Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 1.djvu/397



thirty-one. George W. Jones was declared elected for the term of six years from March 4, 1853.

At this session of the Legislature strong efforts were made to secure land grants to aid in the construction of several lines of railroad in the State. James W. Grimes, who was an influential member of the House from Des Moines County, was one of the most active in these efforts. The project to aid a line of road from Dubuque to Keokuk failed, but a combination of the friends of east and west trunk lines across the State was finally effected, which procured the passage of memorials for aid to three roads. First, a railroad from Burlington to a point on the Missouri River at, or near, the mouth of the Platte River. Second, a road from Davenport via Muscatine to Kanesville on the Missouri. Third, a road from Dubuque to Fort Des Moines.

As early as 1828 Wm. C. Redfield suggested substantially the route upon which the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was located and built, as the most feasible line for such an enterprise. Twenty-two years later, in Iowa City, on the 14th of October, 1850, a company was organized to build a railroad on a portion of that route. James P. Carlton was chosen President, H. W. Lathrop, Secretary and Le Grand Byington, Treasurer of this company. Richard P. Morgan, of Kendall, Illinois, made the preliminary survey for the road between Davenport and Iowa City, in November and December of the same year, receiving therefor $400. The right of way was easily secured, but there was very little surplus capital in Iowa at that time that could be spared for railroad building.

From Chicago a railroad was being slowly constructed over the unsettled prairies then lying between that city and the Mississippi River. The people of Iowa were watching its progress with deep interest. In October, 1852, the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company was organized to build a railroad from Davenport to Council Bluffs. At the head of this new company were