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At the legislative session of 1845-6 the representatives from this vicinity, smarting like their constituents over what they considered the neglect of the Commonwealth to give them speedy railway connection with Eastern markets, started again the old project of connecting Pittsburg with Philadelphia by a continuous railroad, and were successful in securing a charter, conditional upon going into operation within a certain time, providing the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad failed to continue its line to Pittsburg. It was estimated that $10,000,000 would be required to construct the line, though the law provided for the sale of only 150,000 shares of $50 each. This action was thought by many here at the time to have been taken by Philadelphians to defeat the desired connection of Pittsburg with the Baltimore market. Much complaint resulted and the charter of the Pittsburg and Connellsville Railroad, which had lain dormant and dusty for two or three years, was brought out, heralded and made to apply to the proposed connection with Baltimore. Many enthusiastic meetings were held in which it was manifest that Pittsburg did not intend to relinquish its Eastern commercial privileges wholly to Philadelphia (Niles National Register, June 6, 1846). In January of this year the citizens memorialized the Legislature to reenact the law of 1828 concerning the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and to repeal such portions of the law of 1839 as conflicted therewith.

This state of affairs resulted in a clash of interests at Pittsburg, because in 1846 the Legislature duly incorporated the Central Railroad, preparatory to its completion to this city. Philadelphia soon openly opposed the extension of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to Pittsburg on the ground that it would carry the Western trade to Baltimore. The charter of the Pittsburg and Connellsville Railroad had been obtained only by hard work and its friends determined it should not be relinquished so easily. Strong efforts were made by the friends of the Central Railroad to divert the interest of the supporters of the Pittsburg and Connellsville Railroad to the Pennsylvania and Ohio (or Cleveland and Pittsburg) Railroad. This led to violent public opposition here. William Robinson, Jr., favored the Western Railroad; William Larimer, Jr., clung to the old Pittsburg and Connellsville Road. Both gentlemen were powerful in railway circles at that time. On December 6, 1847, the two factions of which these men were the leaders held public meetings and vehemently debated the question. A split occurred in the ranks of the adherents of the Pittsburg and Connellsville wing. Their meeting resolved by a vote of 3,947 yeas to 73 nays to accept the report of a special committee to transfer the stock of the old Pittsburg and Connellsville Railroad to the new Pennsylvania and Ohio Railroad. The majority, having carried its point by such a handsome vote, elected its directors, as follows: William Robinson, Jr., William Ebbs, N. B. Craig, Thomas Bakewell, J: Bissell, J. K. Morehead, James Wood, Harmar Denny, W. M. Lyon, Joseph Pennock, Jesse Carothers and Frederick Lorenz. The majority claimed to be acting for the old Pittsburg and Connellsville Road; but this was vigorously disputed by the minority, which claimed to be the true representatives of the old company. The minority met and elected the following directors: Thomas Bakewell, E. D. Gazzam, Walter Bryant, W. J. Totten, John C. Plummer, G. G. Ashman, John Gebhart, William Larimer, Jr., George Hogg, John Fuller, Joseph Markle and Alexander M. Hill. The contentions resulted in the temporary relinquishment of the desire to unite the old road with the Baltimore and Ohio and in accepting a union with the Pennsylvania and Ohio Road under the supplemental act of the Legislature of 1847, whereby the corporate name was changed and the funds were directed to be transferred. The friends of the old road, however, still continued to fight for its construction and soon were stronger than ever, and many of them lived to see the cars running to Pittsburg over this line. On February 9, 1848, the directors of the Pittsburg and Connellsville Railroad met here and passed resolutions confirming all contracts for the construction of parts of the road and repealing its former action of transferring the charter to the Ohio and Pennsylvania Railroad. It was decided at this time to continue the line into Maryland as soon as permission to do so could be obtained from that State. The design was to connect the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad with slackwater navigation on the Monongahela at Connellsville and thus furnish Pittsburg with an outlet to Baltimore. The county of Allegheny was authorized to subscribe to the stock of the Pittsburg and Connellsville Railroad, which it did to the amount of 15,000 shares, in 1853, and this act was promptly accepted by the officials of that road (Post, 1854).

Colonel William Robinson, Jr., of Allegheny was elected president of the Pennsylvania and Ohio Railroad at the great meeting held in Canton, June 15, 1848, and immediately after that date books for the subscription of stock were opened in this city by Lorenz, Denny & Robinson. In October, 1849, the surveyors and engineers established the route of this road.

On March 27, 1848, the act incorporating the Pennsylvania Railroad was passed. The question of taking $1,000,000 of stock in this road was submitted to Allegheny County and was carried by a vote of 14,471 to 8,266. On the heels of this decisive action an immense convention was held in the court-house in June, 1848, on which occasion Judge Grier presided. The object of the convention was to ratify the popular vote and pass resolutions addressed to the County Commissioners, recommending the issuance of 20,000 thirty-year bonds of $50 per share. Judge Wilkins was called out and addressed the convention at length, and among other things said:

"In all human probability I shall not survive to see the full effect of this improvement. I have no manner of interest in it further than to subserve the interests of my fellow-citizens and those who shall come after me. I may have been wrong in many things during my long life. I have been a politician and a lawyer, but my life has always been an active one. Sometimes I have been prostrated beneath the displeasure of my fellow-citizens and crushed under a weight of unpopularity; on other occasions I have been erect; yet in all, as God is my judge, I have never meant to deceive them . . . What do I gain, what can I gain, my fellow-citizens, by urging this upon you? I see around me few who are as old as myself. I see many of the sons of my old clients and friends. As for myself, this is perhaps the last time I shall address you, and I hope that I may not have spoken in vain" (Extract from speech of Judge Wilkins. See Commercial Journal, May and June, 1848).

This strong speech produced a powerful impression upon the audience. The old man was so feeble as scarcely to be able to stand erect. He trembled with weakness and emotion and almost broke down more than once, but made by far the most effective address of the convention, owing to the intensely dramatic surroundings and the overpowering general interest in the success of the road. Strong affection for the old lawyer was manifested.

The convention by a vote of fifty yeas to thirty-nine nays recommended the County Commissioners to subscribe the $1,000,000 stock, which they accordingly did June 4, 1848, the same being accepted by the railway company June 25th. The bonds were issued and the building of the road was commenced.

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Source document: "Standard history of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania" edited by Erasmus Wilson. Chicago : H.R. Cornell & Co., 1898.