Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-09-30
THE GREAT ELEVATED
RAILROAD IS DOOMED
-----
Passing Of This Spectacular Sv'
dence of Sioux City's
Boom Days.
HISTORY or STRUCTURE
How the Project Was Financed n
Bonds Finally Framed for Souvenirs
or Burned-A Romantic
Story.
HISTORY or STRUCTURE
rsloux City Tribunc.l

tearing down tAe old Sioux
City elevated railroad structure
the third of it's kind In the world
ARE demolishing the chief evidence OF
several fortunes expended IN lts on
struction and lost in its operation by a
syndicate of Sioux City boom promo
tiers.
Incidentally these same workers are
making a lot of Morningsiders angry.
The latter liked the quick, safe run
over the railroad tracks made possible
by using the elevated, and they chale
at the SLOW trip to the suburban homes
necessary when stops on each corner
are made and the railroad tracks are
crossed on surface lines But the Sioux
/ City Traction company is sure the SER
vice will eNehtually be bettered and the
running of parallel lines obviated.
Enterpyising Sioux City men have
seen more than 5000 900 of their money
disappear via the elevated and the
King Iron fridge company was con
scious of the vanishing of something
like $500. 900 worth OF claims on The Ia
nous structure.
Where the Project Started.
This first defnite move toward the
construction OF the elevated was taken
i'm the spring of 1888. when a meeting
i'm the back room of the Sioux National
bank was held. attended by the follow
ing: A. S. Garretson. ID. II. Hedges, Ed
Haakinson. James A. Jackson, A. NJ.
Jackson, James f. Booge, A. V. Lar
inner, l.. C. Peters and Major John L.
Cheney. Later Charlec Wise, w. r.
Higman and Colonel G. G. Orr became
interested in the project.
The Sioux City Rapid Transit com.
pany was organized with a paidup cap
Ital of $120, 600, and f. G. Peters was
elected its first president. The pur-
pose was to construct a railway to the
suburb of Morningside. In the summer
of 1888 the surface line from Leach
street to M~orningside was constructed,
the work all being pair for by the
promoters of h system and using UP
pretty much Of the capital which mad
been paid up. In 1890 the elevated
structure from Leach to Jon streets
was built, the company issuing S29O,G0O
of bonds to cover the expenses. The
contract for building the elevated was
let to the King Iron Bridge company
through it's iowa agent-who subse-
uuently lost his position for 1.-THE con-
tractors accepting $500, 900 worth of the
bonds in part payment for the work
A Most Hopeful Opening.
The entire line was opened to the
public in 1891, the occasion being one of
Importance and inspiration. More than
500 persons, including h most promi-
nent citizens of the city, were given
free rides over the system and the flu
ture of the line and of the suburbs
which Ii was designed to serve, was as
luminous as the glow of an Indian
summer sunset.
But these could not be ne
gotiated with sufficient success to keep
the panic year Of 1898 from fastening
it's crushing grip upon the system and
in that fateful period the Sioux City
Rapid Transit company passed into the
hands of a receiver, James A. Jackson,
one OF the original promoters receiving
the appointment. Under the rule OF
this receiver, the motive power of the
line was changed from steam TO cleo
tricity. This was hardly accomplished
when James A. Jackson died in 1893
and his son, A. M. Jackson, was made
receiver In his stead. The latter man
aged the line until : arch, 1896, when
it was disposed of at ] c~eiver's ale.
Bonds Used as Souvenirs.
A. B. Robbins of Minneapolis was
the purchaser, paying $4,000. He was
a railroad contractor and came into
possession of a ST. 500 claim against the
elevated road through h failure of 9
car To protect this claim ht
bought the system. The King Iror
Bridge company bid $4,000 for thu
property, hoping to make good tn
$500, 900 worth of bonds held by it, TIL
y ..rs which iis,G already peen pait
about $50 900 by h Sioux City mel
promoting the line, would not Civ
more than an equal sum for full owner
ship Of the system. 1t Is reported tha
some of these bonds were mailed out b.
the bridge company to their stockhold
ers as souvenirs, in lieu of a dividend
and that the balance was burned
There are still in evidence in safes o
A~zA~4.H csA...r fNlkxv ,oan nAtn. 81 y IN ~ lfL
t$75. 900 worth of these handsomely 18th
ographed relics.
Mr.. Robbins operated the elevate,
line for two years, when it was pur
chased by A. M. Jackson Of Sioux Cit,
for S87. 500, that being in February
1899. Mr.. Jackson then organized th,
Sioux City Transit company, himsel
being the sole owner of the property
Four months later the line was sol'
by Mr.. Jackson for $4,000 to J.. S
Lawrence. Abel Anderson and j. w
Dec. O'Grady who consolidated 1t witt
the other Sioux City lines under tn
name Of the Sioux City Traction com
pany.
Now Owned by the Packers.
The line has since passed into tn
hands OF the Swift-Armour interests
The portion OF the structure between
Jones and Iowa streets was torn dow
two years ago and now the balanc
OF the long steel trestle will be re
moved.
A supplemental system was built d
the south end OF the regular Morning
side line. by the Jacksons, running t
the handsome residence of Allen Cros
san. three miles south of Morningsids
This was subsequently torn up.
-
-