The Atchison & Pike’s Peak Railroad Company was incorporated by special act of the Territorial legislature of the Territory of Kansas, chapter 48, “Private Laws of Kansas, 1859,” and authorized to construct a railroad from Atchison to the western boundary of the Territory in the direction of Pike’s Peak. Subsequently, the Atchison & Pike’s Peak Railroad Company became the assignee of all the rights, privileges and franchises of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad Company, given and granted under an Act of Congress, of July 8, 1862, Twelfth Statute, page 489, entitled: “An Act to aid in the construction of a railroad and telegraph line from the Missouri river to the Pacific ocean, and to secure to the government the use of same for postal, military and other purposes,” which provided that the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad Company might extend its road from St. Joseph via Atchison, to connect and unite with a railroad in Kansas, provided for in said Act, for one hundred miles in length next to the Missouri river, and might, for that purpose, use any railroad charter, which had, or might have been granted, by the legislature of Kansas. Accordingly, the work of construction from Atchison west was inaugurated under the name of the Atchison & Pike’s Peak Railroad Company. On January 1, 1867, by virtue of the laws of the State of Kansas, the name of Atchison & Pike’s Peak Railroad Company was changed to the Central Branch Union Pacific Railroad Company, and the latter company completed the railroad from Atchison to Waterville. THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE RAILWAY COMPANY.