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Railroads in Kansas
Arapaho, Cheyenne Wells, First View, Kit Carson, Mirage, Hugo, Limon (1870), Deer Trail, Byers, Bennett, Magnolia, Denver, CO, (western terminus) (Aug. 1870).
Kansas Pacific began in 1855 as the Leavenworth, Pawnee and Western Railroad, and was later reorganized in 1863, and the great explorer John C. Fremont crawled aboard. On July 6th of 1863, it became known as the Union Pacific Eastern Division, as part of the Pacific Railway Act, in order to create a second southerly branch of the transcontinental railroad alongside the Union Pacific. It had no connection to the Union Pacific, had a different charter, sold different stock, had different company officers and was actually a competitor of the Union Pacific. It was never a southern branch of the Union Pacific.
Because of so much confusion and stock swindles, corruption, and fraud on the Union Pacific it changed its name to the Kansas Pacific on May 31st 1868. The KP also had its share of shady dealings. In the spring of 1872 the Kansas Pacific bought the Denver Pacific that ran from Denver to Cheyenne. In November of 1873 the KP was placed in recievership and its stock sold for as low as between 9 to 12 cents. Jay Gould was buying it little by little until he owned the majority and then blackmailed the Union Pacific by threatening to build a competing transcon to the west coast. He was also a UP board member and sold KP stock to the UP for a substancial gain. It wasn't until 1879 or early 1880 the Kansas Pacific became part of the Union Pacific Railway. (These kind of mergers don't happen overnight.) Then it was called the Union Pacific, Kansas Division. [Thanks to Wayne Mintling (aka, General Sheridan) for this information, April 2008.]
In September 1863, the Kansas Pacific Railroad began building the main line for passengers (immigrants) westward across the Great Plains -- from Kansas City--Wyandotte to Denver, CO. The Kansas Pacific was the long-line railroad in the state for two or three years.
The first 40 miles was open in 1864 (from Wyandotte to Lawrence).
(Oct./Nov. 1866) -- One thing that added greatly to the growth and importance of Junction City after the completion of the Kansas Pacific Railroad to that point, was the fact that it was made the end of the first division of the road. This of course, necessitated the building of a roundhouse, and other workshops at that place which naturally drew a good many people to settle in the town.
Leavenworth became one of the termini, connection with the main line being made at Lawrence. In November 1866, trains commenced to run from Leavenworth to Junction City.
Through the efforts of Col. William A. Phillips, the Union Pacific Railroad was extended to Salina in 1867.
In 1868 it became the Kansas Pacific so that it was easier to refer to it.
Building starts to slow up possibly due to financial problems 1867/1869.
On April 3, 1870 the division was changed from Junction City to Wamego.
It remained the Kansas Pacific until it was consolidated with the Union Pacific in 1880 and takes that name again.
Hoxie, Kansas was named for a vice president of the railroad when the Union Pacific decided to come through Sheridan County.
Skiddy, Kansas was named for a railroad man, Francis Skiddy of New York, a magnate of the Union Pacific Railroad.
Jensen, Oliver. History of Railroads in America. New York: American Heritage Wings Books. 1975