Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway

United States   U.S. Migration    Railroads    Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway

In March 1881 the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway linked to the Southern Pacific Railroad in Deming, New Mexico to create the second transcontinental railroad line in the United States by connecting Kansas City and 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
Building westward from Topeka, Kansas this railroad reached Dodge City in 1872, the Kansas-Colorado border in 1873, and Pueblo, Colorado in 1876. To attract settlers they set up land offices and sold farms on their Kansas land grants from Congress. ATSF became involved in a railroad war with the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad over choke points at Royal Gorge, Colorado, and Raton Pass, New Mexico. Continuing to roughly follow the old Santa Fe Trail, in 1878 ATSF tracks reached south from Bent's Old Fort, La Junta, and Trinadad, Colorado into Raton, New Mexico. They reached Albuquerque in 1880, and linked into the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks at Deming, New Mexico in 1881 to open transcontinental service. The Santa Fe Railroad made arrangements that led to the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad being built from Albuquerque to Flagstaff, Arizona, to Los Angeles in 1885, and to eventual takeover of those tracks. Starting in 1876 the Fred Harvey Company operation of high standard cafés and hotels was established about every 100 miles along the Santa Fe lines.

Route
A typical Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway route used by people moving west would include:


 * Chicago, Illinois
 * Kansas City, Missouri
 * Topeka, Kansas
 * Newton, Kansas
 * La Junta, Colorado
 * Trinadad, Colorado
 * Las Vegas, New Mexico
 * Albuquerque, New Mexico
 * Grants, New Mexico
 * Winslow, Arizona
 * Flagstaff, Arizona
 * Barstow, California
 * Los Angeles, California

Settlers and Records
Settlers along these tracks most likely came from Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas or Colorado. Many farmers settled in Kansas and Colorado. Some settled in New Mexico and Arizona, but especially in California.

There are no known passenger records of this railroad.

Internet Links
Wikipedia - Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe history, officers, train service, paint schemes, and ferry service