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Perryville Junction, St. Louis Subdivision, MP 76.2 - Cape Girardeau Northern (CGN) Railway, MP 64

Discussion in 'St Louis Subdivision' started by Ishmael, Jul 9, 2012.

  1. Ishmael

    Ishmael Member

    I recently discovered some of my material concerning a branch of the Cape Girardeau Northern, which connected with the Frisco at the above location. This is in Perry County.

    Is anyone researching the Louis Houck lines?

    This was a line called the Saline Valley Railroad, which the Frisco purchased in 1910, then let the bonds lapse because the rails were unusable. So the Frisco owned it from 1910-1913.

    Any help would be appreciated.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 25, 2024 at 12:15 AM
    Ishmael, Jul 9, 2012
    #1
  2. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Michael,

    Having been born in Cape Girardeau, and having had a great-grandfather that worked for Louis Houck as a fireman on nearly all of his roads including the Cape Girardeau Northern (CGN); nee the Cape Girardeau & Chester, I have a deep interest in everything Houck.

    The book, A Missouri Railroad Pioneer: The Life of Louis Houck by Joel Rhodes is a must-read. I have a copy and it touches upon Houck's railroad escapades but does not provide much detail about the individual railroads.

    My great-grandfather told stories about working for Houck and pointed out the roadbed of the CGN that passed within three blocks of the house I grew up in. As a young boy, I stomped through the woods along the old roadbed. I have some pictures of CG&C and CGN equipment.

    There is some information on the Cape Girardeau thread under Forum, Historical, Divisions, River Division, St Louis Subdivision.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 25, 2024 at 12:17 AM
    klrwhizkid, Jul 9, 2012
    #2
  3. Ishmael

    Ishmael Member

    Thanks for your response, Keith.

    I was going to suggest a meeting, but as you are in Kansas City and I am in St. Louis that would not be practical. Maybe we can communicate by mail.

    I recently discovered some notes I put together and have not had time to go through them. I had trouble accessing your private letter also, so will post on here for now. I have an older biography of Louis Houck, dated 1960, University of Missouri Press, which had some detail on the CGN, but not much.

    Some records I have from Jefferson City, if they are still there, indicates that the line was so seldom used that farmers stole the railroad ties for landscaping and the infrequent trains would settle in the mud.

    Mike
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 25, 2024 at 12:21 AM
    Ishmael, Jul 10, 2012
    #3
  4. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    This may be of interest.

    It is from an Official Guide, February 1925.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 25, 2024 at 12:21 AM
    Karl, Jul 10, 2012
    #4
  5. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Some other tidbits that did not make much sense to me until Karl posted the aforementioned map:

    1) Roger T. posted a master abandonment list in 2003.

    http://www.frisco.org/vb/showthread.php?282-General-Divisions&p=8403#post8403

    Included in this were the following abandonments in 1920.
    a) Perryville Jct. to West Chester, MO (5 mi.)
    b) Perryville Jct. to Saline Jct. MO (7 mi.)
    c) Saline Jct. to Farmington, MO
    d) Farmington, MO to Jackson, MO (41 mi.)

    And, abandoned in 1922.
    e) Jackson to Cape Girardeau, MO (10 mi.)

    Interestingly, the archived editions of the Cape Girardeau Southeast Missouri newspaper feature articles well beyond 1920 on court action between the CGN's creditors and the railroad receiver.

    As an interesting historical side note, a front-page article on the CGN from March 19, 1925 is overshadowed by the all-caps headline "STORM TOLL IS NEAR 1000," regarding the infamous Tri-State Tornado.

    Best Regards,
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 25, 2024 at 12:32 AM
    yardmaster, Jul 10, 2012
    #5
  6. Ishmael

    Ishmael Member

    The map and the follow-up clarify a lot of things and thanks to all of you.

    I have been to every town on the Saline Valley and have seen remnants of grades but no track. I still do not know how to pronounce Giboney.

    I have even been given permission to walk the line from Minnith to the Saline Creek trestle and the pilings are still there. They look rather substantial, but some of the grades and curves lead me to believe that the Frisco could not have run heavy equipment over the line.

    This was about 20 years ago when I could still do that kind of walking. I am going to try to do what I can, though.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 25, 2024 at 12:36 AM
    Ishmael, Jul 10, 2012
    #6
  7. timothy_cannon

    timothy_cannon Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Perryville Junction depot.

    Will this help any?
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 25, 2024 at 12:37 AM
    timothy_cannon, Jul 10, 2012
    #7
  8. kenmc

    kenmc KenMc Frisco.org Supporter

    When I was in high school and hung out at the Public Library searching for any railroad books I could find.

    I read Goodspeed's book History of Southeast Missouri.

    It had many wonderful anecdotes and authentic history of the Houck railroad enterprises.

    I highly recommend it if you can find a copy.

    Ken McElreath
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 25, 2024 at 12:38 AM
    kenmc, Jul 11, 2012
    #8
  9. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    Ken,

    I think a have a copy of this text.

    Mine is 4.5" thick and it was published in 1888.

    Does this sound like the text you were reading?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 25, 2024 at 12:39 AM
    Karl, Jul 11, 2012
    #9
  10. Ishmael

    Ishmael Member

    Keith,

    Another book you might want to get is Louis Houck, Missouri Historian and Entrepreneur by William T. Doherty, Jr., University of Missouri Press, 1960.

    I have a copy. I checked and Amazon has a few copies from $20 up.

    Also, I have a copy of The Short Line Doodlebug by Edmund Keilty, Interurban Press, 1988.

    This book has a photo on page 81 of a Stover Motor Car lettered Cape Girardeau and Chester (CG&C) later the Cape Girardeau Northern (CGN). The photo was taken in Jackson, MO.

    This book is pretty pricey as the used ones start at $65 and a collector's item is $264, I presume in original wrapper. Kind of steep for one photograph, but it is a good book.

    Karl,

    Thank you for the Official Guide entry. This answers quite a few questions for me.

    Timothy,

    Thanks for your photograph.

    Is that Perryville Junction?

    And Chris,

    Your entry was helpful also.

    I have a file on this line but it was about 20-25 years ago that I did most of my work. Some of the people I talked to there were quite helpful, others not so much.

    Keith,

    I am still trying to figure out how to send a PM.

    I do not like to bother my brother Tim too much. He knows more about computers and has all the equipment.

    Thanks to all, this has been a great response.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 25, 2024 at 12:48 AM
    Ishmael, Jul 11, 2012
    #10
  11. Oldguy

    Oldguy Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 25, 2024 at 12:40 AM
    Oldguy, Jul 11, 2012
    #11
  12. Jim James

    Jim James Staff Member Staff Member

    That was an awesome read!

    It is like a gold mine of information for me.

    Thank you very much for posting this.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 25, 2024 at 12:40 AM
    Jim James, Jul 11, 2012
    #12
  13. Ishmael

    Ishmael Member

    That is great, Oldguy.

    I have that book and another biography.

    What intrigued me was that Mr. Houck was born in Würzburg, a railroad center in Northern Bavaria.

    I was stationed near there when I was in the Army and spent a lot of time train watching.

    Thanks for the post.

    Mike
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 25, 2024 at 12:49 AM
    Ishmael, Jul 11, 2012
    #13
  14. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Michael,

    Giboney is pronounced gib' o knee.

    That picture of the CG&C Stover doodlebug is one that the author got from my uncle's archives from Kassel's Studio in Cape Girardeau, MO. My uncle received a complementary copy of the book for providing the image. I have a copy of that image that he gave me.

    Another book that covers some of Houck's work from other angles is History of Southeast Missouri by Robert Sidney Douglass, with Chapter XXXVI, page 36, Railroads being of the most interest. This book can be found in pdf form on Google Books. Incidentally, Louis Houck was born in Mascoutah, Illinois, not Wurzburg, Germany.

    Most of the pictures that Joel Rhodes speaks of in the video transcript that Robert (Oldguy) refers to in his post are in the archives of the newspaper Southeast Missourian. They were entrusted to the Missourian by the Juden family, heirs of Houck. Sharon Sanders, the Missourian Librarian, is in charge of the Missourian's vast archives of images.

    To better see the image that is represented by a thumbnail in someone's post, right click on the thumbnail and Open in a New Window or New Tab. Yes, that is Perryville Jct.

    To send a PM, click on my username in one of my posts and select Private Message.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 25, 2024 at 12:53 AM
    klrwhizkid, Jul 11, 2012
    #14
  15. River Division

    River Division Member

    Here is the track chart that shows Perryville Junction.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 25, 2024 at 12:54 AM
    River Division, Sep 30, 2014
    #15

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