Wyoming Central Railway
Encyclopedia
Wyoming Central Railway was a railroad in the U.S. state
of Wyoming
. The railroad was incorporated in October 1885 and built a line from Chadron, Nebraska
through Douglas
to Casper
. The line was initially leased to the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad
and the two railroads consolidated in 1891. The FE&MV was merged into Chicago and North Western Transportation Company in 1903 and the line was extended to Lander
.
required railroads building or operating in the territory to be incorporated in the territory. In order to extend the line west from Nebraska, the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad incorporated Wyoming Central Railway as a dummy firm based in the town of Lusk
which was laid out by the railroad in July 1886. Local landowner Frank S. Lusk was named as a director and only resident stockholder of the Wyoming Central company. The line was rapidly extended to the new town of Douglas
near the former location of Fort Fetterman
. In 1887 the line was constructed to Glenrock
. In June 1888 the railroad reached the future site of the town of Casper which was platted out by the railroad at the end of 1888. The town was named for nearby Fort Caspar
which was an important stop on the Oregon Trail
.
The primary commodity on the line was coal, but other goods such as livestock were also transported. In his arguments to convince Union Pacific to build a line north out of Cheyenne
, territorial Governor Francis E. Warren
estimated that Wyoming Central was shipping $300,000 worth of cattle east through Nebraska
instead of Cheyenne. Eventually, the threat of Wyoming Central dominating northeastern Wyoming prompted Union Pacific to establish the Cheyenne and Northern Railway
which attempted to reach Douglas first, but failed. The C&N eventually only extended as far as Wendover on the North Platte River. When Union Pacific took over the C&N in 1887 they extended it to tie into the Wyoming Central line at Orin Junction.
From its inception the line was leased to the FE&MV and in 1891 the two railroads were consolidated under the FE&MV name. In 1903 the FE&MV merged with the Chicago and Northwestern railway. The C&NW eventually extended the line to Shoshoni
and Riverton
in 1905 and Lander
in 1906. In 1943 the line west of Casper was abandoned and salvaged. When Union Pacific merged with the C&NW in 1995, UP announced its intention to abandon the portion of the line from Orin Junction to Casper.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. The railroad was incorporated in October 1885 and built a line from Chadron, Nebraska
Chadron, Nebraska
Chadron is a city in Dawes County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 5,851 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dawes County. Chadron is the home of Chadron State College....
through Douglas
Douglas, Wyoming
Douglas is a city in Converse County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 5,288 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Converse County...
to Casper
Casper, Wyoming
Casper is the county seat of Natrona County, Wyoming, United States.. Casper is the second-largest city in Wyoming , according to the 2010 census, with a population of 55,316...
. The line was initially leased to the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad
Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad
The Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad , sometimes called "the Elkhorn," was an American railroad established in 1869 in Nebraska.-About:...
and the two railroads consolidated in 1891. The FE&MV was merged into Chicago and North Western Transportation Company in 1903 and the line was extended to Lander
Lander, Wyoming
Lander is a city in, and the county seat of, Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. Named for transcontinental explorer Frederick W. Lander, Lander is located in central Wyoming, along the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River. A tourism center with several dude ranches nearby, Lander is located just...
.
History
In 1885 the laws of the Wyoming TerritoryWyoming Territory
The Territory of Wyoming was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 25, 1868, until July 10, 1890, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Wyoming. Cheyenne was the territorial capital...
required railroads building or operating in the territory to be incorporated in the territory. In order to extend the line west from Nebraska, the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad incorporated Wyoming Central Railway as a dummy firm based in the town of Lusk
Lusk, Wyoming
Lusk is a town in Niobrara County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,447 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Niobrara County. The town was laid out in June 1886 by engineers working on the Wyoming Central Railway. It was named after Frank S...
which was laid out by the railroad in July 1886. Local landowner Frank S. Lusk was named as a director and only resident stockholder of the Wyoming Central company. The line was rapidly extended to the new town of Douglas
Douglas, Wyoming
Douglas is a city in Converse County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 5,288 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Converse County...
near the former location of Fort Fetterman
Fort Fetterman
Fort Fetterman was a wooden fort constructed in 1867 by the United States Army on the Great Plains frontier in the Dakota Territory approximately 11 miles northwest of present-day Douglas, Wyoming. It was located high on the bluffs on the south side of the North Platte River...
. In 1887 the line was constructed to Glenrock
Glenrock, Wyoming
Glenrock is a town in Converse County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 2,231 at the 2000 census.Glenrock, known as Deer Creek Station, had its beginning as a mail and stage station along the Oregon Trail. The station served as a relay and eating place and was a vital supply point for...
. In June 1888 the railroad reached the future site of the town of Casper which was platted out by the railroad at the end of 1888. The town was named for nearby Fort Caspar
Fort Caspar
Fort Caspar was a military post of the United States Army in present-day Wyoming, named after 2nd Lieutenant Caspar Collins, a U.S. Army officer who was killed in the 1865 Battle of the Platte Bridge Station against the Lakota and Cheyenne...
which was an important stop on the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
.
The primary commodity on the line was coal, but other goods such as livestock were also transported. In his arguments to convince Union Pacific to build a line north out of Cheyenne
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
, territorial Governor Francis E. Warren
Francis E. Warren
Francis Emroy Warren was an American politician of the Republican Party best known for his years in the United States Senate representing Wyoming.-Early life and military service:...
estimated that Wyoming Central was shipping $300,000 worth of cattle east through Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
instead of Cheyenne. Eventually, the threat of Wyoming Central dominating northeastern Wyoming prompted Union Pacific to establish the Cheyenne and Northern Railway
Cheyenne and Northern Railway
The Cheyenne and Northern Railway was a railroad in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The railroad was incorporated in 1886 to build a line from Cheyenne, Wyoming into northern Wyoming and Montana. The line extended to Wendover on the North Platte River...
which attempted to reach Douglas first, but failed. The C&N eventually only extended as far as Wendover on the North Platte River. When Union Pacific took over the C&N in 1887 they extended it to tie into the Wyoming Central line at Orin Junction.
From its inception the line was leased to the FE&MV and in 1891 the two railroads were consolidated under the FE&MV name. In 1903 the FE&MV merged with the Chicago and Northwestern railway. The C&NW eventually extended the line to Shoshoni
Shoshoni, Wyoming
Shoshoni is a town in Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 635 at the 2000 census. The town is named for the Shoshone tribe of Native Americans, most of whom live on the nearby Wind River Indian Reservation...
and Riverton
Riverton, Wyoming
Riverton is a city in Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. It is both the largest city in the county and the largest within the historical boundaries of the Wind River Indian Reservation. The city's population was 9,310 at the 2000 census...
in 1905 and Lander
Lander, Wyoming
Lander is a city in, and the county seat of, Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. Named for transcontinental explorer Frederick W. Lander, Lander is located in central Wyoming, along the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River. A tourism center with several dude ranches nearby, Lander is located just...
in 1906. In 1943 the line west of Casper was abandoned and salvaged. When Union Pacific merged with the C&NW in 1995, UP announced its intention to abandon the portion of the line from Orin Junction to Casper.