IV HISTORICAL MEMOIR. 



On the 12th March, 1849, a charter was granted, providing 

 for a capital of 110,000,000, and with " power to survey, mark, 

 locate and construct a railroad from the city of St. Louis to the 

 city of Jefferson ; and thence to some point on the western line 

 of Van Buren county, in this State, with a view that the same 

 may be hereafter continued westwardly to the Pacific Ocean." 

 The corporators named in the charter were John O'Fallon, 

 Louis Y. Bogy, James H. Lucas, Edward Walsh, George Col- 

 lier, Thomas B. Hudson, Daniel D. Page, Henry M. Shreve, 

 James E. Yeatman, John B. Sarpy, Wayman Crow, Joshua B. 

 Brant, Thomas Allen, Robert Campbell, Pierre Chouteau, Jr., 

 Henry Shaw, Bernard Pratte, Ernst Angelrodt, Adolphus Meier, 

 Louis A. Benoist and Adam L. Mills. 



In the spring of the same year another meeting was held in 

 St. Louis for the purpose of calling a National Convention, to 

 be held in St. Louis in October, and a committee of twenty- 

 five citizens was appointed to make the necessary arrangements. 

 A spirited address to the people of the United States, written 

 by Thomas Allen, was issued, and a large convention, at 

 which fifteen States were represented, of which the Hon. 

 George Darsie, of Pennsylvania, was President, was held at 

 the Court-house, in St. Louis, during the 15th, 16th, 17th and 

 18th days of October. This convention warmly commended 

 the project of a National Pacific Railway across the continent, 

 and made an address to the people of the United States and a 

 memorial to Congress in its behalf. 



In January, 1850, Mr. Thomas Allen, over his own signa- 

 ture, in the Missouri Republican, published the charter granted 

 by the Legislature and called a meeting of the corporators. 

 This meeting was held at the office of the St. Louis Insurance 

 Company, on Thursday evening, January 31, 1850. There 

 were present at this meeting, John O'Fallon, James H. Lucas, 

 D. D. Page, Wayman Crow, Edward Walsh, George Collier, J. 

 B. Brant, James E. Yeatman, Adolphus Meier, Adam L. Mills 

 and Thomas Allen. 



Mr. Allen made an elaborate address, which produced a de- 

 cided impression, in favor of commencing the work of making 

 railways in Missouri. At this time not a single railroad touch- 

 ed St. Louis on either side of the Mississippi, nor was any built 



