Fritz’ great grandfather, James with Fritz' grandfather, Fred in 1866
Song: “An Old-fashion Home in N. H. (with a light in the window for me...)” available on LINKS page
Sylvester Marsh
He was, among other things, a founder of the City of Chicago. Not bad for a kid born in Campton, New Hampshire, in 1803. By the time he had turned 30, he had become the head of a major supplier of pork and beef in the Windy 
City. He was, in fact, the originator of the meat packing business there. His products were sent
through the Erie Canal to customers all over the East. His prices were lower than anyone in the cities had seen. The company made him a millionaire.
By 1830, the first railroad had been built. Within the next ten years, railroad lines would stream into Chicago from all over the West. The city exploded with population, building and money.
But the depression of 1838 wiped out a lot of businesses, including the beef and pork business. In a year, he went from millionaire to stone broke.
But, he still had his connections, and he knew people who would lend him money. So he stayed in the city . . . went into the grain business. He invented a steam-powered drying machine for grain, a process that is used to this day. In a year he had made his money back. And he became even wealthier.
Because the incline up the mountain was so steep, he created a kind of parallel rail device between the tracks with pins affixed all the way up like a ladder. Engaging these pins was a gear-like wheel that climbed the rails much as a sprocket engages the chain on a bicycle.
He built the railroad in an amazingly short time. In two years, they reached the point called “Jacob’s Ladder,” which was a trestle half way up the mountain. One year later, they completed the entire thing . . . almost three miles long and 3,600 feet high. It had cost him a little less than $140,000.
And it worked!
The idea was quite simple. The engine was very small
and very heavy, six and a half tons. It developed only
50 horsepower, but it was geared way down. The top
speed was only two miles an hour. The passengers were
transported up the hill at about the same speed as a
leisurely hiker would travel.
The opening of the Cog Railroad was news, not only in
New Hampshire, but internationally as well. People came
from all over Europe to ride the miraculous contraption.
That first year, President Ulysses Grant himself, took the
train to the summit.
The state legislators were not laughing any more.
Sylvester Marsh died in Concord in December of 1884 at
the age of 81. His cog railroad has continued to carry
passengers for 140 plus years . . . not to the moon . . . but not bad.
Still, he never forgot where he came from . . . New Hampshire. By the 1850s, there were railroads into the White Mountains, and he came up to Littleton in the summers. In 1852, he and some friends went up Mt. Washington, but on the way they got lost. It was a sobering experience.
He said, “We ought to have a railroad right to the top so people could get there in ease and not get lost.” People thought he was kidding. But Sylvester Marsh was not kidding. He wanted a railroad right to the summit.
People thought he was nuts.
Even so, in 1858, the New Hampshire Legislature granted him a charter to build the railroad. They figured even if he failed (and they certainly thought he would), he would spend a lot of money in New Hampshire before he was done.
The legislators called him “Crazy” Marsh and told him they would grant him a charter to the moon if he wanted to spend money on it.
