Texas and Pacific Railway

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In December 1881 the Texas and Pacific Railway linked to the Southern Pacific Railroad in Sierra Blanca, Texas to create the third transcontinental railroad line in the United States by connecting St. Louis (via Texarkana) to Los Angeles. Settlers were attracted to nearby communities because the railroads provided access to markets. Railroads encouraged settlement along their routes to help increase the need for their service. If an ancestor settled near a railroad, you may be able to trace their place of origin back to another place along the tracks.

Historical Background
The Texas and Pacific Railway started in Marshall, Texas and built track from Texarkana, Arkansas to Dallas, Texas in 1873. The Texarkana terminal was important because it gave the T&amp;P access to the St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern tracks to St. Louis, Missouri and much larger markets. T&amp;P extented their tracks to Fort Worth, Texas in 1876. In a burst in 1881 their tracks connected to the tracks of the Southern Pacific Railroad from California at Sierra Blanca, Texas, creating the third transcontinental service in the United States. The next year, 1882, T&amp;P built into New Orleans, Louisiana. Texas and Pacific also came to control many tracks in Oklahoma.

Settlers and Records
Settlers who used the Texas and Pacific Railway would most likely have come from Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, or Texas. They most likely would have settled in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, or California.

No known passenger lists for the Texas and Pacific Railway exist.

Route
A typical transcontinental route using the Texas and Pacific line included:


 * St. Louis, Missouri
 * Texarkana, Arkansas
 * Marshall, Texas
 * Dallas, Texas
 * Fort Worth, Texas
 * El Paso, Texas
 * Deming,New Mexico
 * Tucson, Arizona
 * Yuma, Arizona
 * Los Angeles, California

Internet Links

 * Texas and Pacific Railway Museum - history and photos
 * Wikipedia - Texas and Pacific Railway - timeline, legal disputes, land grants, land trust