Editing Marion County, Kansas (section)

====Santa Fe Railroad====
[[File:Stouffer's Railroad Map of Kansas 1915-1918 Marion County.png|thumb|left|1915-1918 railroad map of Marion County]]

The state of Kansas granted the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway|Atchison and Topeka Railroad]] three million acres (12,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of land if it would build a continuous line to the western border of the state within ten years (March 1, 1873). In 1871, the railroad pushed westward from Emporia through [[Florence, Kansas|Florence]], [[Horners, Kansas|Horners]], and [[Peabody, Kansas|Peabody]] towards Newton, and got title to the land in 1873.<ref name="Santa Fe Rail History">[http://kansasheritage.org/research/rr/santafe.html Santa Fe Rail History]</ref>  According to the original [[Public Land Survey System#Railroad land grants|land grant]], the railroad was to receive every odd numbered section for {{convert|10|mi|km|spell=in}} on each side of its track, but in eastern Kansas which was largely settled by then, much of this land was not available. The law therefore gave the railroad what was called "in lieu" lands further west. Eventually this worked out to be half the land on a strip {{convert|20|mi|km|spell=in}} on each side of its track from [[Emporia, Kansas|Emporia]] nearly out to [[Kinsley, Kansas|Kinsley]], which meant that most of Marion County fell within this strip.<ref>[http://www.kansasheritage.org/research/rr/rrhistory.html Kansas Heritage Server - Railroads In Kansas]</ref>

In 1877, the [[Florence, El Dorado, and Walnut Valley Railroad Company]] built a branch line from [[Florence, Kansas|Florence]] to [[El Dorado, Kansas|El Dorado]], in 1881 it was extended to [[Douglass, Kansas|Douglass]], and later to [[Arkansas City, Kansas|Arkansas City]].<ref name="MarionCountyBook" />  The line was leased and operated by the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]]. The line from [[Florence, Kansas|Florence]] to [[El Dorado, Kansas|El Dorado]] was abandoned in 1942.<ref name="Abandon Railway 1942">[http://www.abandonedrails.com/Florence_to_El_Dorado Railway Abandonment 1942]</ref>  The original branch line connected Florence, [[Burns, Kansas|Burns]], [[De Graff, Kansas|De Graff]], [[El Dorado, Kansas|El Dorado]], [[Augusta, Kansas|Augusta]], [[Douglass, Kansas|Douglass]], [[Rock, Kansas|Rock]], [[Akron, Kansas|Akron]], [[Winfield, Kansas|Winfield]] and [[Arkansas City, Kansas|Arkansas City]].

In 1887, [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]] built a branch line from [[Neva, Kansas|Neva]] (three miles west of [[Strong City, Kansas|Strong City]]) to [[Superior, Nebraska]]. This branch line connected [[Strong City, Kansas|Strong City]], [[Neva, Kansas|Neva]], [[Rockland, Kansas|Rockland]], [[Diamond Springs, Kansas|Diamond Springs]], [[Burdick, Kansas|Burdick]], [[Lost Springs, Kansas|Lost Springs]], [[Jacobs, Kansas|Jacobs]], [[Hope, Kansas|Hope]], [[Navarre, Kansas|Navarre]], [[Enterprise, Kansas|Enterprise]], [[Abilene, Kansas|Abilene]], [[Talmage, Kansas|Talmage]], [[Manchester, Kansas|Manchester]], [[Longford, Kansas|Longford]], [[Oak Hill, Kansas|Oak Hill]], [[Miltonvale, Kansas|Miltonvale]], [[Aurora, Kansas|Aurora]], [[Huscher, Kansas|Huscher]], [[Concordia, Kansas|Concordia]], [[Kackley, Kansas|Kackley]], [[Courtland, Kansas|Courtland]], [[Webber, Kansas|Webber]] and Superior. At some point, the line from Neva to Lost Springs was pulled, but the right of way has not been abandoned. This branch line was originally called "Strong City and Superior line", but later the name was shortened to the "Strong City line". The railway is connected via a switch to allow north-bound "Rock Island" traffic to connect onto the north-west-bound "Santa Fe" tracks. This is the only way for the Santa Fe traffic to travel north-west after removing the tracks to Neva.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}

As early as 1875, city leaders of [[Marion, Kansas|Marion]] held a meeting to consider a branch railroad from Florence. In 1878, [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]] and parties from Marion County and [[McPherson County, Kansas|McPherson County]] chartered the [[Marion and McPherson Railway Company]].<ref name="MarionCountyBook">''Marion County Kansas : Past and Present''; Sondra Van Meter; MB Publishing House; [[LCCN]] 72-92041; 344 pages; 1972.</ref>  In 1879, a branch line was built from Florence to [[McPherson, Kansas|McPherson]]; in 1880 it was extended to [[Lyons, Kansas|Lyons]], in 1881 it was extended to [[Ellinwood, Kansas|Ellinwood]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZIwpAAAAYAAJ Fourth Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners for the Year Ending December 1, 1886 in State of Kansas; Kansas Publishing House; 1886.]</ref>  The line was leased and operated by the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]]. The line from Florence to Marion was abandoned in 1968.<ref name="Abandon Railway 1968">[http://www.abandonedrails.com/Marion_to_Florence Railway Abandonment 1968]</ref>  In 1992, the line from Marion to McPherson was sold to [[Central Kansas Railway]]. In 1993, after heavy flood damage, the line from Marion to McPherson was abandoned. The original branch line connected Florence, [[Oursler, Kansas|Oursler]], Marion, [[Canada, Kansas|Canada]], [[Hillsboro, Kansas|Hillsboro]], [[Lehigh, Kansas|Lehigh]], [[Canton, Kansas|Canton]], [[Galva, Kansas|Galva]], McPherson, [[Conway, Kansas|Conway]], [[Windom, Kansas|Windom]], [[Little River, Kansas|Little River]], [[Mitchell, Kansas|Mitchell]], Lyons, [[Chase, Kansas|Chase]] and [[Ellinwood, Kansas|Ellinwood]].

In 1996, the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]] merged with [[Burlington Northern Railroad]] and renamed to the current [[BNSF Railway]]. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Santa Fe".{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}