Just as the Saints of Utah benefited by the construction of the Central
and Union Pacific railroads, so there was benefit in northeastern
Arizona through the work of building the Atlantic and Pacific railroad in
1880-82. John W. Young and Jesse N. Smith, joined by Ammon M. Tenney, in
the spring of 1880 took a contract for grading five miles, simply to
secure bread for the people of the Little Colorado Valley. During the
previous winter there had been a large immigration from Utah, where,
erroneously, it had been reported the Arizonans had raised good crops, so
comparatively little food was brought in. The limited crop of 1879 soon
was consumed and the spring found the settlers almost starving. Lot Smith
had loaned the people a quantity of wheat the previous season and much of
the crop was due him.
Young and Smith went as far as Pueblo, where they secured their contract
and on their return made arrangements with merchants at Albuquerque for
supplies. The first contract was for a section about 24 miles east of
Fort Wingate, N.M., and to that point in July went all the men who could
possibly leave home. The first company was from Snowflake, Jesse N. Smith
taking about forty men. Soon thereafter, flour was sent back to the
settlements and there was grateful relief. After a while, Smith drew out
of the railroad work. Tenney returned to the railroad the following year
to assist Young in filling a contract for the grading of 100 miles and
the furnishing of 50,000 ties.
The work on the railroad, while securing food in a critical period, still
caused neglect of agriculture at home, where the few men remaining,
together with the women and children, had to labor hard.