Columbus, San Antonio and Rio Grande Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Columbus, San Antonio and Rio Grande Railroad (CSA&RG) was a Texas
railroad that was never built.
, investors formed a company to extend tracks into the interior of Texas. William Harbert, Andrew M. Campbell, George W. Smith and Gustav Schleicher
intended to extend the railroad from the Colorado River
to San Antonio
and beyond.
The Columbus, San Antonio and Rio Grande Railroad was chartered by the Texas legislature
on February 16, 1858. The charter granted the company the right to build track from Columbus through Gonzales
and San Antonio to the Rio Grande River. The legislature, in the charter, imposed strict deadlines on the company: two years to begin building track and four years to finish 25 miles. The railroad was unable to meet the standards and the legislature subsequently extended the deadlines on February 8, 1860, granting an additional year to begin building.
were felt by the railroads perhaps more than by any other kind of enterprise, and during the financial depression extending particularly from 1862 to 1869, building practically ceased."
In fact, the CSA&RG did not lay any tracks before or during the war.
On August 28, 1868, the legislature amended the charter of the Columbus, San Antonio and Rio Grande Railroad to allow it to commence its rail line at Gonzales, or some other point on the as yet unbuilt rail line of the Indianola and Austin Railroad, rather than at Columbus.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
railroad that was never built.
Formation and charter
Railroads were begun in Texas in the 1850s with railheads on the Gulf Coast running inland. As the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos & Colorado Railroad completed its track-laying near Columbus, TexasColumbus, Texas
Columbus is a city in Colorado County, Texas, United States, west of Houston along Interstate 10, on the Colorado River. In 1890, 2,199 people lived in Columbus, Texas; in 1900, there were 1,824 residents. The population was 3,916 as of the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Colorado County...
, investors formed a company to extend tracks into the interior of Texas. William Harbert, Andrew M. Campbell, George W. Smith and Gustav Schleicher
Gustav Schleicher
Gustav Schleicher was a German-born Democratic United States Representative from Texas. He was an engineer who served briefly in the Texas legislature, and was a veteran of the Confederate Army.-Early life:Schleicher was born in Darmstadt in the German principality of Hesse in 1823...
intended to extend the railroad from the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
to San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
and beyond.
The Columbus, San Antonio and Rio Grande Railroad was chartered by the Texas legislature
Texas Legislature
The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The Legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin...
on February 16, 1858. The charter granted the company the right to build track from Columbus through Gonzales
Gonzales, Texas
Gonzales is a city in Gonzales County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,202 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gonzales County.-Geography:Gonzales is located at...
and San Antonio to the Rio Grande River. The legislature, in the charter, imposed strict deadlines on the company: two years to begin building track and four years to finish 25 miles. The railroad was unable to meet the standards and the legislature subsequently extended the deadlines on February 8, 1860, granting an additional year to begin building.
Civil War and disruption
According to R. A. Thompson, Engineer of the Texas Railroad Commission, "The blighting effects of the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
were felt by the railroads perhaps more than by any other kind of enterprise, and during the financial depression extending particularly from 1862 to 1869, building practically ceased."
In fact, the CSA&RG did not lay any tracks before or during the war.
On August 28, 1868, the legislature amended the charter of the Columbus, San Antonio and Rio Grande Railroad to allow it to commence its rail line at Gonzales, or some other point on the as yet unbuilt rail line of the Indianola and Austin Railroad, rather than at Columbus.