Hi, In a recent book I wrote about families in Tenn that migrated to Southwest Missouri during the 1850s...........I researched this exact thing.........(during this time period. The railroad line stopped in Rolla Missouri When the civil war broke out supplies had to be shipped by wagon to Springfield..........if they had traveled by train, they would only gotten as far as Rolla and then would have traveled by wagon...............My belief is that they came through St. Louis and crossed on the ferry and followed the Old Rolla Road to Springfield, Dade And Lawrence