10 Conservative *
el !
and recorded on page 320 of records of
proceedings of County Commissioners
of Otoe county , Nebraska.
G. R. McOALLUM , County Clerk.
[ SEAL. ]
[ STAMP ]
In the month of January , 1868 , the
company applied to congress for a grant
of lauds to aid in building this road , be
lieving the general government should
act as liberally toward Nebraska as she
had with her sister state of Iowa in
granting public lands to aid in building
railroads , and believing with such laud
grants the state of Nebraska might be
made equal to the state of Illinois in
wealth and population ; and in view of
the largo grant of lands and money to
the Union Pacific Railroad , running
through Nebraska north of the Platte
river , we claimed that justice demanded
a grant of land to our road , as an east
and west road through Nebraska south
of the Platte river , running from Ne
braska City , the largest city south of
the Platte , a city of 8,000 inhabitants ,
to Lincoln , the capital of the state , and
from thence to a connection with the
great national highway , the Union Pa
cific , at Grand Island or Fort Kearney ,
thereby placing this section of Nebraska
on a through line of railroad , and also a
remedy for our isolation by the Platte
river. We still hope our rights will ul
timately be recognized and the grant
made.
The survey of the road was com
menced in the month of March , 1868.
The difficulties known to exist in run
ning a railroad from the Missouri river
directly west , the company made a com
plete and thorough survey of all the
water courses and ground west of Ne
braska City , and by careful compari
son found the route by Walnut creek
the cheapest and best much less grade ,
and much less cost in grading , bridging
and right of way , and much more con
venient for the railway company , and ,
as the directors thought , much more
convenient for the public , as it did
not interfere with or cross any public
street or ground , endangering the lives
of citizens or teams in the limits of the
city. After the location was made by
the Walnut creek route , and contracts
let , the ceremony of breaking ground
was attended by a large gathering of people
ple , and eloquent speeches were made
by Hon. O. P. Mason , Hon. J. F. Kinney ,
and Hon. S. H. Oolhoun , mayor of Ne
braska City , thus commencing the great
work that is to be , when finished , a
national highway , and the means of
making and building a great city on the
site of old Fort Kearney , now Nebraska
City.
Soon after the cpmmencement of the
work , a feeling of dissatisfaction among
the people of Nebraska City , at the loca
tion of the road on the Walnut creek
route , culminated in a large and excited
of citizens at the court house ,
to express their feelings and change the
route , being perfectly convinced at that
time the road just commenced would be
built and when built might operate to
the disadvantage of Nebraoka City in
bridging the Missouri river for the
through line. The result of the meeting
was the appointing of a committee to
call upon the directors and ascertain on
what terms they would change the loca
tion. The following was their reply , as
published in the Press of June 8 , 1868 :
Proportion of the Midland Pad lie Kiill-
ivay to the Citizens.
WHEREAS , The Midland Pacific Rail
way has been located on the Walnut
creek route , and the necessary surveys
and other preparations on said route for
work have boon made , and contracts let
for six miles ; and whereas , the con
tractors are now at work pushing the
construction of said road , and said
railway company having secured large
donations in Nebraska City and on Wil
son creek for depot grounds , and also
the right of way along said route ; and ,
whereas , the said company have only
one object in view , and that is to avoid
delays and push forward the building of
said road with all possible rapidity , and
to be able to build as much of said road
as possible with the funds within our
reach ; therefore
Jlcsolicd , That the directors of said
railway company will change the loca
tion of said railway to the South Table
creek route on the following conditions
( in order to compensate said railway
company for rights and privileges al
ready acquired and expenses already
incurred on the Walnut creek route , )
to wit :
I. The right of way from the levee
at Nebraska City to the west side of
Wilson creek , over the route to be de
termined and fixed by the directors of
said company upon the surveys and re
port of the chief engineer of said com
pany ; said right of way to be secured
free of any cost to said company.
II. A donation of five contiguous
blocks of lots , including streets and al
leys , for grounds for depot , warehouses
and machine shops , and for other pur
poses ; said blocks to be selected by said
board of directors at some point in Ne
braska City east of Sixth street.
III. A donation of eighty acres of
land on the east side of and adjoining
Wilson creek , and along the line of said
proposed route , for depot grounds and
for other purposes ; and also to have pay
for extra surveying on the South Table
creek route , from the levee to Brownell
Creek Junction , in order to put the same
in a condition to bo properly worked , as
is already done on the Walnut creek
route.
IV. That the contractors already en
gaged upon the Walnut creek route
shall be paid for all work done up to the
time their contracts are rescinded , und
also shall be fully paid or otherwise sat
isfied for all damages sustained by them
by reason of the rescinding of their said
contracts , and also that all the prelim
inary arrangements shall be completed
before work shall be stopped on the
Walnut creek route , by consent of said
company , so that the work may be im
mediately commenced on the route
adopted.
V. In view of the expense and trou
ble said railway company has been at in
order to advance the work to its present
condition , and in view of the damage
done to said railway company and the
destruction of their effort toward the
completion of the road by the proposed
change in the location thereof , and in
view of the greatly increased expense in
bridging upon the South Table creek
route , and for the purpose of pushing
the work more rapidly forward , we also
require that fifty thousand dollars worth
of the bonds of Otoe county , to be is
sued for the purpose of aiding in the
construction of the said railway be
cashed , and the proceeds thereof paid to
the said railway company as follows :
Twenty-five per cent on the first of July
next , twenty-five per cent on the first of
August next , twenty-five per cent on
the first of September next , and the re
maining twenty-five per cent on the
first of October next.
All of the above conditions to be em
bodied in an agreement , and the per
formance of said agreement to be se
cured by bond or otherwise , to the com
plete satisfaction of said Midland Pa
cific Railway Company.
F. A. WHITE , President.
R. M. ROLFE , Secretary.
Nebraska City , June 8 , 1868.
At a subsequent meeting of the citi
zens , the subject was discussed , and the
meeting resolved unanimously if the
Midland Pacific Railway Company
would accept of $25.000 in Otoe county
bonds , being cashed by the citizens , in
stead of $50,000 , as by their proposition ,
they would enter into bonds personally
to fulfill said stipulations ; which was
accepted by the company , and the loca
tion changed by the company at an ex
tra expense of grading and bridging of
$20,000 paid by the railway company ,
and a delay of fifteen days in getting
the route of South Table creek ready
for the contractors.
The following is a copy of the bond
given by the citizens to the railway
company , to change the route :
Homl.
Know all Men by These Presents ,
That wo , the undersigned citizens of
Nebraska City , Otoo county , and state
of Nebraska , are held and firmly bound
unto the Midland Pacific Railway Com
pany , of said county and state , in the
sum of thirty thousand dollars , for the
payment of which , well and truly to be
made , we bind ourselves , our heirs , ex-
