While a strong movement for the construction of railroads was started in 1860, it was soon discovered that much progress could not be made in the face of the unsettled conditions brought on by the Civil war, and, as a result a further effort in that direction, was, for the time being, abandoned. However, Luther C. Challiss did not give up his idea of projecting a road to the West, and to him more than to anybody else belongs the credit of starting the first road west out of Atchison. He obtained a charter for the building of the Atchison & Pike’s Peak railroad and this company was organized February 11, 1859, but on account of the war was not opened to Waterville until January 20, 1868. Challiss obtained possession of 150,000 acres of land from the Kickapoo Indians by a treaty, and, upon the organization of the company he was elected president. The land he secured from the Indians was, for the most part, located in Atchison county, around Muscotah, and adjoining counties. With Mr. Challiss were associated Charles B. Keith, who was the agent of the Kickapoo Indians, George W. Glick and Senators Pomeroy and Lane. In the charter for this road provision was made for its construction 100 miles west of Atchison. Col. William Osborn, who had constructed the west half of the Hannibal & St. Joseph railroad, built the first section of the Central Branch to Waterville. He named the town after his old home in New York, where he was born. It was proposed at this point to make a connection with a branch running from Kansas City to Ft. Kearney, Neb., but the Kansas City road was subsequently changed to Denver, and for this reason it has been said the Central Branch was not completed to Denver, as originally planned.