International-Great Northern Railroad
Encyclopedia
The International – Great Northern Railroad (I&GN) was a railroad that operated in the U.S. state
of Texas
. It was created on September 30, 1873, when International Railroad and Houston and Great Northern Railroad merged.
Originally, the I&GN operated 177 miles (284.9 km) of track from Hearne
to Longview
, but at its peak it owned 1106 miles (1,779.9 km) of track. As the railroad expanded, it reached Rockdale
in 1874 and Austin
on December 28, 1876. The line extended to San Antonio in 1880 and finally to the US-Mexican border town of Laredo
on December 1, 1881.
The I&GN, like other railroads of its time, had many financial troubles and went into receivership
on several occasions. Jay Gould
acquired control of the I&GN in December, 1880, but was forced to sell it in the early 1920s. Finally, on March 1, 1956, the I&GN was bought by the Missouri Pacific Railroad
Company and became a major part of its network.
In the 1960s, many of the redundant out-of-the-way lines were abandoned, including Waco to Marlin and College Station to Navasota.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
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...
. It was created on September 30, 1873, when International Railroad and Houston and Great Northern Railroad merged.
Originally, the I&GN operated 177 miles (284.9 km) of track from Hearne
Hearne, Texas
Hearne is a city in Robertson County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,690 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bryan-College Station metropolitan area...
to Longview
Longview, Texas
Longview is a city in Gregg and Harrison Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 80,455. Most of the city is located in Gregg County, of which it is the county seat; only a small part extends into the western part of neighboring Harrison County. It is...
, but at its peak it owned 1106 miles (1,779.9 km) of track. As the railroad expanded, it reached Rockdale
Rockdale, Texas
Rockdale is a city in Milam County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,440 at the 2000 census.Rockdale was the site of a large Alcoa smelting operation, which could produce 1.67 million pounds of aluminum per day. The ALCOA plant was closed in late 2008 - early 2009.Author George Sessions...
in 1874 and Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
on December 28, 1876. The line extended to San Antonio in 1880 and finally to the US-Mexican border town of Laredo
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
on December 1, 1881.
The I&GN, like other railroads of its time, had many financial troubles and went into receivership
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
on several occasions. Jay Gould
Jay Gould
Jason "Jay" Gould was a leading American railroad developer and speculator. He has long been vilified as an archetypal robber baron, whose successes made him the ninth richest American in history. Condé Nast Portfolio ranked Gould as the 8th worst American CEO of all time...
acquired control of the I&GN in December, 1880, but was forced to sell it in the early 1920s. Finally, on March 1, 1956, the I&GN was bought by the Missouri Pacific Railroad
Missouri Pacific Railroad
The Missouri Pacific Railroad , also known as the MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers, including the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway , Texas and Pacific...
Company and became a major part of its network.
In the 1960s, many of the redundant out-of-the-way lines were abandoned, including Waco to Marlin and College Station to Navasota.