A BRIEF HISTORY OF RAILROADING IN HERINGTON, KS  –  In 1886, the Topeka, Salina, and Western railway built a rail line extending from Council Grove, KS to about 8 miles east of Herington. This line was acquired by Jay Gould’s Missouri Pacific Railway and, at the urging of town founder Monroe D. Herington, was routed through his new town. The following year, again at the urging of Monroe D. Herington, the Chicago, Kansas, and Nebraska Railroad (Rock Island) built through Herington and designated Herington as a division point.  Herington became a hub of activity as passenger and freight trains brought laborers, settlers, and supplies to the small town. The town experienced a surge of growth and within a few years, well over half of families in town were working for the railroads. General stores, hotels, restaurants, banks, hospitals, drug stores, theaters, schools, and an opera house sprang up virtually overnight. Herington was dealt a cruel blow in 1980 when the Rock Island failed in its final bankruptcy and all of the assets were sold. The St. Louis Southwestern Railway (known by its nickname “Cotton Belt”) acquired the old Rock Island “Golden State” route through Herington and operated it until 1992 when operations were assumed by the Southern Pacific. in 1996, the Southern Pacific merged with the Union Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific remains a vital employer in Herington today.