Eldorado, Marion and Southwestern Railroad

The village of Pittsburg in Section 35 of Lake Creek Township was platted and developed in 1906 by John Colp. He planned a new industrial community patterned after Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. The streets carry out his idea with names like Pennsylvania, Hocking Valley and Scranton. John Colp and Samuel T. Bush started and owned the first mine and a new mining development had begun.

A railroad to tap the coal deposits, mines to produce the valued commodity, and a town to house the miners was needed. The railroad was the Eldorado, Marion and Southwestern Railroad. Mr. Brush was its first President, Mr. Colp succeeded him and Hugh M. Parks, a former Sheriff, was treasurer. The railroad was organized on July 2, 1906.

The Eldorado, Marion and Southwestern Railroad operated between Marion and Pittsburg, hauling coal from the mines in the northeast section of the county, and transporting miners between Marion, Illinois and their place of employment.  The line was constructed in 1908 and ran steam locomotives.

The E.M. & S.W. line of some nine miles was the first and last section of what at one time was expected to be extended to Harrisburg. In the days before paved roads, connection of Marion and Harrisburg by rail was the subject of considerable promotion, and on January 19, 1919, newspapers carried the story that the road was to be built that year, but it never was.

The railroad had other names besides the E.M. & S.W. It was also referred to sometimes as the “Black Diamond”. Residents along the line knew it as the “Pea Vine” or “Pea Granny”.

In 1917, the line was sold with the Colp coal mine at Pittsburg to Paul Cosgrove and a group of capitalists from Johnstown, Pa. Paul Cosgrove died while the expansion of the new organization’s interests were underway and was succeeded by his brother, John Cosgrove, who became head of the Cosgrove-Meehan Coal Company.

The company took over the Ernest Coal Company mine at Stiritz which became Franco Mine No. 1., the coal mine at Pittsburg which was Franco No. 2, and a new mine at Paulton that was known as Franco No. 3.

George O. Mitchell, who had been the manager of the railroad, was succeeded by H. E. Barber, who became superintendent of the line under the new name of Marion and Eastern Railroad. By that name it operated until it was purchased by the Missouri Pacific.

The railroad was later operated by Samuel T. Brush, President; Charles A. Gent, Vice President; Hosea V. Ferrell, Secretary; B.D. Bracy, Treasurer; P.R. Colp, General Manager; Fred Stotlar, Auditor; and L.A. Colp, Attorney.

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(Article extracted from August 3, 1961 Marion Daily Republican; People, Folks and Places by Barbara Barr Huggs; Train schedule provided by Edward Bridges)

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