The Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad (FE&MV), sometimes called "the Elkhorn," was a railroad established in 1869 in the state of

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

in the

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

About

The company constructed several lines in Nebraska, including a long east–west route from

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

across northern Nebraska to Chadron, trackage that later became known as the " Cowboy Line." Beginning in the 1880s the FE&MV expanded north and west from Chadron, building a line along the eastern edge of the

Black Hills The Black Hills is an isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, United States. Black Elk Peak, which rises to , is the range's highest summit. The name of the range ...

Rapid City Rapid City is the county seat of Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. It is located on the eastern slope of the Black Hills in western South Dakota and was named after Rapid Creek, where the settlement developed. It is the second-mo ...

and

Belle Fourche Belle Fourche (; ) is a city in and the county seat of Butte County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 5,617 at the 2020 census, and was estimated to be 5,873 in 2023, making it the 18th most populous city in South Dakota. It is ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

, as well as a line westward to Casper,

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

Charles Henry King Charles Henry King (March 12, 1853 – February 27, 1930) was an American businessman and banker who was instrumental in founding several cities in the states of Nebraska and Wyoming. He saw opportunity with the expansion of the railroad west and ...

, grandfather of President

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Ford assumed the p ...

, was to make his fortune establishing banks and freighting services in towns he helped found along the line including Chadron and Casper. Ford's father

Leslie Lynch King, Sr. Leslie Lynch King Sr. (July 25, 1884 – February 18, 1941) was the biological father of President of the United States, U.S. president Gerald Ford. Because of his alcoholism and domestic abuse, abusive behavior, his wife, Dorothy Ayer Gardner F ...

was born in Chadron during this time. The larger

Chicago and North Western Railway The Chicago and North Western was a Railroad classes#Class I, Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of t ...

(C&NW) acquired control of the FE&MV in the late 19th century, and in 1903, the FE&MV was formally absorbed into the C&NW. The FE&MV's

passenger depot A train station, railroad station, or railway station is a Rail transport, railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passenger train, passengers, freight rail transport, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one railwa ...

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals * Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking * Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil ...

, Wyoming is listed in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. Today, much of the FE&MV trackage has been abandoned. The trackage through Rapid City is operated by the Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad.

Track segment abandonments and sales

Fremont, Nebraska Fremont is a city in and the county seat of Dodge County, Nebraska, Dodge County in the eastern portion of the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. The population was 27,141 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it t ...

Norfolk, Nebraska Norfolk ( or ) is a city in Madison County, Nebraska, United States, 113 miles northwest of Omaha and 76 miles southwest of Sioux City, Iowa, at the intersection of U.S. Routes 81 and 275. The population was 24,955 at the 2020 census, mak ...

; Abandoned 1982. Fremont to West Point sold to

Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Railroad The Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Railroad was a 17-mile (27 km) heritage railroad headquartered in Dodge County, Nebraska, which offered excursion services on the line. Its equipment is now owned by the Nebraska Railroad Museum. The FEVR l ...

1985. Hooper to West Point dismantled 1988. * Norfolk-

Chadron, Nebraska Chadron ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Dawes County, Nebraska, United States, in the Great Plains region. The population was 5,206 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is home to an 11-story high-rise on the campus o ...

; Sold: Chadron-Merriman; Abandoned: Norfolk-Merriman 1992 * Chadron-northeastern

(Rapid City Branchline); Sold:

Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad is a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Kansas City. Before its purchase, it was the largest Class II railroad in the United States, operating across South Dakota and southern Minnesot ...

in 1996; to

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

in 2008; to Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern in 2014. * Norfolk, Nebraska to Winner, South Dakota—Abandoned—1978 * Chadron-

Lander, Wyoming Lander is a city and the county seat of Fremont County, Wyoming. It is located in central Wyoming, along the Middle Fork Popo Agie River, Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River, just south of the Wind River Indian Reservation. It is a tourism center ...

; Abandoned: Chadron-Lander 1992 includes a photograph

References

Defunct Nebraska railroads Defunct South Dakota railroads Defunct Wyoming railroads Railway companies established in 1869 Railway companies disestablished in 1903 Predecessors of the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company 1869 establishments in Nebraska {{US-rail-company-stub

About

Track segment abandonments and sales

See also

References