Hidden History of Jefferson City by Michelle Brooks

Author:Michelle Brooks [Brooks, Michelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, United States, 19th Century, 20th Century, State & Local, General, Midwest (IA; IL; IN; KS; MI; MN; MO; ND; NE; OH; SD; WI)
ISBN: 9781439672983
Google: RhM0EAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Published: 2021-07-19T02:41:16+00:00

Map of locations associated with the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Michelle Brooks.

The night before the big day, a significant rain fell, putting greater pressure on the incomplete bridge. So, when the fourteen cars filled with prominent business leaders and politicians attempted to cross, the bridge gave way. Even the morning paper of November 1, 1855, reported “some uneasiness has been expressed as to the safety of the road.” The next day’s paper reported, “The magnificent train of cars…is now a mass of ruins.” The tragic accident resulted in thirty-one deaths and nearly a year’s delay in completion.298

The first successful train arrived in the Capital City on March 12, 1856, traversing the 125 miles in seven hours. It was greeted by the original depot, which included a covered and gaslit transfer lane to the Packet line steamboats headed west on the Missouri River. The transportation advancement saved a traveler nearly thirty-six hours in a trip to the Kansas state line from St. Louis.299

The railroad line connected St. Louis to Kansas City in the fall of 1865 with forty-four regular stops. In 1867, Jefferson City residents had donated land in what is now the Millbottom for an engine house and repair shop, commonly referred to as “the old rookery.” Eventually, a roundhouse and several other support structures and services were built on the north side of West Main Street, east of Harrison Street.300

For at least half a century, Jefferson City was a stop on a main artery connecting the nation. It connected trade like livestock, mineral deposits and local crops. It shipped the mail—up to sixteen mail trains a day in 1930. It sent soldiers to war, bringing many of them home.

And it brought people together, including the 1946 arrival of British prime minister Winston Churchill and President Harry Truman on their way to Fulton for the historic “Iron Curtain” speech.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.