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| The Kansas City, Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad used this type of locomotive prior to the turn of the century. It is a wood-burner and has a "wash-tub" stack. |
(Editor's note: This is the 52nd in a series of "then and now" articles on places and things of interest in Kansas City, Kan., compiled by area historian Margaret Landis in observance of the 100th birthday of KCK in 1986. Much of the information has appeared in past editions of The Kansan.)
(Transcriptions are presented without changes except to improve readability.)
Volumes have been written about the early railroads around Kansas City. This segment centers around Rosedale, Kan.
Kansas was granted statehood in January 1861. At the close of the Civil War, there was a great construction era. The building of railroads was the primary purpose.
The first industry in the Turkey Creek Valley centered around the Kansas and Neosho Valley Railroad (K.&N.V.), which was incorporated in Kansas in March 1865. Capital stock was listed at $850,000. Kersey Coates of Kansas City was president of the railroad.
It was the first railroad constructed to the south. The line was to be built from the mouth of the Kaw River to Galveston, on the line dividing Kansas and Missouri to the southern border of Kansas via the valley of the Neosho River.
The K.&N.V. also was known as the "Border Tier Line." it went through Rosedale to Olathe, then south to Baxter Springs, along the border tier counties of Kansas.
In the fall of 1868, the railroad company, which previously had been of local ownership, passed to some Boston capitalists. The name was changed to the Missouri River, Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad.
The road to Baxter Springs, 159.92 miles, was completed and placed in operation May 2, 1870.
On May 16, 1872, the townsite of Rosedale was platted and recorded by James G. Brown and Abraham Grandstaff.
The rapid development of railroads meant merchandise could move faster -- new markets for farm products and new town s sprang up along the railroad as the prairies and the plains were colonized.
By March 1878, the Missouri River, Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad went into receivership. It was incorporated March 1879 as the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad, to maintain and operate the road. The Kansas City, Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad was credited with being one of the most important roads in the development of the new territory in the south with the vast mineral regions and the coal fields.
In the early days of railroads (as still in evidence today), there were consolidations and mergers. On Jan.4, 1888, by an agreement of consolidation, the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad and six other companies formed the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Springfield Company. Following the consolidation, the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis Railroad Company was incorporated.
In 1901 "the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad acquired by long-term lease the line of the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis Railroad Company, extending from Kansas City to Memphis and Birmingham."
From The Inter-State News (Rosedale's official newspaper) of Dec. 20, 1912:
"The Frisco Railroad has in the past 10 years built switch yards in Rosedale to hold in the neighborhood of 2,400 cars, or a distance of 35 miles if the tracks were laid in a straight line.
"Some of the finest passenger trains in the West pass over the Frisco tracks. There are nine incoming and nine outgoing daily passenger trains through Rosedale."
Sept. 1, 1928, the Kansas City, Ft. Scott and Memphis Railroad was sold to the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway Company.
The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway Company (earlier known as the Union Pacific Railway Company Southern Branch and the Kansas City and Pacific Railway Company) entered Rosedale via a trackage rights agreement in 1887. The Katy uses the Frisco tracks between Paola and Kansas City.
Other railroads that came through Rosedale on track agreements:
The Frisco and its predecessor were in business in Rosedale for 115 years. On Nov 21, 1980, the Burlington-Northern Railroad and the St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad officially merged to form the longest rail network in the country -- from Florida to the Pacific Northwest.
Soon after the merger, the Rosedale switching yard was moved to Burlington-Northern's North Kansas City yards. Rosedale was then used as an empty car storage area.
During the past three months, workmen have removed the tracks (rails and ties) at the old switching yard. The Burlington-Northern plans to sell the yard which represents 40 acres of industrial property. The Main line and industrial spurs will continue to operate. The city said it will cooperate in the site's development for an industrial park.