USA > Nebraska > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 27
USA > Nebraska > Clay County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 27
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Said the Engine from the East, "They that work most talk the least, S'pose you whistle down your brakes; What you've done is no great shakes, Pretty fair-but let our meeting Be a different kind of greeting, Let these folks with champagne stuffing, Not their Engines, do the puffing.
"Listen ! Where Atlantic beats Shores of snow and summer heats, Where the Indian autumn skies
Paint the woods with wampum dyes, I have chased the flying sun, Seeing all he looked upon,
Blessing all that he had blest.
Nursing in my iron breast All his vivifying heat, All his clouds above my erest ;
And before my flying feet Every shadow must retreat."
Said the Western Engine "Phew!" And a long, low whistle blew, "Come now, really that's the oddest Talk for one so very modest. You talk of your East! You do? Why, I bring the East to you! All the Orient, all Cathay, Find through me the shortest way;
And the sun you follow here Rises in my hemisphere. Really-if one must be rude- Length, my friend, ain't longitude."
Said the Union, "Don't reflect. or I'll run over some director." Said the Central. "I'm Pacific, But, when riled, I'm quite terrific. Yet today we shall not quarrel. Just to show these folks their moral, How two Engines-in their vision- Once have met without collision,"
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That is what the Engines said, Unreported and unread; Spoken slightly through the nose, With a whistle at the close.
THE BURLINGTON SYSTEM
The Burlington & Missouri River, the second great railroad system of Nebraska in mileage and importance in the early days, has in more recent years, with many of its early subsidiaries, been merged into the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company's system.
The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company was chartered by a special act of the Illinois Legislature, dated February 12, 1849, as the Aurora Branch Rail- road Company. It built from Aurora to a connection with the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad (now Chicago & Northwestern) at Turner Junction about twelve miles. It had a track laid with wooden rails faced with strap iron when it opened for business on September 2, 1850. In 1852, it changed its name to Chicago & Aurora Railroad Company. On February 14, 1855, the name was changed to the Chi- cago Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, and the road was extended through Illinois in the next few years. The bridge over the Mississippi at Burlington, Iowa, was opened for traffic on August 13, 1869.
The Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Company was organized in 1869, with a capital stock of $7,500,000, and in May, 1871, its capital stock was increased to $12,000,000. In January, 1873, it was taken over by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, which absorbed its lines east of the Missouri River. It then had a main line from Burlington, Iowa, to a point on the east bank of the Missouri River practically opposite Plattsmouth, Nebraska, and numerous branches. The Burlington & Missouri River Company in Nebraska, which was the name of the company which built the first Nebraska lines of this system, was incorporated May 12, 1869, and the construction of its line from Plattsmouth to Kearney, Nebraska, some one hundred and ninty miles, making connection with the Union Pacific main line, was started in 1870. Lines were then built from Omaha to Plattsmouth, twenty-one miles, where various connections were made. This company was consolidated with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Com- pany on July 28, 1880, with 836 miles of railroad in operation then. The exten- sion of this system will appear in the chronological chart of Nebraska's railroad building which follows.
RAILROAD BUILDING AND EXTENSION IN NEBRASKA
1862. Nebraska's direct railroad history begins with the passage of the bill by Congress authorizing the building of the Union Pacific Railroad.
1863. December. Ground broken at the initial point fixed by the Government, "on the western boundary of the State of Iowa," opposite Omaha. Ground broken at Omaha on that day at the northern end of the levee, donated by the city to the railway company.
1864. Road placed under contract for a hundred miles out of Omaha and sur-
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veys ran to 100th Meridian (in Dawson County). A change in route was applied for at this time.
1865. On July 10th, first rail laid at Omaha, on Union Pacific, and during the winter of 1865-66, eighty miles of track was laid, reaching to Columbus.
1866. By March 15, sixty miles of track was ready for use, and by July, 1866, 135 miles was ready.
1867. The Union Pacific pushed its line on through the State of Nebraska.
1868. Passenger fare on the Union Pacific was reduced from ten to seven and a half cents per mile; In this year, stock was subscribed for the Omaha & Southwestern Railway, the second railway project in the state, and which built a line sixty-eight miles long from Omaha to Lincoln. This later became a part of the Burlington system. Its first officers were men prominent in Nebraska financial circles: S. S. Caldwell, president ; Henry T. Clarke, vice president ; Enos Lowe, treasurer, and A. S. Paddock, secretary, and the directors were George W. Frost, Clinton Briggs, John Y. Clopper, Ezra Millard, Jonas Gise, and Alvin Saunders. Ground was broken at Nebraska City for a proposed enterprise that later developed into the Midland Pacific.
1869. This year saw the completion of the Union Pacific, at Promontory, Utah, far beyond the Nebraska border, but of far-reaching effect for Nebraska, as it gave a Pacific outlet to rail transportation that passed through this state. On February 15th the legislature of Nebraska appropriated 2.000 acres per mile to any railroad which would complete ten miles of its route within one year, the grant in no case to exceed 100,000 acres. This brought about a group of railroad move- ments in this and the few succeeding years. In October James E. Boyd and a group of financial assistants around Omaha proposed to secure twenty men who would each subscribe $10,000 to an Omaha and Northwestern Railroad project to build some two hundred and fifty miles into the Elkhorn and Niobrara valleys. This resulted in the incorporation in November of the "Northwestern." with J. E. Boyd, Ezra and J. H. Millard, J. A. Horbach, J. S. McCormick, Il. Kountze, C. H. Downs, J. A. Morrow, Q. A. Paxton and A. Kountze, as incorporators.
In June of this year ground was broken at Lincoln for the Burlington. The Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley (later a part of the Northwestern sys- tem) bilt its first ten miles from near Blair.
1820. This year saw the completion of the Omaha & Southwestern to Lin- coln; the extension of the Burlington on to Kearney was started, and twenty-six and one-half miles of the Northwestern was built to Desoto. The Burlington ran its first train into Lincoln in July, and also completed its line to Nebraska City. In October Lancaster County voted bonds to aid the Onnha & Southwestern and the proposed Midland Pacific. Atchison & Nebraska Railroad Company was organized in this year.
1871. This year saw the organization of the Midland Pacific Railroad. It built in this year fifty-eight miles, from Nebraska City to Lincoln. This line a few years later was sold under foreclosure, and its operation carried along until in 1876 it became part of the Burlington system. Indicative of the swift sales of railroad land, it might be noted that in April of this year the Union Pacific sold over sixteen thousand acres at an average of $1.13 per acre, and the Burlington sold some eight thousand five hundred acres at an average of $8.36 per acre. The Northwestern built from Fremont to Wisner, fifty-one miles. The B. & M.
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had its trains running by July as far west as Crete, Saline County. St. Joseph & Denver Railroad, now St. Joseph & Grand Island, built into the state as far as Hastings in this year.
1872. The Atchison & Nebraska Company completed its line from Atchison. Kan., to Lincoln, Neb., 148 miles in this year. This line later became a part of the Burlington system, coming up through Richardson, Pawnee, Johnson. Gage and Lancaster counties. In September of this year the B. & M. brought in on one train 720 passengers, 600 being from Iowa. This is indicative of the flow of immigration from other states that Nebraska was then receiving. On March 13th a test of the capacity of the new bridge at Omaha over the Missouri River was made. It had taken three years from the time the contract was entered into until this bridge was finished. The Burlington line to Kearney Junction, to make junction with the Union Pacific, was completed on September 1sth. The roadbed of the Northwestern was graded from Herman, where it had reached com- pletion in October, 1871, to Tekamah, though completion of this block of road was delayed until 1876.
1873. The great Easter storm of this year put all Nebraska railroads to the "acid test" of their capacity to restore operations when a practically complete annihilation of facilities had taken place. Proposal was made in this year to pro- ject a line from Lincoln to St. Paul, Minn., extending the Sioux City & Pacific Railroad in Nebraska on to Lincoln. This latter named road was built down the east side of the Missouri River from Sioux City to a point about two miles west of Missouri Valley Junction, Iowa, where it connected with the Chicago & North- western main line from Chicago to Council Bluffs, Iowa, bending westward. crossing the Missouri River by ferry, about three miles east of the City of Blair, and thence westward to Fremont. There it connected with the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley, projected in 1869.
1874. The St. Joseph & Denver Railroad passed into hands of a receiver, who operated it until March, 1842, when it was reorganized as the St. Joseph & Denver City, with the Kansas part as the St. Joseph & Pacific, and later the Nebraska part as the Kansas & Nebraska Railroad and later yet the whole line as St. Joseph & Grand Island.
The Midland Pacific extended its line from Lincoln to Seward, completing this task in 1874. It went into foreclosure, was reorganized as the Nebraska Railway, and so operated until.1876, when it went into the hands of the B. & M. Company.
1875. The consolidation of the Midland Pacific and Brownville & Fort Kearney took place in this year, as above mentioned.
1876. The B. & M. extended the old Midland Pacific line, which it had just taken over, from Seward on toward York, arriving at that place in 1822. The Omaha & Republican Valley, a branch of the Union Pacific extending from Valley station, in western Douglas County, toward Osceola, was started. Wahoo. Valparaiso, David City and Osceola are on this line. The old Omaha & North- western, now known as the Omaha & Northern Nebraska Railway, built into Tekamah from IIerman this year. The Covington, Columbus & Black Hills Railroad was built in 1876-2, and is twenty-six miles in length. from Sioux City to Ponca.
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18:2. The B. & M. moved the shops of the transferred Midland & Pacific to their own yards in Lincoln. The Union Pacific, because Douglas County insti- tuted proceedings to repudiate a bond issue of $250,000 theretofore voted, threatened the removal of its machine shops west, but this never materialized. The Union Pacific built from Valparaiso to David City, Summit to Lane, and Valley to Lincoln.
1848. Foreclosure of the Omaha & Northwestern brought about the organiza- tion of the Omaha & Northern Nebraska Railroad, to buy the former in and reorganize it.
1879. The Omaha & Republican Valley completed its branch to Osceola. The St. Joseph & Denver City built into Grand Island from Hastings; the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley reached Stanton, which remained the terminus for some time. The Atchison & Nebraska was extended from Lincoln to Columbus. The Union Pacific built from David City to the west Butler line. The Pacific Express Company was organized out of the express department of the Union Pacific Company. The Union Pacific and Burlington started a freight rate war. The F. E. & M. V. built from Wisner to Oakdale.
1880. The B. & M. extended its line to Central City and became the first company to cross the tracks of the Union Pacific, reaching that town about March ; in May it reached Columbus with a line. The leasing of the Atchison & Nebraska and the Lincoln and Northwestern railroads was ratified at Plattsmouth in March. The B. & M.'s northwest line now extended from York to Aurora, and turned northward to Central City. The Union Pacific built from Oconee to Albion. The Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley pushed on from Oakdale to Neligh, and a branch diverged to Plainview.
1881. In July the B. & M. reached Culbertson, which carried its southern line almost through the Republican Valley to nearly the western edge of the state. The St. Joseph & Denver City extended from Grand Island to St. Paul, the county seat of Howard County, a branch that later became part of the Union Pacific system. The B, & M. depot was completed at Lincoln at a cost of $125,000. The Union Pacific built from Beatrice to Kansas State Line and the Blue Springs spur. The F. E. & M. V. pushed on from O'Neill to Long Pine, and the "branch" from Plainview to Creighton.
1882. The Norfolk branch of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha was built. The Union Pacific branch was extended from St. Paul to North Loup. 26.63 miles, and the Scotia to Scotia Junction, a spur of 1.37 miles, was also built. The Missouri Pacific Railroad built into Cass County this year. The B. & M. extended from Culbertson to Benkleman, in the very southwest corner of the state.
1883. Salina, Lincoln and Decatur railroad organized. At this time the western terminus of the Sioux City & Pacific (now Chicago & Northwestern) was Fort Niobrara, this line having been extended on from Stanton, through O'Neill. Neligh and Long Pine.
1884. The Chicago & Northwestern secured ownership of C. R. & Mo. River and C. I. & N. Company, and by this time owned the old Sioux City & Pacific, with which the Northern Nebraska Air Line had been consolidated and the various early attempts in Northern Nebraska made by the Omaha & Northwestern, Omaha & Northern Nebraska, Covington, Columbus &
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Black Hills, organized together under the name of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha, owned by the Northwestern, but operated even now in 1920 under its own name, as a separate corporation. The Blair bridge had been completed in 1883 and the transfer of trains by steam ferry done away with. It had been built by a separate company known as the Missouri Valley & Blair Bridge Company. The Northwestern at this time also purchased the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley, and prepared to extend it on to the Black Hills and Wyoming. Sheridan and Dawes counties came into being, as the main line was extended through this territory in 1885. In 1884 the Union Pacific built from Lincoln to Beatrice, 58.10 miles; from Fullerton to C'edar Rapids 1.595 miles ; and the Burlington extended its Grand Island & Wyoming Central line from Aurora to Grand Island. The Burlington had opened branches from Tecumseh to Beatrice in 1883, from Nemaha to Salem, and from Kenesaw to Holdrege. In 1884 it now extended its lines from Chester to Hebron, 12. miles; Dewitt to Tobias, 24 miles; its main line on from Holdrege to Oxford, 20 miles, and another branch from Odell to Concordia, Kan., 74 miles.
1885. In this year the Burlington extended a branch from Holdrege north- west to Elwood, 28 miles; and from Republican City, Neb., to Oberlin, Kan., 78 miles. The Union Pacific started a branch out of St. Paul toward Loup City that reached the Sherman County line in this year. The Northwestern's activity as mentioned above was in building its Black Hills lines west from Fort Niobrara toward Chadron. In this year a State Railroad Commission was estab- lished by the Legislature consisting of the secretary of state, the auditor and the attorney general, with the actual work done by three secretaries. This device was resorted to as the constitution said no new executive officers could be created, and it proved to be rather ineffectual and mainly advisory.
1886. The Burlington this year opened its line from Tobias to Holdrege, 113 miles; extended its Holdrege branch from Elwood to Curtis, 44 miles; and built branches from Fairmont to Hebron, 33 miles, and from Edgar to Superior, 26 miles. On its Grand Island & Wyoming Central district, it extended from Grand Island to Anselmo, Neb., 101 miles, and a branch was opened in Sep- tember from Aurora to Hastings, 28 miles. The Union Pacific extended its Loup City branch the remaining 20 miles to termination. It extended its other northern Loup Valley branch from North Loup to Ord, which has remained the terminus to this time, 1920. In August, 1886, the Missouri Pacific completed its line to Lincoln. The Northwestern pushed ahead with its Black Hills lines, through Chadron, and opened direct communication from Lincoln, through the F. E. & M. V., with the Elkhorn Valley and Northwest Nebraska. This was accomplished by completion of the branch out of Fremont to the south, being com- pleted from the Platte River bridge into Lincoln, and the Arlington to Omaha line being also completed. The Northwestern went on to Rapid City, S. D., this year. The F. E. & M. V. (Northwestern) was also projected in this year and started a branch through Butler, Seward, York, Hamilton, Clay and Adams counties, giving this road a line from David City through York to Harvard and Ilastings. The Missouri Pacific built from Sarpy County to Omaha and started the Nebraska City branch to Weeping Water, which was finished in 1887.
1887. Incorporation of the Lincoln & Black Hills Railroad and the Republican Valley & Wyoming branch of the Burlington were filed. The Lincoln Belt
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Line Railway was organized, and the Omaha, Lincoln, Hartland & Southwestern authorized surveys.
In this year a Board of Transportation was formed by state authority. This comprised the three officers named in the act of 1885 with the state treasurer added. This board was declared void in a supreme court opinion of 1900, because of defeets in the passage of the aet of 1885. The Burlington in 18st extended its northwest Nebraska line from Anselmo to Whitman, 99 miles: pushed its Curtis branch on from Curtis to Cheyenne, Wyo., 263 miles; opened a line from Omaha to Ashland, destined to be a part of its main line. 25 miles : extended from Central City to Greeley. 44 miles, and opened in December from Greeley to Burwell. 41 miles ; and diverging from the Greeley branch at Palmer. pushed to Arcadia ( Valley County), 54 miles. It also opened a branch from Ashland to Schuyler, 31 miles : Orleans to Blakeman, Kan., 95 miles. The Union Pacific extended about ten miles of line from Boelus, on its Loup City branch, to Nantasket. in northern Buffalo County. The Kansas City & Omaha Railroad built into Sutton. Clay County, and came on through York County in this year. The Nebraska Southern Railway built from Auburn to Nebraska City, and the Northwestern huilt on to Whitewood. S. D.
1888. The Burlington extended its Wyoming line from Whitman to Alliance. Neb .. 69 miles : built a branch from Greeley, Neb., to Ericson, 19 miles : and from Blakeman, Kan., to St. Francis, Kan., 39 miles. The F. E. & M. V. extended its Sutton branch. The Northwestern built from Geneva to Superior and from Lindsay to Oakdale, and extended its Niobrara line from Creighton to Verdigris : and the Missouri Pacific built from Talmage to ('rete.
1889. The Burlington built from Alliance, Neb., to Cambria, Wyo., 162 miles, carrying this line beyond the Nebraska borders, They opened a line from Cul- bertson to Beverly, Neb., 10 miles, and changed the Denver to Eyons. Colo .. line to standard gauge and leased it to the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. The Northwestern extended lines from Linwood to Geneva and from Lindsay to Scribner.
1890. The Burlington activities had gone beyond Nebraska and were used on a branch from Newcastle to Merino, Wyo., and Edgemont to Hill City. S. D. The Northwestern was also working in South Dakota, extending this year lines to Belle Fourche and to Deadwood. The Union Pacific extended its Boelus branch from Nantasket to Pleasanton, its terminus, and started its branch from Kearney to Callaway, in southern Custer County. The Lincoln, Sioux City & Yankton. and the Lincoln & Western Railroad filed articles of incorporation.
1891. The Burlington opened branches from Beverly to Palisade, Neb .. 8 miles: from Merino to Gillette, Wyo., IS miles and extended from Hill City to Dead- wood. S. D .. and Minnekata to Hot Springs. S. D. The Northwestern was build- ing lines around Deadwood and to Lead City. The Chiengo, Rock Island & Pacific system was seeking to enter Lincoln, having in the year preceding been enjoined from crossing the tracks of the B. & M., and Omaha & Republican Valley lines. and it enjoined the Lincoln electric lines from crossing its tracks ; but these injune- tions were shortly thereafter vacated. The Rock Island was building from Omaha to Lincoln, extending its main line on the way toward Denver.
1892. The Rock Island built on into Lincoln, and extended its line on toward the Nebraska state border, toward Belleville. Kan. It has 122 miles of this line
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in Nebraska and a branch from Fairbury to Nelson, of 51 miles, or a total of 178 miles in Nebraska. The Burlington built from Palisade to Imperial, Neb., 31 miles; and opened 101 miles from Gillette to Sheridan, Wyo.
1893. The Burlington construction was in Wyoming, and the Northwestern in South Dakota.
1894. The Burlington reached Billings, Mont., far beyond Nebraska's con- fines, but of vast importance to this state, as it gave another transportation outlet to the Northwest, and eventually to the Pacific Coast. This brings us to the years of the droughts, and in railroad activities as in every other line of human endeavor the next five year trying period is reflected. Nothing of importance comes in railroad extension until 1899.
1899. The Burlington opened a 19 mile extension of that branch from Arcadia, to Sargent, Neb., the present terminus in 1921.
1900. The Burlington made an important move to Western Nebraska and opened up the great North Platte Valley by building the branches from Alliance to Northport and Bridgeport, Neb., and on west to Guernsey, Wyo., 131 miles, and from Northport, Neb., south to Brush, Colo., 113 miles. The Union Pacific extended its Callaway yards.
1902. The Union Pacific extended its branch from Cedar Rapids ( Boone County ) to Spalding ( Greeley County).
1904. The Northwestern extended its Northeastern Nebraska line to Bone- steel. S. D).
1906. The Union Pacific built the branch from Stromsburg ( Polk County ) to Central City ( Merrick County), joining the main line there. and trains are run to Grand Island over this combined line. The Burlington extended a line from Ashland to South Sioux City ( Laketon), 107 miles. In 1906 the Union Pacific started the construction of the second, or double track on its main line, and continued this work through 1907. 1908, 1909, and 1910 on its Nebraska line.
1907. The Burlington purchased the line from South Sioux City to O'Neill. Neb. The Union Pacific started its line up into the North Platte Valley. build- ing in 1907 from ('Fallons, near North Platte, to Lutherville, 62 miles. In this year, the permanent Railway Commission was started, having been established by a constitutional amendment. Hudson J. Winnett, of Lincoln, Robert Cowell, of Omaha, and Joseph A. Williams, of Pierce County, were named. Mr. Cowell resigned from the commission in April, 1907, and Henry T. Clarke took his place. Mr. Clarke served until 1912.
1908. The Union Pacific built from Lutherville to Oshkosh, abont 9 miles, and a line from Summit to Lane, the "Lane Cutoff," in Douglas County, thereby shortening its main line.
1909. The Burlington built 7 miles of line from Lincoln to Cobb Junction, and the Union Pacific extended from Oshkosh to Northport, practically 45 miles.
1911. The Union Pacifie extended its branch from Northport to Gering. and then to Haig. a few miles beyond Gering.
1912-1913. The Union Pacific extended its Callaway branch on to Stapleton, in Logan County.
1920. The Union Pacific is extending its North Platte Valley branch from Haig, Neb. (Scotts Bluff County), on to Goshen Hole, Wyo., with the ultimate aim of joining its main line at Medicine Bow, Wyo. Extensions of the Burlington
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branch terminating at Ericson on to Chambers and into Holt County, and either the Union Pacific branch at Spalding or Albion into Wheeler County and on toward Holt County and the Northwestern line are being agitated and projection attempted in 1920.
THE STATE RAILWAY COMMISSION
As shown heretofore, this body started out with Hudson J. Winnett, Joseph 1. Williams and Henry T. Clarke as members, and Mr. Clarke served until 1917, when he was succeeded by Victor E. Wilson, who had won in the election of 1916. Mr. Winnett served until 1913, when H. G. Taylor, of Central City, took a seat on the commission. Mr. Taylor had defeated C. E. Harmon in the 1912 election, and was re-elected in 1918 and is still a member of this body. On December 1. 1911, Thomas L. Hall became a member of the commission to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Commissioner W. H. Cowgill, who had suc- ceeded Commissioner Williams. William J. Furse has served by appointment fol- lowing Commissioner Cowgill's death. Commissioner Hall was re-elected in 1914, and served from 1915 until date, but retired in January, 1921. not having again been a candidate for re-election to this office, but running for governor in the primaries of 1920. Commissioner Wilson resigned in 1919. and Sec. Thorne Browne was appointed in his place. Commissioner Browne in 1920 was elected to the seat of Commissioner Hall choosing the longer term rather than to succeed himself, for a four year balance, and Harry L. Cook was elected for the balance of Commissioner Browne's term. The secretaries of the commission have been Clark Perkins, from 1907 to 1912; A. B. Allen, 1912-1916; Thorne A. Browne, 1916-1920, and J. E. Curtiss, 1920.
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