Brief Historical Overview of the Chicago, Rock Island, and =
Pacific
Railroad
What follows is a brief, company-issued history of the Rock Island Lines. It was one of the
introductory sections of the "Yard Clerical Manual" issued by the=
RI
around 1970. The manual, from the collection of Alan Kline, was apparently
intended to serve as an introduction to the company, as well as to the duti=
es
of a yard clerk, and also included a review of the company's geography and
route structure.
The history is presented here as it appeared in the Yard Clerical Man=
ual.
The
Early Years--1845 to 1892
The
System Develops--1893 to 1933
Route
of the Rockets--1933 to Present (1970)
Postscript
Beginnings
What is now the Rock Island system firs=
t came
under discussion in June, 1845, at a meeting of civic leaders at Rock Island, Illinois.
Conscious of the increasing migration to the West, these men felt a railroad
should be built from La Salle, Illinois
to Rock Island, to provide an overland link
between the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.
Visits were made to Springfield, the Illinois capitol=
, and a
charter was drawn up.
By special act of the Illinois Legislature, the Rock Island and La Salle Railroad Compa=
ny was
incorporated on February 27, 1847, but raising the money to build the line =
was
difficult because people had little faith in a railroad that merely connect=
ed
two waterways. The organizers took another look at their maps, saw Chicago at the base of Lake Michigan, and decided to
petition the Legislature to build the railroad all the way to Chicago. An amended charter was approve=
d by a
special Act of the Illinois Legislature on February 7, 1851 and the name was
changed to the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad.
That October 1st, the first spade of dirt was turned at 22nd Street, the southern limits of=
Chicago and railr=
oad
construction officially was begun. The line was completed to Joliet, 40 miles away, by October, 1852=
. With
the laying of the rail into Jo=
liet,
public clamor from people along the new line brought about a decision to
operate the first train over the route despite the fact the depots along the
line were non-existent.
So, on October 10, 1852, a gaily painted little American-type locomotive
(4-4-0), called the Rocket, was coupled to six sparkling new yellow
coaches. At ten o'clock in the morning the Rocket belched a cloud of
wood smoke from its balloon stack and headed west over the 58-pound iron ra=
ils
that had been imported from England.
The trip took two hours and the train was cheered by thousands along the wa=
y.
It had to make the return trip as a back-up movement because there was yet no turning facilities at Joliet. This date is now considered the=
Rock Island's
"birthday".
1853-1862
The rails marched westward, through Morris, Ottawa, La Salle and Bureau,
finally reaching Rock Island on February 22, 1854, the first railroad to
connect Chicago with the Mississippi River.
In the meantime, on February 5, 1853, the railroad incorporators saw Ariticles of Association executed under the laws of <=
st1:State
w:st=3D"on">Iowa to create the Mississip=
pi
and Missouri Railroad Company with authority to construct and operate a
railroad from Davenport to Council Bluffs.
Now a railroad bridge across the Mississippi
to connect the two lines was considered a must. The wood and iron structure=
was
to be a Howe truss type set on stone piers. The corner stone of the bridge
project was laid in Davenport<=
/st1:place>
on September 1, 1854.
While the bridge was being built, progress of the M&M in Iowa was very sl=
ow. Iowa City was its first goal, but Muscatine also wanted a railroad. Civic
leaders there pleaded with builders to bring the line into that community. =
It
was finally decided to split the road at Wilton,
extend the main line to Iowa City and to b=
uild a
branch to Muscatine.
Iowa Citians, fearful that the railroad migh=
t not
reach their town, then the capitol of the state, decided to post a $50,000
bonus to the builders if the line was finished and a train run into the sta=
tion
on or before midnight December 31, 1855.
The line to Muscatine was finished firs=
t and
on November 20, 1855 the first train ever to operate in Iowa
departed from Davenport with six crowded c=
oaches
for the run to Muscatine.
But the builders had not forgotten Iowa
City's $50,000. On December 31, in a temperature o=
f 30
degrees below zero, the rails were just 1,000 feet short of their goal. Cre=
ws
worked feverishly to finish the job. Ties were dropped on the staked earth =
and
rails spiked hurriedly in place. Finally, with only minutes to go, a signal=
was
given for the engine to approach. It couldn't move. It was frozen and dead =
on
center. With the help of every available man, chains attached to the pilot =
and
pinch bars under the wheels, the workmen pinched and pushed to slide the en=
gine
to the station seconds before the old year rang out.
The Mississippi
bridge ran into difficulties. The first train ra=
n over
it from Rock Island to Davenport on April 22, 1856. Its
construction, however, had maddened the steamboat interests and every legal
obstacle had been put in its way. It had been condemned as a hindrance to
navigation. But there it stood, a monument to
engineering genius. Two weeks after the first train had run across, a steam=
boat
- the Effie Afton - cleared the drawspan=
on an
upstream journey, then suddenly veered out of control and drifted back agai=
nst
the span where it burst into flames. The draw portion of the bridge was
destroyed.
This started a historic court action. Abraham Lincoln defended the
railroad's right to bridge the river. The first jury disagreed and was
discharged. A second trial resulted in a court order to remove the bridge.
This, however, was carried to the Supreme Court and, in an opinion handed d=
own
in 1862, the court found for the railroad establishing a railroad's right to
bridge a navigable stream.
During this period of time the Mississippi
and Missouri Road
had bogged down and its rails only got slightly beyond Marengo. The line to=
Muscatine had been extended to Washington where it came to a halt. The
outbreak of the Civil War had stopped railroad building.
1863 - 1872
The Mississippi and Missouri,
by the end of 1865, had reached Kellogg, still 40 miles short of Des Moines. It wa=
s having
economic troubles and was finally acquired by the Chi=
cago
and Rock Island
on July 9, 1866. The two became the Chicago, Rock Island and P=
acific
Railroad Company. Construction from Kellogg to Des Mo=
ines
was completed in 1867 and the line reached Council Bluffs on May 11, 1869. That Ju=
ne, a
decision was made to extend the line westward from W=
ashington
to Leavenworth, Kansas.
By the end of 1872, Rock Island mileage=
in Illinois had grown to 317, in Iowa
to 718, and in Missouri
to 139. This included the line of the Keokuk & Des Moines which was the
first railroad to reach Des Mo=
ines,
when it operated an excursion train into that city from Keokuk on August 29,
1866.
1873 - 1882
During these ten years the system expanded in various directions. Entran=
ce
into Kansas City was made in December, 187=
9,
through an operating agreement with the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad wh=
ich
connected with the Rock Island at Cameron
Junction, Missouri.
Plans were made to build into Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and Oklahoma. <=
/o:p>
1883 - 1892
In 1885, the Rock Island purchased the
majority of the outstanding stock of the Burlington,
Cedar Rapids
and Northern Railway. It later was to take over the line completely. The ro=
ad,
extending from Burlington to Manly Junctio=
n, Iowa and including lines to Estherville and Sioux Falls and Watertown, South Dakota, provided entry into Minnesota
and the Twin Cities.
On March 19, 1886, a charter was issued to the Chi=
cago,
Kansas and Nebraska Railway Company to b=
uild
the Kansas and Colorado mileage practically as it exi=
sts
today. It also included most of the Nebraska
mileage and a line from Lost Springs, Kansas to Caldwell.
The intention was eventually to extend this line across Oklahoma
and Texas, but Ok=
lahoma
was then Indian Territory and constructi=
on had
to await approval by Congress.
Mileage from Horton to Liberal was placed in operation on February 26, 1=
888;
from Herington to Pond Creek, Oklahoma,
on July 15, 1888, and from Horton to Colorado
Springs on November 5, 1888.
An Act of Congress, approved o March 2, 1887, granted the charter the ri=
ght
to cross Indian Territory and pass through Texas
to Galveston.
The charter also approved another line from Liberal -: again across Indian =
territory - to Texas and New Mexico Territory=
to El Paso.
On March 19, 1887 a contract was signed between the Union Pacific and th=
e Chicago, Kansas a=
nd
Nebraska Railway Company for joint use of the U.P. tracks between Kansas City and North Topeka<=
/st1:place>
for a period of 999 years.
Construction of the line south from Herington moved rapidly through fall=
of
1887 and in December the first train pulled into Caldwell, "the last
outpost of the white man's country" and gateway to the Indian domains =
of
Oklahoma.
The Railroad reached Pond Creek on July 15, 1888. The survey followed
roughly along the old Chisholm Trail. El Reno was reach=
ed early
in 1890 and from there the track stretched on, reaching Minco on February 1=
4,
1890 where construction, for the time being, came to an end.
At this same time, lines were being extended west from Horton toward Jansen, Nebraska,
just east of Fairbury. This was completed in 1888. From Jansen, construction
moved on through Limon, toward Colorado
Springs. A contract was entered into with the Union
Pacific for the use of its line from Limon to Denver in 1889.
Then on June 10, 1891, through various consolidations, the lines in Kansas, Nebraska=
and Colorado all were
brought into the Rock Island System, a total of 1,476 miles of new railroad
line.
In 1892, building was resumed on the line from Min=
co,
Oklahoma and the =
Texas state line was reached before ye=
ar's
end. Construction also had been started westward from Omaha,
through Lincoln, for a connection with the=
Colorado line at=
Jansen.
1893 - 1902
The Chicago, Rock=
Island
and Texas Railway Company had been chartered in Texa=
s
in 1892, and laid track northward from Fort Worth
to meet, at the Red River, with the line=
that
had been built down from Minco. Thus opened through ser=
vice
from Chicago, through both the St.
Joseph and Kansas City gateway=
s, to
the Lone =
Star State.
In Oklahoma, in the meantime, the Cho=
ctaw
Coal and Railway Company had completed a line from Wister to McAlester in 1890. In 1888, this compan=
y had
surveyed a line from El Reno, extending ea=
stward
via Yukon to the present site of Oklahoma City.
Controversy developed over the right of way and this line was not finished
until February, 1892.
In 1894, The Choctaw, Okla=
homa
and Gulf Railroad took over the Choctaw Coal and Railway Company and
immediately launched a large scale expansion program. The gap between McAlester and Oklahoma
City was closed in October, 1895. The El Reno to Weatherford extension was
completed in 1898.
The builders of the Choctaw then decided to buy the Little Rock and Memphis Railroad which =
had
been organized by a special Act of the Arkansas Assembly on January 11, 185=
3.
That line had been surveyed in 1854 and four years later the line had be=
en
completed from Memphis to Madison, Arkansas,
45 miles west. The next 40 miles to DeVall's Bl=
uff,
including a big bridge across the White River,
was not completed until 1871. Later that year, through rail service was put
into operation between Memphis and Little Rock. So, =
in 1898,
the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf bought th=
e Memphis and Little Rock Railroad and then completed =
the
Little Rock-Indian Territory boundary line trackage
151 miles long, including a bridge across the Arkans=
as
River. The Choctaw, Oklahoma and
Gulf then extended its Oklahoma lines to=
meet
the Little Rock
line.
By agreement of April 1, 1904, the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf, and practically all=
of
its property, became the property of the Rock Island System.
In April, 1902, the Rock Island acquire=
d the St. Louis, Kansas=
City
and Colorado Railroad, which had been building a line west from St. Louis. At the=
time
the line had been completed to Bland, 104 miles away, and the Rock Island advanced funds to finish the
project.
Bland to the Gasconade=
River was completed=
in 1902, Gasconade River to Eldon in 1903, and Eldon to <=
span
class=3DSpellE>Hadsell in 1904. In the meantime, in late 1902, the K=
ansas
City Rock Island Railway had been incorporated to build a rail line from Kansas City to Hadsell. Construction began and the two track laying =
gangs
met at Hadsell in July, 1904 and the road put i=
nto
partial operation.
A historic development occurred near the close of this decade, when on J=
une
1, 1902, the Burlington, Cedar
Rapids and Northern leased its property to the Rock Island for 999 years. This added a=
nother
1,289 miles to the system.
1903 - 1912
In July, 1902, the Choctaw completed its line to <=
span
class=3DSpellE>Yarnall, Texas,
just 17 miles east of Amarillo=
,
and entered that city over trackage rights.
Construction of the Amarillo-Tucumcari mileage--113 miles in length--was
begun in 1903 and completed May 9, 1910, establishing a through route from =
Memphis to Tucumcari, where a connection was made to=
the Pacific Coast.
In December, 1903, the important Texas
mileage between Fort Worth and Dallas
was completed and placed in operation by the Chicago<=
/st1:City>,
Rock Island and
Gulf Railway.
In the meantime down in Arkansas, a
railroad had been built from Little Rock t=
o Hot Springs by a =
colorful
Chicagoan who was known as "Diamond Joe" Reynolds. The line, later
known as the "Diamond Joe Line", was completed in February, 1876,
originally as a narrow gauge railroad but changed to standard gauge in Octo=
ber,
1889. The Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf acq=
uired
the Diamond Joe after the turn of the century and when the Rock Island took over the Choctaw, it of
course, secured this mileage also.
The Rock Island then projected new
construction which was to provide a new through route from Little
Rock to New Orlean=
s.
The Rock Island, Arkansas, and Louisiana Railroad Compa=
ny was
incorporated in 1905. Into this company were incorporated several railroads=
and
additional new trackage was built resulting in a
railroad from Little Rock to Eunice, Louisiana.
This was opened for operation February 1, 1908.
The Malvern-Camden Line, 55 miles long was be=
gun in
November, 1911 and completed October 1, 1913.
1913 - 1922
In the early part of the 1900's a group of promoters known as the Reid-M=
oore
syndicate secured control of the property. They =
set up
two holding companies, one in Iowa and o=
ne in New Jersey. Beca=
use of
certain financial manipulations the two holding companies could not meet th=
eir
obligations and went into bankruptcy. A receiver was named on April 20, 1915
ending control by the syndicate and ending a great drama of empire, during
which the Rock Island had acquired the Cho=
ctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf, and the Bu=
rlington,
Cedar Rapids
and Northern.
World War I had begun and at noon, December 28, 1917, the United States
Government took over the railroads. They were turned back to their owners on
February 28, 1920.
1923 - 1932
During this decade, the freight line between Amarillo and Liberal was begun in 1926 =
and
completed in fall, 1929, opening up a rich grain country for a source of
additional revenue. In 1930, the Dalhart-Morse line was opened. =
In October, 1929, the memorable crash of the stock market took place and=
the
Great Depression began. Railroad industry in general continued at fair level
through 1930 but the following year the economic collapse began to take its
toll.
Added to the company woes was the great drought that had begun in late 1=
931
and resulted in the well known "dust bowl". The drought had a
devastating effect on the railroad.
1933 - 1947
On June 7, 1933, the Rock I=
sland,
for the second time in its history, passed into receve=
rship.
The general economic depression and repeated crop failures had combined to
weaken the system financially.
During the glum years of 1934-1935, the receivers decided to bring some =
new
management to the property. The new management determined that what was nee=
ded
was a program of "planned progress".
Heavier rail, new ballast and tie replacement for main and secondary tra=
ck
was called for. New bridges were needed at various locations. Segments of t=
he
main line had to be relocated to reduce curves and grades. Shops were
modernized or eliminated. The first diesels were purchased, the remaining s=
team
power was modernized, and streamlined passenger cars and new freight cars w=
ere
acquired.
Greatest of the bridge building projects were a new structure over the <=
st1:PlaceName
w:st=3D"on">Cimmaron River, near Liberal, and another bridge built j=
ointly
with the Milwaukee Road
that spanned the Missouri and provided a=
new
and better operation into Kans=
as City.
Eight and one half miles of new line were built and 12 miles of old were
abandoned.
The first diesel switchers were acquired in 1937 and these were followed=
by
the inauguration of Rock Islan=
d's
first streamliner, the Texas Rocket. Other Rockets - to Peoria,
Des Moines, Kansas City, Minneapolis-St. Paul - qu=
ickly
followed. Dieselized freights were inaugurated in 1945.
On December 31, 1936 the Ro=
ck
Island had 1,160 steam locomotives. By the end of =
1947
this number was reduced to half.
Then, in late 1941, the nation again went to war. Five years of progress=
ive
planning had brought the property, physically and competitively, to the poi=
nt
where it could accept its burden of wartime traffic.
1948 - 1952
At 12:01 AM on January 1, 1948, the railroad came out of receivership and
the reorganized company took control of the railroad's property under the n=
ame
of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Compan=
y.
More new freight and passenger equipment was acquired and a heavy repair and
building program in company shops was launched.
In 1948, the major building project was a new retar=
der
yard at Armourdale with 43 classification track=
s,
flood lights and radio communications.
Another retarder yard was built at Silvis du=
ring
1949 and this facility, along with Armourdale, =
was
the latest word at the time for efficient operation of the railroad's fleet=
of
Rocket Freights. As the Rock I=
sland
approached its centennial year of 1952, it was a strong railroad, and one of
the best in the country. Total dieselization was achei=
ved
in the centennial year.
1952 - Present (ca. 1970)
Since then the railroad has progressed even further. No significant new
lines have been built, but the personality of the railroad has been altered
dramatically.
Heavier diesels now move along at near passenger train speeds with
ever-longer trains. Freight cars reflect change too, with jumbo hoppers,
89-foot boxcars and triple decker auto loaders =
common
on every train.
The nation's travel habits have also changed from trains to autos and
airplanes. The many glamourous streamliners whi=
ch
carried people over the countryside no longer exist.
Unproductive branch lines have been eliminated. Piggyback has
"wed" the railroad and the truck into a profitable venture for bo=
th.
So today, the Rock Island,
nearly a quarter of the way into its second century, looks toward the future
with hope. Whatever may occur in the way of progress for the industry, the =
Rock Island will
certainly be in its forefront.
The preceding history was iss=
ued by
the company around 1970. The R=
ock
Island entered its third and final bankruptcy in <=
span
class=3DGramE>1975, and despite the best efforts of management and
trustee, and the flashy new blue and white "Rock" image, the comp=
any
could not survive. The railroad was struck by its clerks in August, 1979, i=
n a
wage dispute. By order of the Interstate Commerce Commission, the Kansas City Terminal railway took over operations of=
the Rock Island, unde=
r an ICC
"directed service" order.
In early 1980, the bankruptcy=
court
determined that the Rock Island could not =
be
successfully reorganized and ordered the liquidation of the railroad, the
largest such liquidation in U.S.
history.
On March 31, 1980, the Chicago, Rock Island
and Pacific Railroad operated its last train.