USA > Minnesota > Stearns County > History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 61
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"Mr. Barnes had made a favorable report, and on a Sunday morning, early in May, 1861, Edmund Rice and myself embarked on the the steamer 'Golden Era' on our way via La Crosse to Philadelphia for the purpose of conference with the gentlemen there in the hope of consummating an arrange- ment which would insure the building of the railroad and lay the foundation for the return of some hope to the people of the state. At Philadelphia ne- gotiations were resumed and proceeded in a very satisfactory manner. Gov- ernor Alex. Ramsey, then governor of Minnesota, was in Washington and was requested to make the journey to Philadelphia in order to lend his pow- erful influence in supporting Mr. Rice's efforts, and also to assure Mr. Thomp- son and his associates that the laws under which the railroad would be built should receive on his part, as executive, most liberal construction. It is need- less to say that the governor did in this instance, as in all cases involving the honor and interest of the State of Minnesota, what he deemed best.
"The Hon. John H. Barber of New York, as Mr. Rice's counsel, was also at Philadelphia, assisting in drawing the papers preliminary to the execu- tion of the same by the respective parties, who had agreed upon terms and conditions which seemed to promise the realization of the hopes of the gentle- men controlling the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Company.
"The negotiations carried us along until the early days of June, 1861, and on the eighth day of that month, feeling that we could be spared for a few days, Mr. Rice and myself took the train for New York. We had already, of course, had a warning of danger through the episode of the bombardment of Fort Sumter; but we had received the assurance of our leading statesmen that this was the act only of unruly South Carolina, and that this emeute would be put down in ninety days. Such were the expressions of Mr. Seward and others high in the estimation of the people, that gave hope and confidence enough in the future to justify the undertaking of affairs of magnitude.
"Arriving in New York at a time of great excitement, we attended to our personal affairs for a couple of days. On the morning of the 11th of June the news of the battle at Big Bethel was handed to us as we were going to breakfast, and the next mail brought letters from Philadelphia, stating that, under the circumstances, all negotiations would have to remain in abeyance indefinitely, because, from appearances, the war might not be ended for many years. And so we were absolutely stranded, hope gone, and apparently noth- ing to do but return home and meet a disappointed people.
"Just at this time, however, I made the acquaintance in New York, quite accidentally, of Messrs. Winters, Harshman, and Drake, residents of Ohio. These gentlemen, with the exception of Mr. Drake, were bankers and capital- ists, and were in New York looking for some investment. On account of a long acquaintance with Colonel Andrew De Graff, they were negotiating with him in reference to building the Winona & St. Peter Railroad; but, as the colonel informed me that they had not money enough to accomplish all that was necessary in the case of this road, he introduced them to me, believing
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that I could interest them in the construction of the St. Paul & Pacific Rail- road between St. Paul and St. Anthony Falls.
"After consultation with Mr. Rice and conference with the gentlemen aforesaid, an agreement was reached, whereby they were to furnish means of building the railroad from St. Paul to the Falls of St. Anthony. They were to visit St. Paul at an early date, and if an examination of the whole business proved to be as good and fair as had been represented, then they were to enter into a formal contract; but if they should be disappointed in the ex- amination we obliged ourselves to reimburse them for their time and expense in visiting Minnesota.
"In due time the gentlemen arrived and made a careful examination of the line of road, its legal status, etc., and were willing to state that we had not told half of what we might have stated with entire veracity. Thereupon they proceeded to deposit with the governor of the state, as required by law, $14,000, and entered into a contract with the railroad company, as hereto- fore stated.
"They were to receive for the work of completing the grade, track, and furnishing of rolling stock, first mortgage gold bonds, drawing eight per cent interest and running twenty years, at the rate of $12,000 per mile, making an aggregate of $120,000 in bonds; and they were further to receive all the lands to which at that time the company could make title, aggregating 76,800 acres, whichi body of land commenced in the county of Hennepin and extended northwesterly through what is today properly the garden of Minnesota. There were difficulties encountered in carrying this agreement into effect, becanse of some right of way which had not been secured in the city of St. Paul. This caused a delay of nearly a year from the time work was commenced in the fall of 1861; but further legislation, during the winter of 1861-62, enabled the company to proceed, and the line was finished and put into operation between St. Paul and the Falls of St. Anthony in the early days of July, 1862.
"Under the provisions of this contract, two locomotives and some passen- ger and freight cars were furnished. This line was laid with iron rails of forty-five pounds to the yard, steel rails being unknown at that time. The locomotives were of only twenty-five tons capacity, wood burners. The first locomotive engine was named after myself, and the second after Edmund Rice. These engines were the first that turned a wheel in the State of Min- nesota.
"Now I have told the story of the completion of the first ten miles of railroad in this state; and I trust that, going forward from my narrative, further information may be gathered and published, which will complete the history of this pioneer railroad."
Colonel Crook's expressed wish that the history which he had begun might be completed has been fulfilled in a most thorough and comprehensive manner by the man best qualified to do it-James J. Hill, justly known as the "Empire Builder of the West." Mr. Hill is unquestionably one of the great men of the age. His genius along constructive lines has not been sur-
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passed in this country and has been seldom equalled in this or any other. In happy contrast with many of the men whose names have been associated with great railroad control, he has been a builder, not a wrecker. The territory through which his lines of railway have passed have been marvelously de- veloped, the roads looking for their revenues to the business created by a healthy growth of the country. For many years Mr. Hill was the president of the railway system with which he was connected, as he was at all times its controlling and directing spirit. Resigning the office of president, lie con- tinued in service as chairman of the board of directors. In a letter to the stockholders of the Great Northern, dated July 1, 1912, retiring from the chairmanship of this board, he gave a comprehensive history of the system, from which the following extracts are taken, being such as will be of most interest to the readers of these volumes:
Story of James J. Hill. "Nearly forty years ago the thought of a pos- sible railway enterprise in the Northwest began to occupy my mind. It was born of experience in Northwestern transportation problems that had occu- pied most of my early business life, of faith in the productive powers and material resources of this part of the country, and of railroad conditions at that time. The feverish activity in securing railroad concessions in land and eash that marked the sixth decade of the last century had been followed by collapse. Doomed as these enterprises were to ultimate failure by their lack of commercial foundation and financial soundness, they were suddenly wrecked by the panic of 1873. Aside from the Northern Pacific property, the lines in the state of Minnesota most important and available if converted into real assets for the development of the Northwest were the fragments of the old St. Paul & Pacific Company. Following the panic of 1873 these were in the hands of a receiver. The holders of their securities in Holland were more anxious to recover what they could from the wreck than to put more money into its completion and improvements that must be made if the properties were to continue to be operated at all. Their valne lay to some extent in what was left of a land grant, which would be valuable as soon as the country should be opened, but chiefly in the possibilities of traffie from the millions of productive acres in the Northwest to be opened to settlement by trans- portation facilities. Yet so great seemed the task and so uncertain the re- ward, in the general opinion, that any plan of acquiring and reorganizing the property was regarded as visionary in those days by most holders of capital and most men of affairs.
"After long and close study of the situation the slender beginning was made on which we risked our all. Failure would be immediate and final dis- aster. My associates were George Stephen (later created Lord Mount Stephen), Donald A. Smith (later created Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal) and Norman W. Kittson. We bought the defaulted bonds of these properties from the Dutch holders. The agreement with the Dutch committee was exe- cuted March 13, 1878, and practically all outstanding indebtedness was sub- sequently secured. The mortgages were afterwards foreclosed and the property was bought in. For those days it seemed a formidable financial undertaking. The stoek of these companies aggregated $6,500,000, and their bonded indebted-
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ness with past due interest nearly $33,000,000, aside from floating obligations. These had to be purchased at prices above those for which they had previously been offered in the open market. The total capitalization and indebtedness at that time of the companies taken over was approximately $44,000,000.
"The property secured consisted of completed lines from St. Paul via St. Anthony to Melrose, a distance of 104 miles, and from Minneapolis to Breckenridge, a distance of 207 miles; and of two projected lines, one from Sauk Rapids to Brainerd and one from Melrose to the Red river at St. Vin- cent on the international boundary line. On these latter some grading had been done and about 75 miles of track had been laid. There were gaps be- tween Melrose and Barnesville, Crookston and St. Vincent, that must be filled quickly. In themselves, had it not been for the promise of the future, these were scattered tracks in a country just being settled, out of which to con- struct a railway system and on which to base the financing of their purchase and development.
"We advanced the money to build the Red River Valley Railroad, four- teen miles of track from Crookston to Fisher's Landing, on the Red river, making a through route by steamboat from that point to Winnipeg. While negotiations were pending and also after they were concluded but before pos- session could be secured through the foreclosure of mortgages, an immense amount of work had to be done. The extension from Melrose to Barnesville must be pushed, and was carried thirty-three miles, as far as Alexandria ; and ninety miles were built in the Red River valley to reach the Canadian boun- dary. The former was necessary to save the land grant, whose time limit, already extended, was about to expire. The latter was in addition to connect with a railroad projected by the Canadian government from Winnipeg south. As the properties were still in the hands of a receiver, an order had to be obtained from the court for the completion of the work in Minnesota with funds furnished by ns. Money had to be raised to build these lines and to furnish equipment necessary for their operation.
"In May, 1879, the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway Company was organized to take over all these properties, whose bonds had been largely purchased, whose stocks had been secured and whose assets were to be bought in under foreclosure. It had an authorized capital stock of $15,000,000, lim- ited by its charter to $20,000,000, and made two mortgages of $8,000,000 each. George Stephen was made first president of the company, Richard B. Angus, vice-president, and I was chosen general manager. This placed upon me the practical conduct of the enterprise from its formal inception.
"The lines of the new system turned over to our possession on June 23, 1879, comprised a mileage of 667 miles, of which 565 were completed and 102 under construction. From the beginning its business fulfilled the expectations of its founders. The annual report for 1880 showed an increase in earnings of 54 per cent, and land sales amounting to $1,200,000. And now began the long task of building up the country. No sooner was a mile of road finished than the need of building other miles became apparent. Before Minnesota had filled up, the tide of immigration was passing even the famous Red River valley country and flowing into Dakota. By 1880 it had become necessary to
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add a line down the Dakota side of the Red river, to plan for many extensions and branches, and two local companies, building lines in western Minnesota, were purchased.
"Only a detailed history of the railroad could follow step by step the progress of track extension and the financial arrangement by which capital was furnished for these constant and always growing demands from this time on. Gradually year by year the lines were extended.
"In 1889 the Great Northern Railway Company was organized, to bind into a compact whole the various properties that had grown too large for the charter limitations of the old Manitoba. It leased all the property of the latter company, and was prepared to finance the undertakings about to be completed or in contemplation. By 1893 the line was opened through to Puget Sound. In the next five or six years many improvements were made by relaying track with heavier rails and by changes in equipment and large additions thereto. Branches and feeders were built to round out the system.
"In 1907 the subsidiary companies controlled by the Great Northern, in- cluding fourteen railway companies operated as a part of it, were purchased and incorporated into the Great Northern System, making of these related parts one homogeneous whole. In the same year I resigned the presideney of the system, and beeame chairman of the board of directors,-the office that I lay down today."
The First Railroad to St. Cloud. September 1, 1866, witnessed the arrival at the depot in East St. Cloud of the first passenger train over the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad. Among the passengers on the train were United States Senator Ramsey, Judge Nelson, State Auditor MeIlrath, representatives of the St. Paul press and a few others. Regular daily trains were continued, com- ing from St. Paul at noon and leaving half an hour later. The running time between the two cities, a distance of seventy-five miles, was four hours and a quarter, but when the road should be fully ballasted it was expected to reduce this to four hours. This train was in charge of J. B. Rice, conductor, with Engineer Gardner at the throttle, John Clark fireman, Jeff J. Mead express messenger, John Keyes mail agent and Martin Castner baggageman.
The formal celebration of the completion of the road to St. Cloud took place September 13. The train of five cars, bringing the city's guests, some three hundred in number, with a section of the Great Western Band, was met at the station on the East side, by Mayor Gregory, the members of the city council and Fire Company Pioneer No. 1, with A. B. Curry, marshal of the day. An address of welcome was given by the Hon. N. F. Barnes. The procession, headed by the St. Cloud Brass Band, crossed the river at Wilson's Ferry, and going through the city streets was escorted to "Pine Garden," a beautiful grove on the Mississippi river, near the mouth of the ravine. The company was taken to seats at tables where a great banquet had been pre- pared. Among those present were Senator Ramsey, Congressman Donnelly, Major Generals Sanborn and Sibley, Brigadier Generals Thomas and Gorman, Surveyor General Nutting, Ex-Governor Miller, Mayor Prince of St. Paul, George L. Becker, president of the road; W. B. Litchfield, its main financial supporter ; F. R. Delano, assistant superintendent ; Captain R. Blakely, of the
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Minnesota Stage Company, and many others prominent in business and political circles. The newspaper press was well represented.
At the banquet toasts were offered and responses given as follows, Sey- mour Smith acting as toastmaster: "The President of the United States," Gen. H. H. Sibley, St. Panl; "The Congress of the United States," U. S. Sen- ator Alexander Ramsey, St. Paul ; "The Army and Navy of the United States," General John B. Sanborn, St. Paul; "The Governor of Minnesota," Ex-Gov- ernor Stephen Miller, St. Paul; "The State of Minnesota," William J. Parsons, St. Cloud; "The Railroad System of Minnesota," E. F. Drake, St. Paul; "The St. Paul and Pacific Railroad System," Hon. Edward Rice, St. Paul; "The President and Officers of the First Division of the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad," Hon. George L. Becker, president of the road, St. Paul; "Engi- neers of the Work," Colonel William Crooks, St. Paul; "The Press of Min- nesota," Dr. Thomas Foster, St. Paul; "The Western Pioneer," Hon. E. M. Wilson, Minneapolis ; "Woman," I. V. D. Heard, St. Paul; "Minnesota Stage Company," Captain Russell Blakely, St. Paul; "St. Cloud," A. B. Curry, St. Cloud.
The celebration was unanimously declared to have been an entire success and it was after six o'clock before the train started on the return trip.
The railroad authorities had proposed to build a bridge and make the crossing from a point on the east side of the Mississippi river, almost directly opposite the present normal school campus, but by reason of radical disagree- ments with the owners of the Wooley-Emerson property on that side, which was wanted for railroad purposes, the plan was changed and the depot was located on a part of school section No. 36, a mile or more further up the river. The railroad was also extended to Sauk Rapids but no further on the east side, and the use of this "stub" was soon abandoned. This enforced change of plan was regarded as a very unfortunate one for St. Cloud, although not operating as a detriment to the county as a whole.
The following year a suit was begun by the town council to compel the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad to cross the Mississippi river and run its trains into St. Cloud. The decision in the district court was adverse to the town and on an appeal to the supreme court this decision was sustained, it being held that the completion of the road to the east side of the river was a sub- stantial compliance with the charter requirement that it should be run "to St. Cloud."
W. W. Wright, who had been one of the pioneer agents of the company, serving at each successive station as the construction work progressed, was the first agent at St. Cloud, entering upon his duties immediately upon the com- pletion of the road to this place. George D. Gregory was ticket seller; J. C. Hamilton and F. Allen clerks; and H. Dam watchman. The first conductors were J. L. Winder and "Dan." Barstow; the first baggage masters, Martin Castner and John Keyes.
St. Cloud remained the terminal point of the road until 1872, stages car- rying passengers and the mails from here to the north and west, while freight shipments were transferred at this place and forwarded to their destination by teams.
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The delay and inconvenience of backing the heavy coast trains which came up on the west side (or Osseo) line from the place where this line formed a junction with the original road which crossed the Mississippi from the east side, led the railway authorities to decide upon changing the location of the passenger station to this junction or "Y." Work was begun October 27, 1898, by Timothy Reardon, of St. Paul, the contractor, and the building was completed February 23 of the following year. It is constructed entirely of St. Cloud granite, with slate roof, is 40 by 148 feet in size, and is archi- tecturally a credit to the company and the city. The interior is oak finish and the division of the space meets admirably the wants of the public as well as of the officials in charge. A pavilion 137 feet long extends to a covered platform, 16 feet wide, running 240 feet along the Osseo track. Anticipating the completion of the new station the coast trains began January 1, 1899, stopping at the "Y," using a temporary structure in the interval.
A new freight depot, 200 by 40 feet in dimensions, of brick, was built the same year, being completed September 7, to take the place of the old frame building.
In 1904 the extensive grounds at the new passenger station, between the two tracks, was beautifully parked. Twenty train loads of earth to raise the tract to a higher level and enrich the soil was brought from New London. Grass seed was sown, producing a fine sod, while plants and shrubbery were planted, being renewed each spring and carefully attended, making the grounds most attractive and giving travelers on passing trains a favorable impression of the city and of the officials of the company to whose generous spirit this very desirable improvement is due.
W. W. Wright, who had been the St. Paul & Pacific agent at the St. Cloud station since the road was completed to this place in 1866, retired Oc- tober 1, 1893. Captain Wright was first placed on the pay roll of the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad July 1, 1864, when he became agent at Anoka, at that time the terminus of the road. As the road was pushed further westward, he was successively agent at Elk River, Big Lake and East St. Cloud in 1866, and in 1873 when the railroad crossed the river, he became agent at the west- side station. At first he was both passenger and ticket agent, but as the city grew the duties of the two offices became too onerous for one man, and E. H. Wright, his son, was put in charge of the ticket office.
Captain Wright, who was retired on full pay, was succeeded by A. J. Caswell of Wadena, who had been connected with the Great Northern for thirteen years, first as operator, then as station agent at Paynesville, and when the road was completed to Wadena he was given that station.
Ed. H. Wright, after nineteen years' continuous service with the railroad company, resigned the position of ticket agent February 15, 1894.
H. R. Neide, who had been assistant ticket agent of the Great Northern at Grand Forks, was appointed February 24, 1894, passenger and ticket agent at St. Cloud. In harmony with its general policy the Great Northern Railway Company consolidated its freight and ticket offices at St. Cloud August 17, 1896, making H. R. Neide, then ticket agent, the general agent, having charge of the entire business of the company at this place. Joseph Michael-
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son became ticket seller, and George McQueen was put in charge of the freight office. A. J. Caswell, who retired from service as freight agent, was made a traveling freight agent for the state of Michigan, with headquarters at De- troit. Mr. Neide has been in charge from the date when his appointment took effect until the present time, with added duties and responsibilities, serving with equally satisfactory results the railway company and the business and traveling public.
Minneapolis & St. Cloud Railroad. This was one of the first early char- tered railroads which reached the period of actual construction. Its charter was originally granted by an act of the territorial legislature approved March 1, 1856, which made John H. Stevens, William Hanson, Franklin Steele, Al- fred E. Ames, R. P. Russell, J. P. Wilson, J. L. Crocker, George F. Brott, J. M. Winslow, A. M. Fridley and John Banfel-all or nearly all the names of men active in territorial affairs-a body politic and corporate to be known as the Minneapolis & St. Cloud Railroad Company, to construct and operate a line of railroad with one or more branches from Minneapolis to St. Cloud. By an amendment approved February 23, 1864, the company was given a more distinctively St. Cloud flavor. The first section was so amended so as to make F. M. Tobey, Francis Morrison, B. B. Meeker, H. C. Burbank, T. P. Wilson, O. S. Freeman, H. C. Waite, R. C. Corbett, Charles A. Gilman, R. M. Richardson, J. J. Porter and Henry Hill the incorporators and directors. An amendment to the second section made some changes in the lines of the pro- posed road, providing that it should be located and constructed from Minne- apolis to St. Cloud and from St. Cloud to the navigable waters of Lake Supe- rior, with a branch road from St. Cloud to some point on the Minnesota river.
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