Last updated: January 17, 2023
Place
Mule Train Terminus at Independence Courthouse Square
Photo/NPS
Quick Facts
Location:
214 W Maple Ave., Independence, MO
Significance:
The first rail line west of the Mississippi was said to have been the 1849 railroad switch-back that ran from the Missouri River to this spot on Independence Square
The first rail line west of the Mississippi was said to have been the 1849 railroad switch-back that ran from the Missouri River to this spot on Independence Square. Short lived, this rail line carried passengers between the Independence-Wayne City River Landing and Independence Square. This innovative mode of transportation was not a locomotive nor horsepower, but it was a wheeled coach, or wagon, pulled along rails by Missouri mules.
This ‘train’ was powered by two mules, one in lead of the other. Construction had begun in 1848. The track was made of steel-faced wooden timbers laid lengthwise, just as iron rails were later used. The wheels of the cars, too, were of wood.
Site Information
Location (214 W Maple Ave., Independence, MO)
The train terminated at Independence Square at a station once located where Dave’s Deli is today (2015) and a historical marker commemorates this historic, local fact with national significance. Take time to explore the surrounding grounds- the Santa Fe, California and Oregon trails all marked Independence Square as their starting point.