Kansas Pacific Railway
March 1869 to Union Pacific Railway in January 1880 (locomotives renumbered in 1885)
This page was last updated on March 6, 2010.
Constructed as Union Pacific Eastern Division; changed to Kansas Pacific in March 1869; operation Kansas City to Denver commenced in October 1870
Additional Information:
- Denver Pacific History page
- Kansas Pacific Locomotive Roster
- Union Pacific Eastern Division Locomotive Roster
Chronology History
February 1, 1855:
Organized as Leavenworth,
Pawnee & Western; chartered by Act of Congress on July 1, 1862 (no construction completed)
June 6, 1863:
Name changed to Union Pacific Railway Eastern Division
Union Pacific Eastern Division
June 6, 1863:
Leavenworth,
Pawnee & Western changed to Union Pacific Railway Eastern Division
September
7, 1863:
Groundbreaking ceremony in Wyandotte (Kansas City), Kansas
Original charter was to build to 100th Meridan and a connection with Union Pacific
November-December 1863:
UPED received its first locomotive, named "Wyandotte", built by Rogers, number 1119
1864:
UPED received its second locomotive, named "Delaware", built by Norris, purchased secondhand
November 28, 1864:
First excursion train, Wyandotte, Kansas to Lawrence, Kansas, 38 miles. (Deseret News, January 4, 1865)
December 1964:
UPED received its third locomotive, named "Pottowattamie", from commission merchant M. K. Jessup Company which in turn purchased the locomotive from Union Pacific; built as one of Union Pacific's first locomotives as "Lt. General Grant" in 1864 by Danforth, Cooke, number 383
July 3, 1866:
Charter changed by an amendment to the original Congressional charter of 1862, to change destination from 100th Meridan, to build its route westward along 39th Parallel from Fort Riley to Denver, via Smoky Hill River; then north to a connection with Union Pacific at Cheyenne
August 22, 1868:
Westward construction completed to Sheridan, Kansas (later Lisbon) (construction stalled until late 1869)
March 3, 1869:
Name changed to Kansas Pacific Railway
Kansas Pacific Railway
March 3, 1869:
Union Pacific Railway Eastern Division changed to Kansas Pacific Railway
October 1869:
Westward construction resumed from Sheridan, Kansas
March 1870:
Eastward construction started from a connection with Denver Pacific in Denver (DP completed between Cheyenne and Denver in June 1870)
August 15, 1870:
Westward construction and eastward construction met at Comanche Crossing, Kansas Territory
September 1, 1870:
Formal operation began between Kansas City and Denver
October 3, 1870:
Completed to downtown Denver's passenger depot
March 7, 1879:
Jay Gould and his associates agreed to purchase controlling interest in the Kansas Pacific Railway, which had been in receivership since November 1876. (New York Times, March 7, 1879) The control took the form of Gould making a deal with the road's bondholders to settle all their claims and guarantee payment on the bonds. (New York Times, March 9, 1879) This action came after Union Pacific and Kansas Pacific had tried several times since 1875 when Gould had controlled UP, to reach agreeable terms for rate and traffic sharing.
January 24, 1880:
Merged with Union Pacific Railroad and Denver Pacific Railway to form the new Union Pacific Railway
Union Pacific Railway
***
Sources:
- Union Pacific ICC corporate history, page 122
- Colorado Railroads, by Tiv Wilkins, via Norm Metcalf
- Crofutt's New Overland Tourist and Pacific Coast Guide, 1882, via Jim Hill
***
