Railroad Survey - November 1854

MCFARLAND, ESTES

Posted By: Pat Ryan White (email)
Date: 12/5/2014 at 20:57:38

SURVEY PROGRESSING.

The survey on our cross railroad is progressing finely. The engineers passed the town the latter part of last week. We had a talk with Mr. Estes the engineer. He represents the route as very favorable – much better than he anticipated when he first saw the county. He starts at Keokuk, comes up the Mississippi to Montrose, then follows up Devil’s creek, passes by West Point, and then almost due north until he strikes the head of a stream emptying into Skunk River, near Boyle’s Mill; crosses the river there and follows up Big Creek a short distance, and then strikes up a small stream until he lands on the prairie a few miles southeast of Mt. Pleasant. He represents the crossing of Skunk to be very favorable – thinks the route a cheap one. The distance from Keokuk to Mt. Pleasant is about 46 miles; and the route don’t vary more than a mile out of an Air line.

When the Burlington and Missouri River and the Keokuk, Mt. Pleasant and Muscatine roads are completed, Henry County will be the great centre of attraction in Iowa.

[“Iowa Weekly Observer”, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, Thursday, November 9, 1854, page 2; Samuel McFarland, editor]