Railroads in Oklahoma Page: 66
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The beginning of World War I stimulated lead and zinc production in
the Joplin area, and mining activity was especially great in the new field
north of Miami. Abundant natural gas led to the location of a number of
smelters near Henryetta. The MO&G line, however, was located east of the
Frisco track in this area, while much of the ore production was on the west
side. The result was that ore destined for the MO&G had to be delivered by
the Frisco, which demanded a proportion of the through rate rather than a
switching charge. Ore was the third-ranking type of traffic on the MO&G,
most of it being consigned to one of the five smelters which had been built
on the line in Kusa and Henryetta since 1915. The second most important
traffic was lumber, originating primarily in Louisiana and Texas.49
The trunk lines most helpful to the MO&G during this period appear to
have been the Houston & Texas Central (H&TC) and the Missouri Pacific
(MoP). The H&TC was not in a position to deliver much business to the
MO&G at Denison because the predominant traffic flow was from north to
south. The H&TC did, however, account for more northbound tonnage
than most of the other Texas lines combined. The Missouri Pacific, on the
other hand, gave the MO&G traffic destined for points in Central and West
Texas which had been unrouted by the shipper and had originated on the
MoP west of Sedalia, Missouri. Most of this tonnage was interchanged at
Joplin, and usually consisted of export wheat bound for Galveston.50
The shops at Muskogee were finally completed in November of 1915, and
the city bonus was collected. In 1917 an iron and brass foundry, claimed to
be the largest in the state, was constructed there by the MO&G at a cost of
over $1o,ooo.i1
On September 1, 1915, the MO&G began freight service to Dallas and Ft.
Worth, using the H&TC from Denison to Plano, the Cotton Belt from
Plano to Ft. Worth and Dallas. Terminal facilities of the Cotton Belt's sub-
sidiary Dallas Terminal Railway were used in Dallas. This service was
terminated on August 31, 1917, because the rate divisions and rentals were
such that it was more profitable (by nearly $6o,ooo per year) to turn the
freight over to connecting lines at Denison.52
It appears that the through Pullman service to Oklahoma City via Calvin
was suspended during the receivership. In any case, entry of the Ft. Smith &
Western into Oklahoma City in 1916, prompted the inception of through
Joplin-Oklahoma City sleeper service via Dustin on the MO&G and FS&W
49 Ibid., pp. 13-27, 58-71.
50 Ibid., pp. 58-71.
51 Ibid., pp. 99-112, 159-174; Muskogee Daily Phoenix, July 16, 1915; ibid., January 8,
February 21, 1917.
52 Kendrick Report, pp. 74-77.
66
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Book discussing the history of the railroads in Oklahoma, including stories of individual railroads and their effects on the Indian population in the state. Index begins on page 164.
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Hofsommer, Donovan L. Railroads in Oklahoma, book, 1977; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc862892/m1/76/: accessed March 28, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; .