The Phoenix and Eastern Railroad was a railroad company in the state of Arizona. It was chartered in 1901 to construct a line from Phoenix, Arizona to Benson, Arizona via the Gila River, a distance of 185 miles (298 km). The company would be leased by the Arizona Eastern Railroad, a subsidiary of the Southern Pacific, in 1910. A portion of its original line remains in service and is operated by the Copper Basin Railway.
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Arizona |
| Dates of operation | 1901–1910 |
| Successor | Arizona Eastern Railroad |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
History
editThe Phoenix and Eastern was incorporated on August 31, 1901 and among its founders were Baron Gaston de Fontenilliat, William George Tiffany,[1] George S. Pitcairn, M. H. Twomey and J. H. Martin.[2] Its original plan was to construct a line from Phoenix to Benson along the Gila River, for a total length of 185 miles (298 km). At Benson it would interchange with the Southern Pacific and also the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad.[3] The company had the backing of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, which was seeking to expand its operations in southern Arizona. The Southern Pacific responded by backing a rival company, the Arizona Eastern, which also intended to build along the Gila River. In 1903–1904 a minor railroad war broke out as the two companies struggled over control of the route. The ATSF and the SP eventually reached a compromise: in exchange for the SP taking control of the Phoenix and Eastern, SP made concessions to the ATSF in Northern California.[4]
By 1910 the Phoenix and Eastern had reached Winkelman, a distance of 95 miles (153 km). The Arizona Eastern formally leased the Phoenix and Eastern on March 1, 1910, ending that company's independent existence.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "A Railroad from Benson to Phoenix". The Copper Era And Morenci Leader. 11 July 1901. p. 1. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ "Railroad Activity in Arizona". The Railway News: 98. July 20, 1901. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ "A Busy Railroad in a Rich Country". The Bulletin. X (8): 3–6. August 1921.
- ^ Borneman, Walter R. (2014). Iron Horses: America's Race to Bring the Railroads West. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 9780316371797.
- ^ Arizona Railway Commission (1911). Annual Report. p. 8.