Chartered in Kansas by its founder Cyrus K. Holliday as the Atchison and Topeka Railroad Company in 1859, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad was originally organized to connect Atchison and Topeka, Kansas with Santa Fe, New Mexico. As it prospered, the railroad became a major influence on the settlement and economic development of the Southwest. The Santa Fe, as it is called, is not only one of the world’s most famous railroads but has a movie, song, and numerous model trains based on it.