Railroad Cross-ties

GILMORE, SINKEY, SMITH

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 11/19/2009 at 07:02:35

Jackson Sentinel, Maquoketa, Jackson County, Iowa, December 12, 1885

CANTON NEWS

Railroad cross-ties

Capt. James Gilmore has contracted with Henry Smith and Jno Sinkey, Jr. to get out one thousand railroad cross-ties. Several other parties in the neighborhood will each get out a thousand or more ties. This winter promises to be larger than usual.

In this connection it may be of interest to the readers of the Sentinel outside the county to know that Jackson is by far the best timbered county in the state, and also the most important source of railroad cross-ties. The annual output of the valley of the Maquoketa and her tributaries is over fifty thousand ties, which are mostly delivered on the northwestern road at the following stations: Onslow, Monmouth, Baldwin, and Nashville. White oak at present are almost the only ties received and these are mostly hewn. The “tie” making craft, it is said, make all their clear money on hewn ties.