The Nevada and Minden Railway was a rail line extending about 74 miles from

Nevada, Missouri Nevada ( ''nə--də'') is a city in and the county seat of Vernon County, on the western border of Missouri, United States. The population was 8,386 at the 2010 census, and 8,254 in the 2018 estimate. The local government has a council-manager ...

Chetopa, Kansas Chetopa is a city in Labette County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 929. Chetopa was named for Chief Chetopah, an Osage Indian chief. Later, the community name was shortened. History The community ...

. The line was completed in 1886, and the railroad was merged into its owner and operator, the

Missouri Pacific Railway The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as 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. In 1967, the railroad o ...

, in 1909.

History

The Nevada and Minden Railway Company was created by certificate filed April 17, 1885, by change of name of the Nevada and Girard Railway, organized Sept 22, 1882. It was one of two companies organized for the task of building a railway southwest from Nevada, Missouri into Kansas, the other being the Nevada and Minden Railway Company of Kansas, incorporated December 14, 1885. The Nevada and Minden Railway Company would build the line from Nevada, Missouri southwest to the Missouri/Kansas state line, and the Nevada and Minden Railway Company of Kansas would build the portion of the line situated in Kansas. Both companies were controlled and operated by the

. During the fall and winter of 1885-6 efforts were made by different citizens of

Labette County, Kansas Labette County (county code LB) is a county located in Southeast Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 20,184. Its county seat is Oswego, and its most populous city is Parsons. The county was named after LaBette creek, the ...

to secure extension of the railroad into their county, eventually settling on Chetopa as the final destination when that city donated land for right-of-way and yard/depot purposes. Thus the railroad’s final orientation was from Nevada through

Bronaugh, Missouri Bronaugh is a city in southwest Vernon County, Missouri, United States. The population was 249 at the 2010 census. History Bronaugh was platted in 1886 when the Nevada and Minden Railway was extended to that point. The community was named for W ...

and

Pittsburg, Kansas Pittsburg is a city in Crawford County, Kansas, United States, located in southeast Kansas near the Missouri state border. It is the most populous city in Crawford County and southeast Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the ci ...

to Chetopa, the work on the final piece starting in the Spring of 1886, and the line being completed April 6, 1886. The railway had about 32.56 miles of road in Missouri and 41.15 miles in Kansas, for a total of about 73.71. On August 9, 1909, both companies and several others were consolidated into the Missouri Pacific. After many changes in ownership, the route was sold in 1991 to the South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad. Much of the trackage has since been abandoned.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Missouri and Western Railway Missouri railroads Defunct Missouri railroads Kansas railroads Defunct Kansas railroads