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Iron Road to Empire Rock Island Lines History by William Hayes Hard Cover
Iron Road to Empire Rock Island Lines History by William Hayes
Hard Cover Personal library label inside front cover
Copyright 1953
306 pages indexed.
CONTENTS
Foreword xi
PART ONE
The Dream and the Drama: 1845-1869
1 The planners and the plan 3
2 Rarin' for a railroad 8
3 Enter: the builders 15
4 The Rocket-the first train West 19
5 "One wide river for to cross"22
6 Mississippi holiday27
7 Steam cars in Iowa33
8 The battle for the bonus 39
9 Lincoln and the burning bridge 43
10 Farewell to Farnum 49
11 Late arrival at the Missouri54
PART TWO
The Links and the Forge: 1869-1883
12 John Tracy-review and resolve 61
13 High line to Leavenworth 70
14 1,000 miles of railroad75
15 Fire!81
16 The great train robbery 84
17 Sumptuous meals on wheels 90
18 On to Kansas City 93
19 The consolidation of 188098
PART THREE
Beyond the Missouri: 1883-1901
20 Branching out in Iowa109
21 Kansas-a record in building113
22 The farmers find a friend120
23 Outcast in Omaha 125
24 Gunfire on "the strip"131
25 "The best laid plans ..."142
26 Enter: the Reid-Moore syndicate147
PART FOUR
Pattern for Disaster: 1901-1933
27 Big men-big dreams 157
28 To have and to hold 165
29 All this and Texas too 170
30 Broken dream of empire 177
31 Easy come, easy go 190
32 Out of the frying pan 196
33 Under two masters 206
34 Dividends or bust 211
35 Broke again218
PART FIVE
Rebirth and Regeneration: 1933-1952
36 Spring of hope 225
37 The long chance 231
38 First signs of recovery235
39 Samson of the Cimarron-a symbol 242
40 Into the black 247
41 Big traffic-big trouble253
42 Widows and orphans 259
43 Solid track at last269
44 Bright dawn-bright hope 280
45 Test and triumph 284
46 End of a century and of an era 291
Bibliography 297 Index 299
Illustrations following page 18
1 John D. Farrington
2 Edward M. Durham
3 Antoine Le Clair
4 James W. Grant
5 Henry Farnam
6 Joseph E. Sheffield
7 Rock Island's "working" Board of Directors
8 Rock Island's first bridge across the Mississippi
9 Wreck of the drawbridge after the great gale of March 17, i868
10 Palace Dining Car advertisement in the 1870's
11 Camelback locomotive on the Choctaw, circa 19oa
12 Engine 46, "iron horse" of 1881 typical of early-day motive power
13 Winterset branch train at the Des Moines, Iowa, station in 1860's
14 Rock Island's 500o-class 4-8-4's
15 Queen of the Rocket Fleet, Rock Island's Extra-Fare Golden State
16 La Salle Street Station at night
17 The diesel switcher, now doing all Rock Island's yard work
18 Popular Twin-Star Rocket
19 Fast Freight out of Memphis, crossing the Mississippi
20 Samson of the Cimarron, symbol of the reborn Rock Island
21 Train-side bus arrival from Peoria
22 Map showing Rock Island's passenger service coverage
23 Armourdale (Kansas City, Kansas) automatically-controlled hump yard
24 Modern diesel repair facilities housed in shop at Silvis, Illinois
25 G. C. Cornett, veteran agent-telegrapher
A factual history of the various railroads comprising the Rock Island Lines, paying tribute to the sturdy pioneers whose ability and foresight laid the foundation of the iron road to empire a century ago. Based upon records it tells in detail the difficulties encountered and the ultimate triumph of the later efficient management.
Numerous histories of railroads have been published during recent years, especially at the time when some of the roads reached the century mark of their existence and this volume is one that in part commemorates such an event. Many of these works have the appearance of being hastily thrown together but here is one that conforms to all that can be desired in a railroad history.
IRON ROAD TO EMPIRE is based entirely upon research and records, carefully collated and woven together in a complete story of the Rock Island Lines. The author, William Edward Hayes, is particularly well fitted for the work through long association with railroad literary subjects that have had nationwide circulation and as chief of the public relations department of the Rock Island.
With no strings attached the author has written in good readable style a concise, factual report of a great modern railroad company serving fourteen western states. He begins the history by paying tribute to the rugged pioneers who in 1845 projected the road, organized it as a going concern in 1847, pushed it to completion and ran its first train in 1852.
There is much local color in the history recounting the heartaches, difficulties of financing, lawsuits encountered and other opposition to the building of a railroad in this virgin country. Overcoming these obstacles and the ultimate acquisition of other lines then projected or building created a railroad that quite early in its career became both prosperous and prominent. It was a marvel in 1852 and even more so a century later.
This prominence attracted the attention of the notorious bandit and outlaw Jesse James and his gang of train robbers who practiced their depredations first upon the Rock Island railroad.
An interesting occurrence during this formative period was the planned merger with the Chicago and North Western which all but materialized and if it had been consummated would have made the Rock Island a much bigger road than any other of that period.
A number of first events can be credited to the Rock Island including the bridging of the Mississippi river but not without a legal battle with the vested steamboat interests in which the rood was ably represented by the aspiring Illinois lawyer Abraham Lincoln.
Another important event was the operation of the first locomotive in the state of Iowa and the development of the vast western farming areas in adjacent states following the building of this part of the Chicago and Rock Island railroad.
During the next forty years, continued expansion and honest management built up a thriving business but changing regimes soon altered that. Through the machinations of ambitious, self seeking promoters the line was forced into bankruptcy early in the present century and again following the financial panic of 1929 when the sprawling Rock Island lay desperately ailing.
Through the vicissitudes of strikes, wars, floods, adverse court orders and government operation the road finally emerged after fifteen years of federal jurisdiction under the leadership of John D. Farrington, now president of the Rock Island Lines. The road today assumes its proper place in American railroading as the ultimate triumph of integrity and practical leadership of its present management.
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