Railroads of Anderson County

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     Over the years Anderson County has had six railroads crisscrossing the county.  The towns of Central City and Garnett were both wanting the first railroad. The route across the flat lands of Anderson County would have been a much easier route to take than across the bluffs of the Pottawatomie Creek. However, it is rumored an engineer gave someone in the company planning the railroad route $700 and the railroad went through Garnett. This action spelled the demise of Central City.

     The first train arrived in Garnett March 9, 1870, on the Leavenworth, Lawrence and Galveston Railroad. The train was met with great expectations and excitement. On arrival it unloaded freight and about three hundred excursionists and the Lawrence Band. Several speeches were given at the train station and following at the Brunswick Hall, dinner was served to all attendees. To keep the day free of drunkenness and other problems all of the whiskey halls were closed. In the evening a grand ball was held with the Lawrence Band providing the music. It was quite the gala affair and was enjoyed by all. 

     Originally the railroad was to be routed through the town of Fairview on what is now Highway 59 just west of Scipio. The railroad company had a Chinese work crew working on digging a cut through a steep grade for the railroad bed. However, it was discovered the engines could not pull the grade and it was abandoned. Henry Roeckers, a local amateur archeologist, did metal detecting at the grade site and discovered a Chinese coin. The railroad bed was directed further to the valley to the east and went through the little town of Scipio and the town of Fairview died. Other towns south of Garnett the railroad went through are Welda and Divide, what is known today as Colony.

      The second railroad ran through the county coming in just northeast of Greeley and running southwest through Garnett to the Anderson/Coffey County line just west of Westphalia. This railroad became known as the Missouri Pacific and still exists today. However, it is now owned by Union Pacific. The small town of Mont Ida was the first town built on the railroad west of Garnett. It is still in operation today.

     The Kansas, Nebraska and Dakota Railroad started in Topeka and went to Ft. Scott. The original tracks were laid in 1886, entering the county in the northwest corner to the first town of Amiot, through Harris, Glenloch, Garnett, Bush City and Selma. It left the county east of Selma on to Ft. Scott. Politicians living along the railroad could go to Topeka in the morning and return home in the evening. The K N & D RR operated until 1934 when the tracks were pulled up. The old bridge abutments can still be seen on North Fork Pottawatomie Creek, Cedar Creek and South Fork Pottawatomie Creek. The railroad bed is visible near the ethanol plant in Garnett.

     The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad entered Kansas just northeast of Selma. It went through Selma and Kincaid and exited the county southwest of Kincaid. Locally it was known as the "Katie".  This railroad still exists but is now owned by Union Pacific.

      In 1886 anyone could obtain a charter to build a railroad by asking for it and paying one dollar. Many railroad charters were handed out during this time. One such railroad was the Colony, Neosho Falls and Western Railroad. It was a branch off of the Leavenworth, Lawrence and Galveston Railroad running diagonally toward Madison, Kansas. It did not last very long less than one year, and the tracks were pulled up. Evidence of the railroad is very visible from Highway 59 on the south side of Colony where you can see the cut through the low hills and the railroad bed existing today. 

     The year 1887 brought another railroad to Anderson County, The St. Louis and Emporia Railroad laid tracks starting in the southern part of the county on the Missouri Border and on west. The tracks ran through Kincaid, Lone Elm, Colony and on west to the Coffey County border. The small town of Como expected the railroad to run through their town. Instead, it ran south of the town about one mile and the new town of Northcott was laid out. Northcott had a depot and the post office at Como was moved to Northcott so it would be on the railroad. Northcott was the youngest town built in Anderson County.

     The railroad was the cause for the birth, death or prosperity of towns across not only Anderson County, but the state of Kansas.