Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company

U.S. railroad, primarily in the Midwest and West; headquarters: Chicago, Ill. Name changed from Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad to Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway after bankruptcy reorganization in 1895.

From the description of Santa Fé train robberies, 1890-1895. (Kansas State Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 228418621

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company (AT&SF) was founded by Cyrus K. Holiday in Kansas in 1859. By 1888 the railroad stretched from Chicago to the West Coast and was seeking to tap Texas and Gulf Coast markets. The AT&SF expanded into these markets by purchasing the ten railroads: Beaumont Wharf and Terminal Company; Cane Belt Railroad; Concho, San Saba and Llano Valley Railroad; Gulf and Interstate Railway; Gulf, Beaumont and Great Northern Railroad; Gulf, Beaumont and Kansas City Railway; Jasper and Eastern Railroad; Port Bolivar Iron Ore Railroad; Texas and Gulf Railway; and the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway.

From the guide to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company Records Unprocessed mss. 2011-47., [1885-1985], (Special Collections, The University of Texas at Arlington Library)

One of the major railroads in the Southwest, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad was established in 1859 by Cyrus K. Holliday. The rail lines extended to Los Angeles, California, by 1887 and broke ground in Texas in 1881. The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway was added in 1886 to obtain a connection to the Gulf of Mexico. By 1888 the Texas Panhandle was included in the railroad's service lines. The name was changed in 1893 from the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad to the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company

From the guide to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Company Records, S 46. 1., 1910-1986 and undated, (Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University)

Russell Nicholas, foreman of ther Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway stockyards in Abajo and Albuquerque, N.M. from approximately 1916 to 1928.

From the description of Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company Stockyard records, 1916-1928. (University of New Mexico-Main Campus). WorldCat record id: 45989746

Constitutes the official scrapbook of the Santa Fe Railway System. Compiled by Joseph Weidel. General introductory statements on the compilation of the "Splinters" preludes the title page of each of the forty-one volumes.

From the description of Santa Fe Splinters collection, 1830-1940. (Texas Tech University). WorldCat record id: 26199861

Chartered in 1859 as the Atchison and Topeka Railroad Company, renamed the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad Company in 1863. Became the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company in 1893. The system grew to cover from Chicago, to the Gulf Coast, to California. The Atchison, Topkea, and Santa Fe became part of the Santa Fe Railroad systems, a part of the Santa Fe Industries. The company was active in land colonization, townsite development, and transportation.

From the description of Records, 1874-1988, (bulks 1909-1973). (Texas Tech University). WorldCat record id: 22981085

U.S. railroad, primarily in the Midwest and West; headquarters: Chicago, Ill.

From the description of [Architectural drawings and maps of Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company facilities at Albuquerque, N.M.] [technical drawing], 1907-1984. (Kansas State Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 316862461

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company was founded in Kansas, 1859. Under the leadership of company founder, Cyrus K. Holiday, the rail line was built from Chicago to Los Angeles (completed in 1888) and eventually had spur lines that tapped the cotton and cattle markets in Texas and the Gulf of Mexico. The materials in this collection were collected during the career of George L. Davenport Jr., Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company engineer, and relate to water resources engineering for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company, primarily with regard to supplying water to operate steam locomotives along the railway line between New Mexico and California. However, there is also an extensive photographic record, as well as some documentary material (compiled by Davenport) regarding water and utilities projects in Grand Canyon National Park, particularly those at Hermit's Rest, Indian Gardens and Phantom Ranch Arizona.

From the guide to the Santa Fe Railroad Water Resources, 1913-1965, (Arizona Historical Society/Flagstaff Archives)

Originally chartered on January 11, 1859, under the name of Atchison & Topeka Railroad Company, the company changed its name to Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad on March 3, 1863. Construction on the railroad began in 1869 and the line from Topeka to the Colorado state line was opened December 23, 1873. The New Mexico Division was opened to Santa Fe on February 16, 1880. During the 1880s, the company merged with a number of smaller branch lines and divisions and built five new extensions. When the Atchison & Topeka Railroad incorporated in 1859, the corporate offices and the majority of the original investors--including the first president, Henry Strong--resided in Boston, Massachusetts. Over the years, however, new officers were located in New York City and Topeka, Kansas as well as Boston.

From the description of Records, 1879-1896. (Harvard Business School). WorldCat record id: 40876525

Chartered in 1859 as the Atchison and Topeka Railroad Company, it was renamed the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad Company in 1863. It then became the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company in 1893. The system grew to cover the area from Chicago, down to the Gulf Coast, and over to California. The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe became part of the Santa Fe Railroad systems, a part of the Santa Fe Industries. The company was active in land colonization, town-site development, and transportation.

From the guide to the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company Records, S 46. 2., 1905-1973, (Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University)

From the guide to the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company Records, S 46. 3., 1914-1979, (Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University)

The Santa Fe Railroad arrived in New Mexico in 1880. Proclaimed a U.S. territory, New Mexico was the next logical city for the "Iron Horse." The railroad tracks were erected a mile east of the Albuquerque Plaza, in what was then called "New Albuquerque." The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad was the original occupant of Albuquerque's new train terminal, which eventually became known as the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company. The Santa Fe Railroad promoted Albuquerque as more elite than Europe and the Orient. Many jobs were generated through the railway's passenger trains, yards, and shops. Businesses like Albuquerque's Alvarado Hotel also benefited from the railway system, which initially attracted many newcomers to the area looking for work and later to tourists partaking in the new age of transcontinental train travel. Migrants and tourists to the city brought new languages, customs, and faiths, developing Albuquerque's cultural climate. The trains carried construction materials for new businesses, and downtown neighborhoods, helping to establish the area's commercial and residential districts.

From the description of Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company architectural drawings, 1917-1925. (University of New Mexico-Main Campus). WorldCat record id: 190792081

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company (AT&SF) was founded by Cyrus K. Holiday in Kansas in 1859. A line that reached from Kansas to California and from Kansas to the Gulf of Mexico was the vision of Holiday. The line stretched from Kansas City, Kansas, to Los Angeles by 1887. In 1888 the line to the West Coast from Chicago was completed. With the completion of this line attention was turned to Texas and the Gulf of Mexico. The desire to tap into the cotton and cattle markets in Texas combined with the promise of Texas as a market for Kansas wheat led the Santa Fe to seek an entry into markets in Texas and the Gulf of Mexico.

To acquire the much-desired connection to the Gulf of Mexico, the Santa Fe sought to purchase a Texas line that had a connection to the Gulf. In 1886 the Santa Fe purchased the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway Company (GC&SF). The GC&SF originated in Galveston and reached Lampasas, Fort Worth, and Dallas, with branches extending to Houston and Conroe. Part of the purchase agreement was that the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe would build track toward each other and meet at Purcell, Indian Territory.

Texas law at the time of this purchase required that all railroads operating in Texas have their headquarters in Texas. The principal officers, but not the president, were required to reside in Texas. As a result of this law, the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe was operated as a subsidiary of the AT&SF with its headquarters in Galveston. As the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe strengthened its hold on Southeast Texas by the purchase of additional railroads, these railroads were leased to the GC&SF who operated them as subsidiaries. The law that required Texas railroads to have their headquarters in Texas would not be changed until 1965. With this change in the law all of the lines that the AT&SF acquired and operated through the GC&SF became part of the AT&SF and lost their former identities

The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway Company was chartered on May 28, 1873, to construct a railroad north from Galveston bypassing Houston. The citizens of Galveston largely subscribed the funding. Construction began on May 1, 1875. By 1879 the railroad had extended the line only sixty-three miles to Richmond. Suffering from financial strain due to the inability to purchase equipment and light traffic, the railroad was sold at foreclosure for $20,000 to George Sealy, the original treasurer. Sealy and his associates reorganized the railroad under the original charter and a vigorous building program was undertaken.

By 1885 the GC&SF was operating seven hundred miles of track, but was largely dependent on local traffic. Such a situation failed to make the line financially strong. It was at this time that the AT&SF was seeking a connection to the Gulf of Mexico. George Sealy was aware of this and felt he could convince William B. Strong, president of the AT&SF, to purchase the GC&SF for a price that would be agreeable to the stockholders of the GC&SF. In March of 1886 an agreement was reached between the two railroads. In addition to the joining of the two lines at Purcell, Indian Territory, the GC&SF was to construct a line from Dallas to Paris and one from Cleburne to Weatherford.

While the GC&SF was a subsidiary of the AT&SF, it was operated as a separate organization due to the previously mentioned Texas law. As the AT&SF acquired more railroads in Texas to strengthen its hold in Texas markets, they were leased to the GC&SF to operate. These railroads, while part of the GC&SF for all intents and purposes, were operated as separate companies retaining their original names.

Some of these railroads were the Beaumont Wharf and Terminal Company; Cane Belt Railroad; Concho, San Saba, and Llano Valley Railroad; Gulf and Interstate Railway; Gulf, Beaumont and Great Northern Railroad; Gulf, Beaumont, and Kansas City Railway; Jasper and Eastern Railroad; Port Bolivar Iron Ore Railroad; and Texas and Gulf Railway. On August 1, 1965, Texas law was changed and the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe was merged into the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. These railroads and their records as well as those of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway comprise this collection.

The Beaumont Wharf and Terminal Company was incorporated on March 26, 1897, by John H. Kirby and others to build wharves on the Neches River with tracks connecting them with outside rail lines. It was later owned by the AT&SF and connected with city tracks at the Port of Beaumont. By 1935 it had a four-mile belt railway at Beaumont and terminal trackage. On June 30, 1957, it was merged into the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway Company.

The Cane Belt Railroad was chartered on March 10, 1898. The Cane Belt was needed to move large amounts of sugarcane and other agricultural products to market. The railroad ran from Lakeside to Bonus, where railroad president, William Dunovant, had a large plantation. By 1903 the railroad extended north to Sealy and south to Matagorda and Wharton. In 1931 a line was built connecting the old Cane Belt at Lane City to the GC&SF at Thompsons. On November 11, 1903, the Cane Belt was sold to the AT&SF who operated it as an independent road until April 11, 1905, when the Texas Legislature passed an act that allowed it to sell or lease the line to the GC&SF. On July 1, 1905, the Cane Belt was leased to the GC&SF and operated as such until December 1948, when it was merged into the GC&SF.

Chartered on April 2, 1909, the Concho, San Saba and Llano Valley Railroad (CSS&LV) consisted of two disconnected segments that connected with the GC&SF. Between April and December 1909, the line between Miles and Paint Rock was constructed. The San Angelo to Sterling City segment was constructed between August 1909 and 1910. The AT&SF, who purchased the CSS&LV in 1910, financed the construction. The CSS&LV was leased to the GC&SF in 1914. The Miles to Paint Rock segment was abandoned April 1937. The remainder of the CSS&LV was merged into the GC&SF in December 1948. The San Angelo-Sterling City segment was abandoned in 1959.

The Gulf and Interstate Railway Company (G&I) was chartered on May 19, 1894. Originally it was planned to run from Port Bolivar to the Southern Pacific line in Liberty County, however, arrangements fell through and the destination was changed to the Red River in either Fannin or Grayson County. Along with the change in route was a change in the name of the railroad to Gulf and Interstate Railway Company of Texas. The line consisted of only seventy miles of track that ran from Port Bolivar to Beaumont. The line was completed in 1896.

In 1898 L. P. Featherstone and Fox Winnie, the contractors of the G&I, acquired the line. They had a plan to develop Port Bolivar as a port. In conjunction with the AT&SF the Santa Fe Dock and Channel Company was formed to build docks and track at Port Bolivar. This system of tracks and docks were sold to the G&I in 1926. The Gulf and Interstate was the only railroad in Texas to operate a ferry. Freight and passenger trains between Port Bolivar and Galveston were carried by this ferry. Portions of the G&I were destroyed by hurricanes in 1900, 1909, and 1915. The AT&SF acquired the Gulf and Interstate on January 17, 1908. The line was leased to the GC&SF on July 1, 1914. The Port Bolivar to High Island line was abandoned in 1942, another four miles on High Island was abandoned in 1968. The AT&SF absorbed the Beaumont to Stonewall line November 14, 1994.

The Gulf, Beaumont and Great Northern Railroad was chartered July 30, 1898. The line was envisioned to run from the area near Sabine Pass in Jefferson County to Paris in Lamar County. The AT&SF provided the funding to build this line. Only seventy-eight miles were completed. The line began at Roganville, the northern terminus of the Gulf, Beaumont and Kansas City, and extended to Center. On March 20, 1903, the line was acquired by the AT&SF and leased and operated by the GC&SF beginning on December 1, 1903. The GC&SF also operated under lease the Gulf, Beaumont and Kansas City and the Texas and Gulf. These three railroads provided a direct line from Beaumont to Longview.

The Gulf, Beaumont, and Kansas City Railway Company was charted on March 31, 1893. The line was founded as a venture by John H. Kirby to tap his vast timber interests in East Texas. The line ran between Beaumont and Roganville. In 1899 Kirby was in need of money for his lumber operations and no longer needed the railroad. The AT&SF had money and needed the lumber business. The AT&SF purchased the railroad from Kirby. The AT&SF also agreed to purchase its lumber from Kirby's mills. The line was leased to the GC&SF on December 1, 1903, and merged into the GC&SF in 1948.

The AT&SF chartered the Jasper and Eastern Railroad on November 11, 1904. The line ran from Kirbyville on the GB&KC to Oakdale, Louisiana. The line was leased to the GC&SF on August 1, 1906. In 1948 the GC&SF purchased the line and merged it into the GC&SF.

The Port Bolivar Iron Ore Railroad was chartered December 14, 1910. L. P. Featherstone and Fox Winnie, who owned the Gulf and Interstate, were the principal owners of the Port Bolivar Iron Ore Railroad. The line was to connect Longview with the area near Hughes Springs in Cass County. This area was rich in iron ore. The railroad was to transport the ore to Longview where it connected with the Gulf and Interstate Railway. From Longview the ore traveled to Port Bolivar, then by ship to Philadelphia. The line was to have been fifty miles long, but only thirty miles between Longview and Ero were built. On July 1, 1914, the GC&SF leased the line for a five-year period. World War I halted extension of the line, and it was abandoned in 1927.

The Texas and Gulf Railway was chartered September 14, 1904. The Texas and Gulf had five predecessor companies. The railroad constructed a line between Timpson and Grigsby from 1905 to 1907. The Gary to Center segment was constructed between 1907 and 1909. The Texas and Gulf was acquired by the AT&SF April 1, 1906, and leased to the GC&SF. The Texas and Gulf was merged into the GC&SF in 1948.

From the guide to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Records AR425., 1889-1981, 1889-1930, 1965-1979, (Special Collections, The University of Texas at Arlington Library)

The Santa Fe Railroad system arrived in New Mexico in 1880. Proclaimed a U.S. territory, New Mexico was the next logical city for the “Iron Horse." The railroad tracks were erected a mile east of the Albuquerque Plaza, in what was then called “New Albuquerque." The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad was the original occupant of Albuquerque’s new train terminal, which eventually became known as the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company.

The Santa Fe Railway Company promoted Albuquerque as more elite than Europe and the Orient. Many jobs were generated through the railway’s passenger trains, yards, and shops. Businesses like Albuquerque’s Alvarado Hotel also benefited from the railway system, which initially attracted many newcomers to the area looking for work and later to tourists partaking in the new age of transcontinental train travel. Migrants and tourists to the city brought new languages, customs, and faiths, developing Albuquerque’s cultural climate. The trains carried construction materials for new businesses, and downtown neighborhoods, helping to establish the area’s commercial and residential districts.

From the guide to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company Architectural Drawings, 1917-1925, (University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research)

Originally chartered in January 11, 1859, under the name of Atchison and Topeka Railroad Company, the company changed its name to Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad on March 3, 1863. Construction on the railroad began in 1869 and the line from Topeka to the Colorado state line was opened December 23, 1873. The New Mexico Division was opened to Santa Fe on February 16, 1880. During the 1880s, the company merged with a number of smaller branch lines and divisions and built five new extensions. The company also maintained a land department which sold off unused portions of the generous land grant supplied by Congress in the 1860s.

In December 1893, the company asked for the appointment of receivers in anticipation of its inability to pay forthcoming financial commitments. J. W. Reinhart, Boston (replaced by Aldace F. Walker in September 1894), J. J. McCook, New York and J. C. Wilson, Topeka were chosen to draw up the plan of reorganization. The railroad defaulted on their loan payments in January 1894. Committees were formed to look after the interests of the bondholders, and in March 1895, company assets were sold to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway System.

When the Atchison & Topeka Railroad incorporated in 1859, corporate offices and the majority of the original investors-including the first president, Henry Strong -- resided in Boston, Massachusetts. Over the years, however, new officers were located in New York City and Topeka, Kansas as well as Boston. Eventually, the company maintained offices in those three cities. The financial office remained in Boston with locations at Devenshire Street and later, 95 Milk Street. After the company restructured in 1895, all administrative functions were consolidated and located in Chicago.

From the guide to the Records, 1879-1896, (Baker Library, Harvard Business School)