Monthly Archives: November 2011

This week we say goodbye to our proud, strutting rooster friend with the third and final article chronicling the arrival of the railroad in Pittsboro. Fortunately, Railroad Rooster knew how to go out in style – with a giant party the likes of which the town had never seen before! I’m sad to report that almost half of the Chatham Record article  about the party (a whopping two full-page columns long!) is faded and difficult or impossible to read, but thanks to the Chatham County Historical Association and the wonderful book Chatham County 1771-1971 by Hadley, Horton, and Strowd, I was able to fill in some of the missing details.

May 26, 1887:

OUR CELEBRATION!

A GRAND OCCASION!!

A Great Success — An Immense Crowd — Sumptuous Dinner — Eloquent Speeches — Military Parade, Etc.

On last Friday, the 20th inst., the long expected celebration was held at this place in honor of the construction of the Pittsboro railroad, and we are happy to state that it was a complete success in every particular, and was the grandest occasion ever known in the history of our old town, an occasion indeed worthy of the important event it commemorated. The weather was perfect — as delightful as could have been desired — the crowd was immense and all so orderly, the dinner was worthy of our well-known hospitality, the speeches were as eloquent as any have ever heard on similar occasions, the brass bands discoursed inspiring music, and two military companies contributed their attractions. It was a day and occasion that will never be forgotten by those who enjoyed it, and marks the dawn of a new and brighter era in the history of our ancient Borough!

It was the largest gathering the county had seen since the civil war, with attendance was estimated to be between 2,000 and 4,000 people. The daytime festivities were held at  Kelvin Grove, a grand meal was served to 2,500 people, and in the evening a ball took place in the railroad warehouse. The article goes on to list famous speakers in attendance (such as Henry A. London, president of the railroad), describe the performances by the three brass bands and two military companies, and praised the orderly behavior of the attendees and the great planning skills of the committees responsible.

With such a celebration in the day and such a ball at night, is it any wonder that the RECORD’S rooster crows its loudest?

To read the full article, including the eloquent praise of the military drill companies and the full list of speakers, come to the Chatham Community Library and view our microfilm collection of Chatham Record back issues! Need help with microfilm? Feel free to ask the reference staff.

I’ll close our railroad trilogy with a quote from the Chatham County Historical Association’s article about the railroad. An out-of-town visitor wrote the following to the president of the railroad:

“…..I am persuaded that Pittsboro deserves her reputation for refined hospitality.  The State is far richer for having brought such clever, nice people closer to the balance of mankind.”

Once again highlighting the antics of our very proud Railroad Rooster, we follow up on last week’s article about the building of the Chatham County railroad with this one celebrating the arrival of the first passenger train in Pittsboro. It paints a beautiful picture of the community coming together to welcome the first great steam engine, and also gives us a small glimpse of transportation before the time of the railroad.

December 23, 1886:

OUR RAILROAD!

THE FIRST TRAIN!!

ALL ABOARD FOR RALEIGH!!

It affords us the greatest pleasure to announce that on last Monday night the first passenger train on the Pittsboro railroad arrived at this place! Yes, at last our old town has a railroad upon which passenger and freight trains are daily running, and we are in close connection with the rest of the world. Of course so important an event as the arrival of the first passenger train created quite a sensation in our town, and everybody was on the tiptoe of excitement. The train was due here at a quarter past seven o’clock, and a large crowd of our citizens, white and black, old and young, assembled at the depot lot to see it arrive. It was an eager, happy throng, and when the whistle of the locomotive blew long and sharp, announcing the approach of the train, every one’s pulse beat faster, and away in the distance their straining eyes saw the headlight of the locomotive piercing the surrounding darkness. In a few moments the train came rushing up, and as it stopped a long and loud shout when up from the crowd, and there was a general hurrahing and rejoicing. And well might they hurrah and rejoice! Never before have our citizens had such cause for rejoicing. The dream of years had been at last fulfilled, and our long deferred hopes finally realized. Some of the public spirited ladies had made wreaths of evergreens, with which they festooned and decorated the train, and the young folks expressed their joy by having a pleasant dance at the Turner Hotel.

[…]

The first train to leave here started at 7 o’clock Tuesday morning, and we enjoyed the pleasure of riding on it to Raleigh, and as we rapidly glided along, seated in a comfortable coach, we could scarcely realize that we were traveling between Pittsboro and Moncure. It was a most peculiar as well as pleasant sensation. Year after year we had travelled the county road between Pittsboro and Moncure at all hours of the day and night, in all kinds of weather and in all styles of vehicles. We had travelled it on foot, on horseback, in wagons, hacks, carriages and buggies. We had been nearly blistered by the summer’s sun and almost frozen by the winter’s cold. But all that is now past, never to return! And so, on last Tuesday morning as we sat in a warm and comfortable coach speeding along, we could not refrain from recalling some of our past journeys to Moncure and comparing them with this.

Up next: Railroad Rooster, the epic conclusion – which just happens to be a big party in his honor. Tune in next week: same rooster time, same rooster channel. We hope to see you then.

We are excited to announce that our hiatus is over and you can once again look forward to your Monday evening time travel with CCL on the Record! We return with an historic moment in Chatham County history:

It is with feelings of peculiar pride and pleasure that we are enabled to announce that our proposed railroad is now an assured fact.

[…] soon dirt will begin to fly, and in a few months the whistle of the locomotive will awaken our old town!  HURRAH FOR OUR RAILROAD!

Doesn’t the rooster just make you feel the pride?

This short article from October 22^nd, 1885 rings with enthusiasm over the arrival of the railroad in Chatham County. A little research revealed that the railroad was completed just a little over a year later, with the first passenger train arrived on December 20^th, 1886. The official celebration of the railroad wasn’t held until May 20^th of 1887.* Of course, The Chatham Record was right there every step of the way, and so over the next two weeks we will feature two more articles from The Record covering this landmark event in county history.

*This information came from a book titled Chatham County 1771-1971 by Hadley, Horton, and Strowd.  Interested in local history? Find this book on our shelves in the Local History and Genealogy section: LHG 975.659 CHA. Ask us about it at the library!