State Historical Society of Iowa

"Council Bluffs & Saint Joseph Railroad - Letter from M. Jeff Thompson, of St. Joseph," May 22, 1858

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Courtesy of Library of Congress, Thompson, Jeff, "Council Bluffs & Saint Joseph Railroad - Letter from M. Jeff Thompson, of St. Joseph," Council Bluffs Nonpareil, pp. 2, 22 May 1858

Description

In 1857, Pottawatomie County in western Iowa voted to buy $300,000 worth of stock in the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company to ensure that the railroad would go through their county. An economic panic in 1857 kept the railroad company from starting work as it had promised, and so in the spring of 1858, some people began to promote a connection between Council Bluffs and St. Joseph, Missouri by railroad. This letter was written in response to a convention held in Council Bluffs to support the building of a railroad between the two cities.

Transcript of "Council Bluffs & Saint Joseph Railroad - Letter from M. Jeff Thompson, of St. Joseph"

Printable Excerpt of "Council Bluffs & Saint Joseph Railroad - Letter from M. Jeff Thompson, of St. Joseph"

Source Dependent Questions

  • Why was the Missouri Valley so ripe for future settlement, according to the author? Identify evidence from the source to support your answer.
  • Compare Thompson's description of the Missouri Valley to Morgan's description of the route for the Davenport and Iowa City Railroad and The Iowa Patriot's description of the Mississippi River. What benefits did each find in the physical geography of each region?
  • How did Thompson use word and language choice to make his argument? How did he appeal to his targeted audience?

Citation Information

Thompson, Jeff, "Council Bluffs & Saint Joseph Railroad - Letter from M. Jeff Thompson, of St. Joseph," Council Bluffs Nonpareil, pp. 2, 22 May 1858. Courtesy of Library of Congress Courtesy of Library of Congress

State Historical Society of Iowa

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