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    Nebraska's Cowboy Rail Line
    Nebraska's Cowboy Rail Line
    Nebraska's Cowboy Rail Line
    Ebook183 pages45 minutes

    Nebraska's Cowboy Rail Line

    By Keith Terry

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    About this ebook

    Nebraska’s Cowboy Line existed for nearly 125 years and covered more than 400 miles as it made its way across the northern portion of the state. The construction of the rail line, which started in 1869, was the impetus for the establishment of many towns, and even the relocation of some, along the route. The line was employed to transport miners to the Black Hills during the gold rush of the late 1800s, it carried thousands of Irish and German immigrants to the largely unsettled area, and it allowed politicians to meet their constituents. It also was used to deliver necessities, amusements, technology, and new innovations to the state’s citizenry.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateJun 15, 2009
    ISBN9781439636619
    Nebraska's Cowboy Rail Line
    Author

    Keith Terry

    Keith Terry is a faculty member in the Department of Communication at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. His first book, Nebraska’s Cowboy Trail: A User’s Guide, documents the sights, sounds, and history of the former Cowboy Line in its reincarnated form as a recreational hiking and biking trail. The photographs contributed for use in this book came from private collectors, retired railroad employees and their families, and local historical societies.

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      Book preview

      Nebraska's Cowboy Rail Line - Keith Terry

      there.

      INTRODUCTION

      This pictorial history of the Cowboy Line in northern Nebraska was intended to be primarily about people; those who worked for the various railroads that owned the line over the years and those who used the services provided by those companies. Some material in this book focuses on employees who operated trains, crews who constructed and maintained the lines, and individuals who provided auxiliary support related to rail service. Other parts highlight significant events such as shipments of goods, educational displays, patriotic occasions, and celebrations that were made possible for community members because of the trains. Not only do the images or text here document the dependability of the railroad’s people and the power of their machines but some accentuate the fragile and vulnerable nature of the railed road. There is little doubt that for many years those in the region needed the railroad for supplies, news, entertainment, and transportation, but over time, and for many reasons, the strength of that need diminished.

      All of the photographs in this book were taken between 1880 and 1950 and came from libraries, museums, personal collections, and family albums. Some were contributed by children or spouses of railroaders, others by collectors of railroad memorabilia, and some who wanted to ensure that their towns’ histories were remembered. Considering the nature of photography during the 70-year period the images document, an event captured on film, or even glass plate, must have been seen as significant to the photographer. During this time, film was not cheap, it often could not be processed locally but had to be mailed to a developing lab, and it might take weeks before it was returned. The author of this book believed that any photographs provided that were not commercial in nature were taken for very important reasons and that it would be important to bring to light the details of the events depicted. A commercial photograph, for example, would be a generic shot of a bridge, depot, or landscape and would often be printed on a postcard. Many of the noncommercial photographs that were contributed for use in this book were dated and, in some cases, the contributor could explain what the photograph documented. For many others, the event that was captured had long been forgotten as were the month, day, and year it occurred. Dating these were much more challenging and required close examination of the content of the photographs, including the styles of clothing worn by subjects, the brand and models of vehicles, and the season of the year. Once dates for these were narrowed, the author travelled to the Nebraska State Historical Society and searched the library/archives for newspaper accounts, assuming that if the event was important enough to photograph, a newspaper reporter might also have been present and written a story.

      The Cowboy Line originated in eastern Nebraska in Fremont then traversed north, and then west to Norfolk. From there, it continues in a northwesterly direction to O’Neill and Valentine and then west to Chadron. From that point, it travelled slightly southwest, passing through Crawford, Harrison, and others before entering Wyoming. In total, it covered 458 miles. This book details only the portion of the railroad contained within the boundaries of the state of Nebraska. The Cowboy Line was constructed by the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad beginning in 1869 and was completed 17 years later in 1886. The Chicago and Northwestern Railway Company eventually purchased the line from the builder and provided vital service for several decades. Then in 1958, after several legal battles and for a variety of reasons, passenger service ended. In 1992, train service ended altogether. Since that time, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has been responsible for developing the former railroad corridor into a hiking and biking trail. This includes removing the iron, ties, and stone filler and replacing it with compacted crushed limestone. So far, about 160 miles of what is now called, the Cowboy Trail, are open for users to enjoy.

      Space does not permit the attribution of every historical source relied on to research the line’s development. However, readers should know that material was gathered from a large number of community, county, and regional historical publications. Some of these were: A History of Cherry County, Nebraska by Charles Reece; A History of Stanton County, Nebraska by Meroe J. Outhouse; A Sandhill Century, Book 1, The Land edited by Marianne Brinda Beel; Dawes County, The First 100 Years by Patricia M. Pinney; Early History of Norfolk, Nebraska and Madison County by Edward Albert Landgraf; Footprints on the Prairie, Inman-Stafford Community History Including South Valley compiled by Sarah O’Donnel Michaelis; History of Antelope County 1883–1973 by the Antelope County Historical Society History Committee; History of Cuming County by E. N. Sweet; History of the Elkhorn Valley, Nebraska by C. H. Scoville; Nebraska Our Towns, Central & North Central coordinated by Jane Graff; Nebraska Our Towns, North Northeast coordinated by Jane Graff; Nebraska Our Towns, The Panhandle coordinated by Jane Graff; Recollections of Sheridan County Nebraska compiled by the Sheridan County Historical Society; Rock County Nebraska Centennial 1888–1988 by the Rock County Centennial Book Committee; Sioux County History, The First 100 Years 1886–1986 by the Harrison, Nebraska Community Club; The History of Antelope County Nebraska 1868–1985 by the Antelope County Historical Society; The History of Hay Springs, Nebraska and the Surrounding Area, the First 100 Years, 1885–1985 by the Hay Springs Centennial Book Committee; and Those Who Came Before Us, A History of Rock County Compiled During the Centennial Year 1976.

      One

      THE NEXT STOP IS

      The Cowboy Line stretched for more than 400 miles, from the eastern part of the state to the extreme western border, passing through many communities that existed before its arrival or sprang up shortly after iron was set in place. Most of these towns still exist, but several that were once whistle-stops on the route, such as Arabia, Thacher, Irwin, and Bordeaux, have nearly or completely disappeared from modern maps altogether. With a few exceptions, most of the towns on the route were historically never really very large, having populations counted in the tens or hundreds rather than thousands. A history of the development of the line is presented here to provide the reader with some context regarding the importance of the line to people in the region, who saw it as the impetus for settlement, industrial advancement, and economic development.

      FREMONT. The Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad (FEMV) came into being on January 20, 1869. Construction on the line, which would eventually reach more than 400 miles in

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