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Houston and Texas Central Railway

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Houston and Texas Central Railway
Overview
Reporting markH&TC
LocaleTexas
Dates of operation1856–1934
SuccessorTNO
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Previous gauge5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm)

The Houston and Texas Central Railway (H&TC), operated by the Houston and Texas Central Railway Company, was a railway system in Texas.[1]

History

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Ebenezer Allen of Galveston, Texas obtained the charter to establish a railroad company on March 11, 1848. A series of meetings about the establishment of the company occurred in Chappell Hill and Houston. In 1852, the Galveston and Red River Railway (G&RR) company became active.[1]

The start of construction occurred on January 1, 1853, when Paul Bremond and Thomas William House broke ground in Houston. Track-laying of the 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm)[2] gauge railroad began in early 1856. On July 26, 1856, the track-laying reached the 25-mile (40 km) point, at Cypress. The railroad company name changed from G&RR to H&TC on September 1, 1856. By April 22, 1861 the railroad construction had reached the 81-mile (130 km) point at Millican. Because of the American Civil War, the railroad construction was halted. In 1867, with the Civil War over, construction resumed.[1]

In 1867, the H&TC railroad company took control of the Washington County Railroad (1856–1868). That railroad consisted of 25 miles (40 km) of railroad line between Brenham, Texas and Hempstead, Texas, which had been chartered in 1856 and completed in April 1861 with a gauge of 5 feet 6 inches. The H&TC extended the Washington County Railroad line to Austin. On December 25 (Christmas Day) 1871 the extension to Austin was completed.[1]

In 1871, the railroad track of the original Houston & Central Texas Railway line appeared in Corsicana. In 1872 the original line extended to Dallas. In 1873 the original railroad line reached Red River City, where it connected with the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad. This formed an all-railroad route from Texas to St. Louis, Missouri and the Eastern United States.[1]

The H&TC was sold to Charles Morgan in March 1877 but continued to operate independently until 1927, when it was leased to the Texas and New Orleans.[1]

See also

Impressions of 1891

  • Houston, H&TC Depot, (c. 1890)
    Houston, H&TC Depot, (c. 1890)
  • Cutting timber at the Line of the H&TC
    Cutting timber at the Line of the H&TC
  • Lumber Mill at the Line of the H&TC
    Lumber Mill at the Line of the H&TC
  • Advertisement, 1894
    Advertisement, 1894

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Werner, George C. "HOUSTON AND TEXAS CENTRAL RAILWAY". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  2. ^ "Houston & Texas Central Railroad". Confederate Railroads.
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