All aboard the Rock Island for Des Moines

One of the sights to behold in Chariton as Independence Day 1913 approached --- 110 years ago for those who keep track of such --- was the arrival of the first passenger train at the new Rock Island Depot, located at the east end of Court Avenue in Chariton, on the afternoon of Thursday, July 2.

Obviously, this image is later. It was taken on Aug. 13, 2012, when Union Pacific Locomotive 844 paid a visit to Chariton, but no photographer was on hand that long-ago afternoon in 1913. The trip from Des Moines in 1913 had taken about eight hours and stops remained in Millerton and Corydon before the final destination, Allerton, would be reached.

The trip took so long primarily because the rail bed between Carlisle and Corydon was very new and hadn't settled sufficiently to support heavy traffic. So engineers were moving their engines and cars slowly and cautiously.

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Construction of the southern leg of what was known formally as the St. Paul and Kansas City Short Line had begun during 1911 to provide a direct link for the Rock Island Railroad Co. and its subsidiaries between those major Minnesota and Missouri cities. The northern leg connected Clear Lake and Des Moines, three miles of leased track carried traffic from the Des Moines depot to Carlisle and the southern branch, sometimes called the Allerton cut-off, was built from Carlisle to Allerton in Wayne County where connection with the main Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific line was made.

The new short line also allowed development of the coal fields of northeast Lucas County (as well as at Melcher in Marion County) and provided Chariton --- already served by C.B.&Q. main line and north and south branches --- with another rail passenger and freight link to Des Moines, Kansas City and beyond. 

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Here's the report of that passenger train's maiden voyage published first in The Des Moines Register of July 3, 1913, and republished in The Chariton Herald-Patriot of July 10:

When the first passenger coach to go over the Allerton cut-off left the Rock Island station at 7:30 o'clock yesterday morning it was loaded wth passengers. Twenty-five tickets were sold for Melcher, seven for Hartford, 15 for Chariton, four for Williamstown (Williamson), 11 for Corydon and six for Millertown (Millerton). Operating officials were surprised and at one time the demand for tickets caused Supt. A.T. Abbott to wonder if an additional coach would have to be added.

The freight consisted of several cars of merchandise and a dozen cars of lumber and other building material. The merchandise was consigned to practically every station along the way. New elevators are to be erected at Hartford,  Sandyville,  Kimball, Whitebreast, Melcher, Williamstown and Chariton. Some of these elevators are in course of construction. The only towns on the new line for which elevator provisions have not been made are Corydon and Millertown. The new grain elevators will cost from $7,000 to $12,000 each.

Melcher is already putting on metropolitan airs and is experiencing a boom similar to that of a newly discovered mining town in the West. There are 50 tents on the site and buildings are going up as fast as the material can be hauled in. The opening of the line will expedite matters. Two new banks have been started  in the town, one general store is already in peration and  others are doing business under tents or waiting impatiently for buildings to be finished.

Provisions are being  made to wire the town for electric lights and telephones. The lights will be furnished by the Rock Island coal mines which are operated entirely with electrical power. It is expected that Melcher, which was named after the late F. O.  Melcher, former vice-president of the Rock Island, will have 1,000 inhabitants  in a very short time.

At the stations all down the the line there are signs of exceptional prosperity. A large number of the farmers have been holding their grain and stock for the opening of the line and there has been a big demand for cars. The other morning there was a demand for 40 grain cars alone. The St. Paul and Kansas City Short Line also had a demand for 150 stock cars. One stock  raiser estimated that he will save about $75 on each care of stock. His estimate is based on the cost of hauling the hogs to the nearest shipping point and the shrinkage which would follow this means of transportation in hot weather if it were not for the new road, which brings the cars within a short distance of his farm.