USA > Missouri > Jackson County > The History of Jackson county, Missouri, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., biographical sketches of its citizens, Jackson county in the late warhistory of Missouri, map of Jackson county > Part 60
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126 | Part 127 | Part 128 | Part 129 | Part 130 | Part 131 | Part 132 | Part 133 | Part 134 | Part 135 | Part 136 | Part 137 | Part 138 | Part 139
At the close of the period of which we now write, Kansas City had made considerable further progress in the same general direction. The banks above referred to were put into successful operation ; large numbers of people had been added to the population ; many new houses had been built ; new stores and shops opened, and the trade generally enlarged. The street improvements progressing at the time of the Journal's article above quoted had been much advanced ; coun- try roads had been further improved, and the railroad schemes, in which Kansas City was then interested, had made much progress.
In other respects the city had made much advancement in social aspects, which, up to this time, we have not noticed. The formation of societies, and the organization of churches and lodges, are the incident of commercial develop- ment, and had attended, so far, the development of Kansas City. At the close of the year 1860 there were in Kansas City three lodges of Masons, two of Odd Fellows, one of Good Templars, a Turnverien, Shamrock Benevolent Society, Orpheus Singing Society, a Chess Club and a Bible Society. There were the Kan- sas City Female Seminary, a Rectory School, a young gentlemen's seminary and a German school. The churches were : two Methodist, one Baptist, two Presby- terian, one Episcopal, one Catholic and one Christian.
There were also the Board of Trade and Chamber of Commerce, both of
442
HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.
which had grown directly out of the development of trade. There were three banks, one insurance company, one daily and two weekly English newspapers, one German weekly and a bi-monthly medical journal.
At the census in 1860 the population of Missouri Valley cities was as follows : Independence 3, 164; Kansas City 4,418; Leavenworth 7,379; Weston 2,921 ; Atchison 2,611 ; St. Joseph 8,932 ; Council Bluffs 2, 011, and Omaha 1, 881.
Such was the situation in which the war found Kansas City, but before pro- ceeding to narrate the effects of that struggle, an account will be given of a series of facts contemporaneous with those chronicled in this and the last preceding chapter relative to the development of railway enterprises. This will be presented in the next chapter.
KANSAS CITY LIVE STOCK EXCHANGE.
443
HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.
CHAPTER IX.
THE INCEPTION OF OUR RAILROADS.
Kansas City Takes the Lead in Efforts to Secure Railroad Facilities-Her Efforts Start a Fever in Railroad Enterprises in Western Missouri and Kansas-The Inception of Her Own System- The Hostility of Kansas-The First Efforts in Behalf of Trans-Continental Railroad -- Kansas City in the Struggle, with Both the Slave and Anti-Slave Sections for the Road-The Enthusiasm of the Period-Beginning of Railroad Work-The Real Founders of Kansas City-Their Trials and Triumphs.
The agitation of the construction of railroads began in some parts of Mis- souri in 1849, a convention of that kind having been held in St. Louis in that year. Railroads then began to reach toward St. Louis, and approach the Missis- sippi from the east at other points. The country had become settled and product- ive to an extent that some method of transportation better than wagons had be- come necessary ; yet this was the only means, except near the navigable rivers. The Missouri River, by steamboat, was the only method of reaching the central and western parts of the State. The Pacific Railroad, from St. Louis to the western line of the State, was chartered in 1852, and the Hannibal & St. Joseph, through the influence of R. M. Stewart, afterward Governor, some time before that.
KANSAS CITY STARTS THE FEVER IN WESTERN MISSOURI.
Kansas City, by reason of being situated at the great angle of the Missouri River, which made her the nearest river point for the New Mexican plain; and Indian trade, was beginning to attract attention on account of her commerces and her people, appreciating the advantage her situation gave her, but knowing that railroads would make a great commercial center wherever they concentrated on the western border, and take all the plains trade to that point, saw that their future depended upon getting the railroads. One had been chartered already to St. Joseph, and another from St. Louis to the western border. She feared the effect of the one, and the possible location of the other. She began to make ef- forts to secure the Pacific, and to tap the Hannibal & St. Joseph, so that she would enjoy equal advantages with the latter named place. Thus, in 1855, there arose an activity in railroad schemes rarely equaled in any community, and the work done was, for a town of less than a thousand people, enormous. The agi- tation of this class of enterprises at Kansas City, at this time, can be best repres- ented by an account of events in the order in which they occurred.
On the first of December, 1855, news was received from Jefferson City that the Legislature had passed a bill, giving State aid to certain railroads, among which was the Pacific. This gave great satisfaction here, as it was expected that the road would be immediately pushed through, and Kansas City was sanguine of success in securing its terminus.
In December, 1855, she got a bill passed by the Missouri Legislature, incor- porating the Kansas City, Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad Company, the object of which was to build a road to the nearest point on the Hannibal & St. Joseph. The incorporators were Dr. B. Troost, W. H. Chick, M. J. Payne, A. J. Martin, Thos. Swope, Joel Walker, H. J. Richards, J. Riddlesbarger, Alex. Gilham, Gainus Jenkins, W. J. Jarboe, Jos. C. Ranson, J. W. Ammons, S. W. Bouton, Dr. J. Lykins, Dr. T. B. Lester, D. K. Abeel, J. W. Summers, J. A. Fenley, and William A. Strong. Governor Price vetoed the bill, but it was passed over his veto. This was the inception of the road to Cameron.
444
HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.
The discussion of this project started the agitation in Western Missouri, and all the towns began to hold meetings, and project railroads. Among others pro- jected was the Parkville & Grand River, the Canton & Western, and the St. Jo- seph & Burlington. Meetings were held in almost every town in Western Mis- souri, and some kind of a project originated. The fever spread to Kansas, and Leavenworth, Lawrence and Atchison soon had their projects.
The first Legislature of Kansas chartered the Kansas Valley Railroad, from Kansas City to Fort Riley, on the south side of the Kaw. This was the begin- ning of the agitation of a road in that valley, where we now have two.
THE INCEPTION OF OTHER ROADS.
The prominence Kansas City had already attained as the headquarters of the trade of the plains, led to the projection of several roads to her ; among which was the Kansas City & St. Joseph Railroad, which was chartered some time prior to 1855. This was the inception of our present Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs Railroad.
A Railroad to Galveston Bay began to be agitated in 1855. The road now known as the Texas Central, or a road occupying substantially the same route had been chartered and its construction begun.
In the latter part of 1856 a company was organized in Arkansas and started a project called the Napoleon & Kansas City Railroad, which was to run from Napoleon, on the Mississippi River, via Fort Smith to Kansas City. Dr. Lee was president of this enterprise, and Capt. Lloyd Tighlman engineer, and part of the survey was made. It was looked upon with so much favor that some of the Missouri counties were urged to give it aid. Napoleon was then a place of more importance than since the war.
In discussing the Galveston Railroad project it was soon discovered that the country northward of Kansas City took an interest in it, and would like to have it extended through their section. Hence, in February, 1857, a company was organized here, taking the name of the Kansas City, Galveston & Lake Superior Railroad Company, the purpose of which was to procure the building of a road from Lake Superior to Galveston through Kansas City. Dr. Lykins, Jos. C. Ranson, R. T. Van Horn, Robert J. Lawrence, S. W. Bouton, were the first directors. Dr. Lykins was elected president, R. T. Van Horn, secretary, and Kersey Coates, treasurer.
January 12, 1856, books were opened for subscriptions to the stock of the Kansas City, Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad. It was then expected that the road could be located by March and constructed in two years, and that it would prove the most important line for the city, because more practicable for immi- grants to Kansas. Four days afterward a meeting of the people appointed J. Rid- dlesbarger, Jos. C. Ranson and J. C. McCoy to correspond with E. M. Samuels, of Clay county, relative to the survey of the road. Clay county had already proposed to pay half the expense if this city would pay the other. This propo- sition was promptly accepted.
January 27th the Kansas Valley Railroad Company was organized with E. F. Perry, W. H. R. Lykins, J. C. Ranson, William A. Hopkins, J. M. Ashburn, Kersey Coates, Dr. J. Lykins, David Hood and Thos. H. Swope as directors. Dr. Lykins was elected president and Kersey Coates secretary and treasurer. The purpose of the company was to build a road on the south side of Kaw River to Fort Riley. Three hundred shares of the stock were subscribed at the meeting at which the organization was effected.
On the 5th of July, 1856, the directors of the Kansas City, Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad engaged Robert J. Lawrence to survey and locate the line. The work was begun the next week, and an agent accompanied Mr. Lawrence to solicit subscriptions to the stock.
445
HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.
The day previous to this appointment, July 4, Col. E. M. Samuels, of Clay county, addressed the people of Liberty in behalf of extending the line to Keokuk, and on the 9th he addressed the people of Kansas City on the same subject.
On the 19th of July, 1856, was the first mention in Kansas City of the Napol- eon & Kansas City Railroad, in a letter from Dr. F. A. Rice, of Keysburg, Ky. On the 19th of July the survey of route of the Kansas City, Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad was finished by Mr. Lawrence to Fishing Creek, and on the 26th, Joseph C. Ranson made the first call upon subscribers to the expense of the survey.
On the 4th of October, 1858, the directors of this road resolved to organize under the general incorporation law of the State, as the Keokuk & Kansas City Railroad, and asked the people to assemble and memorialize the city council to order an election to vote $150,000 stock in it.
The election occurred on the 14th, and the proposition was carried almost unanimously. At that time Keokuk had voted $45,000, and it was estimated that $900,ooo more could be procured along the line, besides $50,000 of individ- ual subscription in Kansas City and an equal amount in Clay county. A con- vention in the interest of this road was called to meet at Linneus, November 20, 1856; accordingly a public meeting was held in Kansas City on the roth, and the incorporators of the Kansas City, Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad were requested to attend. The report of the survey, made by Robert J. Lawrence, was made November 15th, and the line was regarded as exceptionally favorable. This survey extended only to the line of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad. At the railroad convention at Linneus, November 20th, there were delegates from Keokuk, Kansas City and from Scotland, Lewis, Adair, Linn, Livingston and Clay counties. Dr. W. A. Hopkins, Kersey Coates, Jos. C. Ranson, T. M. James, S. W. Bouton, Robt. J. Lawrence, M. B Hedges and R. T. Van Horn attended from Kansas City, and Col. Van Horn was elected secretary. This convention resolved that the road was necessary and must be built, and raised a committee to obtain a charter from the Missouri Legislature. That committee was Col. E. M. Samuels of Clay county, and Kersey Coates and R. T. Van Horn of Kansas City. W. Y. Slack, of Chillicothe, was appointed agent, and an assess- ment of three thousand dollars was inade to pay for a preliminary survey, to be made by the Kansas City, Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad Company. This con- vention was followed with many enthusiastic meetings along the proposed line, and subscriptions of stock by most of the counties.
On the 2d of January, 1857, Gen. J. W. Reid, of this city, introduced into the Missouri Legislature a bill to incorporate this company, and it passed on the 6th, though not without some opposition, as several members were afraid that if the road were built it would become a conveyance for runaway slaves, because it terminated in a free State. As soon as this charter received the signature of the Governor, the company opened books in Kansas City, and two hundred and fifty shares of stock were immediately subscribed by the people.
In January, 1857, the Missouri Legislature. also chartered the Kansas City & Galveston road. This road was to extend northward to Lake Superior, and John J. Shoemaker commenced the survey from Kansas City, north through Platte and Clinton counties, and enthusiastic meetings were held at Plattsburg, Smithville and Barry.
In December preceding (1856) Gen. Duff and party bought up the entire stock of the Kansas City & St. Joseph Railroad, and March 3d a bill was intro- duced by Gen. Reid into the Missouri Legislature which was passed and signed, appropriating $75,000 for it, under the name of the Platte County Road, by which it was afterward known. One-half the sum was to be expended between Kansas City and St. Joseph, and the other half in extending the line to Iowa.
In March, 1857, the Louisiana Legislature passed the bill to incorporate the
-
446
HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.
New Orleans, Shreveport & Kansas City Railroad, the line to touch the points named and run along the line between Arkansas and the Indian Territory, and Kansas and Missouri. Among the incorporators named in the bill were Kersey Coates and Dr. Lykins, of this city, and E. M. Samuels, of Clay county.
On the second of June, 1857, Mr. McPherson, president of the Pacific Rail- road, visited Jackson county, and promised to complete the road to Kansas City in eighteen months, if Kansas City would give it $150,000 and Independence $50,000, and it was promptly voted.
The Kansas City and Keokuk Railroad company completed its organization July 6th, by electing Kersey Coates, president, Joseph C. Ranson vice-president, S. W. Bouton secretary and Robert J. Lawrence engineer.
The survey of the Kansas City, Galveston and Lake Superior road was completed to the line of the Hannibal and St. Joseph road by Mr. Shoemaker, July 1I, and the cost of construction was estimated at $22 000 per mile.
These, with a contemplated but unorganized road to the Pacific Ocean, and one to Santa Fe, was, in brief, the railroad system mapped out at that early day. It was grand in its conception, grand in the audacity with which it was presented by a frontier town with less than a thousand population and no railroad within two hundred miles of her. The struggle for its realization was a grand struggle, and resulted in the grandest of all-its substantially complete fulfillment.
Before anything further could be done in way of the roads, which then seemed to be progressing so finely, the financial crash of 1857 came, sweeping away not only credit but the currency as well, and all enterprise, not only in Kansas City, but elsewhere stopped. Kansas City did not suffer much other- wise, as she maintained her fine trade on the plains and with Kansas and Kansas immigrants. But there was no further efforts made in the building of railroads until the following spring, though her favorite enterprises were held in warm remembrance, and much discussed by the people.
THE SPIRIT OF THE TIMES.
The spirit and enthusiasm and hopes of that period cannot be better shown than in the following speech by Col. Van Horn at a merchants' supper, Christ- mas, 1857, in response to the toast-" Railroads and the Press-Twin Brothers in American Progress and Development." He said : "The meeting had imposed upon him a task, a response to which might necessarily involve some- what of egotism, for as regarded the press, he felt that it was speaking some- what of self, when he touched upon the habit of his life; but in regard to railroads no such delicacy existed.
" It might seem strange to some gentlemen who had not yet waked up from the effects of the sedatives their mothers administered to their infant necessities, that any one should attempt to speak of Kansas City railroads, when not a mile has yet been built leading from its boundaries. It is true as yet we have only charters, but there never was a railroad built without a charter-so we have at least taken the first step. But we have taken a second step. We have made very thorough surveys of two routes, and have made large subscriptions of stock. The intellect of the city has mapped out a railroad chart for Kansas, covered it with charters, and secured them advantages beyond the power of any interest to cut off. We have not a charter of the seven roads entering here that is not secured forever by the vested rights of their stockholders -there is no city or town in American history that has done so much within the short space of two years.
* *
* * * *
* *
" Railroads involve a philosophy in the progress of the world that is fruitful in study. We, living in this rushing age, lashed to the car of progress and borne ahead by the whirl of events, are too apt to forget what the world once was, in
447
HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.
the days of pack horses, Connestoga wagons, broad horn river craft-and what it now is in those countries where primitive modes of transport still exist, and where the camel and the ass are the "ships of the desert," and the broad horns of the valleys of the old world-and where even men are bred and trained for the transport of merchandise between distant cities. In those old countries courts built cities, and the decrease of despotic rulers oblige whole empires to pay tribute to their licentious capitals. There it was that Nineveh, Bagdad, Con- stantinople and the ancient seats of commerce and wealth rose to eminence. The people establish their own commercial capitals, and the seats of our Republi- can courts are enlivened only at intervals by the representatives of her commer- cial marts and rural plains, who seek the quiet and seclusion of her civil halls for consultation upon common interest. Washington, Columbus, Springfield, Jefferson City, and Baton Rouge are the capitals of our rulers-New York, Cin- cinnati, Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans are the metropolitan cities of our people. God has marked out by topography the lines of commerce, and by the ranges of mountains and courses of rivers has fixed its centers and marts-and it is by studying these great tracings of the Almighty's finger that the pioneer of trade and the herald of civilization has selected the site of these gigantic cities of the Republic, and which has fixed upon the rock-bound bay of the Missouri and Kansas as the last great seat of wealth, trade, and population in the westward march of commerce toward the mountain basins of the Mississippi and Pacific. If men will only study topography the problem is solved.
" Since the days of Columbus commerce and enterprise have been seeking the west-west, west, has ever been the watchword-over the Atlantic, up the Potomac, across the Alleghanies, down the Ohio, over the Missisippi, up the Missouri. It is found at last. Kansas City stands on the extreme point of west- ern navigation-it is the west of commerce; beyond us the west must come to us overland. I say again-the west at last is found. (Enthusiastic and prolonged applause.)
" We are now passing through the ordeal of early St. Louis. Surrounded by rivals that control public sentiment to a great degree, and with the legislation of the country against us, we are still outstripping all precedents, and surely and swiftly rising to metropolitan proportions and power. We are in the central paral- lel of population and production, and as sure as the sun in his course imparts to our valleys and plains the richest of his fructifying rays, just so sure will our fortune be great and certain. Without intending to touch upon political topics, I must be permitted to say that Robert J. Walker, in what he said of the isother- mal line, uttered a greater truth and exhibited greater wisdom than in anything else he said in Kansas. It is upon that line that population must center. It now contains two-thirds of the population and four-fifths of the cereals of the world. Thus the law of population itself will bring the great Pacific Railroad up the Kan- sas valley, for through that valley will flow three-fourths of the emigration west- ward-and this is one of our chartered roads; another leading to Galveston on the south, bringing us nearer to tide-water than are St. Louis, Chicago and Cincinnati, and shortening our present distance fifteen hundred miles ; the Platte country road and the Keokuk road, reaching the northwest and northeast; the Pacific road east, now half completed to the valleys of the Ohio and the basin of the great lakes; and the Memphis road penetrating the cotton regions of the sunny South-these roads will, when all opened-as they WILL be-open up to Kansas City a mine of wealth unsurpassed by any city in the world-bringing within seventy hours of each other the cotton, sugar and stock of Texas, the, robes and furs of the plains and mountains, the manufactures of the east, and the lumber and copper of the Mississippi and Lake Superior.
" But I am asked by a certain class where is the money to come from ? I will answer that twelve years ago Chicago had a population less than our's now
448
HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.
is, and was without a mile of railroad. Now she has a population of one hundred and thirty thousand, and over ten thousand miles of railroad radiating from her wharves in every direction-and all this has been accomplished without the ex- penditure of a single dollar of her business capital. Let the world know of us as it did of Chicago, that here is the commercial center, fixed by the laws of nature herself, and the capital of the world will stretch out its iron arms for our commerce -the roads will be built. Let us work westward-that is the word for Kansas City-and the first snort of the iron horse as he bounds away for the headwaters of the Kansas will be the herald of the swift completion of the iron highways of commerce with the East." (Enthusiastic cheering.)
THE UNITY AND MOVEMENTS OF THE PEOPLE.
Owing to the severe struggle of border and Kansas towns for commercial supremacy, the people of Kansas City became closely united as early as 1855, and continued so until the unity was broken by political animosity at the begin- ning of the war. During that period the whole city moved as one man, or as a corporation in which there was no faction. The summer was the business sea- son, and the winter, when there was little trade, enterprises were discussed, or- ganized and set in motion. There was great activity in all directions, but in none more than in railroad projects. , A brief statement of events and movements in their chronological order will best illustrate the activity, earnestness and devotion of those times.
In May, 1858, there was a revival of interest in the Platte county enterprise, and meetings were held at Kansas City and along the line of the road. An en- gineer was put on and the survey completed between St. Joseph and Kansas City, by way of Platte City, that summer.
The same month the new directory of the Pacific caused it to be located be- tween Pleasant Hill and Kansas City. This road, from the time its line reached Jefferson City, coquetted with the people along the proposed line for aid and made no location until it had made the counties bid up on each other until the last dollar had been secured. Then it gave the road to the highest bidder. As its terminus on the western State line was not fixed, Cass and Jackson counties became contestants for it. After getting them to put.up their last dollar it ac- cepted the aid of both, located the line to Kansas City via Pleasant Hill, in Cass county, and thus filled the contract with both. It has since been extended be- yond Kansas City and a line has been built westward from Pleasant Hill, and thus Cass and Jackson have been deprived of what they thought they were to get-the western terminus of the road.
A ROAD TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN.
The idea of a railroad to the Pacific Ocean, which seems to have been first suggested by Fremont, and gained formal and popular shape by the great rail- road convention at St. Louis in 1849, was much discussed in Kansas City up to this time. It was held that justice to the trade of the country and the treasury dictated the Kaw Valley route. It was held that by this route half the trans con- tinental line was already completed-from the Atlantic seaboard to St. Louis- and that thence westward there was available a succession of rich valleys like those through which passed the Baltimore & Ohio and Ohio & Mississippi Rail- roads ; that the route was the most central, the easiest of construction, and em- braced the lowest and most available passes through the mountains. Kansas City made a strong effort to get this route recognized by the establishment of an over- land mail, which was being discussed in Congress in 1856 7-8.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.