Missouri Pacific

Eureka had another railroad, the Missouri Pacific. In its early days it was known as the Fort Scott and Wichita.

It had an interchange track to the ATSF, a stock pen, a large grain elevator, a depot, and three bulk oil dealers, and a wooden water tower by the depot. This line was much busier than the ATSF in Eureka and saw larger equipment.

Terraserver Image, 1991.

In 1947, there were two passenger trains a day on the MoPac, about 5:00 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. An additional 6 freights usually passed through town: 2 through freights, 2 extras, and one local each way.

Depot

This 1949 Burke photo shows the brick MoPac station. Behind and to the right is the largest grain elevator in town and in the distance just to the left of the depot roof and under the platform light can be seen a bulk oil dealer. The Empire That Missouri Pacific Serves reports that "Eureka now is an important shipping point for the products of the surrounding area - oil, grain and livestock." The depot was demolished in March, 1984.

Burke reported that the MoPac stock track was 60 pound rail.

Elevator

The largest grain elevator was the Eureka Mill and Elevator which became the Ranch Aid Elevator in 1970. Teichgraber operated it for a while and then in 1995 gifted to Kansas State. Marlin Allen bought it from them but went bankrupt. Bryan Marshall purchased the facilities from the court in 2001 to store his grain.

Photos by James Burke

This mill could handle covered hoppers, and the Santa Fe often left cars from Emporia on the interchange for the MoPac to move to this elevator.

A seed house was added in 1954.

Oil Distributors

Three bulk oil dealers were served by the MoPac. Just east of the Eureka Elevator was the Skelly dealer, operated as the Parks Race Oil Company.

North of the depot was a second, shown in these Burke photos.

Yet a third was the Phillips dealer, C. R. McKay Oil Co, which had their own spur on the west side of town.

Stock Pens

The MoPac stock pens were just north of the ATSF interchange.

Interchange Traffic

James Burke reports that in the 50s, interchange traffic was very light - one or two cars a week or less, usually empties.

Thanks to the Greenwood County Historical Society, 120 West 4th Street, Eureka, KS 67045-1445, (316) 583-6682, for their assistance. Museum Hours are 9am - 4pm, Mon-Fri, gwhistory@correct-connect.com

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