Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-02-11
NJ L. ROGERS TELLS OF EARLY
RAILROAD BUILDING IN IOWA

NJ. L. Rogers, an early resident or
years Of age, writes Interestingly Of
early railroad building in Iowa. Mr..
Rogers read of the celebration locally
not long ago Of the f1ftieth anniversary
of the entrance Of the Chicago Il
Northwestern into Marshalltown, and
this prompted him to put on paper his
recollections of the early railroad work
in this state. Mr.. Rogers article fol-
lows:
The years 1858 to 1857 we're notable
in Iowa's history Of immigration to its
fertile territory. To this period. its
settlements had been limited, chiefly. to
localities reached by its navigable
waters. Cedar Rapids had been
reached by the Cedar river. Also. in
on the Des Moines river at the now
capital of the state. Dubuque, Lyons,
Davenport, Burlington and Keokuk had
been prominent trading and shipping
points for many years. About 1850 the
work of railway construction from Chi
cago westward, began. The Chicago &
Rock Island. and the Chicago & Galena
companies, were first in giving Chicago
rail connection With the Mississippi.
In 1855 the Chicago & Galena COM
pany constructed a branch from its
main line. starting from a point thirty
miles west of Chicago and running due
west to Fulton, thus giving Chicago its
shorter line to the Mississippi. Ii 1854
the Dubuque and Sioux City Railroad
Company was incorporated and began
its construction work from Dubuque.
westward. Also this same year the
Mississippi and Missouri company be-
gan work on its line from Davenport,
westward
About 1855 the Central Railroad of
Iowa Company incorporated, its pur-
pose being the construction Of q rail-
road from Lyons, westward, thru CEN
trail Iowa. Prominent in the Girec-
tCrate OF this corporation were Banker
Rand, OF Lyons: Colonel Shaw. Of Ana
mosa: and Colonel Preston. OF Marion.
With these men 1 had pe-s nal ac-
Guaintance. To finance their enterprise
they appealed TO congress for land
grand subsidy. Its preliminary sur
veys We're made and its line located for
200 or more miles. Its policy was TO
reach county seat towns as far as
practicable. Thus its line reached Ma
quoketa, Anamcsa Marion and Mari
eta. leaving Cedar Rapids some mics
off its line. - this time Ohio. Penn
sylvania. New York and the New Eng
land states were we'll represented in the
citizenship Of CeGar Rapids. The
Greene brothers George and William),
John Weare. Drs. Ely and Carpenter,
and Nick Brown were live wires among
its business men. They made the claim
that the manufacturing and milling in
Gustries Of the town were entitled 10
consideration and that Cedar Rapids
should. of right. be made a point on
its line and they made strenuous ef-
forts TO effect this.
Years prior to this railway scheme,
Cedar Rapids had made effort to Sc
cure the removal of the county seat
from Marion to its town. Marion. for
its own protection, was in mood for
opposing any enterprise originating at
Cedar Rapids, and. in the matter
Of locating the Central company's line.
Marion had the advantage by its hav.
ing e voice in the directorate in the
person Of Colonel Preston. Failing in
their effort to have Cedar Rapids MADE
a point on the Centrars line, its citi-
zens organized. and incorporated the
Iowa & Nebraska Railroad Company
for the purpose of constructing rail-
road from Lyons to Cedar Rapids.
Col. Milo Smith was made chief en-
sineer o. this project, and. under his
direction. surveys We're made and its
line located. The Central Railway
Company and the citizens of Lyons
looked upon this action OF the Cedar
Rapids people as being antagonist.c to
their interest and became active
IN formulating plans 10 block
their line from entrance TO their
town. Whereupon the Iowa and
Nebraska Land and Town Lot Com
pany was organized and a large acre
age was secured a, a point two miles
below Lyons. and here they located the
now city of Clinton and furnished the
Iowa & Nebraska company with lands
for its terminal. Under the direction
of Col. Milo Smith the work of con-
st-uction began and early the following
traffic at Dewitt.
In tine interim, the Central RAILWAY
Company and its friends were press
ing congress for land grant subsidy
and were nearing success. At this juno
ture the citizens of Cedar Rapids and
the Iowa and Nebraska Railway Com
pdlS Sd" tIlSt! OppOTluIliL 70 TeldIlate
The Iowa & Nebraska company had
drawn to its support men Of influence
and capital. Among those most active
was John I. Blair, the millionaire iron
manufacturer and banker, of New Jer-
sey. A strong remonstrance against a
land grant subsidy for the Central
Railroad of Iowa was presented to con-
gress. which resulted in a defeat Of the
measure. Stimulated by his success
the Iowa G. Nebraska company had
reason to believe their line could be
completed 70 Cedar Rapids by the END
Of that year.
From 1850 to this time the country
had been prosperous. Both Iowa and
Minnesota were being invaded by land
seekers and specula tors Towns were
plated and mapped and railroad
schemes launched until the country
became crszed by speculative schemes.
Then, like thunder from a clear sky.
it vas startled by financial panic,
the most severe in its history Sudden
~, ali sources for obtaining money to
carry on public works became closed,
and the Iowa & Nebraska company
was forced to suspend construction