Missouri Pacific in Fort Smith Part 1: Introduction

Transcription

1 Volume 32, No. 4 December 2018 Official Monthly Publication of the ARKANSAS-BOSTON MOUNTAINS CHAPTER NATIONAL RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Chapter No. 188 founded in DIRECTORY OF OFFICERS President Bob Stark Vice President Al Kaeppel Secretary Malcolm Cleaveland Treasurer Gary McCullah Nominations Bill Merrifield Dist.7 Nat. Director Ken Eddy Nat. Representative Jim Gattis Editor Mike Sypult Missouri Pacific in Fort Smith Part 1: Introduction Atlantic 5511 leads an Iron Mountain passenger train in Fort Smith, Dec James H. Westbay photo Page 1 - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER December 2018

2 HOW THE MISSOURI PACIFIC CAME TO FORT SMITH By Mike Sypult In 1817, Fort Smith became the first US military installation located in the Southwestern frontier, named after General Thomas Smith. The fort was established in order to contain the bloody border struggle between the Cherokee and Osage Indian tribes. Located at the confluence of the Arkansas and Poteau Rivers, the fort was strategic in keeping the peace in the region. The fort was later abandoned in 1824, but by that time a town founded by John Rogers was formed alongside the fort. The fort was re-occupied and expanded in Travel to Fort Smith from Little Rock on the unpredictable Arkansas River was difficult at best. At points, the river was shallow and bedrock jutting into the river halted traffic at certain locations. Because of this, it became necessary for soldiers travelling to the fort from Little Rock to travel by land. Between 1824 and 1827, US Congress passed a series of bills enabling construction of military roads in the Arkansas frontier, all converging at Fort Smith. Military engineer Lieutenant James L. Dawson was tasked to complete the first 20 miles of road connecting the two cities along old Indian trails along the south banks of the Arkansas River. After passage of the Road Survey Bill of 1824 by President James Monroe and congress, the US Army Corp of Engineers was given authority to improve these Indian trails which were little more than rugged paths. These improvements meant cutting trees, removing stumps and making the road effective for wagon travel. This federal highway system became to be known as the Military Road. Over time, this overland trail would become a pipeline of wagon traffic bringing soldiers and supplies to Fort Smith. Meanwhile, first railroad in North America (the Baltimore & Ohio) began operations in By 1852, in St. Louis, the first train west of the Mississippi inaugurated westward railroad development. In 1858 the first railroad was constructed in Arkansas, the Memphis & Little Rock Railroad (later Rock Island), from what is now West Memphis. Arkansas became the 25th state of the United States on June 15, From the time Arkansas seceded from the Union on May 6, 1861, railroad construction The first Little Rock & Fort Smith Railroad depot located at First and Mulberry Streets in downtown Fort Smith. Ca John Dill Collection Page 2 - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER December 2018

3 1892 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of downtown Fort Smith showing the first Little Rock & Fort Smith depot (right) at Mulberry and N. 1st Street and the new Garrison Avenue station (left). - John Dill collection came to a standstill. The only significant railroad construction to take place during the conflict was the westward extension of the Memphis & Little Rock line to DeValls Bluff on the White River. THE LITTLE ROCK & FORT SMITH RAILROAD On April 12, 1869, what had been known as the Fort Smith Branch of the Cairo and Fulton Railroad had its charter renewed and became known as the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad. Construction of this line began on March 20, 1869, on the north side of the Arkansas River. A freight yard and depot were also established there, roughly the area of presentday 4th and Poplar streets in downtown North Little Rock (Pulaski County), which was then the unincorporated community of Argenta. On May 28, 1870, the Cairo and Fulton Railroad began construction of its main line at modernday 11th and Main streets in North Little Rock. With these lines and the Memphis and Little Rock just to the east, the early seeds of a major railroad center in North Little Rock were planted. From the Encyclopedia of Arkansas By 1873, the Little Rock & Fort Smith had reached Russellville. The first LR&FS train is said to have reached Van Buren on June 24, 1876 and tracks were constructed into the Cherokee Nation ending at what we now call Moffett (across the Arkansas River west of Fort Smith), then called Cherokee. The Cherokee Nation managed to get the tracks in their lands removed in early 1879 and that's when the first transfer boat was placed on the Arkansas River at Van Buren. When the Frisco arrived at Van Buren it built tracks into Fort Smith (ca.1883) alongside the LR&FS tracks and used their transfer boat. THE JAY GOULD ERA ( ) In 1880, New York millionaire Jay Gould ( ) acquired the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway for $2 million in In 1882, Gould purchased the Little Rock & Fort Smith Railway, adding it to the Iron Mountain empire to form the largest railroad in Arkansas at the time. Gould s ownership of the railroad was through the Missouri Pacific, which he had purchased in Missouri Pacific owned a controlling share of the stock in the Iron Mountain system by 1881 through an exchange of stock, and in another fifteen years, after Gould s death in 1892, it would retain sole ownership, although the two railroads did not come under the same company name until When the Frisco bridge across the Arkansas River at Van Buren into Fort Smith was finished in 1886 Gould s Iron Mountain used it as well. When Gould expanded across Indian Territory the railroad was known as the Kansas and Arkansas Valley Railway, not the Iron Mountain. The first train ran on this new line August 13, A couple of years later the track Page 3 - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER December 2018

4 was again re-laid down to Cherokee (Moffett) and the Iron Mountain Helen Gould bridge from Indian Territory to Fort Smith was completed in Jason "Jay" Gould ( ) At some point around 1890, a handsome new Garrison Avenue Iron Mountain station was constructed. Jay Gould died in 1892 and his son, George, took over the Iron Mountain. A 23-mile branch to Greenwood was completed in In 1901, the Iron Mountain took control of the Arkansas Central (Fort Smith to Paris) and then proceeded to build a 6-mile belt-line around the city in 1903 known as the Fort Smith Suburban Railway. The official intent of this line was to encourage industrial development of the city, but may have been Gould s attempt to prevent other new railroads from building. With the 1917 purchase of the Iron Mountain the Missouri Pacific Railroad had arrived in the city. By 1927, the Missouri Pacific operated 1,810 miles of track in Arkansas, representing more than thirty-five percent of the state s total mileage, with an assessed value of almost $39 million. The MoPac empire in Fort Smith would continue to grow in 1939 with the abandonment of Fort Smith & Western trackage in the city and later in 1964 with the purchase of the Muskogee Road s Midland Valley Rail- An 1878 Corps of Engineers map showing the first location of the Little Rock & Fort Smith depot across the Arkansas River in Cherokee, Indian Territory. Tracks would be temporarily removed in John Dill Coll. Page 4 - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER December 2018

5 An undated view in downtown Fort Smith showing #9606 switching a truss-rod wooden Missouri Pacific boxcar. Notice the brakeman on top of the car (right). - Fort Smith Museum of History collection road. One exception to expansion was the 1958 abandonment of 12 miles of the Greenwood Branch to Buell Switch. RISE AND FALL MoPac passenger train service ended in the city in 1960 and by the late 1960s, the Garrison Avenue Station was razed would see removal of the Helen Gould Bridge due to the Kerr-McClellan Arkansas River navigation project. The Missouri Pacific would once again access Fort Smith via the Frisco s Van Buren Arkansas River Bridge. This agreement would continue until the merger with the Union Pacific in 1982 and eventual lease to Pioneer Railcorp s Fort Smith Railroad in Van Buren ultimately was selected for a major yard and roundhouse. Over the next several issues of the ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER, join us as we explore the history of the Missouri Pacific in and around Fort Smith. From the steam to diesel era, the building of the Helen Gould Bridge and the Fort Smith Suburban, to the Union Pacific merger and ultimately lease to the Fort Smith Railroad shortline, this series of articles and historic photos will bring a bygone era back to life. The Missouri Pacific/Iron Mountain s presence in Fort Smith is noteworthy, but unlike the Frisco, the line did not directly pass through Fort Smith. Just to the north, Page 5 - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER December 2018

6 October 4, 1885 Official Guide - Bill Pollard collection Page 6 - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER December 2018

7 1883 Poor s Manual of Railroads showing the Little Rock & Fort Smith Railway - Bill Pollard collection Page 7 - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER December 2018

8 1885 map showing the Little Rock & Fort Smith as well as the branches to Paris and Greenwood. - Portal of Texas History The October 16, 1887 Official Guide entry now showing the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railway under Missouri Pacific and Jay Gould control. - Bill Pollard collection Page 8 - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER December 2018

9 ABOVE: Iron Mountain Ten-Wheeler #7511 rests by the Fort Smith depot in this undated photo is a 1901 product of Brooks Locomotive Works in Dunkirk, New York. BELOW: With the old Fort Smith officers quarters building in the background, we see Arkansas\Cherokee Nation boundary sign. The Iron Mountain lines in downtown Fort Smith were technically not in the State of Arkansas until the Cherokee Nation granted the land to Arkansas on February 10, Both photos Fort Smith Museum of History Page 9 - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER December 2018

10 Possibly taken in Fort Smith, this undated photo shows finely dressed men with an Iron Mountain coal car. - Fort Smith Museum of History The editor would like to thank Dr. Louis A. Marre, Dr. Bill Pollard and John Dill for assistance with this issue. Every effort is made to provide accurate and complete information in THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER Monthly Newsletters. Please send corrections to arkyrail@outlook.com. We welcome your input! Page 10 - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER December 2018

11 Ft. Smith Missouri Pacific Railroad History Timeline - Page 1 ( ) Compiled by Mike Sypult (arkyrail@outlook.com) - updated December /25/1853 Little Rock & Fort Smith Branch of the Cairo & Fulton Railroad chartered 4/12/1869 Name changed to the Little Rock & Fort Smith Railroad 3/20/1869 Construction begins from North Little Rock westward toward Fort Smith 6/12/1875 Name changed to Little Rock & Fort Smith Railway 6/24/1876 First LR&FS train from Little Rock reaches Van Buren and Cherokee, I.T. 1/30/1879 LR&FS Railway enters Fort Smith via Arkansas River car ferry from Van Buren 1880 New York millionaire Jay Gould ( ) gains control of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway Company 3/23/1885 Ft. Smith and Van Buren Bridge Company created 2/9/1886 Frisco s Arkansas River Bridge at Van Buren opens for rail traffic used by IM Feb LR&FS Railway purchased by Jay Gould 2/18/1889 Iron Mountain s Greenwood Branch opens from Ft. Smith to Greenwood, AR Jan LR&FS leased by StLIM&S (Iron Mountain) Ca Iron Mountain Garrison Avenue passenger station built 5/27/1891 Iron Mountain s Helen Gould Bridge opens across the Arkansas River at Ft. S 8/1/1892 Railway Post Office service started, with inauguration of Little Rock & Fort Smith RPO 12/2/1892 Jay Gould dies son George takes over 4/29/1897 Arkansas Central Railroad incorporated Ft. Smith to Paris, AR (47 miles) 1/25/1899 Ft. Smith & Western Railroad Company chartered (217 miles) 5/1/1900 Arkansas Central completes line to Paris, AR 2/9/1901 Arkansas Central now controlled by Iron Mountain 7/29/1902 Fort Smith Suburban Railway incorporated - Iron Mountain controlled April 1903 Fort Smith Suburban Railway begins construction of a 6.6-mile belt line in FS 5/4/1903 Iron Mountain formally purchases the Fort Smith Suburban Railway Mid-1903 FS&W begins depot operations at 10 th and Garrison Avenue in Ft. Smith 6/4/1903 Midland Valley Railroad incorporated to Wichita, KS (364 miles) - Ingersoll 11/16/1907 Indian Territory becomes the State of Oklahoma 4/9/1910 Ft. Smith & Van Buren Railway Company incorporated April 1910 Iron Mountain s Garrison Street Station remodeled 1/29/1912 New train, Kansas City-Hot Springs Special placed in service (Trains ) 8/2/1914 MP s KC-Hot Springs Special, trains , discontinued 8/19/1915 Iron Mountain enters receivership 4/6/1917 United States declares war on Germany enters World War I 12/28/1917 United States Railroad Administration assumes control of most US railroads 5/12/1917 Missouri Pacific Railroad Company absorbs the Iron Mountain Page 11 - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER December 2018

12 Ft. Smith Missouri Pacific Railroad History Timeline - Page 2 ( ) Compiled by Mike Sypult (arkyrail@outlook.com) - updated December /11/1918 Armistice agreement signed ending World War I 3/1/1920 USRA control ends Nov New Midland Valley brick depot opens at 404 Parker Avenue July 1921 Inauguration of the Rainbow Special passenger train 5/11/1922 Million Dollar Free Bridge in Fort Smith opens - Garrison Avenue to Oklahoma 1/4/1925 MP trains # replaced with unnamed trains # (Kansas City-Fort Smith- Little Rock-Monroe-New Orleans) Jul 1925 MP trains # named The Southerner 1932 FS&W builds new brick depot at South A and South 11th Streets 5/6/1933 MP declares bankruptcy 1/19/1939 Ft. Smith and Western Railway ceases operations 8/17/1939 Ft. Smith and Western Railway abandoned 9/30/1939 MP begins operations on former FS&W tracks in Ft. Smith 9/20/1940 Dedication of Camp Chaffee US Army military base 12/8/1941 United States enters World War II 3/25/1942 First troop train arrives at Camp Chaffee with 600 men 6 th Armored Division 9/2/1945 Japan surrenders ending World War II 1951 MP s Helen Gould Bridge raised over 5 feet 3/6/1954 MP s Kansas City-Little Rock Pullman (line 3327) discontinued, last MP Pullman through Fort Smith 5/30/1954 MP s Rainbow Special replaced by unnamed daytime locals # MP retires all remaining steam locomotives 1956 MP reorganized ends receivership 1956 Fort Smith Suburban formally merged into the MoPac 7/21/1958 Ft. Smith to Greenwood, AR MP line abandoned Buell Switch to Greenwood 3/28/1960 Last run of MP passenger trains in Fort Smith 9/25/1964 Midland Valley sold to MoPac s Texas & Pacific Railroad 4/1/1967 Midland Valley merged into MoPac s Texas and Pacific Railroad 1968 Midland Valley formally merged into the Missouri Pacific System 1968 Excelsior to Panama segment abandoned by MP former MV January 1971 Helen Gould bridge removed McClellan Kerr River Navigation project 10/15/1976 Texas and Pacific Railroad merged into the MP 12/22/1982 Missouri Pacific merged into the Union Pacific Railroad 1990s Midland Valley depot razed now location of US Attorneys Building 7/7/1991 Union Pacific leases Van Buren to Paris line to the Fort Smith Railroad August 1995 Ft. Smith Railroad abandons Fort Chaffee to Paris, AR line (31 miles) Page 12 - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER December 2018

13 Triple Surprise in Oklahoma By Jim Gattis Looking at Google Earth while preparing for a railfan side-trip, one shadow from a string of cars on the Hollis & Eastern was baffling. The others were obviously center-beam flat cars; but what was creating the unusual appearance of the flat car on the right end? Multiple surprises await a visitor to the area. 1st Surprise: The car from the October 2017 aerial photo is still there, over a year later. 2nd Surprise: The mystery car is a vintage (and very far from home) Seattle, Portland & Spokane flat, complete with the ultimately-failed automatic car identification (ACI) barcode plates from the 1970s. 3rd Surprise: The first impression of the appendage on the end flat car? It looks like a concrete septic tank! But it has what appear to be a hose and shut-off valve connected to the base. And there was a fourth surprise the roadbed was in amazingly good condition for a shortline branch. Page 13 - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER December 2018

14 The NRHS News solicits chapter news items or announcements, info and photos about ongoing projects, special chapter events, and even any interesting railfan photos. Send them, along with name of photographer, to or NRHS News c/o Charles S. Williams 4712 Brushy Mountain Road Moravian Falls, N.C If by , then please submit high resolution photos as attachments to an , NOT in the body of a text document. CLICK HERE to read the December 2018 NRHS News Page 14 - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER December 2018

15 In Memoriam Robert Charles "Bob" Oswald, age 89, died November 26, He was born in Melrose Park, Illinois to Robert Clifford and Mildred Dunteman Oswald. He retired from Shell Mining Company as a Senior Staff Minerals Geologist and moved to the Fayetteville, Arkansas area from Houston, Texas in Bob was a 65+ year Mason and a member of Cypress Lodge No of Cypress, Texas, the York Rite, and University City Chapter No. 495, OES. An avid railroad fan, he was a Director of the National Railway Historical Society from 1987 through He enjoyed being a Conductor on the Arkansas and Missouri Railroad as well as playing percussion in the Ozark Mountains British Brass Band for several years. He served as an Engineering Officer on a U.S. Navy destroyer during the Korean War and was a member of the USS DeHaven Sailors Association and the Tin Can Sailors. Bob was also a member of the Scottish Society of Northwest Arkansas and the First Presbyterian Church of Springdale. Bob is survived by Annie, his loving wife of 64 years; two sons and daughters-in-law, Robert Clifford and Mary Oswald of Colorado, and Andrew and Shannon Oswald of Texas, and one daughter and son-in-law, Rebecca Oswald and Hikmet Luleci of Oregon; and two granddaughters, Lily Oswald and Molly DuCharme. Bob was a charter member of the Arkansas Boston Mountains Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society and provided several presentations to the chapter meetings over the years. He was a prolific timetable collector and compiled a work entitled Timetables of Northwest Arkansas. As a young man, Bob briefly worked for the Milwaukee Road in the Chicago area, and in retirement, worked for the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad excursion train as a conductor. Bob will be truly missed by our NRHS chapter. Highball Bob! May your rails be straight and signals clear to the final terminal in the sky. J.P. Bell photo Page 15 - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER December 2018

16 ABMT NRHS CHAPTER MINUTES November 15, 2018 Meeting of the Arkansas-Boston Mtn. Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society at the Reilly McCarren Transportation Museum, A&M Depot, Springdale, AR. Chapter address: PO Box 1303, Springdale, AR Website: Meeting was called to order at 7:08 PM by the V-P, Al Kaeppel. 13 members were present. October minutes were approved. There was one visitor, Hugh R. Harris, the Membership Administrator for National. Hugh recently moved to Elkins. He had a presentation on why people should join National, something our leadership has been advocating. Basically, more members make National stronger and better able to carry out its missions of preserving historical rail material and encouraging the present generation to continue the railroad legacy through rail camp attendance. Jim Gattis spoke in favor of support of National because the organization has been reformed to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Gary McCullah, Treasurer: There is $2, in checking, Edward Jones money market about $30,000. The 2-year CD is $50,000 with 2.8% APR. The Secretary said that the list Scramblers that the Editor, Mike Sypult, is missing, has been given to UofA Special Collections to get these scanned and added to the chapter website. Bill Merrifield is ill and Bob Oswald is in the hospital. Old Business: The V-P reiterated that the Xmas Party train leaves at 6:30PM sharp (get there early) and he must get paid reservations (cash or check made out to ABMT ) before you can rest assured that you have a seat on the Train. He would like to see a good crowd because it s a fun tradition. Al s address if you have to mail him is 3831 Tara St., Springdale, The train will depart at 6:30PM on Dec. 20 from the A&M Depot, but arrive early. You must also notify him of your selection of entree and dessert, choices: chicken marsala or prime rib; cobbler or chocolate cake. The food will be better than last year and will be served hot. Adult beverages will be available. We will have the usual Chinese gift exchange, with gift value to be no more than $15. The Children s Christmas charity fund-raising event will be held Saturday, Dec. 1 (last year about $25,000 was raised). A signup sheet was passed around again for morning and afternoon participation. The annual train show by the Sugar Creek club will be held at the Benton County Fairgrounds. To get there: take exit 85, Hwy 12 West, go about 5.5 miles, it is at the crossroads in Vaughn. Signs will be out. The building is nice. New Business: Lynn Cleaveland wondered if the chapter could make a contribution to the Children s Christmas charity, in keeping with the spirit of the season. After discussion a motion was made and passed to contribute $100. Jim Gattis spoke about the possibility of sponsoring a local rail camp attendee with a full or partial scholarship. Some of the information on the website needs updating. Train Talk: Gary said there is a documentary available on building a refrigerator car. Jim Gattis said there is a rail museum in Cassville, MO. Programs: January will be Mike Sypult Frisco Bentonville Branch. February will be Nicolas Ybarra. Business meeting adjourned about 7:40. Program Don Bailey O. Winston Link, out of New York City, famous RR photographer of steam on the Norfolk & Western, last Class I RR to convert to diesel. O. Winston Link: What a Picture I Got. Many night pictures illuminated by many flash bulbs because he could control the lighting. Malcolm Cleaveland, Secretary Page 16 - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER December 2018

17 MEETINGS: Meetings of the membership are open to the public on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00pm at the ADA compliant Reilly P. McCarren Railroad Museum at the Arkansas & Missouri Depot located on Emma Avenue in downtown Springdale, Arkansas. Meetings in winter months are not held when the Springdale public schools are closed due to inclement weather. Visitors are welcome at all chapter meetings. UPCOMING 2019 SPRINGDALE PROGRAMS: December 20-6:30pm Annual Christmas Train - Christmas Party January 17 - Frisco s Bentonville Branch by Mike Sypult February 21 - Nick Ybarra - The Frisco 4524 and Railroad Historical Museum in Springfield, MO QUESTIONS: Call or us at info@arkrailfan.com WEBSITE: SUBMISSIONS: Send content (articles, stories, photos) for the monthly SCRAMBLER newsletter to Mike Sypult, editor arkyrail@outlook.com DEADLINE for the next SCRAMBER is the 9 th day of each month. MEMBERSHIP: Local chapter membership is $12 per year. Please make checks payable to ABMT NRHS. Regular membership for the National Railway Historical Society is $50 per annum and Family Membership is $54 per annum. Please refer to the NRHS website for complete details. Page 17 - THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER December 2018