The “Capt. Cole Gilliland” of this article is Captain Coleman Gillilan; I have seen his name spelled both Gillilan and Gilliland in various reports and articles of the time. Capt. Gillilan, whose picture may be found in the GT library’s photo album, was a descendant of the Nathan Gilliland line via his son James Gillilan, who came to Ohio from Greenbrier County, WV. Coleman Gillilan received his rank of Captain in service with the 173rd Ohio Infantry, organized at Gallipolis, Ohio, during the Civil War.

This article was contributed by Nancy Downard of Wellston, Ohio and transcribed by Kate Maynard, 2008.

THE PORTSMOUTH TIMES.    SATURDAY, SEPT. 28, 1901

OLD ROUTE
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Harvey Wells’ Railway Dream About to be Realized
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Capt. Cole Gilliland Talks Interestingly 
of Cincinnati, Hillsborough & Wellston Railroad
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    Two men were here Wednesday from northern Ohio, to meet Captain Cole Gilliland and go with him over the line of the proposed Cincinnati, Hillsboro and Wellston railroad, which the Captain is engaged in working up. The trip was called off until October on oaccount of the business arrangements of Captain Gilliland. The gentlemen who met him are wealthy capitalists, and will back the C. H. & W., if the outlook meets their expectatons.
    Captain Gilliland says this road will give Portsmouth better connections with Hillsboro and that rich section than any other road. It will cross the Scioto river at Piketon and pass close by the N. &. W. depot. From Piketon to Hillsboro the road is nearly all finished. It will occupy the route surveyed and graded a great many years ago and then abandoned. The road bed was made solid and is still in condition to receive the ties. This was known as he Cincinnati, Hillsboro and Parkersburg railroad, and was intended, after crossing the Scioto, to make the best line possible to Belpre, opposite Parkersburg. It was finished as far as Hillsboro and work on the balance of the line abandoned. That part of it is now in running order is known as the Hillsboro branch of the B. &. O. S. W.
    The masonry on that part of the route between Hillsboro and Piketon is of the solidest and most enduring character. It is ready at any time to receive the bridge frame-work. There is a very fine abutment where Sunfish crosses the canal just above Jasper. This is one of the approaches of the bridge that was to have spanned the Scioto at that point. The road goes up the beautiful Sunfish valley till the table land is reached, when the line to Hillsboro is almost a bee line. The Sunfish valley is one of te most fertile in this section of the state. The hills are beautiful, and the timber output is second to no valley in the state. The Captain says $110,000 worth of work was done on this portion of the line, and it can practically all be used by the C. H. & W. Tht will be a great saving.
    Going east from Piketon the route goes through the fine California table lands to Jackson. The finest gravel pits in the country are passed through near California. There is also sand for the manufacture of glass. Twelve miles west of Jackson the fine No. 1 Jackson coal is sturck in paying qunatities. Better yet, the matchless sillicate iron ore of Jackson County is struck. This lies in veins from two to eighteen feet in thickness. this is the highest grade of iron ore known, and is so quoted in the iron reports of the big city dailies. It lies just beneath the coal layers and is easily mined.
    From Jackson the route leads through Wellston and taps the rich coal fields of that section. The line will ultimately be continued to Point Pleasant, West Virginia.
    The road was originally promulgated by Harvey Wells, and Captain Gillilan thinks is that big brained and fr-seeing man had not been untimely cut off by death the road would have been finished long ago.