Nodaway County, Missouri - Chapter 31: Railroads, 1882

Saint Louis And Pacific Railroad

The smoke of the great civil conflict had scarcely disappeared, when the citizens of Nodaway County began to agitate the subject of securing important railroad facilities. Early in the spring of 1866, a mass meeting of the citizens was called in the town of Maryville, to take into consideration the feasibility of submitting a proposition to the people, to vote in bonds, the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars to the St. Joseph and Iowa line, and the Alexandria, Bloomfield and Rockport Railroad Companies. Much enthusiasm was manifested at that meeting, and so determined were the citizens to push forward the enterprise of aiding these companies in building their roads through the county, that the initial steps were immediately taken to have the proposition submitted.

"Ordered by the County Court, that Nodaway County subscribe the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars for the purpose of building or aiding in building the following railroads through Nodaway County, viz :

First - The sum of seventy-five thousand dollars to the railroad known as the St. Joseph and Iowa Line Railroad, from north to south, on the valley of the One Hundred and Two River, on the most practicable route through said county

First - Run east and west through said county near the center and to pass within one mile of Maryville in said count)-. The work on said road to commence in good faith within eighteen months from the date of this order, but if either of said railroad companies shall fail to commence work within the time specified, then the whole amount of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars to be given or subscribed to the company which shall in good faith, first commence the work in the time specified. The said amount of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, to be paid

Fourth, and last installment to be paid upon the completion of the whole road, or roads (as the case may be, under this order), ready for the rolling stock, said road, or roads, to be completed within five years from the first day of January, 1867. L;

It is further ordered, that the County Court of said county, shall raise the said amount by taxation, on the taxable property of said county, by annual installments, not exceeding one-third annually, and no assessment of same be made until one or both of said companies have commenced work as heretofore specified ; and it is further ordered, that the foregoing proposition be submitted to the legal voters of this county for their approval or rejection, on the' 16th day of June, 1866, and that the tickets for said election shall be as follows : " For Railroad Tax." Those voting in the affirmative to write or print the word "Yes," and those voting in the negative will write the word "No."

The proposition was submitted to a vote of the people, who signified their assent by a large majority. The railroad companies, however, to whom the people were willing to contribute so liberally, made no effort to build the roads, and nothing more was done in the matter until in September, 1867, when another proposition was submitted to vote bonds of one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars to each of the two following roads : The Missouri Valley and the Mississippi and Missouri River Air Line Railroads.

Ordered, that a special election be held on the tenth day of September, A. D. 1867, for the purpose of ascertaining whether two-thirds of the qualified voters of this county assent to a subscription by the county of one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars to the capital stock of the Missouri Valley Railroad Company, and one hundred and twentyfive thousand dollars to the capital stock of the Mississippi and Missouri River Air Line Railroad Company, on the following conditions :

First. Of such subscription, there shall be paid to the Missouri Valley Railroad Company, when the road of such company shall be completed with the cars running thereon to a point in the valley of the One Hundred and Two River, opposite to Howard's Mill, in Nodaway County, forty thousand dollars. When said road shall be completed in like manner to a point in said valley opposite to and within a distance of one mile from the court house, in the town of Maryville, in said county, forty-five thousand dollars ; and when said road shall be so completed to the Iowa line, forty thousand dollars. Said road to be so completed to the point opposite to the town of Maryville, by the first day of May, A. D. 1869, and to the Iowa line by the first day of May, 1870.

Second. Of such subscription, there shall be paid to the Mississippi and Missouri River Air Line Railroad Company, whenever the road of such company shall be completed, with the cars running thereon to a distance of eight miles within Nodaway County, forty thousand dollars ; when said road shall be so completed to a point within one mile of the court house in Maryville, in said county, forty-five thousand dollars, and when said road shall be so completed through said county, forty thousand dollars. Said last named road to be so completed through the county in five years from the date of this order.

Third. Should the assent of two-thirds of the voters be given at such election to the subscription above proposed, then no subscription shall be made by said county, under the proposition heretofore submitted and adopted by the voters of this county on the 6th day of June, A. D. 1866.

Fourth. At such election the voters assenting to the foregoing subscription, shall write or cause to be written on their respective ballots : " For the railroad subscription," and those against such such subscription shall cause to be so written or printed the words : "Against the railroad subscription."

Fifth. The judges of the election, aforesaid, shall cast up the votes then given, for and against such subscription, and return the same to the Clerk of the County Court, as in the case of other elections as provided by law.

On the 25th day of March, 1869, the court formally subscribed the sum of one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars to the Missouri Valley Railroad Company, as will be seen from the following order:

WHEREAS, On the sixth day of August, 1867, it was ordered by the court, that a subscription for one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars ($125,000) to the capital stock of the Missouri Valley Railroad Company, be submitted to the qualified voters of Nodaway County, for their assent, adoption or rejection, at a special election to be held for that purpose on the 10th day of September, 1867, and which was assented to by them in the manner provided by law, by a two-thirds majority ; and,

WHEREAS, The same was accepted by the said Missouri Valley Railroad Company, on the second day of October, 1867, which acceptance was received and ordered filed, and the receipt acknowledged on the nth day of November, 1867; and,

WHEREAS, The said subscription was never formally made by this court, or by its authority, therefore, be it ordered that the clerk of this court subscribe the sum of one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars ($125,000) amounting to twelve hundred and fifty (1250) shares of the capital stock of the Missouri Valley Railroad Company, in the name of Nodaway County, on the conditions of the propositions adopted by the voters of said county, on the 10th day of September, A. D. 1867, assenting to a subscription by Nodaway County to the capital stock of said company ; and it is further ordered, that the several payments of said subscription be made in the bonds of Nodaway County, to be issued and made payable, one-fourth thereof in two years, one-fourth in three years, one-fourth in four years, and one-fourth in five years, from their respective dates, and to bear interest at the rate of seven per cent, per annum from date.

Now, know ye, that in consideration of said order, and in consideration of the premises, I, Joseph Jackson, Clerk of the said Nodaway County Court, do hereby, in the name of and for the use of Nodaway County, subscribe to the capital stock of the said Missouri Valley Railroad Company, the sum of $125,000 for 1,250 shares of the stock of said company, which said stock is submitted to the capital stock of said company upon the following conditions, that is to say: First - Of said subscription, there shall be paid to the said Missouri Valley Railroad Company, when the railroad of said company shall be complete, with the cars running thereon to a point in the valley of the One Hundred and Two River, opposite to Howard's Mill, in Nodaway County, State of Missouri, $40,000 ; when said railroad shall be completed in like manner to a point in said valley of said river opposite to and within a distance of one mile of the court house, in the town of Maryville, in said county, $45,000, and when said road shall be so completed to the Iowa State line, $40,000 ; said road to be completed to the point opposite to the town of Maryville by the 1st day of March, 1869, and to the Iowa State line by the i*t day of May, 1870.

It being further understood and agreed that the said several payments of said subscription are to be made in the bonds of Nodaway County, to be issued and made payable, one-fourth in two years, onefourth in three years, one-fourth in four years, and one-fourth in five years from their respective sales, and to bear interest at the rate of 7 per cent, per annum from date.

In witness whereof, I, Joseph Jackson, clerk as aforesaid, hereby subscribe the name of said County of Nodaway, and for its use and benefit, by the authority aforesaid, this 25th day of March, 1869.

On the 25th of May, 1869, a motion was made before the county court, asking the court to reconsider its order subscribing the bonds, which motion was sustained. On the 10th of February, 187 1, the court revoked its order, and instructed the county treasurer not to pay the railroad bonds which had been subscribed, or any part thereof, and authorizing Herren & Rea, attorneys, Savannah, Missouri, to defend upon the part of Nodaway County, in the Supreme Court, the cause at that time being about to be transferred to that court.

On the 25th of September, 1871, the following peremptory writ of mandamus was issued by the Supreme Court of the State, requiring the County Court of Nodaway County to issue the bonds :

Whereas, The Kansas City, Saint Joseph and Council Bluffs Railroad Company, a corporation organized under the laws of Missouri, did lately petition your court,, to issue forty thousand dollars in the bonds of the County of Nodaway, in payment of so much of subscription of said county to the capital stock of the Missouri Valley Railroad Company, to all the powers, rights and privileges of which last mentioned company, the said Kansas City, St. Joseph and Council Bluffs Railroad Company claims to be entitled, and whereas, heretofore, to wit, at a session of the Supreme Court of Missouri, held at the city of St. Joseph, the third Monday of February, 1871, it appeared upon the petition of the said Kansas City, Saint Joseph and Council Bluffs Railroad Company among other things, that at a session of said County Court, lately before holden according to law, that said application was rejected, and said county court refused to issue said bonds.

Wherefore, the said Supreme Court, at the instance of said petitioner, granted a rule, requiring the justices of said County Court, to show cause, if any they had, why a writ of mandamus from said Supreme Court, should not be awarded and issued to said County Court commanding it to issue said bonds ; and, whereas, at said session of said Supreme Court, held at said City of St. Joseph, on the third Monday of August, 1871, said justices certified and filed a return to said rule, showing the reasons why said bonds had not been issued ; and, whereas, afterwards, to wit, at the term last aforesaid of said Supreme Court, upon consideration of said returns of the causes shown therein, against the said rule being made absolute, and against the awarding and issuing of said writ of mandamus, and upon the consideration of the arguments of counsel, it was considered by said Supreme Court, that said returns set forth an insufficient cause for having refused to issue said bonds, and against the awarding and issuing of the said writ of mandamus; and it was also then and there considered by the said Supreme Court, that the peremptory writ of the State of Missouri issue, requiring and commanding you, the said County Court, to issue said bonds. Therefore, you are hereby commanded and enjoined immediately after the receipt of this writ, and without delay, you proceed to issue said forty thousand dollars of the bonds of said County of Nodaway, in payment of so much of the subscription of said county to the capital stock of the Missouri Valley Railroad Company, that said bonds be issued and delivered to the said Kansas City, St. Joseph and Council Bluffs Railroad Company ; said bonds to bear date the first day of January, 1S71, at the rate of seven per centum per annum from date, said interest to be paid annually, so that complaint be not again made to the said Supreme Court, by the said last mentioned railroad company, and that you certify certain obedience and due execution of this writ to said Supreme Court, to be held in said City of Joseph, on the third Monday of February next. Hereof fail not at your peril, and have you then and there this writ.

In testimony whereof, I, Litt. R. Lancaster, Clerk of said Supreme Court, have hereunto set my hand and affixed my official seal at office, this 25th day of September, 187 1.

The Kansas City, St. Joseph and Council Bluffs Railroad was completed to Maryville in the fall of 1869, and to the Iowa line in the winter of 1870.

The Wabash, St. Louis And Pacific

This railroad was called, at the time of its construction, the Council Bluffs and St. Louis, and was built entirely by private subscription.

In the fall of 1878, the citizens of Maryville met at Union Hall in mass convention, for the purpose of raising a cash subscription of fifty thousand dollars. These meetings continued for the space of about one week, and embraced among those in attendance a large number of ladies, who manifested great interest in the success of the railroad project, which was then being considered.

The Council Bluffs and St. Louis Railroad Company required of Maryville the amount above mentioned (fifty thousand dollars), in money, and required from the county, outside of Maryville, the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars, or one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars from the city and county, the subscription from the county to be paid in produce. Altogether, in cash and produce, there was raised about one hundred and sixteen thousand dollars, fifty thousand of which was cash.

This amount secured the railroad, whose company began work immediately, and so rapidly was the enterprise pushed forward that the railroad now known as the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific, was completed by the 24th day of October, 1879, with its cars running upon the road.

The depot of this road is located in the northwest part of Maryville, about a half a mile from the court house. The depot of the Kansas City, St. Joseph and Council Bluffs Railroad is located one mile east of the court house.

Since the completion of the first railroad, in 1869, to Maryville, the population of the city has almost doubled. The town has now assumed something of the appearance of a city, and is regarded as one of the best business centers in Northwest Missouri. Its rapid increase in wealth, business and population being largely, if not altogether, attributable to the influence of its two railroads - the Kansas City, St. Joseph and Council Bluffs and the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific.