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Event:  First Railroads Established
Brief Description:  Construction began in 1852 on the first railroad west of the Mississippi. The line was called the Pacific Railroad and became the nucleus of the Missouri Pacific system. The railroads had spread from the east to reach the Mississippi opposite St. Louis about 1850. With no bridge across the river at St. Louis, passengers and freight were hauled across by ferries to the City. The Pacific Railroad line was begun in 1852. It extended westward to Jefferson City by 1855, but did not reach Kansas City until 1865 because of disruptions during the Civil War. Soon after the start of the Pacific line, the Iron Mountain Railroad was constructed southward from St. Louis to tap the rich mining sections of southern Missouri. The North Missouri Railroad (later the Wabash) was built to the north and west.
Year:  1852
Decade:  1850 - 1859
Beginning Date:    1852

Reference
Physical Growth of the City of St. Louis

 

 

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