At a little office of Luther Challis.
On North 2nd Street, just behind the present location of Town & Country Tires.
Atchison men. Atchison money. Atchison’s vision.
 
Compiled by Jack Hayslett

Cyrus K. Holliday's Atchison and Topeka Railroad
company stirred slightly during the Civil War. The four years of inaction following the companies organization terminated in two events which changed the character of the road. Holliday convinced his associates that they should build west in the direction of Santa Fe, a change of plans indicated by the adoption of the corporate title Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe. At almost the same timeKansas granted the company three million acres of land if it would build a continuous line to the western border of the state within ten years (March 1st 1873).

On October 30, 1868 construction officially began at Topeka, heading up Shunganunga Creek almost due south
At Atchison there was some discontent. The town had originally been chosen for the start. Now the new line wasn't even headed that way. It was headed in the direction of Carbondale because coal deposits had beendiscovered near there; these would provide not only fuel for the new road, but some freight tonnage so Atchison would have to wait. On September 18th the line was opened down to Burlingame. The Santa Fe pushed steadily on through Emporia and in July 1871 reached Newton some 137 miles from Topeka. While the road paused momentarily at Newton the eastern end was extended to Atchison, being completed in late 1871.

(December 30, 1871)
News Story

"We have received from one of the officers of this railroad
company, which is likely to be one of the most important in
Kansas, the following account of the condition and
prospects of the company's property, which will serve for
most purposes as well as an annual report:

"The Atchison , Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Company was
incorporated by an act of the Legislative Assembly of the
Territory of Kansas, approved February 11, 1859. By an act
of Congress, approved March 3, 1863, a grant of land was
made by the general government to the State of Kansas to
aid in the construction of certain railroads in the State.

"By an act of the Legislature of the State of Kansas,
approved February 9, 1864, the State accepted the grant of
lands made by Congress, and provied for their distribution.
Section 3 of this act grants to the Atchison, Topeka &
Santa Fe Railroad Company, in consideration of its
constructing a railroad from Atchison via Topeka to the
west line of the State in the general direction of Santa Fe,
ten sections of land per mile of road construction, which
grant was accepted by the company and the proper
certificates filed.

"The organization was maintained, but work was not
commenced until 1863.

"In September, 1868, the francises passed into the hands of
the present stockholders, and work was opened in October
1868.

"Various considerations induced the company to commence
constructing from Topeka south, and August 1, 1870, the
road was opened to Emporia, 62 miles.

"Work was continued, and Julyk 17, 1871, the road was
completed up the Cottonwood River to Newton, 74 miles
west of Emporia and 136 miles from Topeka.

"On completion of the road to Newton, work was opened on
the section between Topeka and Atchison, and at present
writing grading and masonry is all completed, bridges all
erected and about seven miles of track laid.

"This part of the road was to have been opened January 1,
1872, but for an unfortunate failure of contractors to deliver
iron on time. It was purchased for October and November
delivery. Iron is now arriving daily, and the road will be
opened to Atchison about March 1, 1872.

"Contracts have been let for grading and masonry of a
section, 115 miles long, from Newton up the valley of the
Arkansas River to Fort Larned, to be ready for track March
1, 1872, and a large number of men and teams are now
employed thereon. The cross-ties purchased for delivery on
or before March 1, 1872. It is a designed to open this
section for business by July 1, 1872. "
 
The line from St. Joe to Atchison to Topeka :
Passenger Train Schedule November 29, 1942
8:35am No. 57 Doodlebug to Topeka from St. Joseph
3:35pm No.58 Doodlebug to St. Joesph from Topeka

There was nothing standard about the Santa Fe in Atchison. The Santa Fe used Atchison's archaic Union Station.
 
A stone non-standard freight depot still stands and is a musuem which display's many artifacts from the history
of this old city.
 
The city’s last Passenger depot was opened as Atchison Union Station with pomp and circumstance. The opening ceremonies can be seen on the Pentrex video
Challenge for Tomorrow.
 
One is left to wonder why the Santa Fe's presence in this depot would be so celebrated when reviewing its passenger schedule. It shows Santa Fe president Fred Gurley at the ribbon cutting. For a Union Station this depot was small. It replaced a larger structure which burned. Today it is a  car repair shop.
It must have been strange to ride this  rain through Atchison. The  oodlebug stopped not only at the passenger depot but also the freight depot. The Missouri Pacific yard was located adjacent to the Santa Fe tracks.

The “Doodlebug” Run
EASTERN DIVISION ATCHISON DISTRICT
 
Like the line from Topeka to Emporia this line dates back to the early years of the Santa Fe. In fact the bridge to North Topeka was originally built to bring materials for building the Santa Fe line to Emporia and westward. The line is gone today. The tracks were removed in 1993. The topography is about a fifty fifty mix of farmland and light forest. There is also the crossing of the Missouri River into Missouri east of what is Atchison Union Station.

Timetable from November 29, 1942:
MP 482.2 ST. JOSEPH U.S.
MP 484.5 TERMINAL YARD
MP 485.0 TERMINAL JUNCT
MP 504.6 WINTHORP
MP 504.8 STATE LINE
MP 505.0 MP 0.0 C.B.&Q. CROSSING/ ATCHISON U.S./
MO PAC CROSSING
MP 0.6 ATCHISON F.S.
MP 1.2 MO PAC CROSSING
MP 6.5 PARNELL
MP 8.8 HAWTHORNE
MP 10.8 CUMMINGS
MP 16.8 NORTONVILLE
MP 20.6 VALLEY FALLS
MP 34.9 ROCK CREEK
MP 39.4 MERIDEN
MP 49.5 NORTH TOPEKA/ U.P. CROSSING
MP 50.5 SECOND STREET TOWER
MP 50.6 TOPEKA

The Whole Story
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway System occupies a prominent position among the great railway systems of the United States. The original company was chartered on February 11, 1859, under the name of the Atchison and Topeka Railroad Company. This name was changed on March 3, 1863, to Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Company. The construction of the main line was begun in1869, and the road was opened for traffic on February 20, 1873. The original main line extended from Atchison, Kansas, to the western boundary of the state, and was 470.58 miles in length; the Company also operating 39.28 miles of branch lines. During the years 1874 to 1885, additional extensions and branch lines aggregating 1357.90 miles were opened, bringing the total length of main line and branches, on December 31, 1885, up to 1867.76 miles. The mileage of controlled roads amounted to 878.99, the total mileage of the system thus being 2746.75 miles.
During the next ten years the system was rapidly extended and additional lines were acquired. In 1895, the mileage operated as the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad was 4582.12; the total mileage in the system including controlled roads, being 9321.29. The company was in the hands of receivers at this time, and a complete reorganization being decided upon, a new charter was secured, under the laws of Kansas, on December 12, 1895.
The new corporation took possession of the property on January 1, 1896, under the name of The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. Since then additional lines have been acquired by the management. On June 30, 1904, the total mileage embraced in the published results of operations of The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company was 8300.92; the entire length of the system,
including roads controlled or owned jointly with other companies, being 9269.20 Miles.

X ATSF Filex

Atchison to Topeka, incorporated in Kansas, February 11,1859 as the Atchison, & Topeka Railroad Company. Name changed November 24, 1863, to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Company. Went into the hands of Recievers, December 24, 1893, who operated it until December, 1895. Acquired at that time by foreclosure proceedings and sold to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. The Receivers were J. A. Rhinehart of Boston, Jown J. McCook of New York and J. C. Wilson of Topeka. During the next year (1894) Mr. Rhinehart resigned. Mr. Aldace F. Walker of New York, took his place and was the Chairman of the Board. Mr. E. P. Ripley was elected President of the Re-organized Santa Fe,December 12, 1895.
The line, Atchison to Topeka, was graded in 1871-72, finished April 20, 1872. The line was opened, Atchison to Grass Hopper Falls (now Valley Falls) April 4, 1872; Valley Falls to North Topeka, April 24, 1872. Telegraph line followed the building of the railroad.  J. H. Scott was the Engineer in charge, out of Atchison, for the first 17-miles, headquarters Atchison, Kansas. Geo. B. Lake was the Engineer in charge of Construction, M.P. 17 to M.P. 34, headquarters Valley Falls, Kansas. T. W. Sterritt was the Engineer in charge of construction, M.P. 34 to M.P. 50, headquarters North Topeka. Sterritt's headquarters were in a small stone house, about five miles from North Topeka, on the south side of the track. Pat Mathews, John McQuire and J. L. Sterritt were the assistants. A. A. Robinson, Chief Engineer. (W.W. Fagan wired him his first job with the Santa Fe) He located the line, Atchison to Topeka, Kansas and had charge of the construction.
Geo E. O'Brien was one of the principal Contractors. Blush & Armil had the Contract for the grading of four miles, west of Valley Falls and east of Rock Creek. David Coleman was one of the big Sub-contractors. Jas. Ryburn of Cottonwood Falls, Kansas and L. W. Lewis of Emporia, Kans. Had the contract for building the masonry. Selden & Key had the contract for laying the track, Atchison to Topeka.
At Atchison we used to own a large stone dwelling between Fifth and Sixth Streets, which we used as a Union Depot until all the rail roads joined in and built a new Union Depot, 1880. John Fagan, Master Mechanic for our Company, (the father of Bill Fagan, our first Superintendent) rented this old dwelling from the Company for several years, until it had to be pulled down account of becoming unsafe. The high bluff, between Sixth and Seventh Street, was blasted down by J. S. Fisk in 1880-'81 and the rock broken by hand and used for ballast.
WE erected a large grain elevator and stack in 1881 at Atchison. Mr. H. G. Williams, Inspector. Mr. Geo. B. Lake, Supt. Bridges and Buildings. This was burned down in August (12th), 1912 and the stack thrown down by removing some brick in the bottom courses and blocking up with oil blocks, then setting fire to them. This was done some time after the elevator burned down, viz; February 11, 1913.
At Valley Falls, the Union Pacific uses our tracks jointly through the yard and bridge over the Delaware River. See contract #9 with Kansas Central, dated June 18, 1872. Narrow gauge which was changed to standard gauge August 16th, 1890. Valley Falls was originally called Grass Hopper Falls. Name changed in 1875 by the legislature.
At Rock Creek, the old depot was burned down March 10, 1910 and a new one built same year. Opened in November,1910, on the opposite side of the track (south side)
Kilmer Quarry, M.P. 42.2, opened about 1883, rock used between Atchison and Topeka, J. H. Snow, Inspector. Closed down about 1885.
At North Topeka, the old junction depot was burned down on February 13, 1915 and rebuilt in 1915-16, on the opposite side of the track (south side).
In February 1873, the Topeka Iron & Steel Company was organized, from which we bought some rails. In the summer of 1880, it was purchased by the Kansas Pacific Railroad Company. It was burned down April 7, 1881. Elevators and side tracks now occupy the grounds.
Kaw River Bridge, Topeka. This was started in October 1868. The original Bridge consisted of three Howe Truss Spans, 150-feet each, and long pole trestles approach was built on the north end and a short pile trestle approach on the south end. It was completed March 30, 1869, on which date the first engine (the C.K. Holliday) passed over it and made a through line, North Topeka to Carbondale, where the track stopped for a few months The bridge was partly rebuilt in 1877-78 and 1882 with a total renewal in 1909-'10 with a ballast deck and new steel trusses of standard loading. A pile approach (ballast deck) 140-ft. Long was built at the east end in 1911. Total length979.7-ft.
The old King Bridge Shops, Topeka, were bought in 1879 in 1879 and remodeled.
At Topeka Station the old frame depot, which was a part of the old General Office, was abandoned in 1881 as a passenger station and a brick depot (present depot) built by Contractor J. A. Doyle of Topeka, by force account, (sinceenlarged).
The present freight depot at Fourth and Adams was built in 1903-04 and the old depot and general office moved away and leased as a lumber shed and office on our grounds on Fourth Street, East of the Santa Fe tracks.
Thus ends the old historic General Office Building of the Santa Fe.
In going out of Atchison to Parnell, we use the right-of-way belonging to the C.B.U.P. condemned by the
Santa Fe, track 15-ft centers, making 42-ft, 6-in. Width of R/W. Number of Condemnation 2950.
At Walnut Creek, 2.6 miles east of Valley Falls, we have had several washouts; the last one occurring June 21, 1914. We have enlarged the channel, removed the center pier and put in a new 100-ft. Through girder on new abutments. Work done in 1915- 1916 by L. W. Lewis Sons.
At Atchison we used to own a large stone dwelling between Fifth and Sixth Streets, which we used as a Union Depot until all the rail roads joined in and built a new Union Depot, 1880. John Fagan, Master Mechanic for our Company, (the father of Bill Fagan, our first Superintendent) rented this old dwelling from the Company for several years, until it had to be pulled down account of becoming unsafe. The high bluff, between Sixth and Seventh Street, was blasted down by J. S. Fisk in 1880-'81 and the rock broken by hand and used for ballast.
WE erected a large grain elevator and stack in 1881 at Atchison. Mr. H. G. Williams, Inspector. Mr. Geo. B. Lake, Supt. Bridges and Buildings. This was burned down in August (12th), 1912 and the stack thrown down by removing some brick in the bottom courses and blocking up with oil blocks, then setting fire to them. This was done some time after the elevator burned down, viz; February 11, 1913.

4 More Railroads bearing Atchison’s Name:

Atchison, Colorado & Pacific Railroad Company

Atchison, Jewell County & Western Railroad Company

Atchison, Republican Valley & PAcific

Atchison, Solomon Valley & Denver