Congress authorized exploration and surveys "to ascertain the most practical and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean."

Atlantic and Pacific (A&P) Railroad Co. incorporated and given a federal franchise and land grant under an act of Congress for extending a South-West Branch from Springfield, Missouri into Indian Territory (eastern Oklahoma) and then to San Francisco along a "35th parallel survey route."  Section 18 of the act authorized SP to connect with A&P at a suitable point near the boundary line of California.   It required uniform gauge, rates of freight or fare, and grants of land to both roads.  A&P initially owned by General John C. Fremont.

SP filed a map of mainline route from San Francisco, California via Mojave to "The Needles" with the Interior Department.

A&P filed location maps of a Mojave-Needles route with the Interior Department.  (Maps filed again on April 16, 1874.)

A&P went into bankruptcy.

Frame depot constructed at Mojave by SP.

A&P purchased by the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad (Frisco), also owned by General John C. Fremont.

AT&SF acquired controlling interest of the Frisco.  AT&SF obtained an agreement for right of way in California with SP.  On December 6 AT&SF agreed with Frisco to cooperate in building the 35th parallel route to the Pacific Coast connecting with SP in California.

Agreement established on January 31 to complete the 35th parallel project as the Western Division of A&P (one of four divisions) under the terms of its original incorporation.  Construction started during the late spring or early summer of 1880 at Isleta, New Mexico toward The Needles, California.  The California Division of A&P from The Needles to Pacific Coast never started due to financial pressure from the SP and Central Pacific (CP).

During January, SP (Collis P. Huntington) and the Texas and Pacific (Jay Gould) gained control of Frisco.  SP built east from Mojave to the Colorado River (at Needles) under agreement late 1882 with AT&SF.  Designated as the Mojave Division, construction managed by the Pacific Improvement Company (a SP subsidiary).

Frame depots constructed at Kramer and Daggett along Mojave Division.

SP connection made with A&P via a temporary bridge at Needles.

Permanent bridge at Needles completed.   This permitted through passenger trains with sleeping car service between Kansas City and San Francisco.  However, little or no traffic for A&P Western Division due to diversion by SP to its other lines.

SP Mojave Division acquired by A&P - 242 miles at $30,000 per mile, leased at 6% of price annually until 1905 (expiration of SP's mortgage).  Re-designated as the Sixth Division.  A&P also acquired rights on SP between Mojave and San Francisco.

An extension was completed as the California Southern Extension Railroad Co. (a subsidiary of AT&SF, previously incorporated on May 23, 1881) over the Cajon Pass through San Bernardino to National City near San Diego.   This provided access to Los Angeles.  The point of connection with A&P located slightly east of Waterman, across the Mojave River, and named Barstow in honor of William Barstow Strong, AT&SF President at that time.

Frame freight house and platform constructed at Barstow.

Congress passed an act forfeiting the California lands granted in 1866 to A&P, since it had never performed any construction west of the Colorado River.

United States and SP entered into litigation regarding the ownership of land adjacent to various SP and A&P routes in California.  The primary issue was interpretation of Section 18 of the 1866 act of Congress in light of the subsequent forfeiture act in 1886.  (Note that on January 6, 1902, the U.S. Supreme Court rendered a decision on the Mojave-Needles route to equally divide the sections of land between the U.S. and SP.  However, litigation continued until February 26, 1912.)

Frame freight house and platform constructed at Kramer.

A&P ceased to exist and its property was conveyed to the Santa Fe Pacific Railroad (a new subsidiary of AT&SF).   Later during this year, RRC constructed starting at Kramer along the Mojave-Needles line.

Preliminary roadbed surveys begun.

(Note that there is no initial record of how the remaining 5130 shares were distributed.  The principal incorporators were reported to be John M. Beckley, Albert Smith, and A.A. Daugherty, but Beckley and Smith do not appear in the records until January, 1898.  It is possible that Beckley and Smith initially held the other 5130 shares.  Beckley was also associated with the New York Central railroad.)

Traffic contract authorized with A&P Railroad Co. (Western Division), with C.W. Smith as Receiver, at the station of Kramer with joint tariff rates for freight and passengers (set at the sum total of local rates for both lines).  Term of contract 25 years from October 1, 1987.   Agreement required ratification and approval by AT&SF Ry. Co.

Articles of Incorporation notarized by O.H. Jones, Los Angeles.

Roadbed location completed by Sam Brieley and W.D. Nicholson.

Articles of Incorporation officially filed and recorded at 11:30 A.M. with Charles M. Bruce, Secretary of the Territory of Arizona.  Notarized by Thomas D. Burnett, Territory of Arizona.

Traffic contract with A&P approved by RRC Directors

Santa Fe purchased A&P property via foreclosure sale and conveyed to Santa Fe Pacific Railroad Co. (chartered June 16, 1897).

J.M. Burnett appointed Agent in Arizona.  Contract authorized with the Union Construction Co. to build, equip, and construct line from Kramer to Johannesburg for $300,000 in bonds (full value of first mortgage) and 5350 shares of stock.  Work to be started within 40 days and completed by December 31, 1897.  Bonds for 20 years at 6 percent interest per annum (payable semi-annually), to be issued by Rochester Trust and Safe Deposit Co. of New York.   R.B. Burns appointed as Chief Engineer.  (Note that other references state that the contractor was Ramish and Marsh of either Los Angeles or San Francisco.)

Partial realignment made of Directors and Officers.  Indenture of Mortgage authorized by Directors; 300 bonds at $1000 each, $30 interest coupons payable on January 1.  Traffic contract with A&P revoked and authorized for reissue as new contract with Santa Fe Pacific Railroad Co. (this was necessitated  by the events of June 30 within AT&SF subsidiaries).

Plat of Location signed for road, as located by R.B. Burns, Chief Engineer, on July 15, 1897 from station 0 at Kramer to station 1475 at Johannesburg (total distance stated as 28.36 miles).  Purchase authorized for right of way from Southern Pacific Co.

Work began on the roadbed.   The construction crew numbered 200, sent by train from Los Angeles.  Ten carloads of steel rails shipped to Kramer.  A small, coal-fired locomotive reconditioned at AT&SF shops in San Bernardino to haul supplies at the construction site.  The grade pushed northward from Kramer with ties and rails loosely set in place as each section completed.  Two men then set the spikes and two men followed to drive them into the ties.

Completed 23 miles of grading with 16 miles of track in operation.

Track in operation to St. Elmo (22.5 miles).

Contract initiated with Western Union Telegraph Co.

Track completed into Johannesburg.  Majority of tools, wagons, and teams sent back to Los Angeles.

First train run from Kramer to Johannesburg.

Frame depot (two-story), freight house, and platform constructed at Johannesburg.

(Note that Van Etten was also Vice-President of the New York Central, and General Manager of the Boston and Albany.  Also, one other reference states that James Campbell, as promoter of RRC, had sued Daugherty late in 1897 regarding additional shares that had been promised to him but not issued.)

Executive Committee formed of Beckley, Van Etten, and Warner.  Contracts authorized with U.S. Government for mail and Wells Fargo Express Co. for express business.  Contract authorized with Western Union Telegraph Co. for a line from Kramer to Johannesburg for period of 25 years from December 4, 1897.  First National Bank of Los Angeles designated as depository for corporation funds.

Rail surfacing and ballasting completed, and one daily round trip started.

Scheduled operation began with two round trips daily (although surviving timetables only show one).

Line turned over to the Operating Department.

First annual stockholders' meeting.  Smith elected as Chairman of meeting with Daugherty as Secretary.   Meeting rescheduled four times, apparently due to not having a quorum present.

June, 1898

Timecard No. 2
(from Source 7)

During this month, the Randsburg-Santa Fe Reduction Co. began 50-stamp mill operation in Barstow along the Mojave River for processing ore predominantly received from the Yellow Aster mine via the RRC.  Also, starting on Saturday, June 30, a timetable published in the local Randsburg Miner newspaper.  Kramer shown as the point of origin and servicing for one evening round trip each day.  (Note that on July 1, 1900 the times were changed to essentially a midnight run with Johannesburg as the point of origin and servicing.   This may have continued until  the AT&SF reset the schedule in 1903 to an evening or late afternoon arrival in Johannesburg and return to Kramer.  The time periods of direct operation to and from Barstow are not known.)

New lease of the Mojave-Needles line negotiated by AT&SF with SP, in consideration of other AT&SF properties.

Stockholders' meeting finally convenes with 3570 of 5400 shares represented.  Directors elected for the ensuing year (W.R. Woodard, the RRC General Manager,  had replaced Smith by this time, but there is no record of exactly when).  On the same day, subsequent to the stockholders' meeting, the Directors met to officially establish the RRC organization in direct alignment with the corporation positions.  (Note that the stockholders and Directors continued to meet annually each May through 1902.)

Interest reduced to 5 percent for mortgage bonds (the records imply that Van Etten, Beckley, Warner, and Chauncey M. Depew are majority owners).

"CONCRETE" depot and frame 20-stall roundhouse constructed at Barstow.

John Singleton (one of the co-owners of Yellow Aster mine in Randsburg) replaced Daugherty as Secretary of corporation.

E.H. Stagg replaced Woodard as Vice-President of corporation and Don M. Leonard added as Assistant Secretary.  (Note that Stagg had been the General Passenger & Freight Agent, and also replaced Woodard as the local General Manager.  Stagg had a residence adjacent to the roadbed "Y" turnaround spur in Johannesburg.)

Santa Fe Pacific Railroad title and operations transferred to the parent AT&SF as part of the Coast Lines.

Addition to depot and 75-foot turntable constructed at Barstow.

Victor Morawetz (AT&SF General Counsel) advised Ripley that purchase of RRC was unwise.  A flurry of telegrams ensued within AT&SF regarding lease versus buy, and how to "gracefully" back out of an offer to buy already extended to Van Etten.

Ripley finally confirmed agreement to purchase with $300,000 in Atchison General Mortgage Bonds (4 percent) as a branch of Santa Fe Pacific, also referred to as the "Coast Lines of AT&SF."

Acquisition effective at 12:01 A.M. as a lease to AT&SF.  At the time of sale RRC had $300,000 of First Mortgage Gold Coupon Bonds (5 percent), 5400 shares of stock ($100 par value each), estimated outstanding liabilities of $6400, and assets of $7000 to $8000 deposited at the First National Bank of Los Angeles.

(a) joint majority owners
(b) also President of Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway Co., and holder of mortgage papers and articles of incorporation
(c) also Second Vice President and General Manager of Boston and Albany Railroad

Stock redistributed: 1 share to each new director, 5391 shares to AT&SF Ry. Co.

Executive Committee named as Berwind, Morawetz, and Steele

(Note that this arrangement continued with some replacement and realignment through 1911.)

Ripley wrote Morawetz regarding article that day in the Los Angeles Times about SP extending Carson and Colorado road southward to Mojave.   Concerned about "territorial invasion" near Randsburg.

Morawetz wrote E.H. Harriman (SP President) questioning the article.

Morawetz responded to Ripley that Harriman (via Judge Lovett) said "no present intention of extending southern end," although charter taken out covering Mojave in case it ever became desirable to extend.   (Note that the SP ultimately did extend line via Garlock to Mojave during 1908-1909!)

CA&SF Railway Co. incorporated as new subsidiary of AT&SF.

Properties conveyed to CA&SF from 15 other subsidiaries in California and Arizona, mostly branchlines (including the RRC).  Title of Mojave-Needles sector (valued at $6,874,750) transferred from SP to AT&SF (subject to existing mortgage lien due in 1937) as part of a property trade.

(Note that there are no records under the RRC name after this date.  The original mortgage bonds were subsequently cancelled and surrendered to AT&SF Ry. Co. via the Guaranty Trust Co. of New York.  An indemnity bond of $165,000 to the Rochester Trust and Safe Deposit Co. was placed in effect until January 1, 1921 as part of the property transfer to CA&SF Ry. Co.)

The CA&SF Railway Co. became leased and operated by AT&SF.

Electric lights installed in Johannesburg depot.

Interstate Commerce Commission gives AT&SF the authority to reduce Johannesburg operation to non-agency status.