Cumberland River and Big Sandy Railroad Company records

Abstract

The Cumberland River and Big Sandy Railroad Company records (dated 1881-1903, bulk 1884-1886; 0.73 cubic feet; 2 boxes and 1 oversize folder) primarily includes correspondence among Kentucky and Tennessee landowners, including Charles H. Ladds, Edward Livingston, Henry W. Smithers, and Charles S. Perkins.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Cumberland River and Big Sandy Railroad Company records
Date
1881-1903 (inclusive)
Extent
0.68 Cubic Feet
Subjects
Business enterprises
Transportation -- Kentucky
Railroads -- Kentucky.
Arrangement
Collection is arranged by format.
Finding Aid Author
Finding Aid prepared by Erin Weber
Preferred Citation
2013ms0889: [identification of item], Cumberland River and Big Sandy Railroad Company records, 1881-1903, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
The Cumberland River and Big Sandy Railroad Company ran from Cumberland Gap near the Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia junction to Louisa, KY. Chartered in January 1873, the railroad was intended to connect to the Elizabethtown, Lexington and Big Sandy Railroad. The company ran into financial difficulties and by 1889, parts of it were acquired by other railway lines or incorporated into new companies.
In 1881, a formal land agreement was drawn up between Frederick W. Oewel, John Goddard, Henry W. Smithers, Charles S. Perkins, Edward Livingston, Alexander H. Ladd, Charles H. Ladd, William F. Ladd, and Pier J. Louran with each owning a set number of shares. They signed this agreement after the value of the Cumberland River and Big Sandy Railroad Company began decreasing in an attempt to protect the land and allow it to be used, even if not for the railroad. C.W. Schaap served as the trustee for this agreement.
Church, S.H. (ed). Corporate History of the Pennsylvania Lines West of Pittsburg Volume 6. Baltimore, MD: Friedenwald Company, 1899.
Scalf, Henry P. Kentucky's Last Frontier. Johnson City, TN: The Overmountain Press, 2000.
Scope and Content
The Cumberland River and Big Sandy Railroad Company records (dated 1881-1903, bulk 1884-1886; 0.68 cubic feet; 2 boxes and 1 oversize folder) primarily includes correspondence among Kentucky and Tennessee landowners, including Charles H. Ladds, Edward Livingston, Henry W. Smithers, and Charles S. Perkins. They also include correspondence with C.W. Schaap, a railroad and land trustee for the Cumberland River and Big Sandy Railroad Company. Much of the correspondence relates to the sale, deeds, transfer, and maintenance of lands in Kentucky and Tennessee intended to be used for the Cumberland River and Big Sandy Railroad in an attempt to hold the lands together after the proposed railroad ran into financial difficulties. The collection also contains land extension agreements, ledger sheets, a land deed, and a map depicting Charles H. Ladds' lands in southeastern Kentucky in Clay, Leslie, and Perry counties.

Restrictions on Access and Use

Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
Use Restrictions
The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.

Contents of the Collection

Correspondence, 1881-1903

Correspondence, 1881-1903

The Correspondence series consists of professional letters among several businessmen and a small amount of personal correspondence. The bulk of the correspondence runs from 1884-1886. C.W. Schaap served as trustee for the Cleveland, Mt. Vernon and Delaware Railroad and wrote a significant portion of the letters. Many of the letters comprise Schaap’s own copies of letters written between the other men. The letters are arranged in chronological order.

1881 July

  • Box 1, folder 1
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1883 May

  • Box 1, folder 2
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1883 June

  • Box 1, folder 3
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1884 February

  • Box 1, folder 4
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1884 March

  • Box 1, folder 5
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1884 April

  • Box 1, folder 6
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1884 May

  • Box 1, folder 7
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1884 June

  • Box 1, folder 8
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1884 July

  • Box 1, folder 9
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1884 August

  • Box 1, folder 10
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1884 September

  • Box 1, folder 11
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1884 October

  • Box 1, folder 12
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1884 November

  • Box 1, folder 13
To top

1884 November

  • Box 1, folder 13
To top

1884 December

  • Box 1, folder 14
To top

1885 January

  • Box 1, folder 15
To top

1885 February

  • Box 1, folder 16
To top

1885 March

  • Box 1, folder 17
To top

1885 April

  • Box 1, folder 18
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1885 May

  • Box 1, folder 19
To top

1885 June

  • Box 1, folder 20
To top

1885 August

  • Box 1, folder 21
To top

1885 November

  • Box 1, folder 22
To top

1885 December

  • Box 1, folder 23
To top

1886 January

  • Box 1, folder 24
To top

1886 February

  • Box 1, folder 25
To top

1886 April

  • Box 1, folder 26
To top

1886 May

  • Box 1, folder 27
To top

1886 June

  • Box 1, folder 28
To top

1886 September

  • Box 1, folder 29
To top

1886 October

  • Box 1, folder 30
To top

1886 November

  • Box 1, folder 31
To top

1886 December

  • Box 1, folder 32
To top

1887 January

  • Box 1, folder 33
To top

1887 February

  • Box 1, folder 34
To top

1887 March

  • Box 2, folder 1
To top

1887 April

  • Box 2, folder 2
To top

1887 May

  • Box 2, folder 3
To top

1887 August

  • Box 2, folder 4
To top

1887 October

  • Box 2, folder 5
To top

1887 November

  • Box 2, folder 6
To top

1887 December

  • Box 2, folder 7
To top

1888 April

  • Box 2, folder 8
To top

1888 June

  • Box 2, folder 9
To top

1888 November

  • Box 2, folder 10
To top

1888 December

  • Box 2, folder 11
To top

1889 December

  • Box 2, folder 12
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1900 February

  • Box 2, folder 13
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1903 December

  • Box 2, folder 14
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Financial and land documents, 1881-1903

Financial and land documents

The financial and land documents series consists of documents relating to the sale and transfer of lands in Kentucky and Tennessee. Most of this series contains ledger sheets documenting payments and transactions. Also included are land extension agreements, one land deed, and one map outlining lands in southeastern Kentucky.

Ledger sheets, 1881-1887

  • Box 2, folder 15
To top

Deeds, 1886-1903

  • Box 2, folder 16
To top

Extension agreements, 1881

  • Box 2, folder 17
To top

Map of CH Ladds' lands, circa 1885

  • Box OS-17, folder 1
To top

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UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.

Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.

Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.

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You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.

If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.