714.4 Miles.
Incorporated under two charters. The first one, St. Joseph to Winthrop - 19.56 miles, being as follows:
Chartered as the St..Joseph & Santa Fe Railroad Company. Incorporated in Missouri, August 8th, 1887. Name changed January 30, 1888 to St. Joseph St. Louis & Santa Fe Railway Company. Line built in 1887. Opend January 1, 1888. Sold to The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company, June 1st, 1900. Charter forfeited by operation of the law, December 2, 1913.
The grading started in the Spring of 1887.
Track taken up in 1898-'99. It was all taken up. Winthrop to Rushville by December 28, 1898, Finished taking up the balance, Rushville to St. Joseph, in 1899.
A. A. Robinson was the chief Engineer. Lewis Kingman, Asst. Chief Engineer. A. C. Swarts, Resident Engineer in charge of location and construction. Alexander & Nelson and J.H. Hampson, Contractors.
The Rock Island, between Edgerton Junction, Rushville and Winthrope, was built in 1872 , between Rushville and St. Joseph was built in 1885-"66. The Rock Island, between Rushville and Winthrope was washed out in 1894 and rebuilt in 1897. Contract with the Rock Island made January 1st, 1898. See Secretary's #23688 and 13120, between the Rock Island and Santa Fe and supplement of February 16, 1906, between the Rock Island and Missouri Pacific, allowing them the right to use the Rock Island track, also St. Joseph to Winthrop.
The Santa Fe track at the narrows, about one mile East of Rushville, was laid on the Rock Island roadbed and the Santa Fe graded a new roadbed for the Rock Island and threw them closer into the bluff, afterward thrown back ehwn the Santa Fe track was pulled up.
The Right-of-way, St. Joseph to Winthrop, was purchased from the Rock Island. See Deeds #10977 and 10978, dated June 19, 1891. Also see Map 42 1321. Track was laid on the north or river side, 15-feet center to center with the Rock Island. In 1894 the Missouri River cut away the land lying next to the railroads, just east of Winthrop causing the Santa Fe to become alarmed and they pulled up their track as stated, Winthrop to St. Joseph and contracted with the Rock Island for the joint use of their track. The Santa Fe owns the telegraph line, St. Joseph to Armour Junction. The Santa Fe owns outright three side tracks, St. Joseph to Winthrop, Contracts #12369 and 12369-A, used for storing cars, 1803.5-feet long, south of where Bridge #1 was and 453-feet long, north of where old Bridge #1 was. Also 8943.7-feet of track (still old No. 12) form North line of Lake Road to old Lake Contrary Junction. Total of three pieces, 11150.2-feet. Under the Contract the Terminal maintains them and bills the Santa Fe for the repairs.
The Subway at Illinois Street, St. Joseph, was built in 1913 and 1914. Expense divided as follows:-
Rock Island - 7.8883% A.T.&S.F. - 10.3156% C.B.& Q. - 40.2912% Stock Yards - 41.5049% ________ Total 100.00 %They also own the passing track at Donovan, 2002-feet long (the North end) They own jointly with the Rock-Island the side track that joins on with the Santa Fe at the South end of the Santa Fe 3102-feet. The Santa Fe owns the switch material, such as switch stands, frogs, switch ties and everything connected with the first mentioned tract; the Rock Island furnishing the same and billing the Santa Fe. The Santa Fe Yard Forces at St. Joseph make repairs.Total Cost - $20,620.19
Original Contract - $20,311.00 Additional 1' on Subway - 75.09 Extra for American Safety Treads 321.10 Total Cost $20,620.19
At Winthrop the Santa Fe own a spur 585-feet long. The Rock Island have the same length joined onto the Santa Fe, making a total length of 1170-feet. The Santa Fe owns the switch stand, frog switch ties, cross ties, rails etc. The Rock Island furnish all material for this 585-feet and bill the Santa Fe for cost of same, and maintenance is on a wheelage basis. The switch is on the bridge company's property. The Santa Fe owns some acre property in St. Joseph, bordering on the Railroad and the Sixth Street Viaduct and abutting Atchison Street on the north.
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Sheet #2 - Eastern Division. St. Jo. To Topeka (continued)
Atchison to Topeka, incorporated in Kansas, February 11, 1859 as the Atchison, & Topeka Railroad Company. Name changed November 24, 1863, to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Company. Went into the hands of Recievers, December 24, 1893, who operated it until December, 1895. Acquired at that time by foreclosure proceedings and sold to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. The Receivers were J. A. Rhinehart of Boston, Jown J. McCook of New York and J. C. Wilson of Topeka. During the next year (1894) Mr. Rhinehart resigned. Mr. Aldace F. Walker of New York, took his place and was the Chairman of the Board. Mr. E. P. Ripley was elected President of the Re-organized Santa Fe, December 12, 1895.
The line, Atchison to Topeka, was graded in 1871-72, finished April 20, 1872. The line was opened, Atchison to Grass Hopper Falls (now Valley Falls) April 4, 1872; Valley Falls to North Topeka, April 24, 1872. Telegraph line followed the building of the railroad.
J. H. Scott was the Engineer in charge, out of Atchison, for the first 17-miles, headquarters Atchison, Kansas. Geo. B. Lake was the Engineer in charge of Construction, M.P. 17 to M.P. 34, headquarters Valley Falls, Kansas. T. W. Sterritt was the Engineer in charge of construction, M.P. 34 to M.P. 50, headquarters North Topeka. Sterritt's headquarters were in a small stone house, about five miles from North Topeka, on the south side of the track. Pat Mathews, John McQuire and J. L. Sterritt were the assistants. A. A. Robinson, Chief Engineer. (W.W. Fagan wired him his first job with the Santa Fe) He located the line, Atchison to Topeka, Kansas and had charge of the construction.
Geo E. O'Brien was one of the principal Contractors. Blush & Armil had the Contract for the grading of four miles, west of Valley Falls and east of Rock Creek. David Coleman was one of the big Sub-contractors. Jas. Ryburn of Cottonwood Falls, Kansas and L. W. Lewis of Emporia, Kans. Had the contract for building the masonry. Selden & Key had the contract for laying the track, Atchison to Topeka.
At Atchison we used to own a large stone dwelling between Fifth and Sixth Streets, which we used as a Union Depot until all the rail roads joined in and built a new Union Depot, 1880. John Fagan, Master Mechanic for our Company, (the father of Bill Fagan, our first Superintendent) rented this old dwelling from the Company for several years, until it had to be pulled down account of becoming unsafe. The high bluff, between Sixth and Seventh Street, was blasted down by J. S. Fisk in 1880-'81 and the rock broken by hand and used for ballast.
WE erected a large grain elevator and stack in 1881 at Atchison. Mr. H. G. Williams, Inspector. Mr. Geo. B. Lake, Supt. Bridges and Buildings. This was burned down in August (12th), 1912 and the stack thrown down by removing some brick in the bottom courses and blocking up with oil blocks, then setting fire to them. This was done some time after the elevator burned down, viz; February 11, 1913.
At Valley Falls, the Union Pacific uses our tracks jointly through the yard and bridge over the Delaware River. See contract #9 with Kansas Central, dated June 18, 1872. Narrow gauge which was changed to standard gauge August 16th, 1890. Valley Falls was originally called Grass Hopper Falls. Name changed in 1875 by the legislature.
At Rock Creek, the old depot was burned down March 10, 1910 and a new one built same year. Opened in November, 1910, on the opposite side of the track (south side)
Kilmer Quarry, M.P. 42.2, opened about 1883, rock used between Atchison and Topeka, J. H. Snow, Inspector. Closed down about 1885.
At North Topeka, the old junction depot was burned down on February 13, 1915 and rebuilt in 1915-16, on the opposite side of the track (south side).
In February 1873, the Topeka Iron & Steel Company was organized, from which we bought some rails. In the summer of 1880, it was purchased by the Kansas Pacific Railroad Company. It was burned down April 7, 1881. Elevators and side tracks now occupy the grounds.
Kaw River Bridge, Topeka. This was started in October 1868. The original Bridge consisted of three Howe Truss Spans, 150-feet each, and long pole trestles approach was built on the north end and a short pile trestle approach on the south end. It was completed March 30, 1869, on which date the first engine (the C.K. Holliday) passed over it and made a through line, North Topeka to Carbondale, where the track stopped for a few months The bridge was partly rebuilt in 1877-78 and 1882 with a total renewal in 1909-'10 with a ballast deck and new steel trusses of standard loading. A pile approach (ballast deck) 140-ft. Long was built at the east end in 1911. Total length 979.7-ft.
The old King Bridge Shops, Topeka, were bought in 1879 in 1879 and remodeled.
At Topeka Station the old frame depot, which was a part of the old General Office, was abandoned in 1881 as a passenger station and a brick depot (present depot) built by Contractor J. A. Doyle of Topeka, by force account, (since enlarged).
The present freight depot at Fourth and Adams was built in 1903-04 and the old depot and general office moved away and leased as a lumber shed and office on our grounds on Fourth Street, East of the Santa Fe tracks.
Thus ends the old historic General Office Building of the Santa Fe.
In going out of Atchison to Parnell, we use the right-of-way belonging to the C.B.U.P. condemned by the Santa Fe, track 15-ft centers, making 42-ft, 6-in. Width of R/W. Number of Condemnation 2950.
At Walnut Creek, 2.6 miles east of Valley Falls, we have had several washouts; the last one occurring June 21, 1914. We have enlarged the channel, removed the center pier and put in a new 100-ft. Through girder on new abutments. Work done in 1915- 1916 by L. W. Lewis Sons.
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