1869, by Douglass Gibson and Thomas Westren, as a private partnership enterprise. It is located in the Hurd House block, on East Main street, and, as its title signifies, does a general and savings banking business, and is a substantial and successful concern. The First National Bank was organized with Alonzo Bennett as president and John C. Bonnell as cashier, and commenced business July 1, 1865, with a capital stock of $100,000. The incorporators were: Alonzo Bennett, Allen Bennett, Wm. D. Thompson, Amasa Gibson, Charles W. Penny and George F. Rice. On Jan. 1, 1879, Mr. Bonnell retired from the position of cashier, and Frank D. Bennett succeeded him. The bank wound up its business and closed its doors about June 1, 1879.

THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

The letters of Solon Robinson, of Iowa, on the benefits which would result to the Union from the organization of agricultural societies, had a most beneficent effect. Throughout the old and