USA > Minnesota > Stearns County > History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 63
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470
HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
In May, 1876, a conference was held with J. P. Farley, general manager of the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad, regarding the $65,000 of bonus bonds issued by the city of St. Cloud and an agreement arrived at which was mutu- ally satisfactory to the representatives of the city and Mr. Farley. As the Brainerd branch had not been built and the St. Vincent branch had been extended only to Melrose, the people of St. Cloud were much dissatis- fied, and immediate construction of both these roads having been among the considerations offered by the company for the giving of the bonus. The bonds were at this time held by the First National Bank of St. Paul as col- lateral security for a loan of $16,700 made to Gen. Becker as president of the road. This amount had been increased by accrued interest to about $22,000. It was proposed that the bonds should be put up at public sale to satisfy this debt, the city to bid them in at the amount stated, issuing new bonds in settle- ment therefor. A special election was held June 1 at which it was voted to issue $20,000 of city bonds; $5,000 payable in ten years, $5,000 in fifteen and $10,000 in twenty years, bearing eight per cent interest. The sale took place in St. Paul June 8, the bonds being bid in for the city for $21,808.40, the principal of the note with accrued interest payment being made with $1,808.40 cash and the $20,000 in bonds.
A railroad meeting was held in Lancaster & Fry's hall, Sauk Centre, Au- gust 30, 1876, which was largely attended from all parts of the upper country, the object being to protest against the failure of the railroad company to com- plete the St. Vincent extension and the Brainerd branch. The railroad com- pany by accepting the charter had, it was held, entered into a contract, and this contract it should be required to fulfil or forfeit its lands and franchise. Speeches were made by John Waite, of Long Prairie; Governor Barto, of Sauk Centre; C. A. Gilman, of St. Cloud; N. Richardson, of Little Falls; Senator Capser, Capt. J. E. West, and others. Strong resolutions expressive of the sentiments of the meeting along the lines indicated above were adopted.
At the session of the legislature in 1878 a bill was passed extending the time for the construction of the uncompleted portions of the St. Cloud and St. Vincent branch, as follows: From Melrose to Sauk Centre to August 1, 1878; from Sauk Centre to Alexandria, to December 1, 1878; from Alexandria to Fergus Falls to January 1, 1880; from Fergus Falls to Glyndon to January 1, 1881; from Fergus Falls to Glyndon to January 1, 1881.
The section from Melrose to Sauk Centre was completed in July, 1878, and to Alexandria November 4, trains beginning to run regularly to and from that place on the 15th. At Alexandria as at Melrose one-half of the platted townsite had been given to the railroad company as a bonus for the running of the road to that place.
In November, 1879, the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railroad Com- pany dropped the old names of Main and Branch lines-the former being changed to the Breckenridge division from St. Paul to Breckenridge, and to the Crookston division from Breckenridge to Crookston; the latter, from St. Paul to Fergus Falls, on which St. Cloud is located, to the Fergus Falls division. This was afterwards and is now (1914) designated the St. Cloud and Fergus Falls Division.
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
Construction of the Brainerd Branch. At a meeting of the board of direc- tors of the Northern Pacific held in New York in August, 1872, it was re- solved to complete at once the branch road running from St. Cloud to Brainerd. The grading was reported as being all done except from Sauk Rapids to Watab; ties had been delivered along the line and for much of the distance the bridging was done. However it was not until five years afterwards that the proposed work was actually entered on and completed. In 1877 the construction of the sixty-one miles of the Brainerd branch was begun by the Western Railroad of Minnesota, which had been organized for that purpose, and which was practically owned and controlled by the Northern Pacific Company. The contract was let in June to DeGraff & Co., and October 20, 1877 the last spike was driven, a junction being formed at Sauk Rapids with the First Division of the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Company's line. The first train, starting from Sauk Rapids, went through to Brainerd the next day, taking a small party. Regular trains began running November 1, leav- ing St. Paul at 7:50 A. M., arriving at St. Cloud at 11:05 A. M. and Brainerd at 1:10 P. M., reaching Bismarck at 6:30 the next morning. Return train left Bismarck at 7 P. M., Brainerd 1:10 P. M. next day, St. Cloud at 3:15, reaching St. Paul at 6:30 P. M.
St. Paul-Minneapolis-St. Cloud Connection. At the annual meeting of the stockholders of the Northern Pacific Railroad held in New York in Sep- tember, 1878, resolutions were adopted declaring that in view of the necessity of obtaining for that company an independent connection between its road and the railroads centering at Minneapolis and St. Paul; and the further fact that the Minneapolis, St. Cloud & Sauk Rapids Railroad Company, a corpora- tion existing under the laws of the state of Minnesota, proposed to construct a first-class railroad from Sauk Rapids to Minneapolis; "unless within sixty days from this date there shall be made suitable and permanent arrangements for the use by this company of the lines of the First Division of the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Company between Sauk Rapids and Minneapolis and St. Paul, this company should aid the said Minneapolis, St. Cloud & Sauk Rapids Railroad Company in the construction of its railroad by means of subscriptions to its capital stock for a majority of the shares thereof," enter- ing into a lease of the proposed railroad when completed for the term of ninety-nine years, "the assent of the stockholders of this company being hereby given to the furnishing of said aid and the taking, entering into and perfection of said lease."
In the latter part of the month immediately preceding this meeting a party of engineers, under General Rosser, who had made the preliminary sur- vey of the proposed Minneapolis, St. Cloud & Sauk Rapids Railroad up the west side of the Mississippi river, arrived in St. Cloud. They desired to know where the citizens wished to have the depot located, and after general consulta- tion a site was selected on St. Germain street, just west of the "Grandelmeyer building," the grounds to be 1,200 feet long, beginning at St. Germain street and running north, and about 120 feet wide, the city to furnish the depot grounds and right of way. The bridge across the Mississippi was to be at or near the "Fishing Rock" on this side. President Wright, of the Northern
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
Pacifie, who was in St. Paul at the time, asserted that the road would be completed and trains running by the first of the next July.
Immediately following the adoption of the foregoing resolutions, active preparations were made by the Northern Pacific officials to carry out the pro- posed program. General Rosser with a surveying party came again to St. Cloud, arriving October 10, and locating the permanent line of the Minne- apolis, St. Cloud & Sauk Rapids Railroad. It came in on Prince street and ran along the edge of Lake George immediately in front of the Cram House. Work had already been done in preparation for a bridge over which the road should cross the Mississippi to the east side.
These vigorous operations had the desired effect. Announcement was made November 18 that arrangements had been completed with the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Company for the use of its track by the Northern Pacific between St. Paul and Minneapolis and St. Cloud, and that therefore the pro- posed construction of the Minneapolis, St. Cloud & Sauk Rapids Railroad would be abandoned. That part of the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad lying be- tween St. Paul and Watab was sold May 7, 1879, in St. Paul under foreclosure and was purchased for the stockholders by John S. Barnes of New York who paid $4,200,000 for it. In 1883 the St. Paul & Northern Pacific Railroad Com- pany (a subsidiary corporation of the Northern Pacific) purchased the easterly half of the Manitoba Company's right of way from Sauk Rapids to Minne- apolis and graded and laid a railroad between the two places. On account of extensive terminal work required in Minneapolis, including the building of a bridge across the Mississippi river, this line was not put in operation until July of the following year. This became the through line of the North- ern Pacific from the Twin Cities to the coast, with St. Cloud one of its most important points, thereby realizing to a considerable degree at least the hopes of the earlier days. Eight passenger trains each way-sixteen in all-pass daily through this city over the Northern Pacific tracks, three each way being through trains to and from the coast, and two each way to Winnipeg.
The Northern Pacific Agents at the East St. Cloud station, from the time it was first opened until the present, have been as follows: Hugh McClean, July 6, 1886, to May 27, 1887; O. N. Darling, May 27, 1887, to November 5, 1887; G. G. Planck, November 5, 1887 to January 21, 1888; G. W. Fowler, January 21, 1888, to February 11, 1888; G. G. Planck, February 11, 1888, to July 2, 1888; G. W. Fowler, July 2, 1888, to July 30, 1888; E. Wolfsberg, July 30, 1888, to September 1, 1900; L. T. Stodder, September 1, 1900, to November 6, 1901; J. E. Cooling, November 6, 1901, to date.
Mr. Cooling completed July 3, 1914, his thirtieth year of service without a break as station agent, and so far as is known holds the record on the Northern Pacific System for continuous service in that capacity.
The Little Falls and Morris branch of the Northern Pacific, eighty-seven miles in length, was built by the Little Falls & Dakota Railroad Company, a Minnesota corporation. Construction was begun at Little Falls in 1881, and track was laid to Spaulding, the first of the three stations in Stearns county (30 miles), August 7, 1862, to Sauk Centre (36 miles), August 14, and to Stiles (42 miles), August 30.
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
The agents at Sauk Centre have been: G. B. Ogsberg, April, 1884, to March 1890; T. W. Mann, March, 1890, to June 1, 1894; J. W. Ward, June 1, 1894, to June 24, 1894; W. P. Rhoda, June 24, 1904, to December 15, 1904; F. S. Parker, December 15, 1904, to date. There has been no agent at either Spaulding or Stiles.
Statistics. The Northern Pacific completed its first half century this year -1914. The first annual report of the company after the completion of the main line in 1883, points to the increase in the number of passengers carried from 297,680 to 450,987, and in the number of tons of freight carried from 655,075 to 790,006.
During its first year as a transcontinental line the road earned $12,603,- 000 gross from its 2,547 miles of track, part of which were leased.
The following table shows what has happened since :
1914-Mileage, 6,313; gross earnings, $72,676,188; net earnings, $24,312,- 632; surplus for dividends, $22,250,000; locomotives owned, 1,416; passenger cars owned, 1,161; freight cars owned, 49,787; passengers hauled, 8,661,645; tons of freight hauled, 649,508,183; rate per passenger per mile (cents), 2.27; rate per ton per mile (cents), 0.903. 1883-Mileage, 2,547; gross earnings, $12,603,575; net earnings, $5,013,420; surplus for dividends, $1,055,000; loco- motives owned, 289; passenger cars owned, 174; freight cars owned, 6,868; passengers hauled, 450,987; tons of freight hauled, 790,006; rate per passen- ger per mile (cents), 3.40; rate per ton per mile (cents), 2.07.
Station. A great improvement was made by this company in 1909, when it constructed a new and handsome passenger station on the west side of the track, enabling passengers to take the cars without being exposed to the danger and inconvenience of crossing the rails. The new station is 170 feet long, is of brown pressed brick, with St. Cloud granite foundation and trim- mings. It is artistic in appearance, and the interior is well arranged for the convenience and comfort of the traveling public as well as for the officials in charge. It is entirely surrounded by a vitrified brick platform, 760 feet long and of ample width. The old building on the east side of the track was re- modeled for use exclusively as a freight depot.
A new operator's tower has been erected at the crossing of the Great Northern's Milaca branch line with the Northern Pacific main line. It is supplied with a complete interlocking plant and every switch in the yard is connected with the tower so that it can be opened and closed automatically, thus doing away with the danger of collisions.
The "Soo" Line. The Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway Company-popularly known as the "Soo Line"-was organized and incor- porated in the year 1884, under the laws of the State of Wisconsin. During the years 1884-1887, lines were constructed and operated between Minneapolis and Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., a distance of 494 miles.
A line consisting of 288 miles between Minneapolis, Minn., and Boynton, N. D., was constructed in years 1886-1887.
In 1888, the Soo Line began to branch ont slowly, but gradually, and fast became a powerful factor in the development of the Northwest. The mileage of the company in 1890 was 782.
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
Three years later, in 1893, Portal, N. D., situated on the boundary between North Dakota and Canada, was reached, and a junction formed with the Canadian Pacific.
By 1900 the company owned 1,278 miles of road, to which 108 miles were added in 1902, and forty more in 1903. The year following the Winnipeg line was completed, from Glenwood, Minn., to Emerson, Man., a distance of 265 miles. The construction in 1905 was forty miles, largely in North Dakota, and in 1906 it was 149 miles. In 1907 and 1908 the Brooten-Duluth line was completed, being the second of its lines to traverse parts of Stearns county. The next year the entire system of the Wisconsin Central Railway, with a mileage of 1,412, was built, and is known as the Chicago Division. At the present time the "Soo" owns or controls 3,887 miles of railroad.
The first line constructed through Minnesota, from the Twin Cities to North Dakota, constructed in 1886, passed through the southwestern part of Stearns county, establishing stations at Kimball Prairie, Paynesville, George- ville, Belgrade and Brooten, as also at South Haven, Watkins and Eden Val- ley, just across the county line in Wright and Meeker counties.
The Brooten-Duluth branch, begun in 1907, and completed in 1909, gave the central and western part of the county an additional outlet both to the Twin Cities and to Lake Superior. The line was completed from Brooten to the crossing of the Mississippi river, east of Bowlus in Morrison county in 1907 ; from the crossing to Moose Lake, Carlton county, in 1908; and to Duluth in 1909. The stations in Stearns county are Brooten, Elrosa, Greenwald, New Munich, Albany and Holdingford. The track-laying, beginning at Brooten, was completed to Elrosa September 5, to Greenwald September 12, to New Munich September 22, to Albany October 7, and to Holdingford October 23, 1907.
Among the agents at these several stations, with the dates of beginning service, have been the following: Kimball Prairie, W. H. Mane, January 1, 1891; F. C. Bradley, January 14, 1891. Paynesville, A. E. Bennett, January 31, 1891; C. L. Kennedy, March 18, 1892. Belgrade, G. L. Flemming, January 1, 1891; C. H. Runge, June 3, 1891. Brooten, C. H. Runge, January 1, 1891; F. C. Bradley, June 2, 1891. Elrosa, L. U. Jaedles, December 1, 1911; Martin Jesk, April 1, 1912. Greenwald, A. B. Clason, October 6, 1909; Olof Haugen, June 3, 1910. New Munich, F. G. Leach, June 22, 1909; E. R. Bailey, May 11, 1910. Albany, F. A. Burgan, October 7, 1909; C. H. Delacey, June 20, 1910. Holdingford, F. P. Hope, June 22, 1908; F. F. Stevens, September 2, 1910.
Other Proposed Railroads. Had all the lines of railroad for the building of which companies were incorporated, having St. Cloud as one of the points named in the title, either as a terminal or one of the important points on the route, been actually constructed, this city would have rivaled any place west of Chicago as a railroad center. Its favorable geographical location, the rich- ness of the surrounding country in natural resources, its magnificent water power-the development of which was regarded from the first as only a mat- ter of time-made this the most attractive place in central and northern Minne- sota, and the builders of prospective railroads realized the importance of securing its contribution of passenger and traffic business.
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
One of the lines of railroad which early attracted attention and aroused interest was the Mankato and St. Cloud, which would unite the leading Mis- sissippi and Minnesota cities and traverse one of the richest parts of the state. Companies were incorporated and re-incorporated and surveys made showing the practicability of the line so far as natural conditions were concerned. The people along the route were enthusiastic and were willing to vote liberal aid in the way of bonds, but it was impossible to interest capital in the work of actual construction, especially in the face of the strong opposition of the companies whose territory would be invaded and drained by a "North and South" line.
In 1881 a consolidation of companies was made resulting in the forma- tion and incorporation of the St. Cloud, Mankato & Austin Railroad Company. Negotiations begun with the Illinois Central Railroad Company were fruitless. The following year a contract was made between the officers of this company and the Railway Improvement Company of North America, incorporated in New Jersey-the former being represented by W. T. Bonniwell, its president, and J. H. Baker, secretary, and the latter by Gordon E. Cole, at one time attorney general of Minnesota, as its agent, whereby the Improvement com- pany agreed to build the road, about two hundred miles long, whenever bonds to the amount of one thousand dollars per mile approximately should be voted by the towns, cities and villages through which it should pass. The work of construction was to be completed within two years after December 15, 1882. A land grant of four sections per mile was provided by the legislature. The full amount of bonds required was voted, engineers who examined the pro- posed route reported favorably, negotiations were continued, the two years passed, but nothing was done. The legislature of 1885 extended for two years longer the time for the building of the road as a saving clause for the land grant. Still nothing was done, and the feeling was quite prevalent, whether rightly or wrongly, that the enterprise had been throttled by powerful adverse railroad interests. It is possible that the future holds a date when the hopes of the people whose homes are between these two rivers and to whose welfare a railroad from St. Cloud to Mankato would contribute so largely, shall be realized.
The Duluth, St. Cloud & Yankton Railway Company was incorporated in March, 1873, with a capital stock of $500,000, to construct a line of rail- road from the waters of Lake Superior to St. Cloud, and to the western boundary of the state.
The Grantsburg, Rush City & St. Cloud Railway Company, incorporated in November, 1878, was to build a line of railroad starting from a point on the St. Cloud, Grantsburg & Asliland Railroad and running via Rush City, Cambridge and Princeton to St. Cloud. The incorporators were all residents of Rush City, with the exception of one living at Grantsburg. The enterprise excited much interest, a survey was made, local bonds were voted and some material was purchased, but the line was not built.
The St. Cloud, Fort Riley & Fort Dodge Railway Company was incorpo- rated in February 1879, with headquarters at Litchfield, and a capital stock of $3,000,000 to construct and operate a railroad from St. Cloud via Litchfield,
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
Hector, Fort Ripley, Sleepy Eye, St. James and Fairmont to a point on the southern boundary of the state in Martin county.
The St. Cloud & Traverse Railroad Company, organized at St. Paul, April 28, 1880, with a capital of $1,500,000, had as its incorporators, R. B. Augus, Norman W. Kittson, James J. Hill, R. P. Galusha and Edward Sanger, all of St. Paul. This road was to run from a point on the Branch line of the St. Paul and Minneapolis Railroad between St. Cloud and Alexandria to a point on the western boundary of Minnesota between Big Stone lake and Lake Traverse.
The Lake Superior, Willmar & Dakota Railroad Company, incorporated in April, 1883, had for its object the construction of a line of road from St. Cloud through Willmar and Granite Falls to the west line of the state, the principal office to be at Willmar. Two lines were surveyed in 1885, the more satisfactory being from St. Cloud via Cold Spring, Richmond, Paynesville, New London, and Grove Lake to Willmar, and a liberal amount of bonds was voted. The surveys are still available no doubt whenever some company is ready to build the road.
The Duluth, North Shore & Southwestern Railroad Company, incorpo- rated in 1884, sent a party of its officers to St. Cloud, which was to be the engineering headquarters, the line to start from this city, and their investi- gations were satisfactory. The proposed route was through the Sauk Valley.
The Mississippi and Leech Lake Railroad Company filed its articles of incorporation July 27, 1886. The incorporators were Little Falls and Minne- apolis men, and the road was to run from St. Cloud to Leech Lake via Little Falls.
The Duluth, St. Cloud, Mankato & Southern Railroad Company, with a capital $6,000,000, was incorporated January 14, 1887, as a combination of the Austin, Geneva and Mankato, the Mankato and Albert Lee, and the St. Cloud and Southern Railroad companies. The designated line was from Du- Inth through St. Cloud, Litchfield, Mankato, Alma City and New Richmond to Austin, with a branch from Alma City via Albert Lea to the state line on the south. The company was so favorably considered that the legislature of 1887 passed a bill transferring the land grant of the St. Cloud, Mankato & Austin Railroad Company-four sections to the mile-to this corporation provided the other company did not construct its line of road during the year 1887.
The charter of the Duluth, St. Cloud, Mankato & Austin Railroad expired December 25, 1892, and no attempt was made to revive it.
In 1889 another attempt was made to secure the construction of a rail- road between St. Cloud and Mankato, with a possible extension in the future to Duluth. The prime mover was Captain A. H. Ried, of Glencoe, who inter- ested leading business men in the towns and cities along the route of the pro- posed Duluth, St. Cloud, Glencoe and Mankato Railroad. The St. Cloud direc- tors were C. D. Grinols, W. B. Mitchell, C. S. Benson and C. L. Atwood. Sur- veys were made in 1900, and a combination of interests with certain Austin railway enterprises was effected, but without any tangible results. Finally, through changes and consolidations, the line came to be known as the Duluth, St. Cloud, Glencoe and Mankato Railroad (or "Alphabet" for short) and in
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
1905 passed into the hands of E. L. Tobie & Co., of New York, a construction firm, Captain Reed resigning as president. The road was built from Albert Lea to St. Clair, in Blue Earth county, twelve miles from Mankato, and has been extended no further.
The latest movement in the direction of securing the construction of a north and south road took shape in 1904, when at a meeting in this city, July 9, a proposition was made by President Yarnell and Secretary Mckenzie of the Minnesota Central Railway Company, to build a railroad from St. Cloud to Mankato, 110 miles, under the provisions of a charter granted by the state of New Jersey, a construction contraet, it was elaimed, having been made with Drake, Markell & Co., of Philadelphia, for the building of the entire line; the section from St. Cloud to Litchfield, standard gage, to cost over $300,000, to secure the payment of which amount the railroad company had placed in trust with the Commonwealth Title Insurance and Trust Company of Philadelphia $700,000 of its first mortgage twenty-year gold bonds, against which the Trust company should issue $400,000 51/2 per cent collateral trust certificates dated June 1, 1904, due June 1, 1907. The citizens of St. Cloud were asked to sub- scribe for $50,000 of these certificates at ninety cents of their par value, to be paid one-third on the completion of the line to Litchfield, with terminals at St. Cloud and sufficient equipment to operate the road; one-third when the road should be completed to Gaylord; and the remaining one-third when the road was entirely finished and in operation to Mankato. It all sounded very attractive, but somehow it failed to materialize and was put to rest in the grave-yard of its many predecessors.
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