Location: United States
Surnames/tags: Arkansas Missouri United_States_Railroads
St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway, frequently referred to as the Iron Mountain Railway, operated in Missouri and Arkansas from 1874 to 1917. The railroad connected St. Louis, Missouri, and Texarkana, Arkansas.
Contents |
Early Years
The company's beginnings can be traced back to Iron Mountain Railroad. The railway was originally established to transport iron ore from Iron Mountain, Missouri to St. Louis. The first shovel of dirt turned to begin construction occurred in 1853. Shortly thereafter, the railway began to expand. Before the war, the company lay track to DeSoto, Pilot Knob, Missouri. During the war, much of its infrastructure was destroyed. Although it rebuilt after the war, the State of Missouri foreclosed on the railway in 1866. In 1867, it was bought by Thomas Allen and reorganized as the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad (STLIM).
Thomas Allen (1813-1882) |
It is seized again for a short period, but returned to the company that same year. The company continued its expansion in Missouri with the Belmont Branch completion in 1868. In 1871, they signed an agreement with the Pullman Company for sleeping cars. Sleeping cars on railway trains at that time was a luxury designed to attract passengers by offering convenient luxurious private sleeping compartments. It is also around this time that the Cairo and Fulton of Arkansas are chartered, and there is planning between the states to connect Cairo, Illinois across Missouri and to the Texas state line in Texarkana, Arkansas. Both railroad companies linkage is completed, and on February 7, 1873, the first train from St. Louis, Missouri reaches Little Rock, Arkansas. Cairo and Fulton completed the railroad to Texarkana on January 15, 1874, providing rail serves from Cairo, Illinois to the state line of Texas in Texarkana, Arkansas.
First Missouri Train Robbery
Top row: Jesse James; Cole Younger; John Younger. Bottom row: Frank James; Clell Miller; Bob Younger. |
As the companies expand in the Midwest, the first Missouri train robbery occurs. On January 3, 1874, the James-Younger Gang robbed the train in Gads Hill, Wayne County, Missouri. The five member gang (Alexander Franklin James, Thomas Coleman Younger, John Harrison Younger and Robert Ewing Younger) made-off with $12,000 in cash, in what would become known at the Great Missouri Train Robbery. Becoming one of the most infamous crimes committed by outlaws in the American Old West.
Beginning of St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway
Iron Mountain Train Route Advertisment |
On May 6, 1874, the SLTLIM railway reorganized as the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway. As more railroad tracks are laid, the industry began to adopt a standard gauge to allow trains to operate on other railways. Before this time, there was no standard, and many trains had to stop at the point of connection with other railroad companies. The adoption of this standard and conversion in 1874 to this standard meant the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway could traverse the length of destination on other companies' railways. This was a significant event for the expansion of rail service across the United States.
George Jay Gould President of STLIMS son of Jay Gould |
With this adoption of standard gauge tracks, the railroad company attracts the attention of a railroad baron,Jay Gould, and he purchases the company along with others and began building his railroad empire. By 1883, he controls 9,547 miles of railroad lines. Under his leadership, the company continues to expand and buys the Little Rock, Mississippi and Texas Railway in 1887. Apart from the acquisitions to expand the railway, they continued to build lines to expand the company's rail service. In 1890, the Kansas and Arkansas Valley line was completed.
Jay Gould, owner of the company, died in 1892, and his son George Jay Gould takes over the company. That same year, the company started proving service to New Orleans.
Olyphat Train Robbery
Olypant Train Robbers |
By now, train robberies are fairly common in the frontier era. However, this robbery has been described as one of the greatest crimes of the 19th century. It is also the last train robbery in the State of Arkansas. On the evening of November 3, 1893, the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway train No. 51 pulled to the side of the tracks in Olypant, a small saw mill town in Arkansas. They stopped there to allow another faster train called the Cannonball Express to pass. It is a stop they had made many times before with no incident, but this time they had caught the attention of train robbers. The engineer Robert Harriet heard loud yells, whoops, and the men approaching the train, but he gave it no notice, being rural Arkansas. He thought they were just hunters returning from a successful hunt. They quickly bordered the train and began firing their guns through the roof to get the attention of passengers. Hands up!, one of them shouted as they began to loot and still from the passengers.
Unbeknownst to the robbers, the train conductor W. P. McNally was in the baggage car. A veteran train conductor, he often boasted he would never allow anyone to rob his train. Upon hearing the commotion in the front car, he began to make his way to the compartment with a loaded pistol. As he proceeded through the passenger cars, he told passengers to hide their valuables. When the robbers and McNally met, he opened fire. The outlaws shot back, struck him in the abdomen, and killed him.
Upon the train arriving at its destination, Little Rock, Arkansas, they reported the robbery. There was much outrage over the robbery and death of Mcnally, such a beloved character in the railroad business that thousands attended his funeral. The incident caused a statewide fervor to find those responsible and hold them accountable. The St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway offered a $300 reward for the capture of those responsible. The Pacific Express, owner of the Cannonball Express, and Governor Fishback, also promised rewards. In the ensuing manhunt, any "suspicious" characters were arrested and harassed all over Arkansas. The papers were filled with stories on the front page with near-captures and exciting gunfights with suspects.
Almost a year later (about 9 months), on December 1893, four major suspects were arrested: Tom Brady, Jim Wyrick, William Albert Mansker, and George Padgett. The first three were tried and convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to hanged. Padgett, who testified against the others, was spared the death penalty.
During the trial, Padgett exposed the plans of the robbery. They had been in Indian Territory peddling whiskey, when he and Brady came up with the idea to rob a train. Their intentions were to rob the Cannon Ball Express, which was carrying cash and gold from the Federal Reserve Bank. Mansker was the only member of the gang with a history of robbing trains, but it was the get-rich-quick scheme they couldn't pass up. While planning their robbery, they learned of the stop at Olyphant. After hearing that "a bunch of rich folks from Chicago" would be riding it, they quickly changed their plans and decided to target No. 51.
Brady, Wyrick and Mansker were hanged on April 6, 1894, outside the city jail in Newport, Arkansas.
Merger with Missouri Pacfic
On March 9, 1915, George Jay Gould loses control of the Iron Mountain, and the company enters receivership. It emerged from bankruptcy on May 12, 1917, and was merged with the Missouri Pacific Railway.
Legacy
No. 635, seen here in 2016 after preservation |
The company was a pioneer in the early days of the railroad industry in the Midwest. It was instrumental in the standardization of tracks to allow railroads to span across the United States on any railway connection.
Among the social forces that shaped our history, the railroad has the unquestionable biggest impact, and Iron Mountain was part of that history. During its time, its service to rural small towns of America affected every occupation and community. Agriculture, manufacturers, banking, city commerce, and just the plain life of rural town folk were all influenced by this era.
Iron Mountain ushered in prosperity to towns everywhere inland and away from river traffic that influenced so much of the growth before railroads. They offered towns anywhere the opportunity to compete and transport goods and commodities across the nation.
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