St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-06-11
St. Charles and Fort Dodge Railroad.

Our attention has recently been call
ed to the projected line of Railroad
from ST. Charles, in Floyd County, to
to this place. 1t is doubtless known
to all our readers that a charter for
road from McGregor's Landing "a
point on the Mississippi nearly oppo-
site Prairie Du Chien, to Sioux City,
was granted several years since by the
Legislature of this State, and that a
portion of this road has been located
and now under contract. 1t is obvious
that should the projectors of this State
in direct line between the points
above named, the enterprise would
be attended with great expense and
delay, for after reaching the Des-
Moines valley, the difficulty of obtain
ing timber and stone west of that
point, would present obstacles almost
insurmountable while it is equally
certain, a connection with the Du-
buque & Pacific road at this point,
would in effect secure the accomplish
ment of their project, that is, access
to the Missouri. The Railroad scheme
in this State is obviously to unite the
the Missouri river country with that
of the Mississippi, and none can doubt
the fact, that the Dubuque & Pacific
road will be the first to accomplish
this end. Having some 80 to 80
miles completed and in running order,
and having also at command, all the
money necessary to construct the
entire road, the enterprise will be
carried on with energy, until its final
completion. The distance from st.
Charles to this place would save over
one hundred miles of construction to
the McGregor road, and at the same
time, by uniting with us, pass diago-
nally through Franklin and Wright
Counties, and thus deveIope one of
the finest portions of the State Who
can doubt the propriety of the move
ment? Independent of the advantage
to be conferred on the owners and
cultivators of the soil, it is apparent
an equal benefit will be secured to
our town. We doubt not in the course
Of few years the extension of the
road from keokuk up the Des Moines
Valley will have reached US, and if
we obtain eastern, southern, northern,
north eastern and western connections,
none can doubt the certain and rapid
development of our place. Possess
ing inexhaustible gypsum, coal and
stone deposits, which only wait ell
ergy and capital to develope them, it
remains with our citizens to be true
to themselves, for be assured, but a
few years will elapse ere Fort Dodge
will present one Of the most flourish
ing towns in the State.
We cannot expect to accomplish
everything in season, but it is a
mark of prudence to perform one thing
at time and that whatever is under
taken, should be meritorious and de-
serving all efforts to its attainment
these in their order have been realized
with US, the permanent location of the
County Seat and crossing of the Rail-
road and other not less valuable ac-
cessories, have been obtained. The
most important feature now presented,
is the projected line to unite with the
McGregor road at st. Charles. This,
if perfected would enable us to pene-
trate the central portions of the State
of Wisconsin, into Milwaukee and the
lakes. With the development Of the
country, this place gaining position
and ascendancy in Northernlowa, would
of necessity, be the point of supply to
the adjacen: towns and settlements
for years to come. This would en-
ploy capital, and capital labor, and
thus one thing working for the adj
vantage of the other, all would be
mutually benefited. To manifest an
Indifference to this subject would be
fatal to our interests, we believe the
mere discussion of the plan and expo
sition of the advantages to be gained
gained by the projectors of the enter
prise, inviling attention to the bene-
fits and blessings of nature sown
broad cast among us, will do much
toward accomplishing the project.
With these aids, our citizens, with the
proper effort, can render it certain
Fort Dodge Sentinel.