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Missouri Pacific Railroad

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Date: 1872 to 1982
Location: St. Louis, Missouri, United Statesmap
Surnames/tags: united_states_railroad us_history
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The Missouri Pacific Railroad, commonly referred to as the MoPac, was a major American railway company operating from the late 19th century to the 1980s. It was headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, and operated over 11,000 miles of track in 14 states, connecting major cities such as St. Louis, Kansas City, Houston, and New Orleans. The MoPac played a key role in the development of the American West, and was instrumental in transporting goods and passengers across the country. The company was known for its innovative technologies, including early use of diesel locomotives, and its commitment to safety and efficiency. Despite financial difficulties in the latter half of the 20th century, the Missouri Pacific Railroad remained an important player in the American railway industry until its merger with the Union Pacific Railroad in 1982.

Contents

Early Beginnings

With the discovery of gold in California in 1848, it awoke the American people for the need for more rapid and reliable transportation to the west. Missouri then on the western frontier saw the need for railroads, and St. Louisans wanted to be part of that railroad start from their city. City leaders and politicians Thomas Hart Benton[1],John Charles Fremont[2], and Augusta K. Wyatt of St. Louis secured a Missouri charter in 1849 for the "Pacific Railroad" to extend "from St. Louis to the western boundary of Missouri and hence to the Pacific Ocean." Asa Whitney[3] and Theodore Dehone Judah[4], who were early proponents of a transcontinental railroad, worked to secure government funding.

Disaster Delays Railroad

A hand-colored lithograph of the Great Fire of May 17, 1849
by Julius Hutawa, painted that same year.

However, the dreams of a railroad were delayed catastrophes that soon plagued the city. That year, a cholera epidemic struck the city.[5] An as if that was not enough, another disaster fire broke out on a river steamboat, which quickly spread and destroyed twenty-two other boats, and a considerable part of the business district.[6] With the heart of the St. Louis business district destroyed and almost a tenth of its inhabitants dead of cholera, the city exhibited an ominous picture of early death and financial ruin.

Missouri Pacific Railroad

Missouri Pacific Locomotive #152

The Missouri Pacific Railroad (MoPac) was established after the Civil War to connect St. Louis, Missouri with Texarkana, Texas. Its first track was laid in Jefferson City, Missouri, and eventually expanded to connect with the Texas and Pacific Railway. By 1870, the MoPac had acquired additional branches and extensions, including lines to Sedalia, Missouri and Marshall, Texas, and provided service from St. Louis to Texarkana.[7]

In 1872, Pacific Railroad encountered financial difficulties and was forced to reorganize. After the reorganization, it reemerged as the Missouri Pacific Railway Company. Over the next few years, it opened the Union Depot station in St. Louis, Missouri, the present Union Station at 18th and Market Streets.[8] The railroad baron, Jay Gould[9], bought the railroad in 1880 and took over as president.

Jay Gould[10] began acquiring railroad companies around 1874, purchasing the Union Pacific and later, the Denver Pacific and Central Pacific. In 1879, he became president of the Missouri Pacific Railway Company and established the "Southwest System" by consolidating his empire. Gould acquired five smaller railroad companies and gained control of the Texas and Pacific, Missouri, Kansas, and Texas system, and the International Great Northern. However, he eventually lost control of his vast empire. In 1885, the Texas and Pacific were separated from the Missouri Pacific, and in 1888, the lease with Katy Railroad was terminated, and the I-GN was separated. Nevertheless, the Missouri Pacific continued to expand its mileage through subsidiary lines, with rail lines extended to Pueblo, Colorado, through Kansas.[8]

The Scenic Limited leaving St. Louis

George Jay Gould, the eldest child of Jay Gould, followed his father's footsteps by entering the railroad business in 1892 at 24 and inheriting his father's railroad holdings upon his death. Railroad construction and extension was halted by the 1892 depression, but major projects completed between 1892 and 1910 included the Illinois Division, lines from Helena to Ferriday, and the White River line. Additionally, the River Route between Jefferson City and Boonville was constructed, and certain branch lines in Arkansas and Louisiana were purchased.[8]

George Gould, the eldest child of Jay Gould, followed his father's footsteps by entering the railroad business in 1892 at 24 and inheriting his father's railroad holdings upon his death.[11]

George was a successful manager, overseeing profitable railroads without his father's negative reputation. During this time, the main stem of the Gulf Coast Lines was built, extending from Anchorage through Houston to Brownsville. He attempted to create a transcontinental railroad, but the financial panic of 1907 caused him to lose control of all his lines. Despite this, he was worth several million dollars at the time of his death, with a portfolio including the Western Maryland, Western Pacific, Missouri Pacific, International-Great Northern, Texas & Pacific, and Wabash (mostly inherited from his father).[8]

Shootout at Pleasant Hill Depot

Depot Station Pleasant Hill, Missouri

Williams and Ryan, as their names would later become known, were spotted on a Kansas City Southern train car near Hume, Missouri. Suspected of the Richards, Missouri robbery, Special Agent Postlethwaite found them on the train, but they quickly got the drop on him. They moved to the caboose, where they rode the train for several hours, keeping an eye on Postlehwaite. After several miles, they hopped off the train as it moved down the tracks. Suspecting they were heading for Pleasant Hill, Missouri, a telegraph sent a warning. Marshal Adams and Officer William Clarence Poindexter[12], who had just came on duty, kept watch for the men to surface at the depot station.

Unbeknownst to them, the two were already in town at the Bastian-Chappell restaurant where they had supper. Afterwards, they made their way to the depot and bought tickets for Independence. The officer spotting them at the ticket counter followed them as they entered the waiting room. They casually strolled in the room for a minute, then stepped outside to confer, and both agreed these appeared to be the men wanted for the Richards robbery.

While Clarence Poindexter stood guard outside the waiting room, Adams hurried to First Street to get Officer Talbot to help them with the arrest, but he was not found. As the time for the Independence train was nearing, Adam hurried back to the station, and both he and Poindexter agreed they needed to make the arrest now, rather than wait for help. They were accompanied by George Thomas, who had hurried before to get his revolver, but learned his brother had taken it home.

As they entered the room, Adams asked Williams who his partner was and where they were going. Williams replied, and then Adams told them they were suspected of the hold-up in Richards, Missouri. Wiliams responded by saying we have been bothered all day and already searched several times, to which Adams said, "you won't object to being searched again." Williams snapped back, "No, you can't search me," and sprang to his feet as he shoved his revolver against Adams stomach. Although Adams had already drawn his weapons and told him to put up his hands, he grabbed the barrel, twisted it aside, and fired with his gun. In an instant, a ferocious battle ensued. It was all over in about 10 seconds. Nine shots had rung out in the room, and only one man was left standing on his feet. That was Marshall Adams. Of the nine shots fired, three were by Poindexter and three by Adams, two by Wiliams and one by Ryan. When the shooting started, Thomas was still in the depot, but in the other room due to his being unarmed.

Williams had fallen back in his chair, partly stunned by an impact of a bullet that glanced off his skull. "Throw up your hands," Adams shouted, "or I'll blow your head off!" Williams gave up, he put his hands in the air and said "You've got me". Officer Poindexter lay dead on the floor, and shot through the head. Also shot was one of the Desperadoes. He was also shot in the head, still alive, but laying in a pool of blood as he died on the floor where he lay. The other Desperado had a scalp wound on his head and a bullet through one shoulder. He was apprehended and taken into custody. One of the first to enter the room after the battle was George Thomas, who ran to Poindexter crying, "Poiny, are you hurt?" As he rolled the officer's body over, a gush of blood poured from his wound near one ear. He had died instantly after being shot.

The surviving wounded suspect, who afterwards gave his name as E. F. Williams of 512 5th Street in Hot Springs, was taken to the office of Dr. Fair, who, assisted by Dr. Belcher, dressed the wounds he had received. Dr. Belcher expressed to Williams that he was in danger of lynching and asked if there was any word he wished sent to his folks in case of this death. Williams responded, "No, just tell 'em I'm dead."

A cursory inspection of the other man, still laying on the floor, showed he was dying and nothing could be done for him. He lay there suffering for about an hour, before his death. Nothing was found on him to identify him at first, but later a card was discovered in his coat. It was an identification card for E. F. Ryan, in a blank line for an address, the words, "None of your damned business," in the line left for the name of whom to notify in case of sickness or accident, were written the one word, "Nobody." Whether he was E.F. Ryan or Ed Miller of East St. Louis, Missouri was undecided. A woman living in the city viewed the body and said she had known the man in several cities as Ed Miller, and that his home was in East St. Louis. His name or real identity would never be learned.

The other suspect, Williams, was taken to the jail. There he denied knowing who his partner was and claimed he did not participate in the shooting. He was asked, "Wasn't your gun loaded all around?" and he replied, "Yes." He was then told, "Well, how does it happen, there are two empty cartridges?" He could not provide an answer, except to say that if he did any of the shooting, he did not remember it.

Story of the shootout quickly spread in the small town of Pleasant Hill and throughout the countryside. Soon thereafter, like wildfire, and even though it was raining, hundreds of angry men appeared on the downtown streets. At first, no one suspected any action out of the group, other than just gathering to express outrage at this wantless crime. When day broke that Sunday morning, rain still pouring slowly, next to the bell tower at the rear of city hall, was a ghastly sight of the actions of the men that had gathered the night before, the swaying body of Williams. His hands tied behind, his feet less than a foot from the ground was left hanging. Around his neck was a red bandana handkerchief, apparently used to bind his mouth, that had slipped loose as he swung from the noose. Whoever had made the hangman's knot was no bungler, he knew what he was doing.

H. Postlethwaite first discovered Williams' body, a special agent of the Kansas City Southern, who had come to Pleasant Hill upon new of Williams' capture. He went to the jail around 5 o'clock, with the intent to talk to Williams about the robbery in Richards, Missouri. The door to the jail "bull-pen" was open, and the prisoner was gone. Postlethwaite hurried to the nearby MoPac station and had Ronald McDougall phone for Officer Talbot, who had just gotten home after an all-night vigil over Williams. Talbot hurried back, and he and the special agent again went to the jail to confirm the prisoner was missing. They made a hurried search of the area and soon discovered Williams' body.

A. D. Prater, a justice, was notified and came down sometime between 7:30 and 8:00 o'clock. Prater clambered up the tower and cut the rope and lowered the body to the ground. Rumors later spread that the body dangled from the tower, riddled with bullets as hundreds of churchgoers passed by, but it was entirely unfounded.

As Williams was held in the jail, there was a constant stream of men peering through the bars. Quiet talk of lynching persisted. It was said Williams was told he would be lynched, and that he replied, "For God's sake, men, don't hang me. I am human." Officer Talbot, who had stood guard until shortly before 4 a.m., left the jail, after he looked out, seeing it was still raining and the streets clear. He was satisfied the mob had left and the prisoner was in no danger. He left for home to take much-needed rest.

What exactly happened next can only be known to members of the mob, but shortly after Talbot's departure, they must have been lurking in the shadows waiting for the coast to clear. Almost immediately as the town slept, and the officer probably no more than a few blocks away, they entered the jail determined to send a message. The lock to the jail cell had been broken. Even though the lock was a heavy modern lock securing an equally heavily barred cell, no one heard a sound, even though just 100 feet away MoPac trainmen lay asleep in a caboose. Williams was quickly taken from the cell and hung, a penalty dealt out entirely too much in the south.

It is said earlier in the night, Williams was asked if he had a mother. He replied in the negative, but said he had a wife and child in Hot Springs. "Well, you ought to be with them," he was told, "you are in a damned poor place here."

The identity of the men who made up the lynching party remains a secret, they have not talked, and the true story of the final moments before the hanging will never be told. Perhaps to distract from this dastardly deed, rumors circulated that Williams had been strangled to death in the jail and then hung afterwards.

As quickly as the news spread of Poindexter's death, so did the news of Williams' fate. The day of the lynching was a busy day, as townspeople gathered eagerly with excitement all day to visit the undertakers room and view the dead desperadoes. Crowds came from the countryside, eager to get a view. Most viewed the actions as "justice had been done." The town had been rattled with three bold robberies before this incident, by strangers, and had been a powder keg waiting to explode. The death of Poindexter lit the fuse.

The county attorney, T. N. Haynes, Frank Runneberger, the coroner, and Jas Prater, sheriff, were summoned before a hearing in the county. A jury made up of George Chamberlin (Foreman), George Scott, Marion Hunt, Frank Duncan, Frank Seymour, and Thomas Froman heard the case. While a jury was in paneled, there was little information to put before the jury. The verdict was that Williams had died at the hands of parties unknown. During the hearing Williams, 41-calibre Colt's revolver was exhibited. He had little money on him, about $6.50. Other than that, there was not much else to present to the jury.

It was later learned the two suspects were not the Richards robbers, but the general belief from everyone was that the pair must have had a criminal record, and a bad one for that, because they were like vicious men doing anything to avoid being arrested. After their deaths, numerous officers came to Pleasant Hill to view their bodies and try to connect them with previous crimes, but no one could connect them with any. Lieutenant Edward A. Parker, of the Kansas City police force, accompanied by Detective Jack Farrell and C. I. Demmitt, Rock Island special agents, took their finger prints and pictures to compare with Bertillon records in the city, but the two were not found. Their pictures were also sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, for comparison with the Federal Bertillon records, which were the most complete in that part of the United States, and again no matches were found.

No one ever claimed Ryan's body, so the city buried him in the paupers section of the cemetery. Williams body was shipped to Hot Springs, Arkansas with money donated to cover the cost. A plate on his casket bore the words, "At rest." The undertakers discovered that he was in bad physical condition before his death, and had been suffering from venereal disease.

Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot Marker

While most viewed the incident as a tragedy, both the town and local newspaper held firm in the belief that justice had been done. Prior to this incident, there had been two hold-ups and one big robbery within just a few days of this incident. The events had so shaken the people of this community that many feared going out at night. Being on the main lines of two railways and a junction point, Pleasant Hill had been bothered with more than the average town with various degrees of criminals. The people of the town and neighboring territory were as law-abiding as any community in the state, but many had become disillusioned with the belief that the law, which gives advantages to thugs and murderers. They had started to leave their purses at home and carry guns. Although it was an outrageous tragedy that befell the pair, their refusal to be searched triggered the events that led to a wave of white hot anger. Their crime was the last straw, before the anger exploded in the streets.

The incident remains the greatest tragedy to have befallen Pleasant Hill, Missouri. It is much regretted, but the view of the paper was that it left no stain upon the city or area. And to let it be a warning to others that thugs, murderers, and thieves have imposed enough on the town to forever give it a wide berth.

To this day, the city marks the station with a historical maker to mark the event in history.[13]

Receivership

MoPac newspaper ad for travel to
the American Royal livestock
show, 1922.

The Frisco owned the lines until it lost them in a receivership in 1913. In 1916, they were sold to the New Orleans, Texas & Mexico Railway and became the Gulf Coast Lines. In April 1923, Lewis Warrington Baldwin became the president of the company[14] and oversaw the acquisition of Gulf Coast Lines and International-Great Northern, with the San Antonio, Uvalde & Gulf acquired later. These were merged with the Missouri Pacific Railroad in 1925. In 1928, the company moved to a new 22-story office building in St. Louis and continued to integrate its properties. However, the company faced financial struggles in 1933 and was put under the supervision of a Trustee, with Baldwin as CEO. Despite this, the Federal Court encouraged physical improvements and diversification, leading to the creation of the Missouri Pacific Freight Transport Company as a subsidiary in 1938. The truck routes did not compete with the railroad, but rather supplemented it.[8]

Missouri Pacific Freight Transport Company

Missouri Pacific's Colorado Eagle, waiting to depart
St. Louis's Union Station on April 17, 1963

The first diesel locomotives appeared on Missouri Pacific tracks in 1937, eventually replacing all steam locomotives by 1955. Centralized traffic control and radio communications were also implemented to improve efficiency. Under the Trustee, the railroad continued to modernize and improve its properties, including an extensive grade and line revision project on the Missouri Division. During this time, Settegast Yard in Houston was opened, the Miller Street Freight Station in St. Louis was completed, and Missouri Pacific developed a specialized method for piggyback freight traffic. In 1956, after 23 years of receivership, the US District Court approved a new plan of reorganization, officially ending the bankruptcy.[8]

Mr. Paul J. Neff briefly served as president of the new Missouri Pacific[15] before becoming chairman of the board, but he passed away a month later. Mr. Russell L. Dearmont, who had been with the company since 1930, succeeded him.[16] Under his leadership, the company worked to regain freight traffic lost to truck lines and attract new industries to its territory. The company spent $3 million to build a spur to a new iron ore mine, and opened a $13 million double-crest automatic freight car classification yard in Kansas City in 1959. A similar yard was built in North Little Rock in 1961.[8]

In the 1960s, Mr. Downing Bland Jenks became president of Missouri Pacific Railroad.[17] Missouri Pacific Railroad continued to modernize its operations, adopting new technologies such as computerized dispatching and computerized car tracing to improve efficiency. The company also expanded its freight services and worked to increase its market share.[8]

Union Pacific Railroad

In the 1970s, the company faced financial difficulties due to a decline in freight traffic and increased competition from other modes of transportation. In 1976, the Missouri Pacific merged with the Union Pacific Railroad, and the two companies operated as a single system under the Union Pacific name.[8]

During the 1980s and 1990s, the Union Pacific Railroad continued to expand its network and improve its operations through the adoption of new technologies and acquisition of other railroads. The company also faced several major challenges, including the 1993 derailment of a train carrying hazardous materials in Iowa, which led to a massive explosion and evacuation of a nearby town.[8]

In the early 2000s, Union Pacific faced competition from other railroads and trucking companies, but it remained one of the largest and most successful freight carriers in the United States. The company continued to invest in new technologies and infrastructure improvements, and remains a major player in the transportation industry.[8]

Sources

  1. Wikipedia contributors. "Thomas Hart Benton." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed 8 Jan 2023.
  2. Wikipedia contributors. "John Charles Fremont." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed 8 Jan 2023.
  3. Wikipedia contributors. "Asa Whitney." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed 8 Jan 2023.
  4. Wikipedia contributors. "Theodore Dehone Judah." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed 8 Jan 2023.
  5. St. Louis Genealogical Society, StLGS founded in 1968, St. Louis, Missouri. "Cholera Epidemic of 1849." Accessed 8 Feb 2023
  6. Wikipedia contributors. "St. Louis Fire of 1849." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed 8 Jan 2023.
  7. Pacific Railroad Acts, Act of July 1, 1862. "Pacific Railroad Acts." Accessed 8 Feb 2023.
  8. 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 Missouri Pacific Historical Society., "MoPac's First 125 Years." Accessed 20 Feb 2023
  9. Wikipedia contributors. "Jay Gould." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed 8 Jan 2023
  10. Wikipedia contributors. "Jay Gould." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed 10 Feb 2023.
  11. Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Jay Gould." Encyclopedia Britannica, November 28, 2022. "Jay Gould." Accessed 11 Feb 2023.
  12. Missouri Law Enforcement Memorial. "William Clarence Poindexter." Accessed 11 Feb 2023.
  13. Newspaper Clippings, The Pleasant Hill Times, 26 Feb 1915, Friday, Page 1 and 8. "Battle to the Death - A Lynching Follows Officer's Murder - Page 1, Battle to the Death - A Lynching Follows Officer's Murder - Page 8." Accessed 20 Feb 2023
  14. Newspaper Clipping, Tulsa World, 15 May 1946, Wednesday, Page 4. "Baldwin, Missouri Pacific, Head, Dies." Accessed 11 Feb 2023.
  15. Newspaper Clipping, Spokane Chronicle, 21 Feb 1956, Tuesday, Page 15. "Rail Head Nominated." Accessed 11 Feb 2023
  16. The State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSMO), Russell L. Dearmonth Papers, 1929-1965. "Russell L. Dearmonth." Accessed 11 Feb 2023
  17. Newspaper Clipping, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Missouri, 27 Oct 1996, Sunday, Page 42. "Downing B. Jenks." Accessed 11 Feb 2023




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