The (rail) road west

Alexander Campbell

In 1881, Southwest Nebraska was faced with a real crisis. The region had lured thousands of settlers from the East, which had been suffering from poor economic times following the great Civil War. For some years the region, with timely rains, had lived up to its backers' claims as "The Land of Milk and Honey." In the vicinity of McCook there had been some 59 post offices established -- each of those localities (including Fairview, the future site of McCook, on the Republican River) with dreams of great future growth. But in 1881, those rains had not come and the region was suffering from severe drought. Settlers were returning to their homes in the East, or scrambling to find some sort of employment that would enable them to hang on for another year.

By 1881 the Burlington Railroad had reached Indianola, but with the drought, the railroad speculators (brave souls that they were) saw no need to push the rail line any further west. The general consensus of opinion was that there was very little railroad business to be had from Southwestern Nebraska.

It was at this point that Fairview (and McCook) received the benefit of three powerful railroad men, which went a long way toward saving the settlers in Southwest Nebraska and assuring McCook of its very existence. Gen. Manager Touzalin, George Holdrege, and Alexander Campbell, more as an act of mercy than the hope of immediate profits, were able to persuade the Board of Directors of the Burlington to extend the Burlington line from Indianola to Perry, giving desperately needed employment to hundreds of settlers, who were hard-hit by the drought. Many of these "farmers turned railroaders" never did go back to being farmers.

Road building equipment used by the railroad in 1881.

The last spike at Perry was pounded in July 1881. The project was considered such a success that later that summer the directors of the railroad decided that it was time to extend the railroad all the way to Denver. Once that decision was made, there was great haste to get the job done. Word came out of the Omaha office that preparatory work should begin at once and the entire line should be completed into Denver not later than Oct. 1, 1882 -- 247 miles of standard gauge rail line in 229 days -- the project demanded a record breaking performance -- over a mile per day, with horses, mules, and manpower. They piled up the dirt, handled the rails, and pounded the spikes -- all without the benefit of the great labor saving devices that are in use today.

The line all the way to Denver! -- An outstanding construction project, indeed! The feat was lavishly applauded by the company's board of directors, who were ecstatic. The first regularly scheduled steam caravan left Denver for Chicago on July 1, 1882 -- "the triumphant march of the Burlington Railroad with the Stars and Stripes," as one historian described it.

Alexander Campbell was certainly one of the city's foremost leaders in the first quarter century of McCook's existence. He was born in Scotland in 1843 and, as a boy of five, came with his parents to Canada. He learned the blacksmith's trade and worked in this capacity at various jobs, including a position at the Calumet & Hinkle Mining Company until he was in his 20s, when he came to Nebraska and took a job with the Burlington Railroad after the Civil War. From that time on his life and career were practically a history of the Burlington, west to Denver.

Campbell began as a section hand on the railroad, when the line ended just three miles west of Plattsmouth, Nebraska. His abilities were quickly recognized by Col Doan, Chief Engineer, and he advanced quickly up the ranks, to section foreman; to Assistant to the Roadmaster of the Division; to Roadmaster, and finally, in 1870, to Superintendent of the Western Nebraska Division, known at that time as The Republican Valley Division. From here he supervised the construction of the Indianola-Denver portion of the line as well as the various branch lines -- from Lincoln to Kearney; from Crete to Beatrice; Edgar to Cheyenne; Red Cloud to Wymore; Republican City to Oberlin; Orleans to St. Francis, and other branch lines.

But from the first Mr. Campbell was the "First Citizen" of McCook (Fairview), which he called "The Gem on the Republican." It was he who named the new city, McCook, after his "boon companion and close friend," Brigadier Gen. Alexander McDowell McCook, the soldier who won fame on the battlefields of the Civil War.

Mr. Campbell was a member of the Burlington High Command, including the Real Estate arm of the company, The Lincoln Land Company, which laid out plans for the McCook, and originally held title to most of the land in and around McCook.

Mr. Campbell was instrumental in getting the Division Point of the Railroad in McCook, rather than the established communities of Indianola or Culbertson -- a very important office, and a huge economic boon for the new little city.

In 1890 Campbell was one of the city leaders who pushed for, and accomplished the moving of the County Seat from Indianola to McCook. To the end of his life he was a one man Chamber of Commerce -- very successfully recruiting new businesses for McCook. He was said to "Take pride and pleasure in the welfare of not only the town, but he rejoiced in the success of others."

Mr. Campbell was not just interested in business. He and his wife were extremely active in all areas of McCook life. As the parent of seven children, it was natural for him to be concerned about the schools in McCook, and he served on the school board for a number of years, including some years as president of that body. He and his wife were active in the various organizations of the Masonic Order and Eastern Star, and a full Masonic ritual service was held at his graveside at the time of his funeral.

Though Mr. Campbell held his position as Superintendent of the Republican Valley Division of the Burlington until 1904, during his last two years of his life his health was not good. He suffered from pernicious anemia, and traveled to various locations seeking treatment of the disease -- including to Excelsior Springs, Missouri, which touted mineral springs containing a rare combination of bicarbonate of iron and manganese. These springs were reported to cure all sorts of ailments and dread diseases. His travels seeking good health finally took him to a clinic in Chicago, Illinois. At first he seemed to benefit from these treatments, but gradually his health declined, and at his request, he was brought home to McCook, where he passed away on August 28th, 1905. His was a very large funeral, attended by a number of notable railway men, as well as a host of his friends and neighbors from McCook. He is buried in Longview Cemetery in McCook. Alexander Campbell, "the beloved 'A.C.,' that great leader of men, whose memory was revered all through the West." He was 62 years old.

Source: Harry Culbertson in Red Willow County Centennial Hall of Fame; Trails West, by Ray and Rutledge; McCook Gazette Centennial Edition