Little Rock and Memphis Railroad Co. - 1889-90's dated Arkansas Railway Partially Issued Stock Certificate

Little Rock and Memphis Railroad Company. Lithograph by Homer Lee Bank Note Co., NY. Slightly affected by dampness. A Scarce State!

The Memphis and Little Rock Railroad, chartered in Arkansas in 1853, connected Hopefield (now West Memphis) on the east to Huntersville (now North Little Rock) on the west. The eastern third was completed in 1858, while the western third was built by 1862. During the Civil War, the Union Army seized control of the line, using the western section to supply its occupation force in Little Rock. The center section was finally completed in 1871. The railroad faced frequent damage from floods and financial difficulties, leading to its sale in 1873, 1877, 1887, 1898, and 1900 before becoming part of the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad.

On January 10, 1853, the State of Arkansas chartered the Memphis and Little Rock Railroad (M&LR). Construction of the 5 ft 6 in (1.676 m) gauge railroad was estimated to cost $3.2 million. John H. Bradley & Company won the contract to build the line. Survey work commenced in 1854, but the first track was laid only in 1856 at Hopefield, across the Mississippi River from Memphis, Tennessee. By November 1858, the eastern third of the line, from Hopefield to Madison, Arkansas on the St. Francis River, was completed. Construction on the western section commenced in 1861 at Huntersville, across the Arkansas River from Little Rock. By 1862, the western third, extending to DeValls Bluff on the White River, was completed. Although the railroad lacked a central section, it significantly reduced the travel time between Little Rock and Memphis by an entire day compared to steamboat alone.