Train derailments were not an uncommon event in 1916, given the many trains that ran across Illinois. On this date 100 years ago three coal cars were derailed near Chatham, while under the control of Conductor Osborn. Since the Springfield wrecking outfit was out of commission, the Bloomington "big hook" was sent to address the minor mishap. Although I am an avid rider of trains, I do not have any working knowledge of train maintenance and was surprised to see just how massive and complicated these machines were.
The photo above was added to a Rootsweb page and is labelled as a trainwreck near Farmer City in 1909. In it you can clearly see the "big hook" used for picking up the train cars. This modern photo of a circa 1907 steam powered wrecking crane shows the crane in greater detail.
John Peter Osborn was the conductor that day. He was born in Mattoon Illinois in 1878 and the first record of his home in Bloomington is in the city directory in 1913. He and his wife Pearl always lived at 208 S Allin Street (sometimes noted as 205). He died in 1953, and Pearl died in 1949. John Osborn was a leader in the Order of Railway Conductors and in 1921 was elected to the highest office in the local organization. In 1926 the Morgan home on Allin was noted as a home of distinction on the southwest side of the city. In 1930 the Osborns added a garage and columns to the house.
