A glance at the charters above mentioned shows that the principal promoters of proposed railroads during the first three years of the territorial existence of Kansas were prominent pro-slavery men -- John Calhoun, Daniel Woodson, Samuel D. Lecompte, etc. But after the Free-State party carried the election for members of the legislature in the fall of 1857, a new set of railroad projectors came to the front. The legislature of 1858 -- the first one controlled by Free-State men -- granted charters to a number of railroad companies, and in every instance the incorporators were members of that party.

In the act incorporating the Delaware & Lawrence Company, S. B. Prentiss, Cyrus K. Holliday, James Blood, O. E. Learnard, John Hutchinson, E. B. Whitman, J. S. Emery, S. C. Harrington, J. W. Pennoyer, George Q. Twombly, J. A. Finley and William Hutchinson were named as the first board of directors. The capital stock of the company was placed at $1,506,000, work was to be commenced within six years and the road was to be completed within ten years from the date of the charter.

Among the incorporators of the Kansas Central, which was also chartered by the legislature of 1858, were Charles Robinson, J. P. Root, W. Y. Roberts and Henry J. Adams, all Free-State leaders. This company, the capital stock of which was $3,000,000, was authorized to build a railroad from the Missouri River "at or near the mouth of the Kansas to a point at or near Fort Riley ."

The act incorporating the Elwood, Palermo & Fort Riley railroad named 40 incorporators, among whom were Cyrus K. Holliday, Thomas Ewing, Jr., J. H. Lane, H. Miles Moore, J. P. Root and A. L. Lee. The capital stock of this company was $3,000,000. Work was to be commenced on a road between the terminals named within five tears and the road was to be completed within twenty years.

The Leavenworth, Lawrence & Fort Gibson (also called the Kansas City, Lawrence & Southern Kansas) railroad received its charter on Feb. 12, 1858, authorizing the construction of a road from Leavenworth to the southern boundary, and from Lawrence to Emporia. Several years were spent in efforts to secure land grants and subsidies to aid in building the road. By the act of Congress, approved March 3, 1863, the state was given alternate sections for a distance of 10 miles on either side of a road from Leavenworth toward Galveston Bay, and the legislature of Kansas on Feb. 9, 1864, turned over this grant to the Leavenworth, Lawrence & Fort Gibson Company. In 1867 Douglas County voted bonds for $300,000 and Franklin County for $200,000 for the construction of the road. Work was commenced at Lawrence soon after these bonds were authorized, and on Jan. 1, 1868, the road was completed to Ottawa. In 1871 it was finished to Coffeyville. The line is now a part of the   Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe system. The original stock of the Leavenworth, Lawrence & Fort Gibson Company was $2,000,000, and among the incorporators were H. J. Adams, R. B. Mitchell, G. W. Deitzler and John Speer.

Another company chartered by the legislature of 1858, and one with a high-sounding name, was the Leavenworth City, Delaware City & City of Lawrence Railroad Company, with a capital stock of $1,500,000. The act named 25 incorporators, including Gaius Jenkins, M. J. Parrott, George W. Smith, George W. Deitzler and H. Miles Moore.

The charter of the Missouri River & Rocky Mountain road was amended at this session. In the list of names of the 27 incorporators of the Leavenworth, Hamlin & Nebraska railroad appear the names of H. M. Moore, J. H. Lane, Gaius Jenkins, W. Y. Roberts, J. P. Root and E. N. Morrill. The capital stock of this company was $2,000,000.

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