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TABLE OF CONTENTSSeries I. Beaumont Wharf and Terminal Company, 1909-1917 Series II. Cane Belt Railroad, 1907-1930, bulk 1907-1922 Series III. Concho, San Saba and Llano Valley Railroad Company, 1910 Series IV. Gulf and Interstate Railway, ca. 1909-1933, bulk 1914-1916 Series V. Gulf, Beaumont and Great Northern Railroad, 1905-1921, bulk 1916-1921 Series VI. Gulf, Beaumont and Kansas City Railway, 1891-1916, bulk 1911-1916 Series VII. Jasper and Eastern Railroad, 1906-1947 Series VIII. Port Bolivar Iron Ore Railroad, 1916 Series IX. Texas and Gulf Railway, 1907-1937, bulk 1910-1916 Series X. Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway, 1889-1963, bulk 1904-1930 Series XI. Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, 1965-1981, bulk 1965-1975 |
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Records:A Guide
Historical NoteThe Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company (AT&SF) was founded by Cyrus K. Holiday in Kansas in 1859. A line that reached from Kansas to California and from Kansas to the Gulf of Mexico was the vision of Holiday. The line stretched from Kansas City, Kansas, to Los Angeles by 1887. In 1888 the line to the West Coast from Chicago was completed. With the completion of this line attention was turned to Texas and the Gulf of Mexico. The desire to tap into the cotton and cattle markets in Texas combined with the promise of Texas as a market for Kansas wheat led the Santa Fe to seek an entry into markets in Texas and the Gulf of Mexico. To acquire the much-desired connection to the Gulf of Mexico, the Santa Fe sought to purchase a Texas line that had a connection to the Gulf. In 1886 the Santa Fe purchased the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway Company (GC&SF). The GC&SF originated in Galveston and reached Lampasas, Fort Worth, and Dallas, with branches extending to Houston and Conroe. Part of the purchase agreement was that the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe would build track toward each other and meet at Purcell, Indian Territory. Texas law at the time of this purchase required that all railroads operating in Texas have their headquarters in Texas. The principal officers, but not the president, were required to reside in Texas. As a result of this law, the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe was operated as a subsidiary of the AT&SF with its headquarters in Galveston. As the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe strengthened its hold on Southeast Texas by the purchase of additional railroads, these railroads were leased to the GC&SF who operated them as subsidiaries. The law that required Texas railroads to have their headquarters in Texas would not be changed until 1965. With this change in the law all of the lines that the AT&SF acquired and operated through the GC&SF became part of the AT&SF and lost their former identities The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway Company was chartered on May 28, 1873, to construct a railroad north from Galveston bypassing Houston. The citizens of Galveston largely subscribed the funding. Construction began on May 1, 1875. By 1879 the railroad had extended the line only sixty-three miles to Richmond. Suffering from financial strain due to the inability to purchase equipment and light traffic, the railroad was sold at foreclosure for $20,000 to George Sealy, the original treasurer. Sealy and his associates reorganized the railroad under the original charter and a vigorous building program was undertaken. By 1885 the GC&SF was operating seven hundred miles of track, but was largely dependent on local traffic. Such a situation failed to make the line financially strong. It was at this time that the AT&SF was seeking a connection to the Gulf of Mexico. George Sealy was aware of this and felt he could convince William B. Strong, president of the AT&SF, to purchase the GC&SF for a price that would be agreeable to the stockholders of the GC&SF. In March of 1886 an agreement was reached between the two railroads. In addition to the joining of the two lines at Purcell, Indian Territory, the GC&SF was to construct a line from Dallas to Paris and one from Cleburne to Weatherford. While the GC&SF was a subsidiary of the AT&SF, it was operated as a separate organization due to the previously mentioned Texas law. As the AT&SF acquired more railroads in Texas to strengthen its hold in Texas markets, they were leased to the GC&SF to operate. These railroads, while part of the GC&SF for all intents and purposes, were operated as separate companies retaining their original names. Some of these railroads were the Beaumont Wharf and Terminal Company; Cane Belt Railroad; Concho, San Saba, and Llano Valley Railroad; Gulf and Interstate Railway; Gulf, Beaumont and Great Northern Railroad; Gulf, Beaumont, and Kansas City Railway; Jasper and Eastern Railroad; Port Bolivar Iron Ore Railroad; and Texas and Gulf Railway. On August 1, 1965, Texas law was changed and the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe was merged into the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. These railroads and their records as well as those of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway comprise this collection. The Beaumont Wharf and Terminal Company was incorporated on March 26, 1897, by John H. Kirby and others to build wharves on the Neches River with tracks connecting them with outside rail lines. It was later owned by the AT&SF and connected with city tracks at the Port of Beaumont. By 1935 it had a four-mile belt railway at Beaumont and terminal trackage. On June 30, 1957, it was merged into the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway Company. The Cane Belt Railroad was chartered on March 10, 1898. The Cane Belt was needed to move large amounts of sugarcane and other agricultural products to market. The railroad ran from Lakeside to Bonus, where railroad president, William Dunovant, had a large plantation. By 1903 the railroad extended north to Sealy and south to Matagorda and Wharton. In 1931 a line was built connecting the old Cane Belt at Lane City to the GC&SF at Thompsons. On November 11, 1903, the Cane Belt was sold to the AT&SF who operated it as an independent road until April 11, 1905, when the Texas Legislature passed an act that allowed it to sell or lease the line to the GC&SF. On July 1, 1905, the Cane Belt was leased to the GC&SF and operated as such until December 1948, when it was merged into the GC&SF. Chartered on April 2, 1909, the Concho, San Saba and Llano Valley Railroad (CSS&LV) consisted of two disconnected segments that connected with the GC&SF. Between April and December 1909, the line between Miles and Paint Rock was constructed. The San Angelo to Sterling City segment was constructed between August 1909 and 1910. The AT&SF, who purchased the CSS&LV in 1910, financed the construction. The CSS&LV was leased to the GC&SF in 1914. The Miles to Paint Rock segment was abandoned April 1937. The remainder of the CSS&LV was merged into the GC&SF in December 1948. The San Angelo-Sterling City segment was abandoned in 1959. The Gulf and Interstate Railway Company (G&I) was chartered on May 19, 1894. Originally it was planned to run from Port Bolivar to the Southern Pacific line in Liberty County, however, arrangements fell through and the destination was changed to the Red River in either Fannin or Grayson County. Along with the change in route was a change in the name of the railroad to Gulf and Interstate Railway Company of Texas. The line consisted of only seventy miles of track that ran from Port Bolivar to Beaumont. The line was completed in 1896. In 1898 L. P. Featherstone and Fox Winnie, the contractors of the G&I, acquired the line. They had a plan to develop Port Bolivar as a port. In conjunction with the AT&SF the Santa Fe Dock and Channel Company was formed to build docks and track at Port Bolivar. This system of tracks and docks were sold to the G&I in 1926. The Gulf and Interstate was the only railroad in Texas to operate a ferry. Freight and passenger trains between Port Bolivar and Galveston were carried by this ferry. Portions of the G&I were destroyed by hurricanes in 1900, 1909, and 1915. The AT&SF acquired the Gulf and Interstate on January 17, 1908. The line was leased to the GC&SF on July 1, 1914. The Port Bolivar to High Island line was abandoned in 1942, another four miles on High Island was abandoned in 1968. The AT&SF absorbed the Beaumont to Stonewall line November 14, 1994. The Gulf, Beaumont and Great Northern Railroad was chartered July 30, 1898. The line was envisioned to run from the area near Sabine Pass in Jefferson County to Paris in Lamar County. The AT&SF provided the funding to build this line. Only seventy-eight miles were completed. The line began at Roganville, the northern terminus of the Gulf, Beaumont and Kansas City, and extended to Center. On March 20, 1903, the line was acquired by the AT&SF and leased and operated by the GC&SF beginning on December 1, 1903. The GC&SF also operated under lease the Gulf, Beaumont and Kansas City and the Texas and Gulf. These three railroads provided a direct line from Beaumont to Longview. The Gulf, Beaumont, and Kansas City Railway Company was charted on March 31, 1893. The line was founded as a venture by John H. Kirby to tap his vast timber interests in East Texas. The line ran between Beaumont and Roganville. In 1899 Kirby was in need of money for his lumber operations and no longer needed the railroad. The AT&SF had money and needed the lumber business. The AT&SF purchased the railroad from Kirby. The AT&SF also agreed to purchase its lumber from Kirby's mills. The line was leased to the GC&SF on December 1, 1903, and merged into the GC&SF in 1948. The AT&SF chartered the Jasper and Eastern Railroad on November 11, 1904. The line ran from Kirbyville on the GB&KC to Oakdale, Louisiana. The line was leased to the GC&SF on August 1, 1906. In 1948 the GC&SF purchased the line and merged it into the GC&SF. The Port Bolivar Iron Ore Railroad was chartered December 14, 1910. L. P. Featherstone and Fox Winnie, who owned the Gulf and Interstate, were the principal owners of the Port Bolivar Iron Ore Railroad. The line was to connect Longview with the area near Hughes Springs in Cass County. This area was rich in iron ore. The railroad was to transport the ore to Longview where it connected with the Gulf and Interstate Railway. From Longview the ore traveled to Port Bolivar, then by ship to Philadelphia. The line was to have been fifty miles long, but only thirty miles between Longview and Ero were built. On July 1, 1914, the GC&SF leased the line for a five-year period. World War I halted extension of the line, and it was abandoned in 1927. The Texas and Gulf Railway was chartered September 14, 1904. The Texas and Gulf had five predecessor companies. The railroad constructed a line between Timpson and Grigsby from 1905 to 1907. The Gary to Center segment was constructed between 1907 and 1909. The Texas and Gulf was acquired by the AT&SF April 1, 1906, and leased to the GC&SF. The Texas and Gulf was merged into the GC&SF in 1948. Sources:
Return to the Table of Contents Scope and ContentsThe records of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF) consist of the records of the AT&SF and ten other railroads that became part of the AT&SF in Texas and Louisiana. The records cover the AT&SF primarily in Southeast Texas and Louisiana. Areas covered include: Beaumont to Port Bolivar, Beaumont to Silsbee, Galveston to Temple, Matagorda to Sealy, Sealy to Temple, Temple to Sterling City, Somerville to Silsbee, Silsbee to Longview, Silsbee to Oakdale, Louisiana. Other towns covered include Paint Rock, Miles, and Lampasas. The records range from 1889 through 1981. The range of dates is not continuous for all railroads. The bulk of the material is from 1889 to 1930 and from 1965 to 1979. The records are contained in fifteen manuscript boxes, three oversize boxes, and space in Garrett Bay D, GO 35/3. The materials include Interstate Commerce Commission, Division of Valuation Notes; fieldwork books, chaining notes, transit books, valuation chaining notes, valuation summaries, bridge inspection books, mainline books, relocation notes, encroachments and landlines, construction diaries, crushed stone and shell loading log, side track records, and two blueprints. The records are divided into twelve series: Beaumont Wharf and Terminal; Cane Belt; Concho, San Saba and Llano Valley Railroad; Gulf and Interstate; Gulf, Beaumont and Great Northern; Gulf, Beaumont and Kansas City; Jasper and Eastern; Port Bolivar Iron Ore Railroad; Texas and Gulf; Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway; Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway; and an oversize series. The first series is the Beaumont Wharf and Terminal Company. The series consists of Interstate Commerce Commission Division of Valuation Complete Notes and a fieldwork book. The valuation notes contain a brief history of the line, a map of the entire line with details of sections of the line, and an inventory. The second series is the Cane Belt Railroad. This series consists of chaining notes, which contain drawings of track and trackside structures and plats of towns; fieldwork books contain information on encroachments, with names of property owners, drainage levels, station surveys, and other work along the railroad. Bridge inspection books list bridges by milepost, type of bridge, and condition of the bridge. The third series is the Concho, San Saba and Llano Valley Railroad. The series is composed of two chaining notebooks. One for each of the two disconnected sections that composed the railroad. The books contain drawings of track and trackside structures. The fourth series is the Gulf and Interstate Railway. The series is composed of valuation summaries, sidetrack records, Details of buildings north of Bolivar, telephone line record, highway crossing record, bridge inspection books, and an index to field books. The valuation summary contains drawings of track, trackside structures, and a detailed list of railroad property mile by mile. The summary includes number of ties, weight of rail, number and size of fence posts and gauge of wire; telephone poles with number of wires. The side track record contains details of sidetracks. Details of buildings north of Bolivar contain detailed three-view drawings of buildings and the current and previous location of the buildings on the line. This book would be very helpful for anyone researching the architecture of the railroad's buildings. The telephone line record contains details of telephone lines along the right-of-way, while the highway crossing record details the crossings along the railroad. The bridge inspection books list bridges by milepost, type of bridge, and the condition of repair of the bridge. The index to fieldbooks indexes various work on the railroad to the field book that contains a record of the work. However none of the books in the series appear to be listed in this index. The fifth series is the Gulf, Beaumont and Great Northern Railroad. The series consists of chaining notes, valuation chaining notes, and fieldwork books. The chaining notes contain track diagrams and drawings of trackside structures. The valuation chaining notes are similar to chaining notes with the exception that an itemized list, by mile, of all railroad property is included. Fieldwork books contain track diagrams and drawings of trackside structures at various points. The sixth series is the Gulf, Beaumont and Kansas City Railway. The series is composed of preliminary transit books from 1891, 1893-1894. These are possibly the original survey books of the railroad. While there are no drawings of track or trackside structures, they do illustrate the terrain (types of trees, hills, and swamps) and features such as roads, creeks, and rivers. These books are an excellent source of information for those researching the geography of the land. The series also includes chaining notes, valuation chaining notes, fieldwork books, and an iron pipes book. The chaining notes, valuation chaining notes, and fieldwork book are similar to those described in the other series. The iron pipes book contains information on pipes that cross under tracks at various locations. The seventh series is the Jasper and Eastern Railroad. The series is composed of valuation chaining notes, fieldwork books, and bridge inspection books. The valuation chaining notes contain a listing by mile of railroad property, track diagrams, and drawings of trackside structures. The fieldwork books contain track diagrams and drawings of various trackside structures. Bridge inspection books list bridges by milepost, type of bridge, and state of its repair. The eighth series is the Port Bolivar Iron Ore Railroad. The series consists of one chaining notes book from 1916. The book contains track diagrams and drawings of various trackside structures. The ninth series is the Texas and Gulf Railway. The series contains a resurvey book, relocation notes, chaining notes, encroachments and landlines; drainage areas, Texas and Gulf buildings book, and bridge inspection books. The resurvey book is book number one of a 1910 resurvey of the railroad, relocation notes contain information on the changing of locations on the railroad, and chaining notes have track diagrams and drawings of various trackside structures. The encroachment and landlines book contains plats of encroachments on railroad property with the property owners' name, track diagrams and drawings of various trackside structures. The drainage area book contains drawings of areas of drainage, usually around bridges. The building book contains drawings of buildings with a bill of materials for each of the buildings featured. Bridge inspection books list bridges by milepost, the type of bridge, and state of repair. The tenth series is the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway. The series consists of chaining notes, federal valuation notes, valuation department books, mainline books, fieldwork books, maintenance of way books, bridge numbering book, and bridge inspection books. The chaining notes contain track diagrams and drawings of various trackside structures; federal valuation notes and valuation department books contain track diagrams, drawings of trackside structures, and a detailed inventory of railroad property per mile. The mainline books are similar to fieldwork books but pertain to the mainline only. These books contain track diagrams and drawings of various trackside structures. The maintenance of way books contain drawings of various work projects, track diagrams, and drawings of trackside structures. The bridge numbering book lists old and new bridge numbers by location and milepost and type of bridge. The bridge inspection books give location by milepost, type of bridge, and state of repair. The eleventh series is the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The series contains fieldwork books and construction diaries. The fieldwork books contain drawings of various railroad projects. The projects include resurfacing programs, grades, curves, bridge profiles, track inventories, and pre-inventories. The construction diaries detail the construction of a hopper washer in Temple, a new timber treating plant at Somerville, the TOFC (Trailers on Flatcars) facility in Houston, and mechanical facilities at Silsbee. The twelfth series is the oversize series. This series contains a crushed stone and shell loading log, side track records, and two blueprints. The loading log lists crushed stone and shell loads by car number from 1938 to 1948. The side track records contain no drawings, but describe the track by track number, weight of the rail, and frog numbers for turnouts. The blueprints are for a bridge and its ravine section. Return to the Table of Contents
Return to the Table of Contents RestrictionsAccessOpen for research. Literary Rights StatementPermission to publish, reproduce, distribute, or use by any and all other current or future developed methods or procedures must be obtained in writing from Special Collections, The University of Texas at Arlington Library. All rights are reserved and retained regardless of current or future development or laws that may apply to fair use standards. Return to the Table of Contents
Return to the Table of Contents Related Material
Return to the Table of Contents Separated Material
Return to the Table of Contents Administrative InformationProvenanceThe Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Records were found by Sid Cavanaugh of Professional Polish, Inc. in the vacant Santa Fe freight depot at 1401 Jones Street, Fort Worth, Texas. The Santa Fe hired Professional Polish, Inc. to clean the depot and dispose of its contents. All records and memorabilia were deemed "trash" by the railroad. Anyone desiring the records was welcome to have them. Mr. Cavanaugh presented the records to Mrs. Dee Barker of the Tarrant County Historical Commission. The records were presented directly to Mrs. Barker and not the Historical Commission. Since the records fell outside of the collecting policy of the Tarrant County Historical Commission, she offered the records to UTA's Special Collections Division. The records were received on August 8, 1990, and acknowledged by Dr. Gerald Saxon on August 21, 1990. Marcelle Hull accessioned the records. CitationAtchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Records, AR425, Box Number, Folder Number, The University of Texas at Arlington Library Special Collections. AcquisitionGift; 1990. Processing InformationFinding aid prepared by Gary N. Spurr, April 2000. Return to the Table of Contents Note to the ResearcherThe condition of the books varies. Many of the books from the late-1800s and early-1900s exhibit foxing, worm holes, water damage and the paper is becoming brittle. Some of these earlier volumes have covers that have become detached. These books should be handled with care as they are quite fragile. Many of the books from the 1960s and 1970s have both covers detached and the binding is coming apart. These should also be handled with care. The two blueprints have been encapsulated. Return to the Table of Contents Appendices List
The above items are from The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway System Timetables, October 1, 1927 from the Gary Spurr Collection. Return to the Table of Contents Container List
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