Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1957 Louisiana's Transportation Revolution: the Railroads, 1830-1850. Merl Elwyn Reed Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Reed, Merl Elwyn, "Louisiana's Transportation Revolution: the Railroads, 1830-1850." (1957). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 223. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/223 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. COFZRIGHTED BI MX&L KLWCM RKED 195# LOtJISIAHA'S TRANSPORTATION RBTOLtJTiar* THS RAILROADS, 1830 - 1890 A Thesla Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of tha Louiaiana State Unlveraity and Agricultural and Neohanloal College in partial fulfillment of the requir amenta for the degree of Doctor of Fhiloaophy in The Department of Hietory hr Marl Slujm Reed M.A., Syraouae Unlreraity, 1952 Auguat, 1997 AGDfOULSDOKMOra In the preparation of this thesis, the writer was grateful for the cooperation and aid of Mr. Vprgll L. Bedaole and Staff of the Department of Arbhivea, Mis a Lucy Foot* of the Louiaiana Room, Hill Memorial Library, Mr a. William J, Griffith of Tulane Unlreraity Ar­ chives, Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, and the Staff of the News­ paper Department, Hew Orleans Public Library. He la also moat appreciative of the encouragement and sugges­ tions given by Professor T. Harry Williams, under whose direction the monograph was begun, and by Profeasor Prank Vandiver, who direc­ ted the thesis during its later stages and offered valuable criti­ cism throughout. Professor John P. Payne read and criticised the sections on railroad tariffs. 11 TABLE QT CONTENTS Pago ABSTRACT IT INTRODUCTICN T i l CHAPTER I. THE ECONOMIC BACKGROUND.................... 1 IX. PLANNING AND BUILDING THE RAILROADS......... 15 III. THE RURAL RAILROADS............... 54 IT. NSW ORLEANS AND HSR LOCAL RAILROADS (Fart I) . 105 V. NEW ORLEANS AND HER LOCAL RAILROADS (Fart II) . 170 VI. THE NEW ORLEANS AND NASHVILLE RAILROAD .... 212 APPENDIX Ai Railroads Chart®rad In Louisiana itwoan 1830 and 1850 ...................... 259 APPENDIX Bi Map of Louisiana Railroads, 1830-1850 . 261 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................... 262 VITA ............................................ 271 ill ABSTRACT The story of Louisiana's railroads has for too long boon shroud- sd by half-truth, myth, oral tradition, lnaoouraoy and glib general­ ity. Actually, in ths period bstvaan 1830 and 1850, Louisiana's railroad buildors accomplished nors than was gansrally believed, al­ though the railroad nilaags was snail compared with tha whole nation, or even tha South. Almost all of Louisiana's prs-1850 railroads wara planned, ohar- tared and built in tha daoada between 1830 and 1840. This faot alone suggests tha inextricable bond between the railroads and the busin­ ess oyde of that era. Railroad fever came to a clinax at tha height of the econonio cycle, in 1837, and practically ended after the panic of that year. Prior to tha panic of 1837, shortages of supplies, labor and capital continually hindered the railroad companies in ac­ complishing their objectives. A few of the railroads that survived the panic continued their construction during the depression years between 1837 and 1841* They were aided in this pursuit by state loans enacted after the panic, a fact little known up to this tine. Nevertheless, in spite of state aid, the most important source of capital was the private stockholder. The pre-1350 railroads of Louisiana could be classified into three groups* rural railroads, local New Orleans railroads, and one, long-distance, interstate railroad, projected from Hew Orleans iv to Nashville, Tennessee. Tha three all-rural railroad# war* each under thirty miles in length, and acted as appendages to the major waterways of the state, connecting the interior with the rivers. New Orleans' looal railroads were built to conneot waterways, to provide better pert faollltles for the city, and to aid In the ex­ pansion of Mew Orleans' growing population into the suburbs. Two of these local railroads developed into the Hew Orleans street rail­ way system during the latter part of the Nineteenth century. The interstate railroad to Nashville was planned in order to meet the challenge of the eastern ooastal cities to New Orleans' monopoly of the western trade. This project failed because the state was unwilling to beeone a partner in the venture. The early period of railroading In Louisiana was an Inglorious saga of nany plana, numerous failures and few successes, \Aile the mileage constructed was unimpressive. Nevertheless, valuable exper­ ience was gained in construction techniques, company organisation and railroad financing whioh could be put to good use in the decade of railroad building during the 1350's. Host of the secondary sources dealing with the early railroads of Louisiana were generally inadequate. Caroline MaoGill, in a short section on Louisiana railroads before 1360, gave the best overall picture of railroad developsuat in the state. Most of the writers of the standard histories of Louisiana and New Orleans, with the v exception of Hanry Rlghtor, gave little attention to railroads, ihile Rightor's history — roly listed the railroads chartered with the dates and capitalisation figures. Among the histories of the state, a near pethetie treatment of Louisiana's railroads appeared in the wore re­ cently published hi story oof Louisiana by MoCinty. This writer told his readers that two railroads ware ahartered before 1850, and than proceeded to list three — but only tliree of the twenty-fire rail­ roads chartered before 1350. The best treataent of the New Orleans and NashriUe railroad appeared in an artlole by R, 3. Cotterill, iho placed the railroad and its relationship with Louisiana's econ­ omy and the western trade in proper prospective, Generally speak­ ing, however, there was little information on early Louisiana rail­ roads to be gleaned from secondary sources. In preparing this the­ sis, the author has relied chiefly upon federal and state documents, and newspapers and periodicals, supnlenented with various manuscript material such as family papers and railroad collections. vA Introduction A |1u m at a relief nap of tha United States la a fitting prelude to tha study of transportation in Louisiana. Between tha Appalachian Mountains to tha east, and tha Rocky Mountains to tha vast, a vast inland plain stratchas northward from tha Qulf of Mexico to Hudson Bay. In the United States, this plain is drained by two great water systems. Tha Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River system flows northeastward into tha northern Atlantic Ocean. Tha Mississ­ ippi River, fad by its tributaries, flows southward Into tha Gulf of Mexico. It was tha Mississippi River system that affected the economic development of Louisiana so greatly and determined the course of the trade and commerce of Hew Orleans. It shaped attitudes, established a way of life, and subtly influenced almost •vary economic thought of the population. The Mississippi River system also Influenced the economic development of the old West. Settlers crossed the Applachian Moun­ tains, cleared land, and grew erope. As soon as a marketable staple existed, the problem of transportation became paramount. Mature offered a ready solution. The river became the most impor­ tant avenue of commerce. Until better transportation could be found, the products of the farms, like the waters of the rivers, followed the easiest course to the sea. Canoes, flatboats, keel- boats, and numerous ether types of craft drifted down the rivers vtt to Mew Or leant, the main place of depoeit for the products of the West. The development of Mew Orleans into an Important exporting center was practically assured, and the city anchored her faith for future economic growth in the waters of the mighty river* The successful application of the steam engine to water trans­ portation only served to confirm this faith* With the appearance of the steamboat on the Mississippi River, the economic ties with the interior seemed even more secure. The steamboat quickened the pace of activity on the western rivers, and the Journey up the Mississippi against the stream now became a matter of course instead of a nightmare of hardship. But the steanboat did even more. It facilitated the passage of vessels between the port of Mew Orleans and the sea. Steam tewboats guided unwieldy ocean sailing vessels over the shifting bar at the mouth of the river, through the tor* tuous passes, and past the windless Ingllsh turn, to the wharves of the city. Another serious obstacle to the growth of the city had been partially overcome. Despite the benefits made possible by steam power, the Mississippi transportation system bad serious shortcomings. One was the distance involved. The principal markets for the goods of the Ohio valley were the cities of the last and the countries of western Burope. The Mississippi system at best offered a long, circuitous route for the western staples before reaching their markets. The journey also had its dangers. Rapids, shifting sand bars, and snags took their toll of the river craft laden with produce. There was also considerable spoilage of perishable viii eoenodlties during tha long period from the tine of departure until the goods finally cane to rest in the sea-going vessels at Mew Or lens. These disadvantages were considered unavoidable then, but the day would cone when this would not be the oase. There would be other, ■ore direct outlets from the West than those provided by nature. The building of canals supplied those outlets. The beginning of the canal era in the United States followed rapidly upon the invention of the steanboat.