craigdailypress.com

Editor's note: The Daily Press plans to continue printing unpublished columns by the late Chuck Mack, who died Feb. 3 at Oklahoma Heart Hospital in Oklahoma City from complications of a quintuple bypass surgery.

Craig — Part 1: Compiled and written by Chuck Mack on Dec. 24, 2007.

M.T. Streeter and the Axial Basin Development Company, of which he was the main pusher, sure had a lot of big railroad dreams, or schemes, whichever you prefer to call them. I think I have written this somewhere before, but I honestly don't believe the Streeter Railroad was ever really intended to be. They started the railroad grading at the mine, and were going to go on the rest of way to Craig. Now if they really would have intended to build a railroad, they most certainly would have started at Craig and built toward the mine. That way they would not have to haul anything at all out to the mine to start the work; they could start right at the Moffat tracks and work out to the mine, not having to haul one single thing by wagon or truck. Everything could have been moved by railroad. Anyhow, I certainly found lots of different articles in different newspapers all pertaining to the Mt. Streeter Railroad, and other railroad dreams and schemes of Mr. Streeter that never came to be. So I'll start compiling things right now.

Mt. Streeter, Colorado-Utah railroad - October 1919

"J.A. O'Hearn, one of the best-known and best posted railroad men in the United States, has been at Mt. Streeter several days, the guest of M.T. Streeter, president and general manager of the Axial Basin Development Company and one of the moving spirits in the new Colorado-Utah railroad. Mr. O'Hearn was for more than 20 years general superintendent of the Union Pacific, but for the past six months has been in Colorado recuperating from an automobile accident."

Another Article from April 14, 1920:

Meeker may build from Mt. Streeter

"It is up to that town now if it wants railroad connections - action from businessmen is probable, and Meeker may be on the Moffat.

It is finally up to the Meeker people if they want a railroad, says the Glenwood Avalanche. The new Mt. Streeter road had been planned to build within 22 miles of Meeker, and report has it that the contract has been let for grading of the railroad from Craig to Mt. Streeter a distance of 26 miles.

From Mt. Streeter to Meeker is about 22 miles, and citizens of Meeker ought to get together and organize a company to construct that 22 miles. If they do, it may insure to them a connection with the road to be built from Salt Lake to connect with the Moffat line.

It has been learned that the Mt. Streeter company has made purchase of 20 miles of steel rail and shipment has begun to Craig. Mr. Streeter is a railroad contractor and he promises that if nothing happens he will build the railroad himself. The many friends of Meeker about here look for action from the businessmen of that town."

Mt. Streeter Railroad - January 1921

"Will Build a Branch to Union Pacific Making New Outlet.

A railroad outlet by way of Craig and Wamsutter seems one of the certainties of the very near future, with work to be started early in the spring. This is the word brought to town by Henry W. Swigert, of Denver, well-known in Steamboat through his ranch interest and who spends his summers here, and E. Arthur Wolf, of Michigan, a railroad expert who has just traveled over the route of the proposed Wamsutter branch.

This great country cannot have too many railroad outlets. No matter if the Burlington enters the field and the tunnel is built, this country has resources in the way of coal and other products that would tax many railroads. Hence the new project will be warmly received and given encouragement.

The Axial Basin Development Company and the Axial Basin Railroad Company have been reorganized, and the new men are pushers. Louis Spartlin, of Denver, is at the head of the development company. C.M. Thompson, formerly with the Union Pacific, is at the head of the railroad company. In addition to him, the board of directors includes James V. Stryker, of the big construction company of the same name, Henry W. Swigert, M.T. Streeter, George M. Hines, C. Arthur Hale, John J. O'Hearn and Charles M. Tew, the latter also being an attorney."

To be continued in Part 2.