The Eureka & Colorado River Railroad was supposed to be a narrow guage railroad from Eureka, Nevada to the Colorado River, near the now submerged town of Callville, Nevada. While surveying of various routes took place and the construction of some rail beds was accomplished, it never got any further than that, and was sold for tax deliquency soon after.
THE RAILROAD BILL
SUBMITTED BY SENATOR PERLEY.
An Act to Encourage the Construction of a Railroad from the Town of Eureka, State of Nevada, to the Colorado River. The People of the State of Nevada, Represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The Eureka and Colorado River Railroad Company, a corporation heretofore organized in January, 1881, and now existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Nevada, is hereby given and granted the right, privilege and franchise of building, constructing, maintaining and operating a railroad with iron rails, between a point at or near the town of Eureka, in Eureka county, State of Nevada, and thence by the most feasible and practicable route through, or in the vicinity of, Hercules Gap, in White Pine county, to a point in the State of Nevada, on the Colorado River, at or near the town of Callville; the gauge of said railroad shall be what is known as narrow gauge.
-Eureka Sentinel, January 21, 1881
As you might imagine, this resulted in much excitement, despite the existence of the Eureka and Palisade Railroad which began operating in 1875. However, there was also a fair share of skepticsm.
ROUTE CHANGED
The mail route to El Dorado Canyon has been changes. The pony line that has been running down through the Wash has been taken off and the mail is now carried by the Salt Lake buckboards down to Mountain Meadows, thence to St. George. By this route the mail from Pioche to Mineral Park, Arizona is carried though in sixty hours. This change is bad on the settlers who live down along the Wash, who are deprived of mail facilities by this change; but wait until the Eureka & Colorado Rover Railroad gets running down the Wash, then the settlers will have lots of mail facilities. Alas! This may never be.
-Pioche Record, April 2, 1881
Later they were more succinct in their predictions.
WILL NOT BE BUILT. —The Reflex of Ward has had a correct idea of the Eu-reka and Colorado River Railroad scheme from its first conception. We quote: "It now begins to dawn upon the people of this county that the proposed Eureka and Colorado River Railroad will not he built. The road from Stockton, Utah, to Eureka, will answer all the purposes of the projectors of the Eureka and Colorado River Railroad, as it will cross White Pine county fully as far south as there was ever any intention of extending the Eureka and Colorado River Railroad. The high sounding name, it was thought, would catch eastern capital enough to build the road the desired distance in this county, and after that, those who did the putting up could extend it if they thought it advisable. The road from Stockton takes this big job off of their hands, and so the road from Eureka to the Colorado that was to have been built won't be built. If any one entertained the idea that the road would be extended to the Colorado River they were egregiously mistaken."
-Pioche Record, May 21, 1881
Well, let's ignore these naysayers and malcontents and get to building us a railroad!
The Leader announces to the citizens of Eureka that the building of the Eureka & Colorado River Railroad is a fixed fact. The company has secured ample means to build the road. Their surveyors have been in the field for several days laying out the route, and as soon as the route is determined the work of grading will be commenced at Eureka and pushed with all the energy that unlimited means will command.
-Reno Evening Gazette, July 10, 1881
Route of the Eureka and Colorado River Railroad. Since the surveyors have got fairly at work on this road, says the Ward Reflex, it has become possible to make a very close guess as to the route it will take. James Liddle. who returned to Ward on the 16th, reports that the preliminary surveying party under W. N. McGill, was, when he reached them, 15 miles on from Eureka, and headed for Antelope Springs, 12 miles north of Hamilton. From Antelope Springs there are two routes into Step-toe valley, viz: Hercules Gap and Robinson Canyon. It matters little which is taken, as either would bring the road into Steptoe valley only a few miles apart. To connect with the road from Utah it must cross the Shell Creek range through Rose Spring Pass, almost east of Ward, through Sacramento Pass, almost east of that in the Snake range. This necessarily leaves Cherry Creek out in the cold, as it is not probable that the road will turn and go directly north up Steptoe valley 45 or 50 miles for the purpose of taking in that town. The surveying party under W. N. McGill has reached Mineral City, in Robinson Canyon. He will doubtless run through Hercules Gap also and ascertain which is the best pass of the two.
-July, 1881
D. B. Merry, County Surveyor, arrived yesterday from Eureka, where he has been at work on the Eureka and Colorado River Railroad. He says there are 75 teams and about 175 men at work grading the road.
-Silver State, November 17, 1881
Now that's the kind of "can do" attitude we like.
A slight adjustment to the plans.
Going the Other Way.
Ward Reflex: James Liddle has been stopping at Thirty-mile Springs for a week past and thinks he has obtained sufficient information to warrant the conclusion that the Eureka and Colorado River Railroad, so-called, will go the other way without doubt—that is, by way of Egan Canyon, and from that point by the most direct route to Salt Lake, where it will connect with the Denver and Salt Lake Narrow-gauge Railroad. The road will not be so badly named after all. It will be the Eureka and Colorado River Railroad with the river left out.
-Eureka Daily Sentinel, January 13, 1882
Progress is being made.
The first lot of ties for the Eureka & Colorado River Railroad arrived by the Eureka and Palisade on Thursday.
-Eureka Daily Sentinel, January 29, 1882
A minor setback.
Work Suspended on the & C. R. R.
A Eureka dispatch of the 22d ult., says: An order has been received here to discontinue work on the Eureka and Colorado River Railroad. The cause assigned for this step is that the Eureka and Palisade Railroad Company refuses to make any reduction from its regular rates of freight on the material required for construction. The first twenty miles were nearly graded The office and officers here have ben ordered to Salt Lake. Work is to be resumed on the road next fall, when Eastern roads will tap the line of the proposed road.
-White Pine News, March 4, 1882
It wasn't all fun and games for those surveying the route.
THE SURVEYORS RAIDED.
The report came to Cherry Creek a few days ago, that a party of surveyors on the Eureka & Colorado River Railroad, who were camped on Deep Creek, near the Utah line, were attacked by a band of Indians. Their horses were run off and all they had about the camp that could be of any use to the Indians or be carried away and sold by them in the Mormon settlements, was taken front the surveying party and transported off. The Indians knew, it seems, that the little party had just been paid off and made the raid to get possession of the greenbacks just distributed. They got away with some $500 or $600. The surveyors were taken entirely by surprise, and being in no condition to offer resistant wore overpowered at once. They came to the assault armed with rifles and pistols, and made a terrible noise, but not being resisted they completed the sacking of the camp without tiring a gun.
-Eureka Sentinel, December 30, 1882
Rumors swirled.
Railroad Rumor.
It is reported that work on the Eureka Colorado Liver Railroad will commence at this point as soon as the weather permits, and that it will be pushed energetically early during the season. It is also stated that Cherry Creek will be the first objective point. Whether there is any foundation for the report we do not know, but that something will be done on the proposed road this year we believe. There are a large number of mine-owners along and near the proposed line who would hail with joy the locomotive's whistle.
-Eureka Daily Sentinel, February 4, 1883
A bit optimistic.
The competition of this road will connect Nevada with the Gulf of California, and through that with the Pacific Ocean. A new town will be laid out on the Colorado River, in Lincoln County, and direct trade opened with the leading ports of China and Japan.
-Eureka Daily Sentinel, February 10, 1883
But have no doubts, this railroad is going through!
Those who are presumed to know say there is no doubt but the Eureka and Colorado River Railroad will be built.
-Eureka Daily Sentinel, March 30, 1883
Well, maybe not right away.
Work Stopped.
Work on the Pinto division of the Eureka & Colorado River Railroad has been ordered suspended, and R. M. Hazen, Superintendent of Construction on this end, has been instructed to discharge his two laborers and bring the company's grading tools into town, to be deposited until a time, not named, when work is resumed.
-Eureka Daily Sentinel, June 20, 1883
OK, so maybe they're going to work from Utah to Eureka, maybe?
The grading implements of the Eureka and Colorado River Railroad having been ordered shipped to Ogden, Mr. Hazen was engaged yesterday in getting the shovels, scrapers, and picks down to the Eureka & Palisade depot ready for transportation.
-Eureka Daily Sentinel, July 8, 1883
There were those who still felt the railroad would be completed despite the signs that it wasn't going to happen.
THE EUREKA AND COLORADO ROAD.
The Eureka Leader states that some of the gentlemen connected with the Eureka and Colorado River Railroad are endeavoring to make arrangements, in which they feel confident of success, to secure the necessary rolling stock and the rails sufficient to complete twenty miles of the road before the Winter sets in, the said twenty riles to extend from Eureka southeast. As is well known, all the heavy grading of this road for that distance has already been completed and but little remains to be done, except to place a few bridges on the line, the ties having already been gotten out and paid for, and most of them having been delivered over a year ago along the line of the track. It is to be hoped this movement will succeed, as the building of the road will greatly help the mining business of Eureka. It is well known that a large quantity of the coal and wood used in this camp is brought from the country that surrounds the line of the proposed road, and if the road is built the trouble that is frequently met with in the Winter season by the wagon roads being impassable by reason of the heavy falls of snow and its attendant circumstances will be effectually removed, thereby enabling the mining men to obtain a. reliable supply of both coal and wood at all seasons of the year.
-Weekly Nevada State Journal, September 29, 1883
Another stock holder's meeting. THe minutes of this meeting would be an interesting read, I bet.
NOTICE
To The Stockholders of the Eureka & Colorado River Railroad Co.
The Annual Meeting of the stock holders of this company will be held at the principal office of the Company at Eureka, in the State of Nevada, on the FIRST MONEY OF APRIL (to-wit, April7), 1884, at 12 o'clock, noon, for the purpose of electing Directors to serve for the ensuing year, and for the transaction of such other business as may come before it. John E. Lundstrom, Secretary.
-Eureka Daily Sentinel, March 30, 1884
And it's all over, with a whimper.
NOTICE OF DELINQUENT TAX SALES
EUREKA AND COLORADO RIVER RAILROAD COMPANY: Possessory interest in and to six (6) miles of unfinished railroad grade, track or bed, the same extending from the town of Eureka in a southerly direction to the western boundary line of White Pine county.
Possessory interest in and to a piece of land situated in Eureka Canyon, south of the town of Eureka. known at the "Ryland" tract.
Possessory interest in and to a piece of land situated in the town of Eureka in Eureka Canyon, known as the "Daily ranch."
Possessory interest in and to a tract of land with springs of water thereon, situated about one mile northwesterly from Pinto Station, known as the Gilmour ranch, containing 40 acres.
Possessory interest in and to a piece of laud situated about three-quarters or a mile westerly from the Pinto Mill, known as "Fitzpatrick Spring," containing 40 acres.
Tax, 172 50; penalty, $17 25; costs, $2; total, $191.75
-Eureka Daily Sentinel, December 4, 1885
Looks like Charley bought what was left.
SALE OF RAILROAD PROPERTY
In pursuance of an order of the Board of County Commissioners of this county, Sheriff Sweeny yesterday sold for taxes the county's interest in and to the real estate property, roadbed, right of way, franchise, water rights and privileges, possessory interest, claim and demand, heretofore owned by and belonging to the Eureka and Colorado River Railroad Company. The property was bid in by Charley Wallace for $300.
-Eureka Daily Sentinel, September 25, 1887
All that remains are some rail road grades south of Eureka.