Around 100 residents of SKP RV Park in Benson filled the park’s community building Friday to learn about the history of railroad lines in Cochise County.
Presented by Bob Nilson, Benson Visitor Center supervisor, discussions centered on the railroad’s significance in shaping Cochise County’s history.
“The first Transcontinental Railroad started with a golden spike ceremony in 1869, at Promontory Summit (Utah),” Nilson said. “It was later decided more than one rail route was needed because of Utah’s deep snow in the wintertime, and construction on the Southern Pacific Railroad was started.”
More than 14 railroads were in Cochise County 100 years ago, said Nilson, who told stories about some of the more significant roles the rail lines played in this area.
Nilson started the presentation by tracing Southern Pacific’s progression through the state from September 1877 when the bridge crossing the Colorado River in Yuma was completed. The line’s second major milestone was when its tracks reached Tucson in March of 1880, continuing onto what is now present-day Benson.
“Southern Pacific Railroad reached the townsite of Benson, Arizona, on June 20, 1880,” Nilson told the group. “At that time, what is now Benson was in Pima County. It wasn’t until February of 1881 that Cochise County was created.”
Founded by the Southern Pacific Railroad when it came through the area, Benson was established as the transportation hub of Southern Arizona.
Long after the mining boom in Tombstone and Bisbee went away, the Southern Pacific Railroad continued to serve this area. Union Pacific bought the line in 1997 and Benson continues to serve as an important transportation hub with deep, historic ties to the railroad. It’s estimated between 40 and 60 trains travel through Benson daily, Nison noted.
“On May 19, 1881, Southern Pacific tracks reached El Paso, Texas, and in December of that same year, Southern Pacific met the Texas and Pacific railroads in Sierra Blanca, Texas, to complete the nation’s second transcontinental railroad,” Nilson said.
Nilson also mentioned the “Big Four” barons of the western railroad — Collis P. Huntington, Charles Crocker, Leland Stanford and Mark Hopkins — best remembered for their roles in building part of the first American transcontinental rail line.
In February 1883, Huntington gained full control of a number of smaller railroads, creating the Southern Pacific’s “Sunset Route” from New Orleans to California.
“With the Sunset Route, Huntington confirmed his domination over California rails,” Nilson said.
Amtrak took over passenger services for the Sunset Route in 1971 and the line is still in operation today.
Full of rail trivia, Nilson weaves unique stories into his presentations. He spoke of a 48-foot turntable located in Benson to turn engines around, a small engine house and how cattle pens were placed near the train track. He also talked about train depots in different Cochise County towns, and how they disappeared through the years.
“There’s only one original train depot left in Arizona from the Southern Pacific line, and that’s in Willcox,” he said. “Today, that depot serves as Willcox’s City Hall.”
The New Mexico and Arizona Railroad line laid 88 miles of track from Benson south to Fairbank and west to the mining towns of Harshaw and Calabasas. The line then headed south to Nogales where it connected with the Santa Fe Railroad in Mexico to Guaymas. The New Mexico and Arizona railroad completed its line from Benson to Nogales in October 1882, and then connected with the Sonoran line into Mexico.
The Arizona Southeastern Railroad, also known as the Copper Queen Rail, rolled into Bisbee in February 1889.
“It was established by the Copper Queen Mine as a way to move copper bullion up to Fairbank, then to Benson to the Southern Pacific for transport to El Paso to be smelted,” Nilson said. “The line became a highly used thoroughfare. While established for freight, the train was also used for passengers.”
In all, more than 14 rail lines played roles in Cochise County’s history, starting with Southern Pacific in 1880 through present day.
Of those 14, Union Pacific, San Pedro Valley Railroad (formerly the San Pedro & Southwestern) and the Sunset Route, now Amtrak, continue operations.
Benson’s historic connection with the railroad was recognized by Union Pacific when the city was presented with a Train Town USA award, representing the first town in the railroad’s western region to receive the designation.
“People are fascinated by trains,” Nilson said. “Our visitor center’s train theme is a big draw for tourists, and they really enjoy learning about trains through all the hands-on activities we provide.”
As a local expert on Cochise County’s trains and their intriguing history, Nilson gives multiple presentations throughout the area. In addition to trains, Nilson’s talks include facts about the U.S. Route 80 (Historic Highway 80) and interesting stopping points along its route in Southern Arizona, from Benson, through Tombstone, Bisbee and Douglas.
For information, contact Nilson at the Benson Visitor Center, 520-586-4293, or email bob@bensonvisitorcenter.com.
