Randolph County, Missouri - Chapter 21: Transportation, 1920

STEAMBOAT TO HANNIBAL AND GLASGOW - SUPPLIES HAULED OVERLAND - NORTH MISSOURI RAILROAD IN 1858 - RAILROAD BUILDING SUSPENDED DURING CIVIL WAR - CHICAGO & ALTON BUILT IN 1871 - WABASH RAILROAD AND ITS BRANCHES - THE MISSOURI, KANSAS & TEXAS - RAILROAD PROSPECTS IN CONTEMPLATION.

Randolph County, as we have seen, was organized in 1829. By this time or shortly thereafter, steamboats began to run more or less regularly on both the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Goods and groceries, such as sugar, tea, coiTee, hardware and other necessaries, were obtained by the merchants of Randolph County either from Hannibal or from Glasgow. Glasgow, being the nearer, was the usual shipping point where produce was shipped and merchants received goods bought in St. Louis or farther east.

The ability to obtain necessary supplies and hardware material aided in the improvement and development of the county. Emigrants coming into the state had their choice to come overland by wagon or they could come by boat to Hannibal or Glasgow and thence to their destination by land. '

In the year 1858, the North Missouri Railroad leading from St. Louis, nort?.west and north, was built into Randolph County, entering the county near its southeast corner, thence northwest to a point three miles south of the city of Moberly, and thence north to the town of Allen, where it crossed the state road leading from Huntsville to Paris. This road was extended the same year northward to Macon City, being completed to that point where it connected with the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad in February, 1859. The building of the North Missouri Railroad through the county put Randolph County on the map as a railroad county.

The war between the states known as the Civil War or War of the Rebellion began in April, 1861. During the four years that this unhappy struggle continued, railroad building, and indeed every constructive enterprise, was halted. Directly after the close of the war projected lines of railroad so halted by the war, many of them were speedily constructed The projected line from Moberly westward to Kansas City was constructec between the years of 1865 and 1868. The projected railroad from Hannibal to Moberly was constructed and completed between 1869 and 1872 and shortly thereafter in the same or following year the railroad first known as the Tebo and Neosho, afterward the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad, was extended south through Fayette and Boonville to Sedalia and from thence south to Texas. About the same time, or shortly thereafter, a branch line was built northwest from Brunswick, following along the valley of the Grand river through the cities of Chillicothe, Gallatin and on to Pattonsburg, where it connected with the Omaha, Quincy and Kansas City Railroad.

In 1871 the Chicago and Alton Railroad Company constructed its line of railroad westward from Mexico through Randolph County and from thence westward to Kansas City. With the completion of these several roads and branch lines all constructed within the fifteen years elapsing between 1858 and 1873, Randolph County had probably a greater mileage of railroads than any inland county within the state. At the present day that part of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad extending from Moberly to Hannibal is used by both the Missouri, Kansas and Texas and the Wabash railroads.

From Moberly the Wabash railroad and its branch lines extend to St. Louis, Hannibal, Ottumwa, Des Moines, Iowa, to Kansas City westward and to Omaha in the northwest. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas likewise operates its trains to and from Hannibal and from Moberly south to the Gulf of Mexico. The Chicago and Alton railroad enters Randolph County east of Clark, passes through Clark, Higbee and Yates, and from thence into Howard County and on to Kansas City through Glasgow.

Prior to the entry of the United States into the World War the Santa Fe and Burlington systems of railroiad had determined to build a line of railroad from Carrollton, Missouri, through Randolph County to Mexico, Missouri, where it would connect with the Burlingrton road extending from

Mexico to St. Louis. It was further determined by the Burlington Railroad Company that this company would build a line of railroad from ornear Monroe City, southwesterly through Monroe County and through the city of Moberly to a junction point of said roads about five miles southwest of Moberly and much of the right-of-way for these railroads had already been acquired, prior to the declaration of war by this government against the German Empire.

That these railroads will be ultimately built seems a certainty. The grade of these roads, established by their engineers, does not exceed three per centum throughout their length.

It was further projected by the Burlington road that a like grade would be obtained between Monroe City and Quincy, Illinois. By this line the distance from Chicago to Kansas City over the Burlington road would be shortened thirty or thirty-five miles, and the grade so obtained would enable said railroad to economically compete with any railroad now operating from Kansas City to Chicago, the Santa Fe included.

When these roads are completed, as they will be, Randolph County will be a veritable railroad center and will have direct lines of railroad radiating in every direction and that too over the shortest lines.