The Marion and McPherson Railroad was a short-line railroad in central Kansas.
History As early as 1875, city leaders of Marion held a meeting to consider a branch railroad from Florence to Marion. In 1878, the Marion and McPherson Railway Company was chartered.Marion County Kansas : Past and Present; Sondra Van Meter; MB Publishing House; LCCN 72-92041; 344 pages; 1972.
In 1879, a rail line was built from Florence to McPherson.Railroad history for Lyons, Kansas; Frisco blog; December 2007. In 1880, it was extended to Lyons, in 1881 it was extended to Ellinwood.Fourth Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners for the Year Ending December 1, 1886 in State of Kansas; Kansas Publishing House; 1886. In 1901, the line was leased and operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, which used the name "Florence & Ellinwood Division" for it.Florence & Ellinwood Division in Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History; Standard Publishing Co; 805 pages; 1912.
The line from Florence to Marion was abandoned in 1969.Railway Abandonment 1968Would Abandon Short Rail Line, page 1; Peabody Gazette-Herald; 10 pages; November 21, 1968.Santa Fe to Abandon Line?, page 10; Peabody Gazette-Herald; 13 pages; December 25, 1969. 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. In 2001, the railway from Lyons to west of Conway was abandoned.Central Kansas Railroad plans to stop service in 5 counties; The Associated Press; November 22, 2000. In 2001, Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad (K&O) took over operations of Central Kansas Railway.Kansas-Oklahoma railroad rich in orders; Knight Ridder Newspapers; July 5, 2001.Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad KO #380; Union Pacific.
Currently, the remaining parts of the former Marion and McPherson Railroad that still exists is:Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad Map Ellinwood to Lyons, west of Conway to east of McPherson.
Stations At a high-level, the railroad connected the primary cities of Ellinwood (west end), Lyons, McPherson, Marion, Florence (east end).
Ellinwood (west end)
Silica Chase Lyons Mitchell Little River
Windom Conway McPerson Galva Canton
Lehigh Hillsboro Canada Marion Oursler Florence (east end)
See also Florence, El Dorado, and Walnut Valley Railroad, a defunct railroad that started in Florence List of Kansas railroads
References
Further reading Stouffer's Railroad Map of Kansas; J.W. Stouffer; 1 page; 1915-1918. Standard Atlas of Marion County Kansas; Geo A. Ogle & Co; 99 pages; 1921. Standard Atlas of McPherson County, Kansas; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 82 pages; 1921. Standard Atlas of Rice County, Kansas; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 75 pages; 1919. Atlas and Plat Book of Barton County, Kansas; Kenyon Co; 55 pages; 1916.
External links Current Kansas Railroad Map