The Ellis Review-Headlight Marvh 24, 1922, p. 1

Andrew B. Keagy, Empire Builder

It would be hard to find a railroad with a finer historical background than the Union Pacific. While the union was being saved the Union Pacific was being built. Four years after the Civil War the golden spike was driven that connected the East and the West with a boulevard of steel. Abraham Lincoln was the father of the Union Pacific and as President of the United States, fixed the eastern terminus of the railroad at Council Bluffs. Intrepid pioneers pushing westward braved arrows and the bullets of a hostile Indian to lay the steel and keep the trains moving. Their deeds of greatness are recorded in many documents but the railroad will remain the greatest monument to their memory.

Andrew B. Keagy was one of the first white men that stood on the ground that Ellis now stands on. Mr. Keagy Was born July 13th, 1847 near Woodlestig (sic), Bedord (sic) County, Penn. After he had grown to manhood he decided to cast his lot with the empire builders of the West, so November 20, 1869 he was employed by the Union Pacific at Armstrong, Kansas and was immediately sent to Ellsworth, Kansas, at the time the west end of the road. Mr. Keagy was employed as a machinist and remained at Ellsworth until July 1st 1870. The Union Pacific shops at that time consisted of a five stall frame building which was used as a roundhouse and machine shop. The shops were torn down and loaded on flat cars, with the machinery which consisted of one small lathe, one small drill press and a jumper that was used as a planer. This was unloaded at the spot where Ellis now stands and erected on the site where the old shop stood for many years. The force at that time consisted of four machinist, 1 boilermaker, 1 black smith (sic), 1 carpenter and 2 car men. These engines were wood burners and most of the wood had to be shipped in from Missouri. Watchmen were stationed at each wood pile to keep it from burning and to keep the Indians from stealing and destroying it.

There were no houses when Mr. Keagy first came to Ellis and you could look for miles and not see a tree was insight, nothing but the whole wide prairie and one sod house, the mansion of the west. It was near the Big Creek bridge west of where the Union Pacific hotel stands today. Mr. Keagy lived in bunk-cars and had to do all his own cooking and washing and be ever on the alert for hostile Indians. There was not a white woman on these western plains until August 1871 when Mrs. Smith, a widow and her five daughters and two sons, came to Ellis, and at that time a bunkhouse was built for the men with Mrs. Smith in charge. The force at that time consisted of about 15 men. Ed Tull was the master mechanic in charge, he was later relieved by Frank Petrie, who stayed at the post for 8 months when Major McGuns took charge.

In the spring of 1873 a 12 stall stone roundhouse was built and a small machine shop. These shops were built with style, black walnut timbers being used. When the new shops were built in 1918 the old walnut Timbers were taken out and one of them sent to the Union Pacific museum at Omaha, Neb. In the summer of 1918 the old shops were scrapped and new ones built. The machinery was in continuous operation from 1869 until 1918.

Mr. Andrew B. Keagy worked continuously with the Union Pacific from November 1869 until 1919 when he retired on a pension, he was machinist and foreman all these years. Mr. Keagy was entitled to a pension when the World War broke out but he made a special request that he be allowed to remain at his post, owing to the shortage of men.

That same spirit that conquered the West is predominant in Mr. Keagy today. Only a few more years and the pioneers of the west will pass inward through the pearly gates to receive their reward. Never again will the days of yesterday be brought back, all that remains for us, is history. Never again will a more noble band of men be brought together than those who joined the East and the West with a Boulevard. of steel, thru an Indian country with all the tribes banded together and hostile.