Cedar Rapids and Missouri River Railroad

As the name indicates, its plan was to build across Iowa and cross the Missouri river but it had only reached Cedar Rapids by 1859 when it ran out of money.

It had, however, managed to build a short bridge from the east side of the Mississippi to the Little Rock Island at a place opposite Clinton called "the narrows".

The Cedar Rapids and Missouri River Railroad Company, worked its way up to the Iowa Supreme Court where their claims were affirmed in 1872.

The CR&MR began construction soon after it was organized, with 27 miles (43 km) of track laid westward from Cedar Rapids in 1860.

In the spring of 1861 they planted a young civil engineer from Vermont, Isaac B Howe,[19] to assume control of construction on the road.

The previous engineer and superintendent, Col. Milo Smith,[20] would soon be leaving to lead the 26th Iowa Infantry Regiment to war against the Confederate rebellion.

In July 1862, the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad leased both Clinton Iowa lines in perpetuity.