Nine years after the original charter was issued: Viz: Friday, October 30th, 1868, the first shovel full of dirt was thrown for the construction on Washington Street, between Fourth and Fifth Streets, in the city of Topeka, Col. C. K. Holliday, its First President, stood on the newly made roadbed the first day it was thrown up by Dan Blush, The contractor of North Topeka and made a speech. Everybody laughed, when he talked of building to Santa Fe, New Mexico and possibly to Galveston, Texas, both of which predictions have long since been realized.
It was necessary for the new road to have track connection with some other road to get material and rolling stock on their line so the first rails were laid at North Topeka, March 23rd, 1869, connecting with the Kansas Pacific (now Uniion Pacific) at their depot across Kansas Avenue, where the present freight depot is located. The first dirt thrown however, and the first demonstration was on the South side of the river at the place named. The original Main Line was in Washington Street, Topeka. It was subsequently changed and moved West in the spring of 1880-'81 under the direction Mr. Geo. B. Lake and the writer.
NOTE: - (The Topeka Weekly Record of October 14th, 1868, now on file in the State Historical society says the work would start in a few days. The same paper of October 28th, 1868, advertises for 500 laborers to work on the new grade, nothing more can be found in this paper. Records not complete. Webb Wilder's History says: "Work began Friday, October 30th, 1868. The surveys having been started September 30th, 1868, by Capt. John R. Ellinwood, Assistant Chief Engineer, under Col. T. J. Peter, Superintendent and Chief Engineer. Captain Ellinwood was really the man that had immediate charge of the surveys, grading, bridging, etc., and did all the work of the Chief Engineer. Dan Blush of North Topeka was the first contractor and threw the first dirt near Fourth and Washington Streets.) Col. Peter had been City Engineer of Cincinnati, Ohio.