USA > Nebraska > Douglas County > Omaha > History of the city of Omaha, Nebraska > Part 60
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In February, 1873, the Union Pacific Company took a train of cars over the bridge into Iowa, which action called forth the following at the first meeting of the Omaha city council thereafter:
" WHEREAS, It has come to the knowledge of this council that the Union Pacific Rail- road eastward-bound train was, on Sunday afternoon last, taken across the bridge at this point, and the transfer of passengers and freight.made on the lowa side of the Missouri River, contrary to the stipulations of a contract existing between the Union Pacific Railroad Company and the City of Omaha, therefore be it
" Resolved, By the city council of the City of Omaha, that a committee of three be appointed whose duty it shall be to call on Superintendent Sickles and ascertain the canse of the violation of the said contract as herein set forth, and whether it is the intention of the said Union Pacific Railroad Company to continue to make such transfer on the east side of the river; said committee
to report to the council at the next meeting the result of its inquiries."
The committee was appointed and at the next meeting of the council reported that superintendent Sickles " explained the case to their entire satisfaction, and that the Union Pacific Railroad Company are dis- posed to and will keep in good faith their part of the contract."
The year within which buildings for gen- eral offices, a depot "to cost not less than $100,000, etc., etc., were to be erected, passed without a compliance on the part of the railroad company with that clause of the contract, and in September, 1873, an exten- sion of ten months from September 9th was granted the company by the council to com- plete, on lots 1 and 2 block 231 (southwest corner of Tenth and Mason Streets) "a building for its general offices according to, or equal to the general plan adopted by the company at the same time, and shall maintain the said buildings and offices on said grounds respectively," such acts would be accepted by the city as a compliance with the fourth clause of the contract, and Ex-Governor Saunders, as trustee, was empowered and directed to execute the proper instrument to carry the agreement into effect. In June of the following year a further extension was granted the company by which the depot was to be completed by November 1, 1874, according to the plan adopted by the company August 18, 1873, " as modified by resolution of the executive committee of said company, passed May 25, 1874, at a meeting thereof in the City of Boston," and the office building, it was provided, was to be under roof by January 1,1875.
The foundation for the building for office purposes was laid in the most substantial manner, and with that the work stopped. In July, 1875, Mr. Sidney Dillon, president of the railroad company, was waited upon at the Grand Central Hotel, during a visit in Omaha, by a committee of the council, to
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learn why the said building was not being completed. Mr. Dillon stated, in response, that the railroad company had been short of funds, but was now in position to go ou with the work; that it was extremely desirous of . carrying out to the letter, its contract with the County of Douglas and City of Omaha; that Dr. G. C. Monell had offered to sell the Herndon House, corner of Ninth and Far- nam, to the company for the purposes of a general office building, and that if the county commissioners and city council would permit it, the company would buy said building and expend fifteen thousand dollars in putting it in proper condition. These facts were reported to the council by the committee, with the recommendation that the railroad company be held to the original agreement with respect to the office building. The matter was finally adjusted, however, and the Herndon House purchased and en- larged at various times since that date, at a total expenditure of about $200,000, and it is now one of the most convenient and ex- tensive railroad offices in the United States.
The shops of the Union Pacific Company, now covering nearly forty acres of ground, were established in 1865, in a very small way. They are now noted all over the West for their extent and completeness, two mil- lion dollars having been expended in build- ings and machinery. There are now operated from Omaha, by this company, 8,471 miles of road. More than fourteen thousand per- sons are employed, the monthly pay roll amounting to nearly one million dollars.
Following are the executive officers and their assistants, who have their headquarters in Omaha:
Executive Department .- S. II. II. Clark, president and general manager; E. Dickin- son, assistant general manager; Frank D. Brown, local treasurer.
Law Department .- John M. Thurston, gen- cral solicitor; W. R. Kelly, assistant general solicitor; W. J. Carroll, assistant to general solicitor; W. R. Kelly, general attorney for
Nebraska and Iowa; Edward P. Smith, as- sistant general attorney for Nebraska.
Claim Department .- John R. Manchester, general claim agent.
Land Department. - B. A. McAllaster, land commissioner.
Accounting Department .- Erastus Young, auditor; F. W. Hills, assistant auditor; R. Anderson, auditor of disbursements; A. S. Van Kuran, freight auditor; W. S. Wing, auditor of passenger accounts.
Traffic Department .- E. L. Lomax, gen- eral passenger and ticket agent; J. N. Brown, acting assistant general passenger and ticket agent; J.'A. Munroe, freight traffic manager; Elmer II. Wood, assistant general freight agent; C. J. Lane, division freight agent.
Operating Department .- E. Dickinson, as- sistant general manager; P. J. Nichols, gen- eral superintendent Nebraska division; R. Sutherland, superintendent Nebraska divis- ion; E. Buckingham, superintendent car service.
Mechanical Department .- J. H. MeCon- nell, superintendent motive power and ma- chinery.
Telegraph Department. - L. HI. Korty, superintendent of telegraph.
Coal Department .- G. W. Megeath, super- intendent.
Supply Department .- J. W. Griffith, gen- eral purchasing agent; J. H. Stafford, general storekeeper; A. E. Hutchinson, stationer.
Miscellaneous. - F. Washburn, superin- tendent hotel department; A. W. Scribner, tax commissioner; W. J. Galbraith, M. D., chief surgeon.
In 1866 a special election was held, July 30th, to vote upon a proposition for the is- suance of bonds by the city to the amount of forty thousand dollars, in aid of the Cedar Rapids & Missouri River Railroad Company " payable in three years from the Ist day of April, 1867, or, from thirty days after the said railroad be built to the east bank of the river, opposite Omaha," said bonds bearing interest at the rate of ten per cent. The vote
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at this election was exceedingly light, there being but 357 ballots cast in favor of the proposition, and fourteen against it. The mayor was authorized, August 29, 1866, to issue the bonds. Of this amount thirty thousand dollars was to be given to the com- pany, and the remainder used in securing a right of way grant to the ferry landing, opposite the city, for the ferriage of said railroad company's business across the river.
On the 2d of January, 1867, Gen. G. M. Dodge, W. W. Walker, O. P. Hurford and S. S. Caldwell, appeared before the council and stated that only $22,500 in notes had . been realized from the thirty thousand dol- lars of city bonds previously issued, and asked that bonds to the amount of ten thous- and dollars additional be issued, to comply with the proposition previously made by the railroad company. Action upon this matter was postponed a few days, when a special meeting was held, and a resolution adopted to the effect that in the issuance of its bonds to the amount stated, the city had fully complied with the terms of the proposition in question.
TIIE OMANIA & SOUTIIWESTERN AND THE OMAIIA & NORTHWESTERN.
November 30, 1869, a resolution was adopted by the county commissioners, call- ing a special election to vote upon the prop- osition to issue bonds to the amount of $350,000, to be dated January 1, 1870, and run twenty years, at ten per cent. semi-an- nual interest, the county reserving the right to redeem any portion of said bonds after the expiration of five years, in aid of two railroads. To the Omaha & Southwestern Railroad Company $150,000, " to aid in con- structing a railroad from Omaha in a southı- erly direction, by way of Lincoln, to the southern boundary of Nebraska, in Gage County," and to the Omaha & Northwestern Railroad Company $200,000, " to aid it in constructing a railroad from the City of Omaha in a northwesterly direction to the
mouth of the Niobrara River, upon such route as said companies have respectively adopted." The election was held December 30, 1869, and the issue of bonds authorized by a vote of 1,655 in the affirmative to 176 in the negative. Evidently these companies lost no time in applying to the county com- missioners for aid, the Omaha & Southwest- ern having organized November 27, 1869, and the Omaha & Northwestern, November 30th-the date of calling the election. The incorporators of the first named company were: S. S. Caldwell, Franeis Smith, Jolm T. Clopper, A. S. Paddock, Henry T. Clarke, Alvin Saunders, Thomas Malloy, Henry Gray and Clinton Briggs. Messrs. John A. Horbach, Ezra Millard, John A. Morrow, Edward Creighton, James E. Boyd, Herman Hountze, Jonas Gise, Joseph II. Millard, C. H. Downs, William A. Paxton and Joseph Boyd, signed the incorporation papers of the Omaha & Northwestern Company. Augustus Konntze, John I. Redick and others, were included in the list of stockholders of the latter road.
The Omaha & Southwestern was built to the Platte River, where passengers were conveyed across by means of a flat-boat ferry, and then connection was made, at first by wagon and afterwards by rail, with the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, a mile or so distant from the ferry.
In 1871 the last named railway company secured possession of the line of the Omalla & Southwestern Company and thereby gained an inlet to Omaha.
The Omaha & Northwestern Company pushed the work on their line up through Washington County, first to Blair and then to Herman, later on Tekamah, in Burt County, was reached and then Oakland. In 1878 the road was sold under foreclosure proceedings, was reorganized as the Omaha & Northern Nebraska Railway Company, and the line extended to Oakland, Burt County. In 1879 the St. Paul & Sioux City Railroad Company became the owners of
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this line and sold it two years later to the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad Company, who now own and operate it.
THIE BURLINGTON ROUTE.
The Burlington Route (Burlington & Missouri River Railroad in Nebraska), has its headquarters here for the operation of all lines belonging to the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company west of the Missouri River. The construction of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad in Ne- braska, was commenced in 1869, and in July, 1871, a connection from Plattsmouth, on the Missouri River, was made with Omaha through the acquisition of the Omaha & Southwestern Railroad.
There are now operated from the Omaha office of the Burlington route, 3,320 miles of railroad. Of this amount, 2,253 miles are in Nebraska, 260 in Kansas, 366 in Colorado, 219 in Wyoming, and 169 in South Dakota, with about fifty-three miles in Iowa and Missouri; and connecting all of the princi- pal Missouri River termini in the East with the cities of Denver, Cheyenne, Deadwood and Sheridan in the West, and branches have recently been constructed to the coal and oil fields of Wyoming. That portion of the road which is in the State of Nebraska, reaches nearly all important points in the State.
All trains of the Burlington system arrive at and depart from the Union Depot in Omaha, crossing the Missouri River at Plattsmouth over the steel bridge which was completed August 30, 1880. This company has expended in Omaha, for improvements, including the lines to the stock yards at South Omaha, $880,783.43. The number of employes in Omaha is about 450, and the monthly pay roll amounts to abont $30,000.
This road has been a powerful factor in the development of that portion of the State known as "the South Platte country." Its land department has been admirably managed and every inducement possible
offered to secure a settlement upon the val- uable agricultural and grazing lands of the company, of an industrious and enterprising people. The result has been most gratify- ing and has fully demonstrated the wisdom shown by the company in the adoption of a liberal system in disposing of its lands, furnishing free transportation to land-seek- ers, loaning to destitute settlers seed suffi- cient for their first planting, extending the time of payment on land contracts, and in many other ways aiding the people who were seeking homes in that portion of the State.
The road is managed by the following named:
General Officers .- C. E. Perkins, presi- dent, Burlington, Ia .; J. C. Peasley, first vice president, Chicago; L. O. Goddard, as- sistant to first vice president, Chicago; Geo. B. Ilarris, second vice president, Chicago; T. S. Howland, secretary, Boston, Mass .; T. M. Marquett, general solicitor, Lincoln, Neb .; J. W. Deweese, solicitor. Lincoln; W. W. Baldwin, land commissioner, Burling- ton, Iowa; C. J. Ernst, assistant land com- missioner, Lincoln, Neb .; J. C. Bartlett, superintendent Burlington voluntary relief department, Chicago; C. H. Williams, as- sistant superintendent Burlington volun- tary relief department, Chicago; R. D. Pol- lard, tax agent, Omaha.
Treasury Department .- J. C. Peasley, treasurer, Chicago; J. G. Taylor, anditor and assistant treasurer, Omaha; D. T. Beans, cashier, Omaha; J. G. Floyd, paymaster, Omaha.
Accounting Department .- W. P. Durkee, assistant auditor, Omaha; H. D. Allee, as- sistant auditor, Omaha; Edward O. Brandt. assistant auditor, Omaha; W. Randall, freight and ticket auditor, Omaha.
Operating Department .- G. W. Holdrege, general manager, Omaha; T. E. Calvert, gen- eral superintendent, Omaha; Geo. H. Crosby, general freight agent, Omaha; Allen B. Smith, assistant general freight agent,
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Omaha; J. Francis, general passenger and ticket agent, Omaha; Arthur B. Smith, as- sistant general passenger and ticket agent, Omaha; T. Marsland, general baggage agent, Lincoln; Geo. Hargreaves, general purchasing agent, Chicago; Geo. Yoemans, assistant purchasing agent, Chicago; E. J. McClure, consulting engineer, Chicago; I. S. P. Weeks, chief engineer, Lincoln, Neb .; D. S. Guild, supply agent. Plattsmouth, Neb .; J. W. Bell, stationer, Lincoln, Neb .; C. E. Yates, superintendent telegraph, Lin- coln, Neb .; M. Mckinnon, car accountant, Lincoln, Neb .; D. llawksworth, superin- tendent motive power, Plattsmouth, Neb .; Geo. H. Ross, superintendent car and special freight service, Chicago; E. S. Grensel, 1 as- ter mechanic, Plattsmouth, Neb .; J. C. Sals- bury, master mechanic, Lincoln, Neb .; A. B. Pirie, master mechanic, Wymore, Neb .; R. B. Archibald, master mechanic, McCook, Neb .; J. P. Reardon, master mechanic, Al- liance, Neb.
THE KANSAS CITY LINE.
The Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs Railroad Company, now operating a road between Kansas City and Omaha, was organized July 11, 1870, and holds its prop- erty by the consolidation of several com- panies which were, originally, as follows:
The Platte County Railroad Company, in- corporated February 24, 1853, and its name changed March 23, 1863, to the Platte County Railroad, which was sold to the State of Missouri, February 12, 1864. The Atchi- son & St. Joseph Railroad Company, incor- porated December 11, 1855. The Weston & Atchison Railroad Company, incorporated April 22, 1859. The Missouri Valley Rail- road Company, created by a change of name of the Atchison & St. Joseph Railroad Com- pany and the consolidation with it of the Weston & Atchison Railroad Company, by legislative authority, March 8, 1867. Under an act of the legislature of the State of Mis-
souri, dated February 18, 1865, the Platte County Railroad was turned over to the Weston & Atchison Railroad and the Atchi- son & St. Joseph Railroad Companies. The St. Joseph & Council Bluffs Railroad Com- pany, incorporated July 16, 1867, and con- solidated April 7, 1869, with the Council Bluffs & St. Joseph Railroad Company, the consolidated company taking the name of the St. Joseph & Council Bluffs Railroad Company, which was organized under the general laws of Iowa, to build from Council Bluffs to some point on the Missouri State line, to connect there with a railroad from St. Joseph to said line. The Missouri Valley Railroad Company and the St. Joseph & Council Bluffs Railroad Company were con- solidated July 11, 1870, under the name of the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs Railroad Company. The northern terminus of the track owned by this company is at Council Bluffs, but its passenger trains reach Omaha over the Union Pacific Bridge, or via Pacific Junction and the bridge at Platts- mouth.
Until the completion of this railroad, the choice of passenger travel from St. Joseph to Omaha lay between steamboat and stage, and of freight transportation by either river or wagon. A line of steamboats, making two departures a week during the season, was run for several years between St. Joseph and Omaha. The delays and dangers caused by high winds, the swift current and shift- ing sand bars, the numerous snags, and other impediments to navigation, made the river journey long and monotonous, but was preferable to the still more wearisome trip by stage, through mud, snow and swamp, which had to be endured when navigation closed on the first appearance of winter.
It was therefore with a feeling of great relief that the completion of the road in 1868 was hailed, not only by the traveling com- munity, but still more to the merchants and shippers, to whom it brought much greater
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advantages, by giving them facilities during the whole year, which they had enjoyed only during the season of navigation.
That Omaha, for her early properity, is largely indebted to the completion of this railroad, there can be no doubt. The means it afforded for the transportation of material, contributed to the early completion of the Union Pacific, and the opening of the first trans-continental railway. Great difficulties and delays had occurred in the prosecution of that work because of the lack of adequate transportation, the line of boats from St. Joseph being barely able to carry the freight offered by the merchants during the busy season, and the added demands for the mov- ing of the enormous quantities of material used on that great work, taxed to the utmost every available means of conveyance.
There can be no doubt then, that the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs Railroad contributed largely to the facilities required for the completion of the Union Pacific, and its opening in 1869, to which time may be traced the beginning of Omaha's thrift, and her rapid increase in wealth, pop- ulation and commercial prosperity.
THE CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND & PACIFIC RAIL- WAY.
The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Rail- way Company, now operating a road between Chicago and Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo, via Omaha with numerous branches both east and west of Omaha, among which is a line reaching from Davenport, in the State of Iowa, via Kansas City and St. Joseph to Topeka, southwest and south respectively to the southwestern corner of the State of Kansas and through Indian Territory into the State of Texas, with such connections between these latter lines and the lines via Omaha as relate them intimately, also to tlie City of Omaha, is a consolidated corpora- tion. The parent or original company was the Rock Island & LaSalle Railroad Com- pany, organized in 1847, to construct a rail-
road from Rock Island to the Illinois River, at the termination of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. Its powers were subse- quently enlarged so that it might project its railroad by the way of Ottawa and Joliet to the City of Chicago, and its name was changed to the Chicago & Rock Island Railroad Company. In 1854 this line was completed from Chicago to Rock Island and was the first railroad connecting the lakes with the Mississippi River. In 1856 there was constructed, under the auspices of this company, the first bridge across the Missis- sippi River. Prior to that time, and in 1852 a line was surveyed for a railroad from Davenport, lowa, westward, which should be an extension of the above mentioned line. This extension was the old railroad orig- inally known as the Mississippi & Mis- souri Railroad, to which was granted by the State of Iowa, a portion of the land grant given by Congress to that State to aid in the construction of sundry lines of rail- road across the State of Iowa. The Missis- sippi & Missouri Railroad was, through many difficulties, completed to a point some- what east of the center of the State of Iowa where, by reason of financial difficulty, the enterprise was delayed. Subsequently, mort- gages executed by that company conveying its line of road and land grant to secure bonded indebtedness was foreclosed, and the road and land grant sold to a corporation known as the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company, incorporated under the laws of Iowa for the purpose of acquiring the property under said foreclosure. Subse- quently this company and the Chicago & Rock Island Railroad Company, of Illinois, were consolidated; the company to be known as the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Rail- road Company, and the road was completed to Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1869, since which time it has been closely and intimately related in matters of transportation with the City of Omaha, and the great State lying west of it. By subsequent consolidations
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the title of the company was changed to the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company, and such company became thereby the owner of a main line from Chicago to Council Bluffs, together with numerous short branches in the State of lowa, and one con- siderable branch extending from the City of Washington, in the State of Iowa, south- westwardly to Kansas City, except that the southwestern end of said branch was and is a leased line. Later, under the auspices of that company, a system of railroads was projected and constructed westward from the Missouri River across the State of Kansas, in part through portions of the State of Ne- braska, westward to the City of Colorado Springs, in the State of Colorado, with leased branches to the Cities of Denver and Pueblo in said State; extending also south- westwardly to the southwestern corner of the State of Kansas and to the State line of Kansas a little south of the City of Wichita. In 1890, by contract with the Union Pacific Railroad Company, there was acquired by it the right to use the Union Pacific branch for the operation of its trains into the City of Omaha and about the same time, there was constructed by it a line of railroad reaching from Omaha to Lincoln, Nebraska, and by means of this and a leased line, its was enabled to reach its own line from Omaha at Beatrice, Nebraska.
At the present time it is extending its line south from the southern point below Wichita through the Indian Territory into the State of Texas. At the date of its last annual report, in April, 1892, this company was operating 3,455 miles of railroad, of which it owned 2,725 miles; used under long leases 352 miles and enjoyed trackage rights over 377 miles. The company operates, via Omaha, fast passenger trains, finely equip- ped, between the City of Chicago and important points in the State of Colorado. By means of them, as also by means of other trains operated by the company between Omaha and points west, the people and busi-
ness men of the City of Omaha are enabled to reach many points to the west of the city not previously accessible at all, or if access- ible, not so directly. The like is true of points to the east, and the business interests of Omaha may well appreciate the advan- tages and opportunities which the 3,500 miles of this great system bring to the doors of the chief City of Nebraska ..
SIOUX CITY & PACIFIC RAILROAD.
The following items of information have been kindly furnished by one of the officers of the road:
The Sioux City & Pacific Railroad as to Iowa, was organized August 1, 1864, and the "Northern Nebraska Air Line"-the Nebraska portion of the present Sioux City & Pacific Railroad-was organized June 7, 1867. The two companies were united by articles of consolidation made September 15, 1868, the consolidated company taking the name of "Sioux City & Pacific Railroad Company."
Construction was commenced in 1867, and the first portion, viz: from Missouri Valley, Iowa, to California Junction, Iowa, was com- pleted-5.84 miles-August, 1867. From California Junction to Sloan, Iowa-49.5 miles-was completed in December, 1867. From Sloan to Sioux City, Iowa-20 miles- was completed in March, 1868. From California Junction to Fremont, Nebraska, -32.08 miles-was completed in February. 1869, making a total of 107.47 miles, 80.47 miles being in lowa, and 26.95 miles in Nebraska. This company received land grants through acts of Congress July 1, 1862, and July 2, 1864.
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