Some years back the Missouri Historical Society in Columbia MO. had an
article in their monthly (?) book (I believe they called it the
"Review") about the Missouri and it's engineer Addison Clark of
Hannibal. They had a picture of the engine but of unknown date. It did
not appear like the engine in the Patee house as it had a balloon
stack. Also the original mail run was not from West Quincy to St.
Joseph. Some history books get that right and some get it dead wrong.
The mail came across the Mississippi River at West Quincy on Captain
Taylors ferry where it caught a train of the Quincy & Palmyra RR. It
took 23 minutes to run to Palmyra where the tracks ended at the
current Sloan/West Main Cross crossing. There it was taken by foot the
two blocks to where the Missouri and Addison Clark was waiting. (This
site was later called the "Junction" depot as Palmyra had two depots).
It wasn't until after the start of civil war that the gap was filled
between the Q&P and the H&StJ.
Anyone needing more detailed info can contact me at jjacobs@
nemonet.com for more detailed info.
Regards,
John Jacobs
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