The Pacific Railroad on President Ulysses S. Grant's Property

Frank Leslie's Illustrated published an extensive lithographic print of the White Haven estate in its October 16, 1875, issue. The Pacific Railroad can be seen running through the property at the bottom right corner.

National Park Service

Ulysses S. Grant struggled as a St. Louis farmer on his father-in-law’s White Haven property before the Civil War. However, he continued maintaining an interest in the property after his departure in 1859. During the Civil War, he began purchasing parts of White Haven’s 850 acres from the Dent family, eventually becoming full owner by 1867. During his presidency, Grant took an active interest in managing the farm from the White House. He hoped to someday retire to the property.

One logistical challenge Grant faced while managing the farm was the lack of a viable railroad connection in the area. Prior to the Civil War, Grant and other farmers in south St. Louis County would have relied on the Gravois Road. A nearly 20-mile road from downtown St. Louis moving west to the town of Fenton, the Gravois was used for travel and trade. By the 1870s, many area farmers desired a railroad. Owners of a large iron furnace in Carondelet also sought a railroad.

When the Pacific Railroad began exploring possible routes in south St. Louis County, President Grant expressed strong enthusiasm. During communications with the railroad in early 1872, he offered a portion of land through the middle of White Haven to construct the line. In an April 6 letter to his friend Charles W. Ford, Grant remarked that “for my own part I proposed, as soon as the road was spoken of, to give the right of way wherever my land was touched . . . and to give [acreage] for a depot.” When a neighbor, Dr. H.F. Steinhauer, objected to the railroad running through his land, Grant commented that he was “sorry to hear this for I know no land that will be benefitted more by the road than his.” In Grant’s mind, the railroad would benefit all area residents and, more specifically, enable him to ship horses to and from White Haven and expand his agricultural production.

The Pacific Railroad settled on establishing a branch line that went from Kirkwood southeast to Carondelet. The road would eventually connect to other rail branches eastward towards downtown St. Louis. The Missouri Republican stated that “the object is to meet a want long felt by the citizens living on the Gravois, Watson, Big Bend, and Manchester roads . . . [currently] without any railroad connection with St. Louis.” 300 laborers began constructing the line in April and it was completed later in the fall. The only station put on the line was placed at White Haven, near the present-day intersection of Grant and Gravois Roads. The Missouri Republican remarked that “as appropriate to the situation [the station] will bear the name of Grant Station, and no doubt when the re-elected Ulysses visits St. Louis during his new term, he will take a trip over the branch to his rural residence.”

The Missouri Republican reported on President Grant's visit to White Haven via the Kirkwood Carondelet Branch on April 21, 1873.

Newspapers.com

The newspaper’s prediction was correct. On April 21, 1873, President Grant traveled along the Kirkwood and Carondelet Branch of the Pacific Railroad to visit the White Haven property. Traveling southeast from Kirkwood, President Grant arrived at White Haven to check on his livestock. He was particularly anxious to check 35 head of cattle and 20 horses that were housed in a stable that had been completed four years earlier. Among those in the president’s party were First Lady Julia Grant, his brother-in-law John C. Dent, close friends Charles Ford and John F. Long, General William Harney, and Senator Oliver Morton of Indiana.

The Kirkwood and Carondelet Branch of the Pacific Railroad in 1975.

National Park Service

The Kirkwood and Carondelet branch continued operations for more than 100 years. However, the railroad was out of use by the 1990s. The Pacific Railroad looked to sell the land. Trailnet purchased a six-mile stretch of the railroad in 1992 with the intention of turning it into a multi-use trail for walkers, runners, roller bladers, and bicyclists. There was some controversy about Trailnet’s plans. The municipality of Grantwood Village challenged the legality of the purchase and wanted all constructed stopped. They claimed that the municipality owned the land where the trail was being built. However, a judge cited President Grant’s 1872 letter explaining his intention to sell part of the White Haven estate to the Pacific Railroad and to authorize their right of way on the land. Using that letter as evidence, the judge found in favor of Trailnet, although some residents of Grantwood Village later received financial compensation for trail easements.

The Gravois Greenway ("Grant's Trail")

National Park Service

Today, the Gravois Greenway (known to many area residents as “Grant’s Trail”), is 11.47 miles long and extends from Holmes and Leffingwell in Kirkwood to River City Boulevard in Carondelet. It is a popular trail, with more than 100,000 people using it annually.