The Red River Railroad, also known as the Ralph Smith Smith Railroad and the Alexandria and Cheneyville Railroad, was the first railroad in the United States built west of the Mississippi River.
An area engineer, planter and steamboat operator, Ralph Smith Smith, developed 16 miles (26 km) of 5 ft (1,524 mm)[2]gauge railroad line to connect Smith's Landing at Lecompte, Louisiana to the docks at Alexandria, Louisiana, enabling area settlers to have greater opportunity to get their crops to market. Although slow and crudely built, the train was capable of making one round trip daily.[3] Smith Smith also owned three steam boats with which he transported cotton brought to Alexandria on the railroad to New Orleans.
When completed, the line of railroad extended approximately 40 miles (64 km) between Alexandria, Louisiana and Bayou Hauffpaur near Cheneyville, Louisiana.[1] The railroad transported sugar cane and cotton in connection with steamboats on the Red River.[1]
The railroad operated for over twenty years. It was destroyed in 1864 during the Red River Campaign of the American Civil War when Union soldiers used rails, cross ties, bridge timbers, and rolling stock from the railroad as material to dump into the Red River in the construction of Bailey's Dam.[1][4] The car house in Alexandria was burned when the town was destroyed by retreating Union forces on May 13, 1864.[5]
In 1881, the railroad was sold to the New Orleans Pacific Railway Company.[3][6]
Referencesedit
^ abcdCapace, Nancy. Encyclopedia of Louisiana. St. Clair Shores, MI: Somerset Publishers, 1999. ISBN978-0-403-09817-0. p. 196.
^ abHistorical Plaque located at Smith's Landing, LeCompte, Louisiana, United States
^Federal Writers' Project; Louisiana Writers' Project (1947). Louisiana: A guide to the state. US History Publishers. p. 242. ISBN978-1-60354-017-9. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
^Harry G. Eskew; Elizabeth Eskew (1950). Alexandria 'way down in Dixie: an informal biography of an old Louisiana city. H. G. Eskew. p. 70. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
^Alexandria Louisiana Retrospective. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
External linksedit
[1] History Hunts: What Happened to the Red River Railroad
river, railroad, also, known, ralph, smith, smith, railroad, alexandria, cheneyville, railroad, first, railroad, united, states, built, west, mississippi, river, overviewheadquartersalexandria, lalocalelouisianadates, operation1837, 1881successornew, orleans, . The Red River Railroad also known as the Ralph Smith Smith Railroad and the Alexandria and Cheneyville Railroad was the first railroad in the United States built west of the Mississippi River Red River RailroadOverviewHeadquartersAlexandria LALocaleLouisianaDates of operation1837 1 1881SuccessorNew Orleans Pacific RailwayTechnicalTrack gauge5 ft 1 524 mm An area engineer planter and steamboat operator Ralph Smith Smith developed 16 miles 26 km of 5 ft 1 524 mm 2 gauge railroad line to connect Smith s Landing at Lecompte Louisiana to the docks at Alexandria Louisiana enabling area settlers to have greater opportunity to get their crops to market Although slow and crudely built the train was capable of making one round trip daily 3 Smith Smith also owned three steam boats with which he transported cotton brought to Alexandria on the railroad to New Orleans When completed the line of railroad extended approximately 40 miles 64 km between Alexandria Louisiana and Bayou Hauffpaur near Cheneyville Louisiana 1 The railroad transported sugar cane and cotton in connection with steamboats on the Red River 1 The railroad operated for over twenty years It was destroyed in 1864 during the Red River Campaign of the American Civil War when Union soldiers used rails cross ties bridge timbers and rolling stock from the railroad as material to dump into the Red River in the construction of Bailey s Dam 1 4 The car house in Alexandria was burned when the town was destroyed by retreating Union forces on May 13 1864 5 In 1881 the railroad was sold to the New Orleans Pacific Railway Company 3 6 References edit a b c d Capace Nancy Encyclopedia of Louisiana St Clair Shores MI Somerset Publishers 1999 ISBN 978 0 403 09817 0 p 196 Confederate Railroads Red River a b Historical Plaque located at Smith s Landing LeCompte Louisiana United States Federal Writers Project Louisiana Writers Project 1947 Louisiana A guide to the state US History Publishers p 242 ISBN 978 1 60354 017 9 Retrieved 30 March 2011 Harry G Eskew Elizabeth Eskew 1950 Alexandria way down in Dixie an informal biography of an old Louisiana city H G Eskew p 70 Retrieved 30 March 2011 Alexandria Louisiana Retrospective Retrieved January 1 2014 External links edit 1 History Hunts What Happened to the Red River Railroad 2 Alexandria Burns April 28 May 13 1864 nbsp This article about transportation in Louisiana is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte nbsp This United States railway company related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Red River Railroad amp oldid 788234519, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
