El Paso Railroad Timeline 1881-1895

The arrival of the first railroads into the Chihuahua Desert of the United States and Northern Mexico takes place and the completion of the second transcontinental railroad. While a transcontinental route is completed at Deming, New Mexico, in the end, Deming is not the end goal of the companies involved in the construction of the railroads that create a second transcontinental railroad route. While Deming, New Mexico would developed a interesting railroad history, it was not the meeting place of two transcendental carriers that create a cross country route.

The Southern Pacific and its Texas subsidiary, the Galveston Harrisburg, & San Antonio Railway will complete their route between Los Angeles California and the east ports of Texas and New Orleans Louisiana via San Antonio and Houston. The Aitchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway will complete a line to Mexico City with their subsidiary the Mexican Central and continue building routes southwest of Benson, Arizona. The Texas & Pacific will reach El Paso, Texas and begin service on the railroad that the Texas & Pacific has completed. Over time other regional railroads will go from idea to reality. Most notably, the Arizona & Southeastern serving the Phelps Dodge copper interest in Bisbee, Arizona.

Time Table from the April 11, 1883 El Paso Times Pg. 4 Col 1. From Newspapers.com

1881

.March 8, 1881: Southern Pacific and the Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railway at Deming.  A silver spike is driven to celebrate the accomplishment.  Initial service includes the Emigrant Train and a first class passenger train.

May 11, 1881; The Southern Pacific Railroad track laying gang reaches El Paso, Texas. (The Las Vegas Gazette (Las Vegas New Mexico), 1881 May 12, Pg. 4, Col. 1)

May 12, 1881: Mr. James Campbell, Southern Pacific train master for the railroad between operating and the working terminus operated the first locomotive over the first Southern Pacific Rio Grande Bridge.  (An Old Timer, 1881 May 19, Arizona Weekly Star (Tucson Arizona) Pg. 3, Col. 4)

May 26,1881, the citizens of El Paso celebrated the completion of the Southern Pacific railroad to El Paso.  A special train pulled by engine Southern Pacific of Arizona #26, and crewed by engineer James Guthrie and fireman Billy Wilson arrived from the west a 9:00 am and was saluted with sixteen guns. (Notes from the Front, 1881 June 02, Arizona Weekly Star, Pg. 1, Col. 7) (Completion of the Southern Pacific Railroad to Texas-Overjoyed Citizens. 1881 May 28, The Record Union (Sacramento California) Pg. 8, Col. 2)

A large group of invited citizens from Mexico came over for the celebration and reception to the attending Southern Pacific representatives: Mears, Crocker, Brown, Fillmore, and Bean. Speeches were given in both English and Spanish which were received warmly by the guest. (Ibid) The festivities included a carriage ride over the Rio Grande to Mexico and upon return, a lunch was waiting with Champagne and native wines. A large ball went on into the night. The hall which it took place in was decorated with evergreens, flowers and the flags of both Republics. (Ibid) The Pacific Improvement Company, which is the construction subsidiary of the Southern Pacific, turned over the railroad between Deming, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas to the Southern Pacific. The Southern Pacific assigned James Campbell as superintendent who arrived in El Paso on May 27, 1881(Notes from the Front 1881 June 02, Arizona Weekly Star Pg. 1, Col. 7)

June 10, 1881: The Santa Fe Railway are building track within the city limits. (1881 June 10, El Paso Times, Pg. 1, Col. 1)

June 11, 1881: Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Engineer William (Billy) Hockett brings in the first work train into El Paso.  (Santa Fe Dedication, Railroads are Praised for War Aid, 1942 March 21. El Paso Times Pg. 1, Col. 5)

June 20, 1881: The Santa Fe started building a bridge over the Rio Grande. This was the start of work on the Mexican Central from El Paso. (Gazette Gleanings 1881 June 29 The Las Vegas Gazette (New Mexico) Pg. 4 Col. 1)

June 30, 1881: James Small, chief clerk of the railway mail service in New Mexico traveled the line from Rincon, New Mexico to El Paso, Texas to attend to the final details prior to the start of the railway mail service. The Santa Fe Railway started providing service from El Paso north on July 1, 1881.(Santa Fe Dedication, Railroads are Praised for War Aid, 1942 March 21. El Paso Times Pg. 1, Col. 5) (Mail Facilities 1881 July 01 The Las Vegas Gazette,(New Mexico) Pg. 4 Col. 2) Prior to this the mail for Las Cruces, Mesilla Valley and El Paso went to Deming where it was transferred to the Southern Pacific which took the mail to Afton, New Mexico 36.5 railroad miles from El Paso.( Southern Pacific Lines Rio Grande Division Timetable #4 June 6 1926 12:01 am Pg. 5, http://wx4.org/to/foam/sp/maps/zukasETT/1926-06-06RioGrande4-TimZukas.pdf  Southern Pacific Lines (in Texas and Louisiana) Texas and New Orleans Railroad Company Timetable 118 June 17, 1928 12:01 a. m. Tim Zukas collection http://wx4.org/to/foam/sp/maps/zukasETT/1928-07-17SP_ElPaso118-TimZukas.pdf  visited 1-30-2023) The mail then went to the final destination by horseback or buckboard. (Mail Facilities 1881 July 01 The Las Vegas Gazette Pg. 4 Col. 2)

December 1, 1881: White Oaks Railroad reaches ten miles east of the city and drills two wells at a site to be named La Noria. (Metz)

December 1, 1881: The first rail connection to the east occurred with the meeting of Galveston Harrisburg & San Antonio (G.H. & S. A. is the corporate company of the Southern Pacific in Texas and Louisiana) and the Texas & Pacific at Sierra Blanca on December 1, 1881.(1882 January 31 Tri-Weekly Herald Marshal Texas Pg. 2 Col. 5) (Through to ‘Frisco 1881 December 2 The Galveston Daily News Pg. 1 Col. 5) The last two spikes driven in to the rail line to complete the Texas & Pacific, were later removed and Silver plated. They were presented to Texas & Pacific General Manager Mr. H. M. Hoxie and Chief Engineer D. W. Washburn. (Ibid)

1882

January 1, 1882: T. H. Goodman, General Passenger agent of both the Central Pacific and the Southern Pacific issued the following order to both station agents and train conductors on December 27, 1881. (Opening of the Southern Route 1882 January 4 Alameda Encinal (Alameda California) Pg 3 Col. 3)

“We are in Receipt of advices by wire of the Texas & Pacific Railway Company will inaugurate its opening and commencement of train service on the 1st prox. The sale of tickets can be commenced by trains No. 19, the Atlantic Express and No. 21 also known as the emigrant train of Friday, 30th instant from San Francisco. The Southern Pacific sleepers would only run to Deming, New Mexico where Texas and Pacific sleeper cars were attached to the train for the run to El Paso. The Sleeper cars would then be handed over to the Texas and Pacific at El Paso.”

The service via Texas & Pacific, Missouri-Pacific Railroad, and St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad to Hannibal and St. Louis Missouri, Cairo Illinois, and Memphis, Tennessee via Fort Worth and Texarkana, Texas.