There is no internal improvement that has done so much to develop the country as its railroads. The printing press, the railroad and the electric telegraph wire, combined with the later telephone systems, certainly moved the world as Archimedes little dreamed it could be moved. Up to within about a half-century, all new countries were required to be opened by the hardy pioneers, and their agricultural and mineral resources well developed before the capitalists would invest their money in building railroads. Now railroads are first built and the people follow on by freight and passenger train transportation. Jasper County was not so fortunate as to have been provided with railroads in advance of its first settlement, but long, wearisome years were endured before the stagecoach and freighting wagons were superseded by the iron horse speeding over the iron and steel rails of a steam railway. But today the "Kingdom of Jasper" is crossed and recrossed by a network of railways that afford ample transportation for all that comes from the richness of the soil, and from its mineral deposits, as well as its vast manufacturing industries, the raw and completed materials of which come in and go out by rail in vast quantities.

FIRST RAILROAD PROJECT

The county judge of this county in October 1853, ordered an election on the question of railroads, which read as follows: "Ordered, that there be an election held in Jasper County, Iowa, on Monday, the 21st day of November 1853, submitting the question whether the County of Jasper will aid in the construction of the Lyons Iowa Central Railroad by subscribing to the capital stock forty thousand dollars."

This election was ordered upon the petition of one-fourth of the legal voters within the county. Bonds were to be issued, running twenty years, and no money was to be paid over until that amount of work had been performed within Jasper County by said railroad company. The rate of interest to be paid on bonds thus issued was seven per cent. The people were to be taxed seven mills on a dollar each year for ten years and ten mills each year for the remaining ten years.

This election resulted in a vote of one hundred eighty-nine for and one hundred forty-nine votes against the proposition. The road was never built, however, so it remains to be seen when Jasper County did really gain her first railway line.

But before coming to that climax, the reader may be interested in knowing of other attempts at railroad projects in the county. November 20, 1856, a petition was presented to the county judge, signed by more than the required one-fourth of the voters of the county, asking that a proposition be submitted at an election, authorizing the judge of the county to subscribe two hundred thousand dollars to the capital stock of the Mississippi & Missouri Railroad Company. The election was set for December 30, 1856. The proposition was to carry with it twenty-year bonds, drawing ten percent interest. The result at the election was decidedly against the measure, the vote standing seven hundred seven against and two hundred fourteen for the subscription. Every township in the county went against it, save Newton alone, and in the townships of Lynn Grove, Elk Creek, Fairview and Clear Creek not a single vote was cast for the railroad company. It is said that the farming communities outside went against this to get even with Newton for not voting them licenses for selling liquor they wanted much in those early day's for rattlesnake bites!

Another railroad proposition was defeated July 25, 1857, the vote standing seven hundred twenty-eight for and eight hundred two against the railroad. This was also for the proposed Mississippi & Missouri line, asking two hundred thousand dollars in bonds.

The next date for the railway proposition to come before the taxpayers of Jasper County was March 4, 1858, when the county judge ordered, an election to decide whether the people wanted to vote aid to the Mississippi & Missouri line in the amount of fifty thousand dollars. This election, held April 5, 1858, was decided against the proposition by, a vote of seven hundred fifty for and eight hundred fifty-seven against.

IOWA LAND GRANTS

The congressional act of May 15, 1856, granting lands for the purpose of constructing railroads in this state, included the following trunk lines: Burlington & Missouri River, 287,000 acres of land; Mississippi & Missouri River, 774,000 acres of land; Cedar Rapids & Missouri River, 775,000 acres of land; Dubuque & Sioux City railroad, 1,226,000 acres of land.

By this same act of Congress, the Mississippi & Missouri line was authorized to transfer and assign all or any part of the grant to any other company or person, "if in the opinion of said company, the construction of said railroad across the state of Iowa would be thereby sooner and more satisfactorily completed."

But greater still was the "graft" of the act of Congress in August 1846, which provided for the navigation of the Des Moines River, and in the payment for same undertaking the Des Moines River Navigation Company was to receive two hundred and seventy-one thousand acres of valuable land on either side the stream, the same being each alternate section.

Then, in 1855, when it was seen that the navigation scheme would not prove a success, they got Congress to juggle the case over, so that a railroad might be built and thus utilize the proceeds of the land grant. The newly formed company was styled the Des Moines River Improvement & Railroad Company. After more than thirty years of litigation, in the courts save of the country and in Congress, the case was finally settled by the commission appointed by Congress to adjust the matter. Many improvements had said been made on these lands by innocent purchasers and the company ejected many of the families. This went on as far north on the river as the grant such extended, which was to Fort Dodge. Webster County settlers were the greatest sufferers. One steamboat went as far north as Fort Dodge, on the high water of 1857, but no more was seen of steam boating on the river. Several sections of this river land, as it was styled, was in Des Moines and Fairview Townships of Jasper County.

Having expended just enough money to partly complete locks and dams along the stream, to control the lands granted by Congress, the company became bankrupt (?) and transferred its title to the Keokuk, Des Moines & Minnesota Railroad Company. This company, in about 1860, commenced the building of a railroad along the banks of the Des Moines. Three years later the corporation was changed to the Des Moines Valley Railroad Company, and under that corporate name the road was finished to Fort Dodge.

This was the first railroad completed in Jasper County. The date was late in 1865. The first freight, a car of lumber, was landed at Monroe November 24, 1865. The next spring it reached Prairie City and in August, that year, it reached Des Moines.

In 1873 the company went into bankruptcy and was sold to others. The line between Keokuk and Des Moines was afterwards known as the Keokuk & Des Moines railroad. The last named corporation became involved and in 1878 it passed into the hands of the great Rock Island system. Including its connection with the river land project, for making the river a navigable stream, this is the oldest railway corporation in Iowa.

THE CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND & PACIFIC

This highway entered Iowa by reason of a lease from the old Mississippi & Missouri Railroad, already mentioned as having been given aid through the great land grant of 1856, along with several other trunk lines across the domain of Iowa. Yet, without these grants it might have been many years longer before the pioneer settler would have heard the neigh of an iron horse.

Like all other early roads, this one made slow progress in getting through to the Missouri River at Council Bluffs. In 1858 it had reached Iowa City, where it stopped several years for lack of business and funds with which to complete its lines. During the middle of the Civil War period, about 1863, work was resumed, and "will reach Newton in ninety days" was heard several years, and finally, in 1867, it did reach this point. The oft-repeated defeats of the company at the hands of the people of Jasper County proved but the part of wisdom when later decisions of the United States and state courts held that the bonds asked for in aid of such an enterprise would have been null and void for lack of constitutionality.

In May 1867, Newton had her first train service and the road was pushed on to Des Moines in the same year.

Not long after this the old company went into the hands of a receiver, in the person of that once well-known, highly respected banker, B. F. Allen, who in handling the large amounts entrusted to him invested in personal enterprises, and in the end became a bankrupt himself, and many think went down to his grave in dishonor. After this the road was operated and finally owned by the Rock Island corporation, and is today one link in its long and powerful system - a part of its main line. Another branch of this railroad is what was formerly called the

NEWTON & MONROE RAILROAD

For a short line route, this railroad has had a checkered career. It was started by the coal mining interests found in the southern part of Jasper County, in 1863-4, when F. H. Griggs, of Davenport, invested in a large tract of his coal land, situated three or four miles to the south of Newton. In 1871 a local company was formed for the purpose of building down into the mining district from Newton. It was called the Jasper County Coal and Railroad Company, with Griggs as its president. In 1871 a company known as the Chicago, Newton & Southwestern was organized, and the old coal road company contracted to build the same for them. No bonus was asked for this road.

About the same date there was still another railroad enterprise formed on paper, largely, that of the Iowa, Minnesota & Northern Pacific, having a capital of twelve million dollars back of it. This line was projected as far to the northwest as Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa. As soon as the last company began operations along the line, at Newton they disputed the rights of the coal road to hold the right-of-way in and through Newton, and then came an injunction suit in which the Iowa, Minnesota & Northern were beaten.

During 1871 some work was executed along the new line to the great northwest, and in Palo Alto, Newton and Fairview Townships, Jasper County, a tax was voted to aid the construction of the new proposed highway. In fact, the new corporation had but little means on which to operate and they had to depend largely on the taxes they hoped to receive from farmers along the line. Hence they gave time checks and due bills to the workmen who performed service for them in construction. They, of course, believed that when the taxes were paid as levied that they would receive their pay. Businessmen took the paper at Newton and Monroe, and that by a slight discount. But presently, the men who had not favored taxation refused to pay taxes and suits were filed to recover in cases where they had been paid in. At that date more than twenty thousand dollars of paper as floating, as given out for work done on the new road.

The Iowa, Minnesota & Northern Pacific Company then laid still until 1875, when Hornish, Davis & Company, contractors, transferred their contract to the Iowa & Minnesota Construction Company, organized for the purpose of getting the old company out of the financial trouble it had fallen into. The old original stockholders of the coal company, of course, received thirty-five thousand dollars in bonds of the road. Under this contract the grading was done and the track laid between Newton and Monroe, in December 1876. Thus ended the much talked of great northwestern thoroughfare to the lake region of the Mississippi River and the thundering cataract of St. Anthony Falls (now Minneapolis) a road part way through Jasper County.

In the spring of 1878, becoming involved, the last named company was reorganized and was styled the Newton & Monroe Company, with general offices at Newton. But later it was taken over by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Company and is by them operated today.

THE IOWA CENTRAL RAILROAD

This system strikes Jasper County at a few points. Its main line built in the seventies, from Marshalltown to Oskaloosa, goes through the city of Grinnell, and from the first station point to the north of Grinnell, called Newburg, which place is situated in Jasper County, a branch of the Iowa Central diverges to the northwest, to State Center. Newburg is within Hickory Grove Township.

Then this road has a branch, in Jasper County, running from Newton southeast to Lynnville, from which place it passes southeast and out of the county, terminating at the main line, at New Sharon.

THE CHICAGO GREAT WESTERN RAILROAD

This road was originally known as the Diagonal, then the Maple Leaf, and now the "Great Western" route, which runs to St. Paul, Chicago, Des Moines, Council Bluffs and Kansas City. It passes through the northwest part of Jasper County, with stations at Baxter, in Independence Township; Ira, in the same township; Mingo, in Poweshiek Township, and also Valeria, where it forms junction with the short road from Colfax, the Colfax Northern. The Great Western was completed early in the eighties through this county and is a valuable adjunct to transportation. It was built after the days when people were asked to be taxed to build railroads in Iowa, hence cost the people nothing, save here and there a bit of right of way, which was more than paid for in the advantages had by the coming of so good a system of railroad.

THE NEWTON & NORTHWESTERN RAILROAD

This is the latest highway constructed in Jasper County, and so far has not proved to be a success, financially. It was constructed and put in operation in 1905-6 and bid fair to become a good road. It runs through a rich section of Iowa's fair domain with several flourishing station points en route, but in a few years it was forced into the hands of a receiver; in the person of Parley Sheldon, of Ames. It is at this writing in the hands of the United States court, and unless matters can be adjusted or the property sold to another corporation, it will be ordered sold for the material on its roadway including the iron and bridges, etc., and depot buildings will be sold at general auction for the benefit of its creditors. But it is hoped, and believed, that the property will remain intact and purchased by a company able to continue its operation. Rumor says the Iowa Central and Rock Island both have their eyes on it. And it is thought the Des Moines interurban electric line may purchase and electrify a part of it.

The general offices of the company are at Boone, while some of the stock is held in Boston. It extends from Newton to Rockwell City, a distance of one hundred and six miles, with a branch line from Goddard to Colfax of about four miles length.

In Jasper County it passes from Newton through Mingo, in a northwesterly direction. It has been suggested that it be electrified from Newton to Des Moines Junction, but this remains to be recorded by another historian, when the road has been finally disposed of.

RAILROAD MILEAGE OF COUNTY

The mileage of railroads in Jasper County, in the spring of 1911 is as follows: