This line seems to have been built in three parts and under three separate charters. The middle part seems to have been acquired or built first, Pleasant Hill, Missouri, to Lawrence, Kansas a distance of 61.59 miles, known as the St. Louis, Lawrence and Denver, and afterward changed to the St. Louis Lawrence & Western and subsequently changed to the P.H. & D. S. R.R. Built in 1870 -'71. Purchased by the Santa Fe in 1874.
The second section, Topeka to Lawrence, known as the Lawrence and Topeka Railway Company, organized in Topeka, May 29, 1873. Track laying began at the junction with the A.T.& S. F. RR. At Second St., April 11th, 1874. Track reached Lawrence in May 1874.
The third and last section was built as the K.M. R.R. Co: Desoto Junction (now Corliss) to Kansas City, 1874-75. The Latter Company began operating the line, Topeka to Kansas City, Missouri, September 29th, 1875. Lime from Pleasant Hill, Missouri, to De Soto Junction (Now Corliss) sold October 15th 1884, to the Kansas City & Springfield Railroad Company (Frisco). All the three parts were afterward merged into one and leased to the K.C.T.& W. RR., September 29,1875. Sold to the Santa Fe, February 15, 1899.
Portion of Page 61 Meade's Manual transcribed in altered form for the Web by Russell Crump
Sheet #6 - Eastern Division.
The Kansas City Branch (Continued)
The Missouri Pacific operated the line when first built from Pleasant Hill, Missouri to Lawrence, Kansas. E. Q. Cox was the Superintendent with headquarters at Lawrence, Kansas. Joel Huntoon of Topeka was the Chief Engineer of the line from Topeka to Lawrence and A. A. Robinson, from Corliss to Kansas City. I have been unable to locate the Chief Engineer of the Middle Section or P.H. & D. S.
The Kansas Midland, from Topeka to Lawrence, was built under many difficulties. Principally money troubles; being built on the heels of the panic of 1873. It took time to recover. It would be an injustice to the men who so long and bravely struggled and sacrificed in this enterprise no to give their names. They were D. L. Lakin, C. K. Holliday, Jacob Safford, F. L. Crane, J. M. Spencer, E. Wilder, Joel Huntoon and F. W. Giles. MR. Geo B. Chapman was the Contractor from the beginning to the end and rendered invaluable service in keeping alive enthusiasm for the road and in providing ways and means. It was an exhaustive fight for Topeka to make at that time for a commercial position and most beneficial in its results.
At Argentine we used to get slag ballast from the Argentine smelter, about 5 cars a day, about 50 yards, crushed to rock specifications, used promiscously as far west as Emporia, mostly on the Emporia cut-off. We began taking it in 1883. It was discontinued when the smelter was pulled down and moved to Omaha in 1900.
Many changes have been made in the original grades and alignment. Commencing in 1877 about two miles west of Kansas City, along the bluffs just east of Argentine, the line was built on the edge or rim of the bluff and river and had many land slides and slips and the original line was being continually thrown south to get on better and firmer ground. This naturally improved the alignment, and threw out many light curves. Breakwaters were introduced in 1881 to protect the track from sliding and had the effect of holding the track better than any other plan yet devised. They were put in at right angles to the current.
Just west of Turner, between Mile Post 7 and 9, many changes were made in 1881, to improve the alignment by throwing out curves. Fisk & Burr, Contractors.
At Holliday, Hays Creek used to cross the track a short distance East of the Depot. When the K. C. & O. was built in 1882, from Olathe to Holliday, this cree was changed and a new channel cut to keep the stream out ot the main yard and run West and crossing the main lines of the K. C. & E. with a substantial concrete arch and discharged into Mill Creek, above the K. C. T. & W. bridge. The alignment of this bridge was also changed in 1877, and moved up stream where it was now located. A stome pump house at one time stood on the North side of this bridge, but was pulled down when the present tank and ranes were put in and a new stone pump house built East of the depot.
Just West of Choteau, about a mile , a big ditch was cut to the river in 1883, by the Santa Fe, to secure better drainage running from Wilder East on the South side of the track and enlarged in 1914-15 and dyke raised higher. The Wilder Depot originallly was built on the South side of the track and was moved to the north side at its present location in 1883.
West of Wilder, near Cedar Creek, a few changes in alignment were made. A big change was made at Cedar Creek Crossing below the old location and a reverse curve thrown out. The old piles of the original bridge can still be seen. Another change in alignment was made by Contractor J. A. Ware & Company of St. Louis, Missouri. The two curves at the bridge were made into one and a new 105' 6" through girder put in in 1915. At Corliss a Round House and Turn Table were built in 1877, to take care of the trains and engines on the P.H.& D. S. Branch. This line being sold on October 15th, 1884 to the Frisco, these facilities were pulled down and abandoned.
Just East of De Soto at the First Creek (Kill Creek) we built a Pratt Truss Steel Bridge 103' span in 1881, on a grillage foundation. In 1894-95 this bridge was replaced by two deck girders and a center pier put in. This pier caused a bad washout on the west side and on the morning of January 19th, 1907, as an East Bound train was crossing, the West abutment slid out and dropped the West span into the Creek, drowning the Engineer, F. W. Bartel. The Fireman escaped by swimming down the River about two miles where he was rescued by some boatmen. The center pier was removed and one through span, 106' in length was put in on a pile foundation and new concrete abutments built.
Commencing just west of De Soto many changes were made in the alignment along the rock bluff and the dock used in the breakwaters between Kansas City and Argentime. Work done by Fisk & Burr in 1881. A highway bridge was built across the Kaw River at this bluff in 1902, the Santa Fe paying for the span over the track, the County maintaining it. Just west of this bridge the remains of some old masonry pier foundation and a finished south abutment across the Kaw River can be seen, put in by the Government in 1858, but never finished for lack of funds.
At Captains Creek just East of Weaver, we changed the line in 1881, and crossed above the original bridge. The remains of the old piles in the First Bridge can still be seen.
At. M.P. 30.4, John F. Weaver, Contractor, put in a stone crusher, in about 1883; ran for about two years. Located on south side of track. Ballast used on Kansas City Branch. Quarry petered out.
About three-fourths of a mile East of Eudora, there was a short piece of 1% grade. This was reduced in 1881 to 0.5 per station, or 26.4' per mile.
Just West of Eudora there was a big change in alignment extending both ways from the Wakarusa crossing above the old pile bridge, which is still visible. Many smalll changes were made in the grade line from the Wakarusa West taking out sags and filling up and making a uniform grade to Lawrence.
A bog cjamge om alignment was made coming into Lawrence from the East. The present main line is North of where the original line was coming into the old line just East ot the present Depot. The original depot at Lawrence is still standing ond rented for a warehouse. A new Freight Depot and a new Passenger Depot have been built. A new yard at Lawrence was built in 1882, by Contractor A. Monroe, of Lawrence, West of Lawrence there was a big change made in grade and alignment in 1910 o account of part of the line dropping into the river about three miles west of Lawrence.
Page 62 Meade's Mannual transcribed in altered form for the Web by Russell Crump
Sheet #7 - Eastern Division.
Kansas City Branch - Continued.
At Lecompton a change was made in alignemnt at the old Grave Yard around the high bluff and a new arch culvert built East of the Depot and the Depot was moved west from the original location to where it now stands. A highway bridge was built over the Kaw River, just East of Depot, in 1898; the Santa Fe paying for the span over the track; the county maintaining it.
About a mile and a half east of Spencer the line and grade were changed in 1882. The old roadbed is still visible. The grade was made several feet higher. There was a change in alignment about one half way between Spencer and Tecumseh a large piece of extra right of way was bought to change the line for fear of the track, dropping into the river around the bluff just east of the station. So far the work has never been done. The old line remains safe. A few amall changes in alignment have been made about one half mile East of Tecumseh Station, to get in a new 37.5' deck girder on concrete piers.
Second, or double track built Kansas City to Argentine in 1882; Argentime to Turner in 1888 Turner to Morris in 1889, Morris to Holliday in 1890. Telegraph line built same year as noted for track.