WAY, an American railroad extending from Chicago westward and southward. It dates from a special Act of the Illinois State legislature, approved Feb. 27, 1847, and amended Jan. 27, 1851. Construction began in Chicago Oct. 1, 1851, and the first train ran from Chicago to Joliet, Ill., a distance of 4o m., on Oct. I o, 185 2. The road reached the Mississippi river on Feb. 22, 1854, and there was constructed the first bridge over that river between Rock Island, Ill. and Davenport, Ia., which was opened on Sept. 1, 1854. Since that date the growth of the Rock Island was rapid until (in 1928) it comprised over 8,297 m. through fourteen Middle Western States, traversing a greater number of commonwealths than any other railroad in the whole United States, and extending from Chicago to Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Santa Rosa, New Mexico, and from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Fort Worth and Dallas, Texas, with lines into St. Louis, Memphis, Kansas City, Omaha, Des Moines, Oklahoma City, Topeka, Alex andria, Louisiana, and the principal Mississippi valley centres. The total capitalization of all the Rock Island lines as of Decem ber 31, 1934, was approximately $520,183,289, including $129, 426,689 of capital stock. The charter of the Rock Island and Pacific railway includes the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific and the Chicago Rock Island and Gulf railways.
The railroad is particularly noted for the very large amount of agricultural and oil traffic which it handles. (J. E. G.)