46.60 Miles
Originally chartered as the Leavenworth, Topeka and Southwestern Railway Company. Incorporated June 20th, 1879. Sold under foreclosure, October 12th, 1899. Acquired January 24th, 1900 by the Leavenworth & Topeka Railway Company. Owned jointly by the A.T.&S.F.Ry.Co. and the Union Pacific Railroad Company. Measured from the Leavenworth head-block connection with the Missouri Pacific Railway at the foot of Choctaw Street to the head-block at Meriden Junction with the A.T.S.F. 46 miles plus 3001-ft.
The switches mentioned belonging to the Missouri Pacific and the A.T.S.F.Ry.Co. Grading began in the spring of 1881. Completed to Meriden Junction, August 22nd 1882. The line is graded some distance beyond Meriden Junction toward North Topeka but no track was ever laid.
Track laying started at Leavenworth, January 1st, 1882. The L.T.&S.W. first operated the road from May 1st, 1882, with A.W. Johnson as Superintendent, and operated it until May 15th 1883, when D.J. Chase took charge as Superintendent of the A.T.S.F.Ry.Co. On February 1st, 1889, the Union Pacific took charge and operated it until March 18th, 1894, when they turned it back to the Santa Fe. Tom Appleton was the Chief Engineer. The Telegraph line was built at the same time the road was.
George O. Manchester, Assistant General manager on the Santa Fe was appointed Vice-President and General Manager of this line, December 13th, 1881. Resigned May 16th, 1882. Mr. Manchester quit the Santa Fe on account of Mr. Strong failing to appoint him General Manager when C.C. Wheeler of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad was made General Manager. He resigned on the L.T.&S.W. on account of the lack of funds to pay him.
Letter from S. Dolman & Sons, giving a list of the Contractors and Engineers engaged in building the L.T.&S.W. Railway Company follows:
"Mr. Meade,Enclosed find statements of all I remember in regard to the contractors and engineers of the L.T. & S.W. Ry.
The original contract was let to the Kansas and Eastern Construction Company, who sublet the whole line to Col. Snow of Boston; who in turn sublet it from the Leavenworth to Oskaloosa, to R.W. Sparr of Lawrence. From Oskaloosa to Osawkie to Sam'l Dolman of Topeka. From Osawkie to Topeka, to Ellenwood and Blush to Topeka, Bagnell Bros. Kenefic and Stubbs of Lawrence and two other men subcontractor of Sparrs. J.S. Hopkins, late Employment Agent of Kansas City, was his General Foreman. Sparr did most of the work with his own outfit. On Dolman's contract, E.C. Hubbard, Rice Bros., L.S. Shields, W.A. Winters and J. Imams were subcontractors, together with several station men who built the light work on the Slough Creek and Grasshopper bottom with wheel barrows and shovels. Doleman did the work through the Fair Grounds at Oskaloosa and the rock work west of the poor farm with his own outfit. Ellenwood and Blush had E. Holcomb and two others, do not remember them. Ellenwood and Blush did most of the work with their own outfit. They also had a good many station men who worked with wheel barrows and shovels.
The contracts were waste and borrow contracts, 100-ft free haul, and included masonry for bridges and culverts.
Mr. Tullock of the Missouri Valley Bridge Company built all the bridges. Mr. Selden laid the track. The prices were 14 cents for earth; 40 cents loose rock; $1.10 solid rock; 2 cents overhaul; $9.00 first class masonry; $8.00 second class masonry; $7.00 third class masonry; $4.50 dry masonry; $40.00 per thousand board feet /measure in the bridges, hardwood timber for building bridges; $400.00 per mile for laying skeleton track, 2600 ties to the mile, 56-lb. iron rail.
Grading work was started November 1st, 1881 and completed in September 1882. The tools used in the beginning were all drag scrapers or "slushers" as they were called, wooden backs, and wagons with 2 x 4 dump bottoms. Rock was drilled with hammer drills and blasted with black blasting powder. Later all Contractors got the Mount Pleasent Wheel Scrapers, now known as the Western. They were the first wheel scrapers used in Kansas.
Material for the bridges was hauled on wagons and framed on the ground when bridge was built.
Length of days were from sun up till dark. Teamsters got $1.00 per day. Rock men and skilled labor $1.25 per day. Bridge carpenters $2.00 per day. Team and Drivers $2.50. Foreman $2.50. Paid once a month and between pay days were paid off with time checks from which the Bankers of Leavenworth, Oskaloosa and Osawkie reaped a harvest. Nearly all the railroad labors at that time were Irish. The construction Company failed about the time the track reached Osawkie and the Santa Fe paid all the final estimates and bills made on the road.
The Engineers that I remember was T. Appleton, Chief Engineer, followed by R.A. Johnson, as Chief Engineer. The Division Engineers were Mr. Hugo, Mr. Wilson, Mr. English, and Mr. Mason, (I do not remember their given names) and one other Engineer, I cannot recall his name.
(Signed) C.L. Dolman.
Effective April 1st, 1916, Mr. W.A. Austin appointed by the U.S. Court, Receiver, L.&T.Ry. Company. Mr. Austin was Secretary of the Commercial Club, Leavenworth, Kansas.
Sold to L.F. Wells of Chicago, September 7, 1917
W.A. Austin, still retained as Receiver.
THE LEAVENWORTH AND TOPEKA RAILWAY.
The Leavenworth and Topeka Railway discontinued all train service, effective, February 6, 1918.
"A portion of Page Number 64, and Page Number 65 of Meade's Manual transcribed by Louis Nigro in altered form for the web."