Railroad Wars
Encyclopedia
The Railroad Wars were a series of conflicts between two competing railroads in the Old West of the late 1870s.
In 1878, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
and the smaller Denver and Rio Grande were competing to put the first line through Raton Pass
. Both railroads had extended lines into Trinidad, Colorado
and the pass was the only access to continue on to New Mexico. There was a great deal of legal maneuvering, and even threatened violence between rival gangs of railroad workers.
To break the impasse, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe hired a number of local gunfighters in February, 1878. Faced with this threat, and running out of money, the Denver and Rio Grande was forced to cede the pass to its rivals. The first railroad war was over without a shot being fired.
The next year a silver strike in Leadville brought the struggle back to life. Now both railroads were competing to put track along the narrow Royal Gorge
. The Denver and Rio Grande had hired its own gunfighters so the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe decided to strengthen its forces. On March 20, 1879 the railroad hired Bat Masterson
to put together a group of gunmen. Masterson's force included such famous fighters as Doc Holliday
, Ben Thompson
, Dave Rudabaugh
and Mysterious Dave Mather
as well as about seventy other fighters.
This impressive force had great success through early June of that year, but on June 10 the Fourth Judicial Circuit ruled in favor of the Denver and Rio Grande, changing matters entirely. With the assistance of the sheriffs in the counties through which the railroads passed, the Denver and Rio Grande mounted an attack on its rival's forces. There was heavy fighting at the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe's garrisons in Colorado. The garrisons in Denver and Colorado Springs fell quickly. Masterson's headquarters in Pueblo
held out the longest, but later that day they also conceded defeat. Later there were some bloodless skirmishes, but the wars were essentially over with the Denver and Rio Grande in control of the Royal Gorge
.
In 1878, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
and the smaller Denver and Rio Grande were competing to put the first line through Raton Pass
Raton Pass
Raton Pass is a mountain pass on the Santa Fe Trail along the Colorado-New Mexico border in the United States. Raton Pass is a federally designated National Historic Landmark...
. Both railroads had extended lines into Trinidad, Colorado
Trinidad, Colorado
The historic City of Trinidad is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Las Animas County, Colorado, United States...
and the pass was the only access to continue on to New Mexico. There was a great deal of legal maneuvering, and even threatened violence between rival gangs of railroad workers.
To break the impasse, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe hired a number of local gunfighters in February, 1878. Faced with this threat, and running out of money, the Denver and Rio Grande was forced to cede the pass to its rivals. The first railroad war was over without a shot being fired.
The next year a silver strike in Leadville brought the struggle back to life. Now both railroads were competing to put track along the narrow Royal Gorge
Royal Gorge
The Royal Gorge is a canyon on the Arkansas River near Cañon City, Colorado. With a width of at its base and a few hundred feet at its top, and a depth of in places, the 10-mile-long canyon is a narrow, steep gorge through the granite of Fremont Peak...
. The Denver and Rio Grande had hired its own gunfighters so the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe decided to strengthen its forces. On March 20, 1879 the railroad hired Bat Masterson
Bat Masterson
William Barclay "Bat" Masterson was a figure of the American Old West known as a buffalo hunter, U.S. Marshal and Army scout, avid fisherman, gambler, frontier lawman, and sports editor and columnist for the New York Morning Telegraph...
to put together a group of gunmen. Masterson's force included such famous fighters as Doc Holliday
Doc Holliday
John Henry "Doc" Holliday was an American gambler, gunfighter and dentist of the American Old West, who is usually remembered for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...
, Ben Thompson
Ben Thompson
Ben Thompson was a gunman, gambler, and sometime lawman of the Old West. He was a contemporary of Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill Cody, Doc Holliday, John Wesley Hardin and James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickock, some of whom considered him a trusted friend, others an enemy.Ben Thompson had a colorful career,...
, Dave Rudabaugh
Dave Rudabaugh
David Rudabaugh , was an outlaw and gunfighter in the American Old West. Modern writers often refer to him as "Dirty Dave" on account of his alleged aversion to water, no evidence has emerged to show that he was ever referred to as such in his own lifetime.-Early life:Rudabaugh was born as David...
and Mysterious Dave Mather
Mysterious Dave Mather
Dave Allen Mather , known as Mysterious Dave, or sometimes as New York Dave, was an American lawman and gunfighter in the American Old West. The date and circumstances of his death are not known with any certainty...
as well as about seventy other fighters.
This impressive force had great success through early June of that year, but on June 10 the Fourth Judicial Circuit ruled in favor of the Denver and Rio Grande, changing matters entirely. With the assistance of the sheriffs in the counties through which the railroads passed, the Denver and Rio Grande mounted an attack on its rival's forces. There was heavy fighting at the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe's garrisons in Colorado. The garrisons in Denver and Colorado Springs fell quickly. Masterson's headquarters in Pueblo
Pueblo
Pueblo is a term used to describe modern communities of Native Americans in the Southwestern United States of America. The first Spanish explorers of the Southwest used this term to describe the communities housed in apartment-like structures built of stone, adobe mud, and other local material...
held out the longest, but later that day they also conceded defeat. Later there were some bloodless skirmishes, but the wars were essentially over with the Denver and Rio Grande in control of the Royal Gorge
Royal Gorge
The Royal Gorge is a canyon on the Arkansas River near Cañon City, Colorado. With a width of at its base and a few hundred feet at its top, and a depth of in places, the 10-mile-long canyon is a narrow, steep gorge through the granite of Fremont Peak...
.