Founded in 1849 after a charter was obtained by citizens of Aurora and Batavia, Illinois. Though this area was served first the railroad went on to serve states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and through subsidiaries Colorado and Southern Railway, Fort Worth and Denver Railway, and Burlington-Rock Island Railroad, New Mexico and Texas. The diffulcuties railroads faced in the 1960s resulted in the merger of the company with the Great Northern Railway, Northern Pacific and the Spokane, Portland and Seattle railroads on March 2, 1970 to form the Burlington Northern Railroad.