Anons,

As many of you may know we've been doing a bit of a meta dig around the New York Central Railroad and it's expansion west into the interior of the country.

Some interesting tidbits we've discovered include:

The creation of the image capital of the world in Rochester,

where Vanderbilt interests were tied to George Eastman, the creator of Eastman Kodak and much more,

the railroad expanded further west through Buffalo and to Cleveland.

In PA, the great oil boom was started by a Vanderbilt man named Edwin Drake.

He was financially backed by a group of New Haven, CT bankers, including the ancestor of JP Morgan, Asashel Pierpont (New Haven Manufacturing Co.) among others.

The company was named the Seneca Oil Company.

This company started the oil boom which allowed Standard Oil to rise to dominance in the industry. Essentially creating the Rockefeller fortune.

Don't believe me? Rockefeller's partner Henry Huttleston Rogers bankrolled Edwin Drake at the end of his life and commissioned a statue in his name. (pic)

At this point we've stalled a bit.

But holy shit is it about to get good.

The story was last left off at Cleveland with the creation of the oil industry,

Ever looking west, the bounties of Detroit loom on the horizon.

So how did Vanderbilt's NYCRR railroads get there?

The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad.

So the growing hypothesis here is that the powers that be implemented the railroads as something of a planned monopoly.

Lets put some faces to the creators of this rail line.

Chronologically, the first inland shore railroads were built to connect the vast region to the major eastern railroads and the Erie Canal.

And the first railroad to be commissioned was the Erie and Kalamazoo Railroad.

Running from Toledo to Adrian MI.

And who commissioned it? The Michigan Territory.

And who was the Governor at the time of commission in 1832?

George Bryan Porter.

More importantly, when researching Porter, I realized the long standing predecessor Governor of the Michigan Territory was none other than

LEWIS CASS

Whose tenure ended 1 year before the formation of the first Great Lakes railroad, the Erie and Kalamazoo.

In the Journal of the House of Representatives of the State of Michigan, 1846

This reference shows Lewis Cass petitioning the House, in hand with Beverly Robinson, to partition land held "in common" with the state.

The immediate following subject was a discussion on the sale of the southern railway to form the Michigan Southern Railroad.

This is a predecessor to the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad that eventually was consolidated under Vanderbilt control.

So who is Lewis Cass, and what is his history in the region?

Who is his family?

Where did he come from?

Anyways, following these railroads gets you to Detroit and the rise of the automobile.

My next dig is to connect the Vanderbilt railroads and their interests to Ford and the other early auto makers.

Following Family Y throughout the world!