RES NO 03-01-1976 CITY OF VAN BUREN, ARKANSAS
RESOLUTION NO. 3 -1976
A RESOLUTION TO REQUEST, FROM THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE, A SPECIAL
POSTMARK TO COMMEMORATE THE COMPLETION OF THE LITTLE ROCK AND FORT SMITH
RAILROAD TO VAN BUREN, ARKANSAS IN 1876.
WHEREAS, that the development of the steam engine was going on at the
time of the fight for American Independence, and
WHEREAS, the steam locomotive and iron rails did much to unite the ¢eople
of the United States, and
WHEREAS, that from the first actual iron road in the United States, the
old "Granite Railroad" of Quincy, Massachusetts, organized in 1826, the cry
was "Westward Ho and
WHEREAS, that Peter Coopers invention, "The Tom Thumb was the first
steam locomotive built in the United States and run over the Baltimore and
Ohio tracks (13 miles) in August 1830, and
WHEREAS, that by 1850 several railroads had reached the Missippi
River, and
WHEREAS, that on February 9, 1853, Congress made a grant of land for a
railroad to run from Cairo, Illinois to Fulton, Arkansas, with a branch to
run from Little Rock to Fort Smith, Arkansas, and
WHEREAS, that Congress ordered the Secretary of War to immediately take
steps to survey the likeliest railroad route between the Mississippi River
and the Pacific and prepare reports on their respective merits in 1853, and
WHEREAS, that Fort Smith was the starting point of one of these surveys
which ran through Indian Territory, through Alburquerque, New Mexico to Los
Angeles, California, and
WHEREAS, the Little Rock and Fort Smith railroad was organized soon there-
after and grading was completed from Van Buren to Ozark, Arkansas, before the
Civil War, and
WHEREAS, that the blockade by the Union Navy put a stop to construction
on the railroad, and
WHEREAS, that one of the first issues of Van Buren Press, printed March
24, 1866, right after the Civil War, reported that Congress was considering the
35th parallel route to the Pacific, and
WHEREAS, that soon thereafter Congress got mad at President Johnson and 1
the Reconstruction Act and put a stop to Van Burens last chance to win the race
to the Pacific, and
WHEREAS, that bids on the first ten miles of the Little Rock and Fort
Smith Railroad was advertised in March, 1869, and
WHEREAS, that the first passenger train reached Van Buren, Arkansas, on
June 24, 1876, at 8:30 P.M., and
WHEREAS, that Van Buren became a Railroad Center, which it is to this day.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of
Van Buren, Arkansas:
1. That it is respectfully requested that the United States Postal
Service allow Van Buren Arkansas to use a Special Postmark from June 1, 1976
to December 31, 1976, to wit:
q Centennial of Completion o ov
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Little Rock Fort Smith Railroad J
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to Van Buren, Arkansas, June 1876. sr
'7a -1916
2. That a c8py of this Resolution be sent to the Postmaster General
and the Philatelic Depgztment section with an urgent request for action as
so little time is left.
3. That a copy of this Resolution be sent to Congressman J. Paul
Hammerschmidt, Senator McClellan and Senator Bumpers, with a request that they
help us in our endeavor.
PASSED AND APPROVED this 0 day of March, 1976.
Allen Ray T thaker, Mayor
Attest:
CPA C-e
E.P. Hobbs, City Clerk
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