Dave
My Griswold Branch article (it should be in your “pending publication” folder) covers the history of the Burlington’s Red Oak & Atlantic Railroad, plus about 25 other lines and proposed lines in this block of Iowa including the CRI&P’s Atlantic Southern Railway.
The Red Oak and Atlantic was originally planned to go all the way to Atlantic, and surveying was completed at least as far as Lewis. It wasn’t until after the contract was signed for the construction that the Rock Island decided to build southwards from Atlantic.
By that time, the Burlington had already purchased land at Griswold (named for a prominent CB&Q director) so that point was decided upon for the junction of the lines, and accounts for the disparity in the lengths of the two lines.
Rupert Gamlen
Auckland NZ
From: CBQ@groups.io <CBQ@groups.io>
On Behalf Of Dave Lotz
Sent: Wednesday, April 5, 2023 8:36 AM
To: CBQ@groups.io
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Red Oak & Fontanelle
The Red Oak and Atlantic was incorporated May 29, 1879, and built north to Griswold that August and completed January 17,1880, so all the Q would have had to do to get to
Red Oak from Cumberland was to connect the 14 miles to the Griswold line already in place. There is nothing between these two towns so there would have been no motivation to make the connection. Often times I've found that the Articles of Incorporation went
beyond their actual destinations intentionally. Remember that the Q and the RI had a "gentlmen's" agreement about building into each other's territory. That's why the Red Oak & Atlantic only built to a connection with the RI at Griswold.
When the track from Fontanelle to Cumberland was laid, it actually extended westwards beyond the Cumberland town centre but then went no further. The
plan was to lay a line right through to Council Bluffs and surveyors were seen along much of the proposed route. It may well be that the project was to thwart the Toledo, Oskaloosa & Western Railway (which was supported by the Central Iowa Railway) which had
similar plans to invade the territory jointly held by the Burlington and Rock Island companies. There were even reports that the Burlington had purchased the Central Iowa in a bid to stop the TO&W which started to lay track westwards from Fontanelle.
Rupert Gamlen
Auckland NZ
From:
CBQ@groups.io
CBQ@groups.io On Behalf Of alisch80
Sent: Wednesday, April 5, 2023 8:05 AM
To: CBQ@groups.io
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Red Oak & Fontanelle
Very interesting to read this! Growing up in Creston and Dad being an Engineer on the Q, I rode the North Branch with him several times in the
mid 1960s when it still went all the way to Cumberland. Over the years I have read (can't recall the source) that the Q wanted to extend the line to Atlantic to make connections with the Rock Island but this is the first I've heard of the Red Oak connection.
Thanks for the post!
Here's the pages for the western Ipwa Railroad Company
Dave
The Western Iowa Railway was incorporated in 1884 by the Burlington to extend the Creston & Northern line from Fontanelle to Cumberland, and that extension opened in April 1885. The articles also provided for a direct link to Red Oak and, apparently, a new
company to construct this extra link was incorporated in March 1885 at Des Moines. No construction took place and, so far, I have been unable to identify this latter company.
Rupert Gamlen
Auckland NZ
Attached are two pages from the CB&Q Corporate History book on the line from Red Oak to Fontanelle.
Ken
If someone wants to chase this up, they are most welcome. And it’s a bit far for me to travel to visit all the county courthouses!
I tried to identify a company that the CB&Q apparently established to build a line between Red Oak and Fontanelle in 1885, and came up against a brick wall.
Rupert Gamlen
Auckland NZ
Every Iowa county courthouse will have a transcription of the deeds in the recorder's office if the BCR&N had property in that county. Every deed will have a date.
Ken Vandevoort
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