William Harbert, Andrew M. Campbell, George W. Smith [2] and Gustav Schleicher[3] intended to extend the railroad from the Colorado River to San Antonio and beyond.
The Columbus, San Antonio and Rio Grande Railroad was chartered by the Texas legislature on February 16, 1858.
The charter granted the company the right to build track from Columbus through Gonzales and San Antonio to the Rio Grande.
The railroad was unable to meet the standards and the legislature subsequently extended the deadlines on February 8, 1860, granting an additional year to begin building.
[2] On August 28, 1868, the legislature amended the charter of the Columbus, San Antonio and Rio Grande Railroad to allow it to commence its rail line at Gonzales, or some other point on the as yet unbuilt rail line of the Indianola and Austin Railroad, rather than at Columbus.