Railroad Land Grants Map

In order to help finance the construction of the nation’s first transcontinental railroad (and numerous subsequent lines), congress enacted a series of bills that provided government bonds and land grants to various railroad companies. Showing the extent of public surveys, indian and military reservations, land grant r.r., rail roads, canals, and other. Peter railroad, a subsidiary of the chicago and north western, received a land grant to build a line west from new ulm, minnesota to lake kempeska, near what is now watertown, south dakota.

Land grants in a checkerboard pattern (shaded portions are railroad land in the sierra nevada mountains of california and in nevada). 1865 vintage map of kansas and nebraska. Peter railroad, a subsidiary of the chicago and north western, received a land grant to build a line west from new ulm, minnesota to lake kempeska, near what is now watertown, south dakota.

When the railroads sold or transferred parts of their land grants to individuals those sales were usually recorded in the appropriate county land office.

Constructed in 1872 and 1873, the line included 34.48 miles of track in south dakota. Item is in public domain as it was published prior to 1923. In eastern washington and northern idaho. In order to help finance the construction of the nation’s first transcontinental railroad (and numerous subsequent lines), congress enacted a series of bills that provided government bonds and land grants to various railroad companies.