The first and original company was chartered as the Atchison & Topeka Railroad Company by the Kansas
legislature in 1859. In 1863 the name was changed to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Company
and work was first begun, nearly ten years after the charter was secured, on the line from Topeka west.
The original line was chartered to build into the coal fields of Kansas and in a subsequent evolution built
further westward, first through the prairies of Kansas, thence into three, Colorado and New Mexico,
opening up new agricultural, grazing and mining country approximately along the line of what was known in
the early days of wagon traffic as the "Santa Fe Trail." The earlier lines were entirely constructed within
the State of Kansas, and it was not until 1875 that the construction of some mileage outside of that state
was commenced, the more extended operations, however, not being undertaken until 1881.
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