Fifty Years In The Northwest Part 83

H. W. SHEETZ, G. L. OTIS, J. J. CRUTTENDEN, _Committee_.

LAND GRANTS, RAILROAD SURVEYS AND CONSTRUCTION.

In May, 1857, Congress gave to Minnesota, then a territory, a magnificent grant of about 9,000,000 acres of land, to aid in the construction of several projected trunk roads through her bounds. The roads specified were: From Stillwater, by way of St. Paul and St.

Anthony Falls, to a point between the foot of Big Stone lake and the mouth of the Sioux Wood river, with a branch via St. Cloud and Crow Wing to the navigable waters of the Red River of the North; from St.

Paul and St. Anthony via Minneapolis to a convenient point of junction west of the Mississippi to the southern boundary of the Territory in the direction of the mouth of the Big Sioux river, with a branch via Faribault to the north line of the state of Iowa, west of range 16; from Winona to a point on the Big Sioux river south of the forty-fifth parallel of north lat.i.tude; also from La Crescent via Target lake, up the valley of Root river, to a point of junction with the last mentioned road, east of range 17, every alternate section of land designated by odd numbers, for six sections in width on each side of said road and branches. It was enacted that the lands granted were to be subject to the disposal of the legislature.

An extra session of the legislature was convened in June, 1857, to accept the grant and devise means to build the road.

The financial crisis of 1857 and unwise legislation in 1858, notably the attempt to issue $5,000,000 in bonds to aid in building the roads, served to delay the various enterprises projected, and for many years but little work was done, notwithstanding persistent effort at every state legislature to effect favorable changes in the condition of affairs.

A few of the $5,000,000 bonds were issued, but the general dissatisfaction, and feeling that they were not issued on a legal or rational basis, depreciated their value, and they were sold at a sacrifice and afterward redeemed by the State.

THE NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD.

The idea of a railroad from the Atlantic to the Pacific was openly discussed as early as 1837, in which year Dr. Hartwell Carver memorialized Congress on the subject and promulgated his views through the press and by pamphlets. In 1845 Asa Whitney evolved a plan for the northern route, and awakened considerable popular enthusiasm, but by many the project was considered as a swindling scheme, or at best a visionary enterprise. Mr. Whitney made a preliminary survey from Prairie du Chien as far as the Rocky mountains. Mr. Josiah Perham, afterward the first president of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, in 1857 projected a road from Maine to Puget Sound, to be known as the People's Pacific Railway, and obtained a charter from the Maine legislature, but on bringing his scheme to the attention of Congress was prevailed upon by Thaddeus Stevens to abandon this scheme for another, agreeing to aid him in the pa.s.sage of a bill for the construction of the present Northern Pacific route. The bill pa.s.sed both houses and was signed by President Lincoln, July 2, 1864. The first permanent officers were: Josiah Perham, president; Willard Sear, vice president; Abiel Abbott, secretary; J. S. Withington, treasurer.

The grants of land voted by Congress were accepted, and in the following year the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota granted right of way. Not much was done until 1869, when Jay Cooke & Co. became financially interested in the road, and might have been successful in placing the bonds of the road upon the eastern markets but for the European war, during which time the firm of Jay Cooke & Co. went down overburdened with railroad securities. The financial panic of 1873 which followed found the company in possession of 555 miles of completed railroad, of which 450 reached from Duluth to Bismarck, and 105 from Klamath to Tacoma on Puget Sound; but embarra.s.sed by want of funds the enterprise made but little headway, and in 1875 Henry Villard was appointed receiver, and a decree of sale obtained by which the bondholders were enabled to become the preferred stockholders.

Under the new arrangement and by the powerful aid of Henry Villard and Thomas F. Oakes, the public, and especially the capitalists of the country, regained faith in the enterprise, and the work was pushed steadily forward until September, 1883, when the golden spike was driven at Gold Creek by Henry Villard. Mr. Villard resigned the presidency of the road in December of the same year, and Robert Harris succeeded him. The main line of this road extends from Duluth to Tacoma, a distance of nearly 2,000 miles, and the number of miles on the main and branch lines aggregates 3,395.

The magnitude of the work, the leagues of wilderness to be traversed, the mountain ranges to be crossed, the streams to be bridged, the supposed obstructions from wintry storms to be overcome, all these were of such a nature as to make the project seem impossible. It was, nevertheless, through the liberality of the government and the enthusiasm and executive ability of its managers, accomplished in a comparatively short time.

The government contributed to this road a land grant of forty sections to the mile. With this liberal basis, bonds for the required amount of money were speedily furnished to build and equip the road from Lake Superior to the Pacific coast. This road has, however, the advantage of southern roads, in that it traverses a rich agricultural and mineral region throughout almost its entire extent, pa.s.sing through belts of timbered land not excelled in the quant.i.ty and quality of their production. The mineral regions are rich in gold, silver, copper, lead and coal.

The country along the road is being rapidly settled, and the property in its possession, and that of those who have made improvements along its line, has increased to many hundred times its original value.

THE CHICAGO, ST. PAUL, MINNEAPOLIS & OMAHA RAILROAD.

The Wisconsin legislature in 1854 chartered a company to construct and operate this road, then called the St. Croix, Superior & Bayfield railroad. May 3, 1856, Congress granted twelve sections of land to the mile to aid in building a railroad from Hudson in the St. Croix valley to Bayfield on Lake Superior, with a branch to Superior City. July 5, 1864, this grant was increased to twenty sections per mile, with indemnity lands to make up deficiencies. These lands were ceded directly to the State. A company was created by the state legislature of Wisconsin, to which were consigned the lands and franchises granted by the government for the purpose of building the road. The lands and franchises pa.s.sed through several organized companies. Impediments to construction arising, extension of time was asked and obtained from the United States and Wisconsin governments, complications arose, delaying the construction still further, other companies claimed part of the indemnity lands, and litigation ensued. The state legislature upheld the chartered right, and appointed agents to watch the timber and protect the interests of the company. A sum amounting to $200,000 was collected from trespa.s.sers and at once applied to the building of the roads in 1879.

The St. Paul, Stillwater & Taylor's Falls Company in 1872 had built a line of railroad from Hudson to New Richmond. In 1874 the St. Croix, Superior & Bayfield Company obtained possession of this line of road and continued it in the direction of Superior, completing it in 1883 to Superior City, Bayfield, Washburn, and Ashland. The company have built a road from Hudson by River Falls to Ellsworth in Pierce county.

The main line to Lake Superior pa.s.ses through a rich agricultural and immense pine region. The company have constructed at Washburn, on Chequamegon bay, extensive docks, elevators, warehouses and shops.

There are on the main line 20 wooden bridges from 25 to 100 feet long, 10 from 100 to 300 feet, 10 from 300 to 500 feet, one of them on a branch of White river being 90 feet high. The amount of logs and lumber carried over this road amounts (1888) to 1,240,000,000 feet, and 1,500,000,000 feet remain. There are few trips more enjoyable to the tourist than the one over this road, terminating as it does on the north, in a region attractive for its beautiful scenery, including the lovely bays of Ashland, Washburn and Bayfield, with their picturesque sh.o.r.es, hills green with spruce pine and balsam, and the Apostle islands, favorite haunts of summer travelers. The road is splendidly equipped and well officered.

THE ST. PAUL & DULUTH RAILROAD (FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE LAKE SUPERIOR & MISSISSIPPI).

The first land grant for Minnesota was made in 1854, for a road from St. Paul to Lake Superior. This bill gave twenty sections per mile to the company building. While the bill was in the hands of the enrolling committee, some fraudulent changes were made in its provisions, as a consequence of which, after it had pa.s.sed both houses and was in the hands of the president, it was recalled by the house of representatives, which had originated it, the fraudulent pa.s.sages were pointed out, and the further consideration of the bill was indefinitely postponed.

Railroad enterprise received a check from which it did not recover in many years. May 5, 1864, Congress gave ten alternate sections on each side of lands to aid in building the Lake Superior & Mississippi railroad. This grant was increased to twenty sections per mile, and indemnity lands were given. The state of Minnesota has also given seven sections of swamp land per mile. The city of St. Paul also gave a bonus of $250,000 in city bonds, to run twenty years, and St. Louis county gave $150,000 in bonds for a like period. From the proceeds of these lands and bonds an excellent thoroughfare has been built and maintained. The franchises pertaining to this road changed holders many times before the road was completed.

The original incorporators were mostly citizens of Philadelphia who, under the name and t.i.tle of the "Nebraska & Lake Superior Company,"

obtained their charter from the territorial legislature May 25, 1857.

Their chartered rights were amended and their name changed to that of "Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad Company." The times for building were extended by Congress and the state legislature from time to time, as asked for by the company. The road was commenced in 1867 and completed to Duluth in 1870, and the name changed to "St. Paul & Duluth" in 1875. The first cost of building was $7,700,000. The company have in addition built branch roads from White Bear to Minneapolis, from White Bear to Stillwater, from Wyoming to Taylor's Falls, from Rush City to Grantsburg, from North Pacific Junction to Cloquet, and a branch in Pine county to Sandstone City. The Taylor's Falls & Lake Superior branch road received seven sections per mile of swamp lands from the State, $10,000 in ten per cent bonds from the town of Chisago Lake, $5,000 from the town of Shafer, and $18,600 from the town of Taylor's Falls.

Presidents of the St. Paul & Duluth railroad: Lyman Dayton, W. L.

Banning, Frank Clark, John P. Illsley, H. H. Porter, James Smith, Jr., and Wm. H. Fisher.

MINNESOTA & MANITOBA RAILROAD.

Under the land grant of 1857 a road was projected between St. Paul and St. Anthony Falls, and completed in 1862, the first railroad in Minnesota, though others had been projected at an earlier period. This road was afterward extended to Breckenridge on Red river, and branches were built to St. Cloud, and from St. Cloud via Fergus Falls and Crookston to the national boundary at St. Vincent, and from Brekenridge through Dakota to the Great Falls in Montana. Subordinate branches to various points in Northern Minnesota, Dakota and Montana were also built. The roads from Minneapolis to St. Cloud and Breckenridge were built with German capital.

After the completion of the main lines a financial depression occurred, the bonds were sold at a low figure and subsequently pa.s.sed into the hands of J. J. Hill and others. The aggregate mileage of this road and its branches amount to 2,685 miles. It traverses a wheat growing region not surpa.s.sed on the continent. The present terminus, the Great Falls of Missouri, is a mining centre for gold and silver.

The country tributary to the road can not fail to make it one of the most important highways of commerce in the great West, and thus far the energy and ability of its managers has made it equal to the immense demands upon it.

STILLWATER, WHITE BEAR & ST. PAUL RAILROAD.

Under the grant of 1857, a road from Stillwater to St. Paul was projected, the road to commence at Stillwater and to proceed via St.

Paul and Minneapolis to the western boundary of the State. The company holding the grant, through legislative action effected a change in the conditions of the grant allowing them to commence at St. Paul, building west and northwest, as a result of which the road from Stillwater to St. Paul was not built. After ten years of inactivity upon this portion of the road, the Stillwater people demanded, through their representatives in the legislature of 1867, legislation compelling the building of the road as originally devised. At this session Hon. John McKusick, not then a member of the legislature, but still an influential man, and representing public sentiment, importuned the company holding the franchises, through the president, Hon. Edmund Rice, either to build the road or to transfer the franchises to some responsible company who would build it. Hon. Henry A. Jackman and the writer, members of the ninth legislature, after conference with the president of the company, introduced a bill conveying the franchises from the original company to a company of St.

Croix valley men, to be organized forthwith, with the conditions that they at once proceed to build the road from Stillwater to White Bear, connecting with the St. Paul & Duluth at that point. A section was placed in the bill locating the railroad lands near Kandiyohi lake.

These lands were among the most valuable in the grant and were to inure to the new company at the completion of the road. The bill was pa.s.sed and approved by the governor. The road was completed to Stillwater Dec. 20, 1869.

The legislature of 1869 transferred 44,246 acres, or one-half of the Kandiyohi lands, to the St. Paul, Stillwater & Taylor's Falls railroad.

THE ST. PAUL, STILLWATER & TAYLOR'S FALLS RAILROAD.

Part of the lands originally granted to the Stillwater, White Bear & St. Paul railroad were transferred by the legislature of 1869 to the St. Paul, Stillwater & Taylor's Falls railroad. The proceeds of the sale were to be applied to the construction of the above named road.

The company was organized under the general laws of the State and incorporated Sept. 23, 1869. The route of the road defined in the articles of incorporation is between St. Paul and Taylor's Falls by way of Stillwater, pa.s.sing through or near Marine, with a branch road to Hudson, Wisconsin. Length of main line from St. Paul to Stillwater is seventeen and fifty-four one hundredths miles. Hudson branch line from Stillwater junction to Lake St. Croix, three and one-fourth.

South Stillwater branch line from Stillwater to South Stillwater, three miles. The first train by this line reached Stillwater from St.

Paul Feb. 9, 1872. The capital stock, $1,000,000, may be increased at pleasure. The number of shares of capital stock is 10,000 of $100 each, limit of indebtedness, $1,500,000.

That part of the road to be built from Stillwater to Taylor's Falls up to the present date has not been completed.

THE WISCONSIN CENTRAL (BRANCH) RAILROAD.

In 1884 the Wisconsin Central built a branch road from Chippewa Falls via New Richmond to St. Paul, pa.s.sing into Ramsey county east and south of White Bear. The bridge over the St. Croix river about four miles above Stillwater, belonging to this road, is a fine piece of workmans.h.i.+p, built entirely of iron and resting on solid stone piers.

The total length of the structure is 2,400 feet, there being ten spans, each 160 feet long, and a viaduct, 800 feet long, on the Wisconsin side.

The track is 87 feet above low water mark. The entire cost of the bridge was about $197,000. It was damaged by a cyclone in 1885 to the amount of $10,000.

TAYLOR'S FALLS & LAKE SUPERIOR RAILROAD.

The franchises and swamp land grant of the Lake Superior & Mississippi railroad pertaining to the Taylor's Falls branch were in 1875, by legislative enactment, transferred to the Taylor's Falls & Lake Superior Company. In 1879 these franchises and lands were transferred to the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad Company. In the fall of 1879 the St. Paul & Duluth Company built a branch road to Centre City. In the spring of 1880 the Minneapolis & St. Louis Company built three miles of road southward from Taylor's Falls, accomplis.h.i.+ng in that distance as difficult and expensive work of its kind as had been done in the State, the grading being made through the trap rock ledges of the Dalles, and along the face of the nearly perpendicular bluffs overlooking the river. In the summer of 1880 they transferred their franchises and one-half their swamp land grant to the St. Paul & Duluth Company, by whom the road was completed from Centre City to the road already built at Taylor's Falls, Oct. 29, 1880.

CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE & ST. PAUL RAILROAD--RIVER DIVISION.

The river division of this road follows the west bank of the river from Dubuque to Hastings, pa.s.sing through all the river towns.

Crossing the river at Hastings it pa.s.ses through the towns of Newport, Cottage Grove and Denmark, and the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, terminal stations. The line from St. Paul to Hastings was built in 1869, by the Chicago & St. Paul Railway Company, under charter granted to the Minnesota & Pacific Railroad Company in 1857. The present management obtained control of the line in 1872. The bridge across the Mississippi at Hastings was constructed in 1878, and was the first iron railroad bridge in the State. In respect to cost and workmans.h.i.+p it ranked with the important structures of the Northwest. The total length of the river bridge is 706 feet, and consists of an iron draw span 300 feet long, two fixed spans each of 150 feet in length, and a combination span on the north sh.o.r.e 106 feet in length. The cost of the structure was $200,000. In 1884 a branch line was extended from Point Douglas to Stillwater.