Rio Grande Railroad deals with several challenges

The Rio Grande Railroad began operations in 1872, offering an alternative to transportation by river steamboat.

The railroad carried passengers and cargo between Brownsville and Point Isabel on a regular schedule.

The success of the railroad caused Mifflin Kenedy and Richard King to decide to leave the steamship business and concentrate on their ranching interests. They sold their boats to Capt. William Kelly, who continued to provide steamboat service on the Rio Grande.

While the railroad enjoyed good business during its early years of operation, it also dealt with many problems. Several hurricanes hit the area in the late 1800s, destroying the wharf at Point Isabel and other facilities.

During one hurricane 14 empty boxcars were standing on the track in Point Isabel. Twelve of them overturned and the other two began rolling down the tracks, pushed along by the fierce winds. The next morning those two cars were found sitting near the end of the line in Brownsville.

In 1881 a new railroad began business, providing service between Corpus Christi and Laredo. This brought a substantial reduction of shipping at Brazos Santiago and a decline in the economy of the Brownsville-Matamoros-Point Isabel area. Much of the cargo that had moved through Brazos Santiago now went through Corpus Christi, then by train to Laredo and into Mexico. The Laredo-Corpus Christi route was a more direct and faster route for moving cargo in and out of Mexico.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s the Rio Grande Railroad made it convenient for Brownsville residents to travel between Brownsville and Point Isabel. During the summer months many residents rode the train to the coast, where they enjoyed boating, swimming and cooler temperatures. Some Brownsville residents had summer homes in Point Isabel.

In 1904 the railroad’s schedule called for a train to leave Brownsville at 5 p.m. and arrive at Point Isabel at 6:15 p.m. The return trip left Point Isabel at 7 a.m. and arrived in Brownsville at 8:15 a.m.

The 1891 annual report of the railroad reported on the robbery of a train:

“On January 10, 1891 the train leaving Brownsville for Point Isabel was derailed about two miles from Brownsville by robbers. The engine and seven cars were wrecked and burnt. The engineer was badly scalded from the steam and one brakeman fell and had his leg and foot badly smashed by the wheels running over them. Both of these men are now doing very well.”

A 1983 article in the Valley Morning Star reviewed the history of this robbery, reporting that the train was carrying $40,000 of silver, to be shipped on a Morgan Line ship. The robbers had unbolted the bars that held the tracks, causing the train to derail. They robbed the passengers, locked them in the train and made off with some of the silver.

A railroad employee was waiting for the train to pass, wondered why it was late, and then saw smoke. He ran down the tracks and released the passengers. City Marshall S.A. Brito found a wrench at the scene that looked familiar, and based on his suspicions, arrested five men.

In 1904 the new St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railroad line reached Brownsville from the north, providing rail service for the first time between the southern tip of Texas and the rest of the country. This completely changed transportation in this area, putting river steamboats and stagecoaches out of business. This new railroad service further reduced the amount of cargo carried on the Rio Grande Railroad.

The Rio Grande Railroad remained in business, however, providing passenger service between Brownsville and Point Isabel, and carrying some cargo. It was reported that during the year 1908, 16,305 passengers rode the railroad from Brownsville to Point Isabel.

Carl Chilton has written several books on Brownsville history, and is working on a manuscript describing our journey from steamboats and stagecoaches to jet aircraft.