Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad
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The Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad (M&C), now defunct, was a railroad of southern Ohio later absorbed by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O). The M&C started as The Belpre and Cincinnati Railroad (B&C) in 1845 to connect to the B&O at Parkersburg, WV/Belpre, Ohio. The Virginia Government would only allow the B&O to go to the Ohio River at Wheeling, WV. The planned route of the B&C was changed to Marietta, Ohio and the name also changed in 1851. Right of way extended up river from Marietta to Bellaire, Ohio for a connection to the B&O. The M&C was bankrupt by 1857 but continued west to reach Cincinnati, Ohio. The first through train from Cincinnati ran on April 9, 1857.
The railroad never went up-river from Marietta and the right of way south of Bellaire was later purchased by roads controlled by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR).
To continue to the east on the B&O, one had to take a steamboat down river to Parkersburg.
With help from the B&O and the Baltimore City Council, the Union Railroad connected Marietta to Belpre in 1860. It also was later absorbed by the B&O. This section of track is still in operation (2004) with unit coal trains providing most of the traffic.
Meanwhile, having reached Wheeling, the B&O went back to the Virginia Government and received permission in 1851 to build to Parkersburg. They later bridged the Ohio River to Belpre. The Baltimore and Ohio Short Line was then built to connect Belpre to the M&C at Canaanville, Ohio. This connection was complete by 1874 during the company presidency of former Civil War general Orland Smith. The B&O now had the route west that they wanted in the beginning. The B&O gradually took over the line. First as the Cincinnati, Washington and Baltimore Railroad in 1883 and in 1889 as the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern. By the turn of the century the B&O had absorbed the lines to Cincinnati.
By 1876, the "Old Line" to Marietta fell into disuse and was eventually sold to the Toledo and Ohio Central Extension Railroad. The name was later changed to Marietta, Columbus and Cleveland Railroad (MCC) and operated to about 1917. The east end then operated as the Marietta and Vincent Railroad Company until abandoned in 1924.
One of the main driving forces in the M&C was William Cutler. He also was a backer of the Union Railroad and the MCC among other local railroads. William Cutler served as General Manager and as President of the M&C for many years.
