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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinances - n/a - 04/05/1909 - Railroad,An Ordina,mce
An ordinance granting permission to
the Elgin, Woodstock & Lake Geneva
Railroad Company (a corporation) the
right to construct and operate a line of
railroad in and through the village of
McHenry, in the County of McHenry,
and State of Illinois.
Be it ordained by the President and
Board of Trustees of the Village of Mc-
Henry, in the County of McHenry, and
State of Illinois, as follows, to -wit:
Section 1. That permission and au-
thority be and the same hereby is grant-
ed to the Elgin, Woodstock & Lake
Geneva Railroad Company (a corpora-
tion existing under and by virtue of the
Laws of the State of Illinois,) its suc-
cessors, assigns, lessees and grantees, to
construct, maintain and operate for the
period of fifty years from and after the
date of the passage and taking effect of
this ordinance, a railroad consisting of
a single track, with such curves, spurs,
connections, supports, columns, girders,
poles, wires and other appliances, tele-
graphs, telephones and signal or other
devices as said railroad company may
deem necessary for its daily operation
for the accommodation of the public,
with such accessories as may be found
useful, necessary or profitable in con-
nection therewith, or in aid thereof,
along, upon and over the following
route in the said Village of McHenry,
County of McHenry, and State of Illi-
nois, towit: On Front street, from the
south village limits of said Village to
Waukegan street, and on said Wau-
kegan street from said Front street to
Green street, and on said Green street
from said Waukegan street, to Elm
street, and on said Elm street from said
Green street, to water street, and on
said water street from Elm street, to
the north village limits of the said
Village of McHenry, and in, upon, thru
and across such other street or streets,
alley or alleys within the corporate
limits of the said Village of McHenry
as the President and Board of Trustees
of said Village may from time to time
hereafter grant, either by Ordinance or
any Amendment hereto; provided, how-
ever, that such railroad company, its
successors, assigns, lessees or grantees
shall first obtain the necessary consent
of the property owners for the operation
and use of any such street or streets,
alley or alleys of the said Village of Mc-
Henry; and provided further that said
railroad shall be constructed in the
middle of the streets hereinbefore men-
tioned, and with only a single track,
and without any switches, side-tracks
or turn -outs other than as hereinafter
urovided.
Section '2. The' said railroad com-
pany, its successors,., assigns, lessees or
grantees shall operate its'said railroad
with electricity, by overhead trolley
system, excepting during the period of
construction, when ordinary steam loco-
motives may be used; and the said rail-
road company, its successors, assigns,
lessees or grantees shall have the power
to construct, lay down and erect wires,
poles and other apparatus necessary for
the operation and maintenance of its
lines, and said company is hereby
granted the right to string necessary
wires, including an overhead contact
system consisting of wires suspended
from poles, said poles to be set at points
to be designated by the Committee on
Streets and Alleys, and consistent with
the construction of the railroad, and to
be kept painted black eight (8) feet from
the ground, and white the balance of
the way. The said Railroad company
may carry on a general railroad busi-
ness, carrying freight, express, mail,
passengers and all other things generally
carried by railroad companies; provided,
however, that nothing herein contained
shall be construed to permit said Rail-
road company to unload freight on any
street in said village; provided, how-
ever, that all trolley wires used by said
company shall be securely fastened, and
properly guarded according to the most
approved system of construction to pre-
vent injuries to persons or property, in
case such wire or wires shall at any
time become broken or unfastened.
Section 3. The rate of fare to be
charged each passenger shall not exceed
five cents for a single continuous trip in
one direction of said railroad, from one
point to another, within the limits of
said Village of McHenry, and along the
line of said railroad. The surface of
the tracks and road bed of said railroad
company, including one foot on each
side of the two rails thereof shall be
constructed so that the surface of said
tracks and roadbeds shall be even and
level with the surface of the street on
each side thereof, so that teams, vehicles
and persons can cross and recross said
tracks at any place within the corporate
limits of said Village.
Section 4. The tracks of said railroad
shall have a uniform guage of four feet,
eight and one-half inches (4 ft. 8j in )
and shall be laid in the middle of the
street, except at the turns or curves in
said streets, where they shall keep as
near to the center of each as is possible,
according to the best methods of con-
struction, and in case any track is built
to any car house or station, the same
shall be made to conform to the level or
grade of said street the same as the
regular line through said corporation.
Whenever the President and Board of
Trustees of said Village shall by resolu-
tion or ordinance direct that any street,
avenue, highway or alley within the
corporate limits of said Village, upon
which any track of said company is
laid, shall be improved or brought to
any established grade, said company
shall grade and relay its track or tracks
to conform to such established grade, at
its own cost, and within a reasonable
time thereafter.
y y
aectron o. said company, its sues
censors, assigns, lessees or grantees shall
at all times keep the space between the
rails of its track, and for the distance of
one foot outside each of its said rails in
good condition and repair; and s_ 11 al-
so lay and keep in good repair all cross
walks between its said tracks, and for
one foot on each side thereof, and keep
that part of said cross walks; and its
said road bed between said rails, and
for one foot on''eaeh side thereof in good
condition and repair, and level with the
other part of said street that is used for
travel; and said company shall comply
with any Ordinance or Resolution that
may be passed or adopted by the Presi-
dent and Board of Trustees of said Vil.
lage in relation to the repairing or im-
proving of any street on which any of
its tracks maj. jo be laid and when any
new improvements shall be ordered or
made by said. President or Board of
Trustees on anyz street or streets on
which 'said company may have any
track or tracks,,, said company, its suc-
cessors, assigns{ lessees or grantees shall
comply with a4d make such improve-
ment -between the rails of its said track,
and for a distance of one foot on each
side thereof that shall be made or order-
ed. by said Village on the balance of
the traveled portion of any such street
or streets; and in case said company, its
successors, assigns, lessees or grantees
shall fail, neglect or refuse to make
such repairs or improvement, the same
may be made by said Village, and the
cost of, the same recovered from said
company, its successors, assigns, lessees
or grantees. Said company, its suc-
cessors, assigns, lessees or grantees shall,
at its own expense, grade and fill with
gravel on each street over which its
track is to be constructed, a space four-
teen (14) feet outside of the rails of its
track so that the same will be in a good
condition for travel for teams and
vehicles, and said company shall, at its
own expense, keep the filling within
said space in good condition for travel
for the'term of one year after the same
is so filled and put in proper repair and
condition, provided said company is not
by this required to gravel any portion
of said streets except where filling is
necessary, and in that case the filling
shall at all times be with gravel from
which all stones on the surface are to
be removed which exceed two (2) inches
in diameter. Said company before the
construction of said railroad, at its own
expense, is to widen the bridge over the
creek on Green street so that the space
for travel with teams will be fifty-four
(54) feet in the clear, and make said
bridge safe for travel, and said company
shall erect at its own expense proper
guards and approaches for said bridge,
and do the necessary filling with gravel
as above; and the approaches to said
bridge are to be so filled by said com-
pany at its own expense, and made two
feet wider than said bridge, and after
the completion of said bridge, and its
approaches as above specified, said com-
pany, its successors, assigns, lessees or,
grantees are to pay to said Village one-
half of the expense of keeping said
bridge and its approaches in good re-
pair; and if a new bridge is required, or
becomes necessary at any time within
fifty years herein specified, said com-
pany is to pay, one-half of the cost of
said bridge, and the necessary ap-
proacbes thereto.
Section G. The cars of said company
shall have the right of way of the tracks
on which its cars may be. run as against
any person, carriage, vehicle or obstruc-
tion of any kind, except fire apparatus
put on or across, pr being driven or pro-
pelled _thereon; and no person shall
otherwise obstruct said tracks, orob-
struct or prevent said cars ruuning or
progressing tbereon, by placing, driving
or stopping or causing to be driven at a
slow pace, any vehicle or other obstruc-
tion in, upon, ac-rose, along or near said
tracks, in the W of any car of the said i
company, .after jojng notified by the
ringing of any boll on such car, or the
giving of any signal; and for any such
violation ally such person shall be fined
in any sum not'less than two ($2) dol-
lars, or more thifi ten ($10) dollars for
each offense.
Section 7. Ale cars run or operated
along, over and upon said road by the
said Elgin, Woodstock & Lake Geneva
Railroad Company, its successors,
assigns, lessees or grantees shall stop at
the intersection of any street or streets
upon signal, to let off or take on any
passenger or passengers. All cars so
run over, along or upon the tracks of
said company shall at all times after
dark carry, keep and maintain on the
front end of the car in whatever di-
rectiou said car may be going, a head-
light that will at all times light up the
track of said company for a distance of
at least three hundred (300) feet, and
said company, its successors, assigns,
lessees or grantees shall run at least one
car over the tracks of said railroad, for
the uses and purposes herein specified,
every two hours in each direction from
six o'clock a. in., to the following mid-
night, and no car or cars shall at any
time be run over, along or upon the
tracks of said company within the
limits of said Village at a greater rate
of speed than ten (10) miles per hour,
and for a violation thereof said com-
pany, its successors, assigns, lessees or
grantees, or the conductor or motor-
man, or person or persons in charge of
any such car or cars, shall be fined in
any sum not less than three ($3) dollars
nor more than ten ($10) dollars for each
and every off Ouse.
Section 8. Whenever any person or
persons shall desire to move any build-
ing across the right of way of said com-
pany, and the same cannot be done
without cutting or temporarily remov-
ing the trolley wires or other apparatus
of said company, and such person or
persons shall receive from the President
and Board of Trustees of said Village a
permit so to do, such person shall give
said company forty eight (48) hours
notice that they so desire to move any
such building across the tracks of said
company, and said company shall there-
upon cut or remove any wires or appa-
ratus necessary to allow any such build-
ing to cross its said tracks; and the
trolley wire of said company is to be
not less than eighteen (18) feet, and six
201
(6) inches in the clear above the level of
any street or roadbed wherever teams
or vehicles are to cross the tracks of
said company, or drive thereon, except-
ing at the crossing of railroad bridges
or under culverts.
Section 9, No switch track, sidings
or turnouts are to be constructed or
maintained within the corporate limits
of said Village by said company, its
successors, assigns, lessees or grantees,
unless by permission hereafter granted
by the President and Board of Trustees
of said Village, and then only by the
consent of a majority of the property
owners fronting such street or streets
Upon which it is proposed to so con-
struct any such switch track, sidings or
turnouts.
Section 10. Unless the said Elgin,
Woodstock & Lake Geneva Railroad
Company shall be in operation between
the said Village of McHenry, and the
City of Elgin, in Kane County, Illinois,
for the accommodation of the public,
and for the uses and purposes herein
specified, within three years after the
passage and taking effect of this Ordi-
nance, all rights and privileges hereby
granted shall be forfeited and determin-
ed without any further action or notice
from said Village of McHenry, provided,
however, that in case the construction
of said road shall be stopped by injunc-
tion or delayed by any labor strike, or
other cause beyond the control of said
Railroad Company, such time shall be
excluded from the said three years.
Section 11. The said Elgin, Wood-
stock & Lake Geneva Railroad Company
shall before the commencement of any
work inside the corporate limits of said
Village of McHenry, execute with suf.
ficient sureties a bond in the sum of
five thousand ($5000.) dollars, to be ap-
proved by the President and Board of
Trustees of said Village, payable to said
Village of McHenry, and conditioned
that it, and its successors, assigns,
lessees or grantees will observe, perform
and carry out all of the provisions of
this Ordinance for the time herein spec-
ified, and that it will forever indemnify
and save and keep harmless the said
Village of McHenry from any and all
damages, judgments, decrees, costs and
expenses which it may suffer, or which
may be recovered or obtained against
the said Village of McHenry, on account
of anything that may happen or occur
in the construction or operation of said
railroad, or the doing of anything
authorized under and by virtue of this
Ordinance.
Section 12. If at any time the said
Elgin, Woodstock & Lake Geneva Rail-
road Company, its successors, assigns,
lessees or grantees shall fail, neglect or
refuse to comply with any of the terms
or provisions of this Ordinance, or to do
or perform any act or thing provided
for or directed by this Ordinance to be
done or performed for a period of thirty
(30) days after said company, its suc-
cessors, assigns, lessees or grantees are
notified in writing that said President
and Board of Trustees have by resolu-
tion declared that said company, its
successors, assigr-, , lessees or grantees
are failing, neglecting or refusing to so
(comply with any-bf the. terms or pro-
visions of this Ordinance, or omitting to
door perform anrAking or act herein
required to be performed, then if such
neglect, omission or refusal shall con-
tinue after the expiration of said thirty
(30) days, said President and Board of
Trustees may, by Ordinance duly passed,
reciting such failure, neglect, refusal or
(omission, and the giving of such thirty
(30) days notice in writing, revoke all of
the rights and privileges hereby granted
to the said Elgin, Woodstock & Lake
Geneva .Railroad Company, and there.
upon said company, its successors,
assigns, lessees or grantees shall forfeit
all rights and privileges hereby given
and granted, and also the right to longer
keep, maintain or operate its said fail.
road, or keep its tracks on any street or
streets within the corporate limit. �f
the said Village of McHenry, and when-
ever the right of said company, its suc-
cessors, assigns, lessees or grantees shall
so cease and determine, said company
shall remove its said tracks, wires, poles
and all appliances from said streets and
highways of said village, and put the
same in as good condition as the ad-
jacent parts of said streets and high-
ways, without expense to said Village,
and upon a failure so to do, the same
may be removed under the direction of
the President and Board of Trustees of
said Village, and the expense of such
removal may be recovered by said Vil-
lage of McHenry against said company,
its successors, assigns, lessees or gran -
Lees.
Section 13. The said Elgin, Wood
stock & Lake Geneva Railroad Company
shall have thirty (30) days in which to
accept this Ordinance, and its accept-
ance of the same shall be in writing,
and filed with the Village Clerk of the
Village of McHenry within said thirty
(30) days, and shall be as near as may
be, in the following form, towit:
"The Elgin, Woodstock & Lake
Geneva Railroad Company, a corpora-
tion duly existing under and by virtue
of the laws of the State of Illinois, here-
by accept all of the terms and provisions
of an Ordinance duly passed by the
President and Board of Trustees of the
Village of McHenry, granting permis-
sion to the said Elgin, Woodstock &
Lake Geneva Railroad Company to con-
struct, maintain and operate a line of
railroad in and thru the said Village of
McHenry, and this acceptance shall be
at all times, and in all places treated
and considered as an agreement on the
part of the said Elgin, Woodstock &
Lake Geneva Railroad Company, that
it, its successors, assigns, lessees or gran-
tees will at all times carry out and per-
form the terms and conditions of said
Ordinance, and do and perform all the
things directed in said Ordinance to be
done and performed by said Elgin,
Woodstock & Lake Geneva Railroad
Company, which Ordinance bears date'
on the 18th day of June A. D„ 1908.
Elgin, Woodstock & Lake Geneva
203
Railroadp .
Company.
By -
Its President."
In case no such acceptance shall be
signed"and filed within said thirty (30)
days then this Ordinance shall become
null acid void,
Section 14. That any person or per-
sons, company or companies, corpora-
tion or cortuorations that at any time
hereafter become the successors, assigns,
lessees or grantees of the said Elgin,
Woodstock & Lake Geneva Railroad
Company, shall be held and bound to
have accepted of the terms and pro-
visions of this Ordinance, and to have
agreed to do and perform all things
provided herein to be done or perform-
ed, in the same way and manner that
the said Elgin, Woodstock & Lake
Geneva Railroad Company are held
and bound, or have agreed to do and
perform, with the same rights and priv-
ileges to the said Village of 111cHenry to
revoke, cancel, repeal or annul this
Ordinance as though the rights and
privileges hereunder were still being
exercised, u�aed and enjoyed by the said
Elgin, Woodstock & Lake Geneva Rail-
road Company,
Passed this l8th day of June, A. P.
1908
PETER J. FREUND, President of the
Village Board of the Village of Mc-
Henry.
Published in McHenry Plaiudealer
this 25th day of June, A. D. 1908,
Attest: HARVEY E. PRier, Village
Clerk.
An ordinance for the creating, govern-
ing and maintaining a volunteer fire de-
partment in the village of McHenry, Ill.
ARTICLE 1.
Section 1. Be it ordained by the pres-
ident and board of trustees of the village
of McHenry. Ill., that a volunteer fire
department be organized as follows, to -
wit:
Section 2. The president (the board
of trustees concurring) shall appoint at
the first meeting in May a fire marshal,
to hold the office for a term of one year
or until his successor is appointed and
qualified.
Section 3. It shall be the duty of the
fire marshal to organize a volunteer fire
department consisting of not more than
three companies.
Section 4. The fire marshal shall take
charge of and keep in good serviceable
condition all hose carts, hose, ladders,
wrenches, lanterns and all appurte-
nances pertaining to the fire department
equipment.
Section 5. The fire marshal shall
have access at all times to all hydrants,
plugs, leads for practice and to all build-
ings or other places in case of fire when
deemed necessary for the protection of
life and property.
Section 6. The fire marshal is hereby
authorized to prohibit the burning of
paper or other rubbish or the building
of bonfires in alleys or near buildings
or near oilier inflammable material.
Section 7. The fire marshal shall re-
ceive a salary of fifty ($50.00) dollars
per annum, to beepaid out of the village
treasury. Each fire company shall re
ceive out of the village treasury for the
purpose of acquiring the necessary
equipment the sum of fifty ($50.00) dol
lars per annum. Each member of the
volunteer fire department in good stand
ing shall receive two ($2.00) for actua
services at each and every fire.
Section 8. In case of fire the firs'
party getting a hose cart to the fire wilt
a horse or horses shall receive the sun
of three ($3.00) dollars. The seconi
shall receive the sum of two ($2.00) dol
lars. The third shall receive the sun
of one ($1.00) dollar.
This ordinance shall be in full force
and effect ten days after its passage.
Passed this fifth day of April, 1909.
Approved this sixth day of April, 1909
Published this eighth day of April
1909. PETER J. FREUND, President.
Attest: H. E. PRICE, Clerk.
205