Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-11-17
History OF The Burlington Road
During Its Early Life in The Sixties

also the counties of Henry, Jefferson
and Wapello-the whole amounting to
about 100000. Jefferson and Wapello
counties repudiated their bonds very
soon and their county judges refused
to issue them. The iron had, how
ever, been bought, and the company
was forced to make mortgage bond
isue of $1,000,O0O, bearing 10 per cent
interest, and these bonds they were
obliged to sell at sixty cents on the
dollar They were four years (from
January, 1852 to March, 1866 building
to DanvilleN-twelve miles from Bur
lington.
Land Grants to Roads.
In the early part of 1855 congress
made q grant of land to aid four differ
tent roadroads then organized to build
lines across the state of Iowa-one
from Burlington (the B. & M, an
other from Davenport, the third from
Lyons: via Clinton, and the fourth
from Dubuque.
There were finally patented to the
Burlington road 35S, 900 acres. The pre-
'yailing price of these lands was $1.25.
per acre, but they were not then sal
able at that figure These lands were
mortgaged, but the hard times of 1857
retarded railroad building and the
road was not finished to Ottumwa.
seventy-five miles, until August, 1859,
or more than seven years from the
time Of its organization. The civil
war virtually stopped all construction
and the road was not started west
from OttumWa until 1868.
The Burlington was the only one OF
the four companies to which grants OF
land were made in Iowa, which sur
yiyed to complete it's road across the
state. The old Mississippi & Missouri
company (the Rock Island) and the
line built from Davenport to Newton
had expired; the mortgages upon 1t
were foreclosed, the stock was wiped
out and with it went the land grant;
there was a reorganization, new
company (the Rock Island) and the
original stockholders and promoters
ment The land-aided roads west from
Clinton and Dubuque had much the
same experience. They all had land
grants twice or three times larger
than the Burlington, but the credit of
the men behind them was not SO good.
These experiences in which the Iowa
railroad systems were born are often
forgotten. 1t is common thing to-
hear people say that the railroads
we're built with government land
grants.
IN 1864 the parties who had come
into control of the Burlington applied
to the Boston capitalists who had be-
come interested In the G., B. & c., as
Mr. Joy, Mr.. Brooks and Mr.. Forbes
and others concerned in Michigan Gen.
trail had originally agreed, for aid to
extend the road beyond Ottumwa.
which was furnished Further aid was
extended and the B. & M. was thus
completed to the Missouri river IN
1861 ~, I.
An About the same time (May, 1861
there was organized in Nebraska a
line to connect at Plattsmouth, and
which was subsequently,. built to Kear-
ney, Neb.. to "a connection with the
Union Pacific road. Congress made q
grant Of lands also in aid of the con-
struction Of this Nebraska extension,
which was named Burlington & Mis-
souri, River roalroad in Nebraska.
"a During all these early years (1852
to 1870 the business of the B. & NJ.
in Iowa was light, and its stock was
not regarded as possessing any.value.
It sold for IS and $40 per share. !, NJ
a Roads Consolidated.
h BY the year, 1872 the investment of
parties interested in the O.. B. & O.
and also in the B. & NJ. had become SO
large that it was decided to- cOnsOli-
date the properties in Illinois and
Iowa, and subsequently (July, 1880)
the Nebraska road was also CONSOLE
dated with and became the c., B. & @.
The Iowa. line became part OF the
&c. B. g. @. in 1872, and the Nebraska
line in 1880.
The Hannibal & ST. Joseph was in
corporated in 1S47. and after many
difficulties and with nue., aid from.
the state was, in 1859, completed to
ST. Joseph. The c., B. & @. purchased
its stock in 1883.
Is The Burlington was extended to
Denver in 1882, and in 1890, having
previously purchased the st. Louis,
AKeokuk & Northwestern, it extended
its own line into st. Louis, and in the
same year acquired line to st. Paul,
through purchase of the Chicago, Bur
lington & Northern road. 1t now COM
prises 1867 miles Of road in Illinois,
1,44O miles in Iowa, LAP miles in Mis-
souri, and 1852 miles in Nebraska,
with about 2,1Oo miles in seven other
states. s
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