COWGER - Charles
Remembrance of Charles Cowger, son of Rolla and Ella Ivy Harvey Thompson Cowger (thanks so much to Missy Foster Payne, niece of Rolla for use of this awesome piece of history – kbz)
Remembrance of Charles Cowger, son of Rolla and Ella Ivy Harvey Thompson Cowger (thanks so much to Missy Foster Payne, niece of Rolla for use of this awesome piece of history – kbz)
The Old Coal Road
The sound of bull-frogs awakened me during the night. There must have been a hundred or more from the racket they were making! I was on what was to be my last ride on “The Old Coal Road.” At that time, it was known as the CA&S Chicago Attica & Southern, which was the part north of West Melcher, Ind. The part South of that point was owned by the CI&W (Cincinnati, Indianapolis & Western, later a part of the B&O, Baltimore & Ohio).
I was in a caboose, in the dark and no way of knowing where I was. I was on a train bound for Attica. No sound of an engine working anywhere and no sign of the crew. I had boarded the train at West Union, Ind where Uncle Speck Harvey was section foreman and lived in the old depot. Uncle les Harvey was section foreman at Attica, Indiana and lived in an old passenger coach in the CA&S Yards at Attica. He had invited me to come and stay awhile with him.
As I remember it, the CA&S had a switch run working south out of Attica to West Melcher at night and returning the next night, switching the industries along the line. Uncle Les and I had boarded the train for a ride to Attica after a family get together. While reading the poem, “Abandoned,” memories of that last ride came flooding back to me. My life and my family was a part of the Old Coal Road as it was known for many years.
My father, Rolla E. Cowger was working for the Big Four, or CCC&St.L RR and was day operator leverman at GR Tower where the C&EI crossed the Big 4 tracks at Burnett Indiana. He boarded at the home of Rachel Doan Harvey, My mother, Ella Ivy Thompson and her young son, Glenn, lived at home at that time.
The C&EI had purchased the Old Coal Road and was operating it at this time. Father’s brother, Milton O. Cowger was agent at Ehrmandale, Indiana and taught my father telegraphy and station work. M.O. was later the chief clerk to the Supt. At Brazil.
My grandmother, Rachel Harvey had four sons and a son-in-law that were section foreman for the old coal road at some time or other. They were: Elmer, Otis, Speck, Les and Alvin Jackson the son-in-law. Uncle Alvin told me that at the time that the railroad was built through Tangier, Indiana, he drove a team and scraper and helped level the right of way.
When my parents decided to get married, they decided to get married in Park (sic – Parke) County at Rockville. My mother had been born at Sylvania, which was near there. Uncle Alvin Jackson with his crew, loaded Rolla and Ella on his hand powered hand car and pumped them from Burnett to Otter Creek Jct, Ind where the Brazil branch line joined the main line of the C&EI and where it crossed the Vandalia line. They road a Vandalia passenger train to Rockville, got married and returned on the next Southbound train to Terre Haute. They spent most of the day and evening there attending a theater, etc. Then they rode the THI&E Interurban car to North Terre Haute, hired a team and rig and drove it back to Burnett. It all happened on Nov 20, 1907.