|
Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railroad (1885-1891)
- It was established in 1885 with Marcus Low, a former attorney for the Chicago
and
Rock Island Railroad, as its president. The Chicago, Rock Island and
Pacific Railroad advanced the new railroad about twenty-five million dollars to
begin construction in exchange for nearly all of the stock in the new company,
essentially making the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad the owner from
the outset. The Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railroad laid almost 1400 miles of
track by 1888, mostly in Kansas and Missouri. However, by 1889, the railroad was
struggling and failed to make its interest payment. The Chicago, Rock Island and
Pacific Railroad soon began foreclosure proceedings, eventually taking by June
17, 1891.
Chicago, Kansas and Western
Railroad
(1886-1901)
- This railroad was formed by combining the charters of
ten smaller railroads on May 31, 1886. At this time, the Santa Fe Railroad and
the Missouri Pacific Railroad were in stiff competition to build lines in new
territory. The
Chicago, Kansas and Western Railroad was busy building many disconnected lines
all over Kansas and then leased them to one of the two competitors. The company
continued until it was sold to the Santa Fe Railroad in
April, 1901.
Kansas Central
Railway Company (1871-1879) - Incorporated in June, 1871, its object was
to build a railroad and telegraph line from Leavenworth to the western
Kansas
boundary. It was initially built as a narrow gauge railroad because the owner
thought the issue would pass easier if the cost per mile was less. Its first
train ran to Holton, Kansas in 1872. The railroad continued to push westward but
was struggling financially and in April, 1879, the property was sold at a
foreclosure sale in Leavenworth County to C. K. Garrrison and L. T. Smith. This
pair soon reopened the line as the Kansas Central Railroad Company.
Kansas Central Railroad
(1879-1897) - Formerly the Kansas Central Railway Company, it was purchased
at a foreclosure sale by C. K. Garrrison and L. T. Smith in April, 1879 and
reopened as the Kansas Central Railroad. The railroad continued the task of the
former company to build a railroad and telegraph line to the western
Kansas
boundary. The tracks finally reached Clay Center in 1881.In 1890, the railroad
converted to standard gauge rails from the narrow gauge railroad built by its
predecessor. However, this company too, struggled financially and went into
foreclosure. It was sold to the Leavenworth, Kansas and Western Railway Company
in September, 1897. On May 25, 1908, it was again sold, to the Union Pacific
Railroad Company. In March 1935, the Union Pacific Railroad disbanded the
Leavenworth, Kansas and Western Railway from Knox, a station near Leavenworth,
to Clay Center.
|
|
The Kansas & Neosho Valley
Railroad (1865-1868) - Incorporated in March, 1865, the railroad’s
objective was to build a line from Kansas City south into the Neosho Valley of
eastern Kansas, and then continue south all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Bonds
were issued for the project and by the spring of 1866, work commenced in Kansas
City and grading and bridging was completed to Olathe,
Kansas. That same year, a
treaty was made with the Cherokee to cede the Cherokee Neutral Lands to the
United States. The land, located in Crawford, Cherokee and Bourbon Counties, was
then to be sold for the benefit of the Indians. However, this created a number
of disputes between white settlers who had "squatted" on the land and those that
were trying to by property. During this time the directors of the Kansas &
Neosho Valley Railroad were unable to obtain the needed property to build
through the Cherokee Neutral Lands. However, the property was obtained by a
Boston group represented by a man named James F. Joy, president of the Chicago,
Burlington, and Quincy Railroad system in August, 1868. The previously issued
bonds were then withdrawn and given over to Joy and his group, who obtained the
railroad. The name was then changed to the Missouri River, Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad Company in August,
1868, and subsequently to the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad
Company.
Kansas City, Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad (1868-1888)
- First established as the
Kansas & Neosho Valley Railroad
in March, 1865, it was taken over by Boston group represented by a man named James F. Joy, president of the
Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad system in August, 1868. It was first
called the Missouri River, Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad Company, but
quickly changed its name to the
Kansas City, Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad. Continuing the objectives of the Kansas & Neosho Valley Railroad
to build build south through
Indian Territory. The tracks from Kansas City to
Olathe opened in December, 1868, made it to Fort School by December, 1869, and
to the border of Kansas and
Indian Territory in May, 1870. The total cost to
build the line was more than five million dollars. The the original design had
called for continuing the line all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, but this was
not completed as another agreement had been made between the United States and
the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway.
Kansas Pacific Railroad (1863-1880)
- Established in 1855 as the Leavenworth, Pawnee and Western Railroad, it was
later reorganized in 1863 as the Union Pacific Eastern Division. Authorized by
the United States Congress as part of the Pacific Railway Act, its mission was
to create a second southerly branch of the transcontinental railroad, alongside
the Union Pacific.
The
original intent of the railroad was to build a line west from Kansas City,
Kansas to
Fort Riley,
then north to join the Union Pacific main line at
Fort Kearny in
Nebraska. The
construction of the line was motivated in part by the desire of the U.S.
government to extend transportation routes into
Kansas, which had been the scene of
ongoing conflict between Union and Confederate sympathizers during the
Bleeding Kansas days prior to the start of the
Civil War.
The company began construction on its main line westward from Kansas City in
September, 1863 and by the next year, the first 40 miles of the line to
Lawrence was
in operation. By the fall of 1866, the line had reached Junction City and in
1867 to Salina. In March, 1869 the name was officially changed to the Kansas
Pacific Railway. By the 1870's, it operated many of the long-distance lines in
Kansas, and soon extended the
national railway network westward across that state and into Colorado. The line
opened up settlement of the central Great Plains, and its link from Kansas City
to Denver provided the last link in the coast-to-coast railway network in 1870.
The railroad was consolidated with the Union Pacific in 1880, but, its mainline
continues to be an integral part of the
Union Pacific Railroad
network today.
Compiled and edited by
Kathy Weiser/Legends
of Kansas, updated March, 2011.
|
LEGENDS
OF KANSAS
