WHEN THE RAILROADS WERE KINGS. TROOPER (Arlie D. Wood), 29 June, 2017 While the struggle to design a practical and successful steam locomotive was in its infancy, our country was experiencing many growing pains with the war of 1812, the Trail Of Tears for the Native Americans, migration to Mexico (Now Texas), Mexico abolished slavery and Texas won their independence and became the Republic of Texas. Jesse Atteberry brought his son Nathan to the Republic of Texas in early 1840s. (Nathan was the first to spell the family name with the singular ‘r’). Nathan fought with what the Mexicans called “Los Diablos Tejanos” until taken down with fever and discharged. Nathan fathered two children, Robert Watts and Margaret and died from the fever when my grandfather Robert Watts Attebery was an infant. The Hill family took the children in and Margaret eventually married a Hill son. What does this have to do with Railroads? Locomotives have evolved to practical efficiency bu