In 1913, Clark E. Carr wrote and published an 85-page book about the campaign to bring the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to Galesburg. He was closely associated with W. Seldon Gale in the ongoing effort. It took almost 25 years, but they succeeded.

In 1885, it became known that the Santa Fe was considering building a route from Kansas City to Chicago. The company had originally started in Kansas City and was laid toward the southwestern part of the country. It had become obvious that there was money to be made by extending the line to Chicago rather than handing off freight to other lines.

A.A. Robinson, the chief engineer, secretly had developed plans for a route that would have few tight curves and easy inclines. The line was slated to be laid about ten miles east of Galesburg.

At that time, Galesburg’s population was 15,000. Its people were connected by trade, political associations and geographyalong a hundred miles of the proposed line. There were a good many benefits to the company from Galesburg’s well established manufactures and businesses.

On December 9^th, Robinson agreed to visit the city and was driven around in a sleigh as there had been a snowstorm. He was doubtful the citizens could raise the necessary money to build the new line.

Mayor G.W. Foote called a meeting of community leaders at the Galesburg Club. A committee composed of Gale, Carr, E.P. Williams, J.T. McKnight and A.C. Clay was appointed to conduct a campaign to raise money. A letter was sent to sixty of the prominent men in the city asking for donations. Carr called them the most responsible and public spirited.”

A public meeting was held at the Princess Rink (later site of the Auditorium Theater) on North Broad Street to raise money for a third of the cost to furnish the right-of-way east of Broad Street.

Eventually, the agreement included all the right-of-way through Galesburg as well as twenty acres for the depot and other facilities.

The names of those who contributed to the fundraising campaign were included in the book. The subscriptions ranged from $5 to $2,000 given by George W. Brown. The city had to buy lots and move houses in order to establish the line through the city. The work was completed by May of 1889.

A total of $2,451.41 was left in the subscription fund and was returned to the subscribers in proportion to their contribution. It should be noted a number of Swedish businessmen contributed to the campaign. There is no mention of much Carr or Gale contributed.

More than likely, Carl Sandburg was hearing about these activities and reading about them in the newspapers he delivered up and down Prairie Street. He could tell his friends that he delivered the newspaper to Clark E. Carr’s home on the street.