May 12, 1869 – After much financial difficulty, the Chicago & Rock Island (C&RI) Railroad – formerly the Mississippi & Missouri (M&M) Railroad – completes the goal of reaching Council Bluffs/Omaha – connecting Iowa City with the west.
Finally reaching Des Moines in 1866, the M&M was bought out by the Chicago & Rock Island (C&RI), completing their tracks into Council Bluffs/Omaha on May 12, 1869 – just as the Transcontinental Railroad was being completed in Utah.
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