Richard B. Morris was the first conductor of the Atchison road, and he subsequently became internal revenue collector of Kansas under Cleveland. Following the completion of the road, a great celebration was held at Atchison June 13, 1860, and the people not only celebrated the completion of the St. Joseph line, but also the breaking of ground on the Atchison & Pike’s Peak railroad, now the Central Branch. Great preparations were made for the celebration weeks in advance and promptly following the hour of 12 o’clock on the morning of June 13, 1860, the firing of 100 guns at intervals began, which was kept up with monotonous regularity until daybreak. Flags and bunting fluttered from poles and windows throughout the city, and a special train of invited guests from the East arrived at Winthrop before noon with flags flying and bands playing. The passenger steamer, “Black Hawk,” loaded to the guards with citizens from Kansas City, reached Atchison early in the morning, and leading citizens also came from Wyandotte, Leavenworth, Lawrence, Topeka and other towns. The city had been cleaned up and put in holiday attire by the city authorities. The town had never before presented such a gay appearance. Frank A. Root in his interesting book, “The Overland Stage to California,” who was present at the celebration, has perhaps written the most interesting account of this event that has ever been printed. He says: “In the procession that formed along Second street, one of the unique and attractive features was a mammoth government wagon trimmed with evergreens and loaded with thirty-four girls dressed in white, representing every State in the Union and the Territory of Kansas. There were three other wagons filled with little girls similarly dressed, representing all the forty-one counties of Kansas in its last year of territorial existence.