The Atchison, Topeka, and Sante Fe Railway System 1922

Brightly colored map of the Atchison, Topeka & Sante Fe Railway published during the Interwar Period.

Originally chartered in 1859 to serve its eponymous cities, the Atchison, Topeka, & Sante Fe Railroad is one of the most storied railway systems in the history of the Western United States. It rebounded from receivership in 1893 to be named “The Number One Railway in the World” by Fortune Magazine in 1948.

This map was published in 1922 and shows the network in the midst of its tremendous success between the World Wars. A transcontinental route between Chicago and California is shown in bright red, with single, double, and spur tracks noted according to the legend in the lower left. Hundreds of stops are labeled along the line, providing a contemporary snapshot of many settlements that have since turned into ghost towns. Projected routes are also identified, showing ambitious expansion plans to connect to St. Louis and the Pacific Coast.

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