Atlantic and Pacific Railroad

Atlantic and Pacific Railroad

Company type	Railroad company
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1866
Founder	John C. Frémont
Defunct	1897
Fate	Sold and reorganized; assets absorbed by St. Louis-San Francisco Railway and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Area served	United States (Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico, California)
Products	Rail transport services

The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad was a U.S. rail company operating two distinct sections: one connecting St. Louis, Missouri to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the other running between Albuquerque, New Mexico and Needles, California. Established by an act of Congress in 1866 as a transcontinental route from Springfield, Missouri to California, the central segment was never finished. Eventually, these two divisions became part of the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway networks, both now incorporated into the BNSF Railway system.

History

The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad’s beginnings can be traced back to the Pacific Railroad, chartered in 1849 to link St. Louis with areas south of Kansas City. After a federal land grant was awarded to Missouri in 1852 for railroads crossing the state, legislation was amended to include a Southwest Branch extending westward from Franklin (now Pacific), Missouri. By 1861, approximately 77 miles of track reached Rolla, with further grading underway. Due to bond defaults, Missouri took possession of this stretch in 1866 and sold it for $1.3 million to explorer and politician John C. Frémont, who reorganized it as the Southwest Pacific Railroad. Meanwhile, the primary Pacific Railroad line eventually integrated into the Missouri Pacific Railroad.

Congress chartered the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad in July 1866 under Frémont’s leadership, granting permission to build along the 35th parallel from Springfield westward to California, including a branch originating at Van Buren, Arkansas. The company received land grants contingent on completing construction by 1878—terms similar to those given to Southern Pacific Railroad for a connecting California branch. The A&P acquired the Southwest Pacific Railroad in January 1867; however, financial setbacks led Missouri to seize portions again in 1868 and sell them to a new entity called the South Pacific Railroad, transferring A&P ownership to new parties such as Clinton B. Fisk. By 1870–71, tracks extended to Seneca, Missouri, and Vinita, Oklahoma; in June 1872 A&P leased lines from the Pacific (Missouri Pacific) Railroad serving Kansas City and nearby Kansas branches. A short branch near Granby was added in 1875.

Financial instability continued; the Missouri division entered receivership in 1875 and lost its lease on the Pacific lines. In response, owners created the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway (SL&SF) in 1876, acquiring assets from the Missouri division and leasing the Central division between Seneca and Vinita. Rail extensions reached Tulsa by 1882, Red Fork in 1885, and Sapulpa in 1886. SL&SF constructed a direct route into St. Louis in 1883, reducing dependence on Missouri Pacific.

In January 1880, SL&SF formed a partnership with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad (AT&SF) to jointly manage A&P: SL&SF operated the Central division while AT&SF developed a Western division from Isleta, New Mexico westward to connect with Southern Pacific at Needles by August 1883. A&P leased Southern Pacific’s track from Needles to Mojave in 1884; AT&SF’s California Southern Railroad linked Cajon Pass with Barstow in 1885, securing access to coastal regions. Additionally, A&P ran trains over AT&SF tracks between Isleta and Albuquerque through trackage rights.

AT&SF gained control over SL&SF in 1890; however, both companies entered receivership during the Panic of 1893 with A&P following suit in early 1894. The Western division was sold in 1897 to AT&SF’s newly formed subsidiary Santa Fe Pacific Railroad, while later that year foreclosure led to sale of the Central division to reorganized SL&SF, effectively dissolving A&P. By 1899 Santa Fe Pacific obtained trackage rights over Southern Pacific’s Tehachapi Pass line to reach California’s Central Valley and San Francisco Bay Area.

By 1902 AT&SF had acquired Santa Fe Pacific’s assets; its non-operating affiliate California, Arizona and Santa Fe Railway purchased leased Southern Pacific routes between Mojave and Needles in 1911 while Santa Fe Pacific retained original land grant rights. The gap spanning Oklahoma-Texas-New Mexico was bridged by SL&SF subsidiary Arkansas Valley and Western Railway completing a Tulsa-Avard connection in 1904. In 1995 AT&SF merged with SL&SF’s successor Burlington Northern Railroad forming BNSF Railway; these historic lines continue as integral parts of BNSF’s principal network.

External resources

• Oklahoma Digital Maps: Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory