Early Days in Fort Worth, Much of Which I saw and Part of Which I Was

by B. B. Paddock

RAILROADS.

A volume might be written upon the struggles that Fort Worth went through in securing the railroads that have contributed so much to its growth and success. Mention has already been made of the failure of the Texas & Pacific to reach Fort Worth on schedule time. A land grant had been given the road by the State conditioned on its being completed to Fort Worth by the first day of January, 1874. Generous and public Spirited citizens of the city, Maj. K. M. VanZandt, E. B. Daggett, Thos. J. Jennings and H. G. Hendricks had donated three hundred and twenty acres of land lying along the south side of the city upon the same conditions. As each succeeding legislature met, it extended the time for the construction of the road for a year, and the grant of lands by the above named citizens was renewed. This continued until the Constitutional Convention of 1875, which passed a resolution further extending the time until the adjournment of the First Legislature held under the new Constitution.

This session of the Legislature convened on the second Tuesday of January, 1876. Tarrant county was represented in that body by the Hon. Nicholas Darnell, who had also been a member of the Convention that framed the Constitution. In the meantime the people of this city despairing of the road being constructed by the company, undertook to build it themselves. They organized “The Tarrant County Construction Company” and subscribed to the capital stock, assuming to make payment in money, labor, material, forages, supplies or anything they had which possessed a marketable value. A contract was entered into with the railway company for the construction of the road from Eagle Ford, its western terminus, to this city. The contract was let to Roche Bros. & Tierney, of which firm J. J. Roche is still surviving and a citizen of the city. The work was commenced in the fall of 1875. Maj. K. M. VanZandt was the President of the company, John S. Hirshfield, Vice-President; Zane-Cetti, Secretary and W. A. Huffman, Treasurer.

When the Legislature assembled, the railway company made application for still another extension, but the opposition to it was very pronounced and had a large following. It soon became evident that a sufficient number of votes could not be secured to obtain the extension. The company had expended large sums of money in surveying and platting the lands in the west which amounted to sixteen sections per mile. It was too rich a prize to abandon without a struggle. The company took the contract off the hands of The Construction Company and put forth every energy to the construction of the road to this place with a view to its completion to this city before the Legislature should conclude its labors and adjourn. Gen. John C. Brown, of Tennessee, was the Vice-President of the company and he was on the ground day and night, if his services were necessary. Maj. D. W. Washburn, the chief engineer, was equally active and the contractor, Morgan Jones, is said not to have changed his clothes or gone regularly to bed during that period of unexampled activity. The Legislature had finished its labors early in July and the Senate had passed a concurrent resolution of adjournment and sent it over to the House. The rails of the Texas & Pacific were many miles east of Fort Worth. An adjournment of the Legislature meant the sacrifice of the magnificent landed domain which it had surveyed and platted. Then commenced the most strenuous parliamentary battle recorded in the history of this or any other state. The friends of the railway company refused to adopt the resolution to adjourn. The vote was so close that the absence of a single friend of the company might mean disaster. Gen. Darnell, the member from this county, was one of those who voted against adjournment and the General was sick. He was carried into the hall every day, on a cot, and voted “no” on the resolution to adjourn sine die; and voted “aye” on a motion to adjourn till the following day. This was continued for fifteen days. The rails had reached Sycamore creek just east of the city. Here was a long bridge and a still longer trestle. The latter has since been filled up. Bridge timbers and ties were converted into a crib upon which the rails were laid. Then the track left the grade and took to the dirt road which ran nearly parallel to the right of way. Ties were laid on the ground supported at either end by stones picked up from the right of way and the rails spiked to them. It was as crooked as the proverbial ram’s horn, but it bore up the rails. On the 19th day of July, at 11:23 o’clock a. m., the first train ran into Fort Worth. The train was in charge of Conductor W. R. Bell who still pulls a rope on the T. & P. and draws a monthly pay check therefrom. Mr. L. S. Thorne, subsequently Vice-President and General Manager, had charge of the head brake. Engineer Kelly, the father of Jack Kelly, who is now the Travelling Engineer of the Fort Worth & Denver, was at the throttle. The name of the rest of the crew is not obtainable at this writing.

It was a day of great rejoicing in Fort Worth and the gallant band who had manifested so much patriotism and faith and worked so assiduously for the city came into their reward. A great demonstration was had. Lacking cannon, anvils were obtained from the shop of W. H. Williams—for whom E. H. Kellar worked as an apprentice—Maj. J. J. Jarvis was chief of artillery with P. J. Bowdry as his able assistant. Business of every kind became active and the city commenced to grow and prosper. Buildings of every kind and character were in great demand and new ones were constructed as fast as men and money could erect them.

Pending the long wait for the Texas & Pacific other roads had been chartered and organized. The Fort Worth & Denver City was the first of these. It was organized August 12th, 1873. Its personnel came from the active forces of the M. K. & T. and the Texas & Pacific. The first President was J. M. Eddy, of the “Katy.” W. W. H. Lawrence was Vice-President and C. L. Frost, Secretary and Treasurer. It maintained its organization intact during the period of depression and was found ready for business when the effects of the panic were dissipated.

The Red River & Rio Grande from Denison to the Gulf was chartered as was the Fort Worth, Corsicana & Beaumont. The first of these was absorbed by the M. K. & T. and the latter was never given vitality, but later the Fort Worth & New Orleans was organized and built by Fort Worth people.

M. C. Hurley and J. J. Roche both still living and residents of the city were active participants in the promotion and construction of this road. It was later absorbed by the Southern Pacific System, where the ownership still remains.

The Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe railway entered Fort Worth on the second day of December, 1881. In the meantime work had commenced on the Fort Worth & Denver City railway, which was chartered as early as 1873, and the construction of which was delayed by the same panic that had wrought such havoc to the fortunes of the Texas & Pacific. The grading was commenced on this road in November, 1881, at or near the present station of Hodge. The first rail was laid the following February and the work was prosecuted with vigor until the road reached the State line at Texline, where it met the Denver & New Orleans, which had been constructed from the City of Denver.

The M. K. & T. came into Fort Worth over the rails of the Trans-Continental Division of the Texas & Pacific in the early part of 1880. It continues to use the same line, there being a joint ownership thereof.

On November 23d, 1886, work was commenced on The Fort Worth & Rio Grande, a company organized and promoted by the writer.

In 1887-8 the “Cotton Belt” made its advent into this city and in the 90’s came the Rock Island, the Frisco and the I. & G. N. The Trinity & Brazos Valley followed soon after using the Santa Fe rails between this city and Cleburne and later the Rock Island between this place and Dallas.