Original Train Depot Warrensburg, MO Built in 1864
Missouri Pacific Railroad (mopac.org) - The Pacific Rail Road was completed on July 4, 1864 to Warrensburg.
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| No. 152 Missouri Pacific traveled through Warrensburg, Holden, Knob Noster, Centervew continuously. |
In the year 1864, the Pacific Railroad was completed to Warrensburg, and on the national birthday of the same year the stars and stripes floated over the newly completed depot, raised on high by the hand of George S. Grover, the first agent. The road had pushed on to Holden and Kingsville in 1865, but Warrensburg was the end of a division, and also the nominal terminus for a considerable time. This being the nearest railroad connection with the east, for a wide scope of country, immense quantities of freight were shipped to this point. Six or eight cars of merchandise per day was not considered above the average. Twenty or thirty freight teams at the same time were frequently seen crowding around the station to bear away lumber, farm utensils, provisions and all other kinds of merchandise needed in a new country, transporting it to Clinton, Butler, Harrisonville, Nevada, Ft. Scott, Montrose and other points south and west. A daily stage line for passengers and express connected with Lexington, Clinton and Kansas City. The station house was completed July 4, 1864, the main building being 125 feet long and 30 feet wide, with a platform about 300 feet in length. There are three apartments, the ladies sitting room, gentlemen's sitting room, baggage and freight room, besides the ticket and telegraph office. The track in front of the depot and for some distance east and west of the same, has a grade of 75 feet per mile, descending towards the west. The express business, from the completion of the road in 1864, till January 1, 1880, was managed by agents of the United States Express Company, now by wheat, 185 cars: stone, 766 cars. The average number of carloads of stone will annually reach 800, though sometimes far exceeding this estimate.
During the year 1873, over 1,400 cars of quarried stone were transported to St. Louis. To proceed with our estimate for 1881: Cattle, 100 cars; wool, 5 cars; sheep, 5 cars; scrap iron, 3 cars; logs, 6 cars; apples, 5 cars; corn, 43 cars; hogs, 155 cars. George S. Grover, who took charge of the railroad agency in July 1864, is the son of Col. B. W. Grover, who was the chief of that movement in 1852, which obtained for Johnson County the location of the Missouri Pacific R. R. through its fertile fields. In the fall of 1867, Mr. John Conroy became agent and held that position till June 24, 1872, when E. T. Pennington assumed the same duties. During the agency of Mr. Conroy, one Sunday evening in the fall of 1867, a daring robbery of the safe was perpetrated. The robbers presented a revolver, leveled at the head of the agent and demanded his keys to the safe, from which they took the sum of $800. Aside from the above, no robbing or pilfering about the depot has existed to any noticeable extent. The present employees are, E. T. Pennington, agent; V. B. Pinkston, clerk; James Lynch, baggage-master; J. I. Middleton, day operator; W. C. Morton, night operator.
In 1865
During the year 1873, over 1,400 cars of quarried stone were transported to St. Louis. To proceed with our estimate for 1881: Cattle, 100 cars; wool, 5 cars; sheep, 5 cars; scrap iron, 3 cars; logs, 6 cars; apples, 5 cars; corn, 43 cars; hogs, 155 cars. George S. Grover, who took charge of the railroad agency in July 1864, is the son of Col. B. W. Grover, who was the chief of that movement in 1852, which obtained for Johnson County the location of the Missouri Pacific R. R. through its fertile fields. In the fall of 1867, Mr. John Conroy became agent and held that position till June 24, 1872, when E. T. Pennington assumed the same duties. During the agency of Mr. Conroy, one Sunday evening in the fall of 1867, a daring robbery of the safe was perpetrated. The robbers presented a revolver, leveled at the head of the agent and demanded his keys to the safe, from which they took the sum of $800. Aside from the above, no robbing or pilfering about the depot has existed to any noticeable extent. The present employees are, E. T. Pennington, agent; V. B. Pinkston, clerk; James Lynch, baggage-master; J. I. Middleton, day operator; W. C. Morton, night operator.
In 1865
On July 4, 1851, at St. Louis, Missouri, groundbreaking for the Pacific Railroad Company marked the beginning of what would later be known as the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company (1849-1872), becoming the first railroad west of the Mississippi River. The first section of track completed in 1852. It was the first railroad to serve Kansas City, reached in 1865, after construction was interrupted by the American Civil War.
In 1866, there were four different trains going through Warrensburg. There was the Express Train, the Mail Train, the Thro' Freight and the Stock Train. The mail train left St. Louis in the morning with the morning newspapers and all westbound mail. It had the right of way over all other trains and eastbound trains had to see that the track was clear for the mail. The reverse was true for the freight trains they always had to yield.
In 1868, the railroad did a lot of shipping. One such product was of hemp grown by D. W. Marr. He shipped 7200# that he had raised on his 9 acres. Of course, another commodity was mules.
As soon as the depot went up the scramble was on to move closer to the anticipated railroad. The railroad expanded the population from about 900 in 1860 to 2945 in 1870.
By Overland Mail
ATLANTIC INTELLIGENCE
Dates from St. Louis to May 24th
And our citizens.
From the Kansas City Journal of May 19th (1864)
President Taylor, Vice President Garrison, and Engineer McKissock, of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, met the Council and a number of our citizens yesterday morning, in the Council room, to consult in regard to the interest of that road (railroad) as connected with our city. President Taylor made in an informal but very interesting address to the meeting. He alluded to his previous visit to the city, some years ago, and to the bright prospects of the road at that time to the season of depression which had followed, caused by the rebellion, and to the era of a renewed prosperity which was again dawning upon the road. He spoke in warm terms, acknowledging the valuable assistance which our members of the Legislature had rendered in securing the passage of the law which had enabled the company to go forward to the rapid completion of the road. He gave the meeting some interesting items of what the company had done since the passage of the bill. They had immediately procured the rails and had been exceedingly fortunate in doing so, for iron had not become impossible to get. They had also procured the chairs and spikes for the road. Foreseeing the necessity for a large addition to the rolling stock of the road, they had contracted for twenty first-class locomotives at a cost of $400,000, and also for 120 cars. They had put on a large force of workmen and had already completed the road to Knob Noster.
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| Typical Railroad Labor Force 1860-65 Matthew Brady Photo |
They had procured a large number of additional laborers from Canada, who were now arriving on the line of the road. He and the officers of the road who were with him had been authorized by the Board to come to this city and to complete arrangements for the location of the road through this city to the State line (Kansas), as to connect with the Union Pacific Railroad. Tyler, Garrison and McKissock have returned to this city, and we learn were successful in all their negotiations excepting the locating of the road along the levee in Kansas City; not deeming themselves authorized to accept or decline the proposition, submitted the same for the action of the Board of Directors. We learn that the Committee, after leaving Kansas City, visited the line of the road, and were highly pleased with the great progress shown along with the whole work. The parties interposing obstacles to the road's progress through their lands, near Independence, met the Committee and arranged to their mutual satisfaction all matters in dispute, so that there are only two or three cases involving the right of way unsettled, and these are where miners are interested, and proceedings under the law must be invoked. With Colonel Jacob Hall, whose farm is greatly damaged, the Committee found no difficulty in arranging, and indeed all the parties were exceedingly affable.
The road from Kansas City to Independence is nearly ready for the rail, and every effort will be made to open it to travel on the 4th of July (1864) at which time the eastern division of the Union Pacific Railroad, extending from Kansas City to Lawrence, would be celebrated.
 Railroad construction workers, 1860's, Andre Russell |
We learn that the Committee visited the Union Pacific Railroad, and, as far they examined, report that its construction is of a substantial character. The bridge over the Kansas River is being rapidly constructed, the piles being in and part of its superstructure laid. All the heavy work in Jackson County, east of Independence, is being vigorously prosecuted, as well as the heavy work near Holden. The abutments over the Post Oak, west of and adjoining Warrensburg are nearly finished, and it's the Engineer and Directors substitute trestle work, which can be readily and safely done, the laying of the rail need not be delayed the whole distance of thirty miles to Pleasant Hill.
The iron is laid as far as Crawford's Fork of the Blackwater, west of Knob Noster, and the bridge already framed is on the ground and will be put up this week, when the laying of the rail will be resumed, and the road opened to Warrensburg by the 25th of the ensuing month. The whole line is alive with men, and the Committee, we learn, was entirely satisfied with the progress made. The construction of the whole road from Knob Noster, where the cars now run, is under the entire direction of Garrison, and unless something occurs interfering with the men now on and being daily added to the work, he expects to open up the road to Pleasant Hill by the 10th of September, and the whole road by the first of the ensuing year. The extension and completion of this great work is principally confided to Garrison, Taylor and McKissock, the Directors having provided for everything necessary to aid them in the work. With Garrison's known energy, Taylor's financial and executive ability, and McKissock's intelligent zeal, we hope to see this work consummated before the close of the year.
Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 28, 23 January 1865
Union Pacific Railroad Celebration.
The opening of the Union Pacific Railroad from Kansas City to Lawrence, Kansas, was celebrated on Monday, the 19th (1865), in a very agreeable way at Lawrence. There were present some two hundred people from Kansas City and Wyandotte, who met their neighbors of Lawrence and vicinity in one of the public halls of the last-named city. A meeting was organized with John Speer as Chairman, and a speech of welcome ill behalf of Lawrence was made to the guests from abroad by Sydney Clarke, member elect to Congress from Kansas. T. D. Thatcher, of Kansas City, then addressed the meeting, remarking, among other things, that the construction of the road to that point puts Lawrence practically in railroad communication with New York, for the completion of the last link of the Pacific road, between the towns of Warrensburg and Independence may now be assumed as the work of but a few months. You are aware that a continuous broad gauge railroad line now stretches from New York to St. Louis, so that the merchant can ship a carload of goods at New York, lock the door of the car and not have it opened again until it reaches the Mississippi river at St. Louis; and the passenger, when once fairly aboard at St. Louis, need not change cars until he reaches New York. The greatest drawbacks to pleasant traveling, and to the safe and rapid transit of goods by railroads, are thus done away between those two great centers, respectively, of Eastern and Western commerce. This road will soon put you in direct connection with St. Louis, and when once you can take the cars here for St. Louis direct over the Pacific road, the roundabout northern route, by way of Leavenworth and St. Joseph will be most effectually "played out." On the 21st the citizens of Lawrence visited Wyandot and were handsomely entertained. These demonstrations are interesting, for the evidence they give that the people of Kansas and Missouri are assuming toward each other those fraternal relations which should have existed from the beginning. St. Louis Republican, December 22. (1864)
New York Times
THE PACIFIC RAILROAD.; First Train Through from St. Louis to Kansas City railroad Excursion Party.
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Saturday, Sept 30. (1865)
The first through train from St. Louis over the Missouri Pacific Railroad, reached here this morning, bringing the following distinguished persons; D.H. Gomson, Vice-President; Thomas McKissock, Superintendent of the Pacific Road; Thomas A. Scott, Vice-President of the Pennsylvania Central; H.J. Jewett, President Ohio Central; John D. Perry, President Union Pacific; A. Green, New-York; J.M. Davidson, Saratoga; Jas. Fisher, M.O. Partridge and, Giles F. Filley, of St. Louis; J.P. Usher and lady, and Samuel Stinson and lady. This party will proceed on an excursion over the Union Pacific Railroad to Lawrence, Kansas, this afternoon, and return to-morrow. The Missouri Pacific Road is now in complete running order its entire length, and regular through train will commence moving on Monday next.
By July 1858 the Pacific Railroad was completed the 160 miles to Tipton, Mo., then the end of the line from St. Louis. Tipton was also the eastern terminus for a new overland mail service to San Francisco. This service, called "The Overland Mail', made its initial eastward stagecoach run from San Francisco on September 16, 1858, arriving at Tipton on October 10. At Tipton, the mail and passengers were transferred to a waiting Pacific Railroad special train for the run to St. Louis. The time from San Francisco to St. Louis was 24 days, 18 hours and 26 minutes, about 10 days faster than the old Isthmus of Panama route.
During the Civil War, raids were made against all of the Missouri railroads and great damage was done. The most serious one on the Pacific was that led by Sterling Price in the fall of 1864. Bridges, buildings, tracks and rolling stock were destroyed all the way from Franklin to Kansas City. Early in 1864, rails, locomotives and cars had been taken by Missouri River steamboats to Kansas City and construction eastward from that point started. The line from Kansas City to Independence (Kansas City's first railroad) had been opened to the public on August 1, 1864, but even this disconnected section did not escape Price's fury.
Repairs to the damaged property were ultimately completed and the railroad resumed construction. On September 19, 1865, the last spike was driven connecting the two parts of the railroad, and the next day a train was run through from Kansas City to St. Louis, leaving at 3:00 a.m. and arriving in St. Louis at 5:00 p.m.
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In 1852 Benjamin W. Grover, who was elected as state governor, introduced a bill to authorize the construction of a railroad. The bill was passed and in 1852 citizens started to work on the new railroad.
When people heard about our town being on the route, they started to come and settlers homesteaded every acre of land for miles around the county. Because the railroad caused so much growth, they had an election for a mayor. The election took place on the first Monday of April in 1856, and Dr. John Foushee won.
The railroad brought four large stores that sold groceries, dry goods, hardware, and merchandise. In 1864 Warrensburg also frequently hauled freights from the Warrensburg station to trading posts because we were the last connection to the railroad for many towns around. Six to eight cars of merchandise per day were received and twenty or more freight teams worked on hauling the merchandise farther west and south to the towns of Clinton, Butler, Harrisonville, Nevada, and Fort Scott.
On July 4, 1864 a flag waved over the Missouri Pacific Depot in St. Louis, because it had been connected to a town in the west; Warrensburg.
The railroad went through Sedalia in 1861 and stopped because of the Civil War. It came to Warrensburg in 1864 and went on to Kansas City in 1865. The first depot was made out of wood but burned down in 1889. The next one was built in 1890 out of sandstone in the architectural style known as Richardsonian Romanesque. This depot is present today but has been enlarged and remodeled. in 1984 the baggage section and the loading platform were added. Sometime after 1930, the large arch window on the east was changed to a doorway when water drainage problems came.
In the 1950s the new diesel engine came through and remodeling was done to prepare for it. In 1962 the freight office was enclosed in glass, the ceiling was replaced, new lights were put in, a new tile floor was put in, and the whole place was painted. However ten years later, in 1972, it was closed from public use.
The train changed Warrensburg in big ways. It increased the population and growth of the town and helped us travel and get supplies. The train has also made Warrensburg a little better known because it carried Harry S. Truman through Warrensburg, and it carried the world series through here in 1985 on its way to St. Louis.
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| May 10, 1869 The ceremony for the driving of the golden spike at Promontory Summit, Utah on May 10, 1869; completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad. At center left, Samuel S. Montague, Central Pacific Railroad, shakes hands with Grenville M. Dodge, Union Pacific Railroad  |
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