Three years later, however, placement of a new line by that same railroad running north to Sioux City would crush all hopes of future success and force the city fathers to abandon all the progress they had made toward incorporating the town.Īstor, located near the border of Shelby County was distant enough from Denison not to interfere with the success of Denison merchants. Around 1883, Robert Theobold sold land to the railroad when they laid their first line from Chicago to Council Bluffs causing the town to quickly spring to life. Paul Railroad Company was responsible for the glory and defeat of the little town of Astor.
From boom to bust in three short years, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St.
