USA > Wisconsin > Buffalo County > History of Buffalo County Wisconsin 10847607 > Part 24
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On the first day of October 1858 the La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad was completed, and opened through to the Mississippi at La Crosse, and much of the business of the boats passed over this road.
In 1860 an independent, or opposition, line of steamboats was run from La Crosse to St. Paul by Mr. Davidson and others, which the Galena Packet Company made a spirited but unsuccessful ef- . fort to run off; failing in this they compromised, by forming with Davidson and others, a combination on the 17th of August 1861, which has since done a large business.
In 1863 the La Crosse and St. Paul line ran in connection with the La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad the following boats:
"McLellan," Capt. P. S. Davidson; "Keokuk," Capt. J. R. Hatcher; "Northern Bell," Capt. John Cochran; "Frank Steele," Capt. Martin; "Clara Hine," Capt. J. Newton; "G. H. Wilson," Capt. Wm. Butler; "Aeolian," Capt. Sencerbox.
On Chippewa River: "John Ramsey," Capt. N. Harris; "Chip- pewa Falls," Capt. L. Fulton.
On the St. Croix: "Wenona," Capt. L. Brown.
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TRANSPORTATION.
On the Minnesota: "Pomeroy," Capt. Bell; "Stella Whipple," Capt. Norris-in all 14.
The combination of the steamboat interest proving unsatisfac- tory, the new Northwestern Packet Company and the La Crosse line, generally called "Davidson's Line," on the 1st of May, 1866, consolidated into a new company, under the general laws of the State of Iowa, at Dubuque, and organized a company which they called the "Northwestern Union Packet Company." The general office of the company was located at Dubuque, Iowa; and the com- pany organized with a capital of $1,500,000, and put immediately into the trade thirty steamers and seventy-three barges.
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332
TRANSPORTATION.
As all the boats that reached St. Paul must have passed by Buffalo County, and through Lake Pepin, this table gives the open- ing and closing of the regular steamboat season for the years enum- crated. But occasional trips were usually made, even by boats of regular lines, from 10 to 20 days earlier from points below as far as Reed's Landing, though perhaps never any later, as it is a pecu- liarity of the river to close about as early at La Crosse as at St. Paul, and much earlier than at Alma and Wabasha. At the latter place it has never been known to be reliably closed during a whole winter, so as to admit of crossing with teams, while it usu- ally opens one or two weeks earlier at Alma, than at Fountain City, Winona and La Crosse, a fact ascribed partly to the influence of Chippewa River and partly to the water of the lake from below the ice coming to the surface and expending its latent heat in the distances named.
From the year 1867 the railroads in Minnesota began to come into active competition with the steamboats, and the latter grew fewer in number and smaller in tonnage from year to year, until at the present time, with the exception of small stern-wheelers, but few boats are to be seen, and none at a low stage of water.
The following table will show the opening of navigation at Winona during the years from 1875-1882, according to the His- tory of Winona County:
YEAR. FIRST BOAT. DATE OF ARRIVAL.
1875-Lake Superior. April 12.
1876-Dubuque. .April 10.
1877-Red Wing April 11.
1878-Penguin. March 12.
1879-Maggie Reanie. April 4.
1880-Belle of Bellevue March 22.
1881-Josie April 24. 1882-Robert Harris.
With the exception of the Dubuque and the Josie these early arrivals were all small boats, and from this we may safely conclude that navigation did not improve much in number or size of boats, and that especially early ventures were considered superfluous.
In August, 1866 the Minnesota Valley Railroad reached West St. Paul; in 1869 the railroad bridge was built and the railroads crossed over; in 1872 the West Wisconsin road reached St. Paul
333
TRANSPORTATION.
from the east side and the trade of the steamboats passed to the railroads forever, with the exception of that on the eastern bank of the river. It did no longer pay to run so many boats. The pas- senger business was insignificant, especially after the river division of the Milwaukee & St. Paul road had been built. People of this county wanting to go up or down the river crossed to Winona or Wabasha, and the question had now become, how to reach these stations conveniently. There being, however, yet considerable freight to be forwarded to and from points on the East side, the old lines still kept up a show of activity, and a new line of the "Diamond Joe Boats" started in. Joseph Reynolds, of St. Louis, a speculator in wheat on a large scale, found it convenient to trans- port his own wheat in his own boats, and. as the wheat went only one way, down the river, there was every inducement to transport other freight not only up, but also down the river. Passengers could also be accommodated.
The prospectus of the
" Old Reliable Diamond Jo. Boats,"
for 1887 claims that boats of this line have been in operation for nineteen years between St. Louis and St. Paul. The line has its general office in Dubuque, Iowa, and Mr. Jo Reynolds is its presi- dent. During the present season the following boats are run:
Mary Morton. Pittsburgh. Sidney. Josephine. Josie.
Libbie Conger.
They are in fact what the prospectus claims for them: "Ele- gant stern-wheel steamers."
In the paper referred to the distance between the two cities one forming the southern, the other the northern terminus of the line is given at 729 miles by the river.
In the mean time the other problem of regular communica- tion with railroad stations across the river began to be solved by the employment of small steamers one from Alma to Wabasha and one from Fountain City to Winona that made daily trips dur- ing the season of open navigation, and one from Alma to LaCrosse making trips, one day down and up the next. The Steamer Lion, Captain Hiram Wilcox, began to run as a ferry-boat between Alma and Wabasha, in spring 1873 and continued in this line until the close of navigation in 1886. Partly to encourage this enterprise,
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partly on account of some dissatisfaction with the management of the mail-service by land from Fountain City, the people of Alma petitioned Congress to transfer the mail-service with the exception of local connections to the Wabasha-Alma line, the mail to be carried by land in the winter time, which arrangement continued from 1876 to spring 1887, when the mail-service was transferred to the Chicago, Burlington and Northern Railroad. As the Lion passed through Beef Slough as far up as the cut-off, it afforded to the company as well as the men many conveniences.
Remark I. The steamer Lion was preceded by the propeller "Comet" belonging to Levy Dutz and run by him during the sea- son of 1872; sold to Capt. H. C. Wilcox and displaced by the "Lion" in the following year.
Between Fountain City and Winona, Wm. Heck of Fountain City, and Capt. Peter Schneider of Winona ran the steamboat "Express" from 1876 to 1880, when they sold her to parties in Galena, where she was to run on Fever River; in her place the "Robert Harris" was put the same year, and run until now, 1887. Circumstances for the present favor her opposition with the Chi- cago, Burlington & Northern Railroad upon this distance.
The circumstances favoring the "Robert Harris" in its opposi- tion with the C. B. & N. R. R. in the local traffic between Fountain City and Winona are:
1. The cheapness of rate, that of the railroad being 40 cents each way, while the boat does not charge more than 35 cents both ways.
2. The chance of longer time for business with the boat and return leaving out of seven hours fully one half for a stay in Winona.
3. The acquaintance of the officers and owners of the boat with the business men of Winona as well as of Fountain City, which enables them to carry out orders in each place without the need of long writing and explanation.
Similar advantages were enjoyed by Capt. Jacob Richtmann, who ran several boats partly from Fountain City to other points, partly in regular trips from Alma to La Crosse and back. But as with the longer distance the chance for a sufficient time for busi- ness, and a return on the same day became impossible, the com- petition of the new railroad proved too strong for his enterprises.
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but it exerted, at first especially, considerable influence on the transportation of produce from certain parts of the county. Ar- cadia and Independence, already established, but languishing be- fore, received the customary "boom " during the construction and the working of the new line. Everybody wanted to have a slice of the big fortunes to be realized by settling in these newly devel- oped centres of trade, which, also, received their best support from adjacent parts of Buffalo County, especially the towns of Glencoe, Montana and Dover, with the upper parts of Waumandee and Lincoln. As long as, for the sake of attracting trade, prices were kept up at fair positions, the other advantages, the short haul in some cases even better roads, could not but be appreciated by the farmers. Merchants from everywhere became very anxious to establish themselves especially at Arcadia, where even old establ- lished business firms from Fountain City were eager to establish branch-stores. Fountain City was indeed deprived of much of its former territory of commercial contribution, but events have not justified or verified the great expectations once excited by the situation of Arcadia.
The next enterprise in railroad construction within our county was that of the Valley Division of the Milwaukee and Omaha Road, connecting Eau Claire with Wabasha, and running through the western part of the Chippewa bottom for over twelve miles within this county. By this the village of Durand, which up to that time, had had but very unsatisfactury commercial connec- This cir- tions, rose at once to the rank of a local trading center. cumstance made itself felt in some degree in the trade especially that of wheat, at Alma. In former times Mondovi, for instance was about half-ways between Alma and Eau Claire, and especially before the latter had railroad connections, the former was the bet- ter place for shipping wheat, though for other produce, Eau Claire on account of its large floating population and manufactories and its intimate connection with the lumbering interests had been at all times a better market. But after the construction of the Chip- pewa Valley road this was changed at once, since Durand was much nearer than either Alma or Eau Claire, with almost level roads to it. Prices at Durand were booming up the place, and people from that neighborhood, who formerly had come with their wheat to Alma, naturally went to Durand, which was so much
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TRANSPORTATION.
nearer, and where they could not only sell wheat, but all other kinds of produce, and where most of them had their postoffice. The market in cattle and hogs, those on the hoof especially, also went largely to Durand, if not to Independence or Arcadia. Though the loss was less severely felt, because the provision for the Beef Slough workmen required a large number of cattle during spring and summer, yet people who were thoughtful about such matters became anxious to be connected with the outside world by that line of modern communication called a railroad. For something over six months every year, we had water communication and transportation, the latter cheaper than by railroad, but the advan- tage of cheaper transportation by the river was greatly diminished by the necessity for accumulating great quantities of staple articles during winter, and also merchandise for the same season. There was a prospect that this desire might be gratified some six years ago, when Mr. Stickney, a gentleman quite well known in railroad circles even then, put a corps of surveyors or engineers upon the eastern bank of the river, and promised that the road would be built within one and one-half year. Contracts were entered into, reading in the usual way, stipulating a time for commencing grad- ing, and also for the actual opening and subsequent continuous operation of the road. All that was, of course, solemnly promised, but just as carefully avoided, so that, about three years afterwards all the contracts had expired, and nothing remained but a very natural distrust in the promises of railroad projectors of any kind. The Stickney concern had not acquired any right of way in this county by actual purchase, and when, some three years ago, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Company sent an agent for purchasing, or contracting for, the right of way between Alma and Winona, under the Winona, Alma and Northern charter, in which Hon. A. Finkelnburg and Hon. R. R. Kempter figured as resident stockholders and incorporators, the work was comparat- ively easy, and progressed favorably and rapidly, in general, while in particular cases then, as usually, those came to the surface, who did not care to see the improvement proposed, but saw, neverthe- less very clearly the personal advantage to be derived from the necessity of certain pieces of land having to be purchased of them by the Railroad Company. In this age and this country we are perhaps not warranted in criticising acts of selfishness, nor would
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TRANSPORTATION.
it be prudent to do so, since by the selfish actions of some one else we might be thrown into a position, in which appearances might be decidedly such, that it would be impossible for us to clear ourselves from the imputation of egotistic motives for our own actions. It must also be remembered that railroad companies are not in the habit of building their lines for the sole and exclusive benefit of others, but rather of themselves. We cannot perhaps, deny, that unfair advantage appears, and has been claimed, to have been taken of individuals in procuring contracts for right of way, and other privileges by the railroad company and its agents, but yet we must admit, that all agreements as far far as money is concerned, have been honorably discharged as incurred, or if incurred even to the controlling of contractors and subcontractors in their payments for work and material, and also for boarding their workingmen. That some errors, or even worse than that, should have happened in spite of all precautions, may have been unavoidable in the execution of a work of such magni- tude.
Was the construction of this railroad line an undisputable, unqualified benefit to Buffalo County? We could fill a much larger book than the one before you with the arguments pro and con in answering this question, and it is doubtful whether after reading such a book, we would be much wiser than now. It may also be objected that we are not yet fully competent to answer the question, and that it is fair to wait and to see. One thing is sure, that the railroad is the great developer and civilizer of our modern time, and, whatever may be the result for individual persons and single localities, the benefit for the community at large can not be denied, though we may have to bide our time and to digest new proposi- tions and possibilities, not heretofore presented. As a historical reminiscence we may recount the following facts:
First contracts for right of way at Alma were made in Sep- tember 1882.
First definitive survey and platting of line finished about the middle of October 1883.
First contracts or subcontracts for grading were given out forth- with, as soon as the line was established. Track-laying com- menced in November 1884 at the Chippewa and finished to La Crosse about January 1st, 1885. This line was operated since and
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TRANSPORTATION.
CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & NORTHERN RAILROAD. Time Tables Alma Station.
TRAINS GOING SOUTH.
STATIONS.
No. 2.
No. 4.
No. 6.
Lv. Minneapolis .
8 35 A. M.
1 10 p. M.
8 00 P. M.
St. Paul
9 15
1 50
8 40
Alma
12 06 P. M.
4 43
11 03
Winona
12 38
5 16
11 26
La Crosse
2 15
7 05
1 05 A. M.
Prairie du Chien
4 20
9 25
.. .
3 04
Dubuque
5 45
11 00
4 15
Savanna
8 00
1 05 A. M.
6 15
Lv. Oregon
3 10 A. M.
9 25 A. M.
Ar. Chicago.
7 05
12 45 P. M.
Ar. Fulton
8 38 P. M.
6 45 A. M.
' Peoria
2 15 A. M.
11 40 «
" St. Louis.
7 05
5 00 P. M.
Way freight passes Alma at 1:08 P. M.
TRAINS GOING NORTH.
STATIONS.
No. 1.
No. 8.
No. 5.
Lv. Chicago
3 00 P. M.
10 30 P. M.
Peoria.
2 15 A. M.
4 50
" St. Louis
8 30 P. M.
10 30 A. M.
Ar. Oregon .
6 30 P. M.
1 40
Savanna
8 05 A. M.
8 25
3 35
Dubuque.
9 45
10 30
5 30
Prairie du Chien
11 15
11 55
"
6' 50
La Crosse
1 25
P. M.
2 00 A. M.
9 00
Winona
3 00
"
4 00
10 30
Alm'a ..
3 30
66
7 05
6
2 00 P. M.
Minneapolis.
7 05
7 42
2 40
Way freight passes Alma at 10:25 A. M.
Trains 3, 4, 5 and 6 run daily; 1 and 2 daily except Sunday. Through tickets to all points in the United States and Canada on sale at Alma.
Baggage checked through to destination.
Peerless dining cars and Pullman sleepers on all through trains.
No change of cars to Chicago, Peoria or St. Louis.
For tickets, sleeping car accommodations, local time tables, and other J. B. GLOVER, AGENT, Alma.
information, apply to
4 11
10 58
"
St. Paul.
6 25
O
O
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TRANSPORTATION.
TOWN ROADS.
In the preceding pages we have treated Transportation from the commercial standpoint, and as far as it is connected with export and import, and regulated by production of staple articles and the demand for such articles as can not be produced upon the spot, but are nevertheless wanted for use and consumption. Ex- port and import select some central points, at which articles of the former are collected, and articles of the latter are distributed. These points in our county must be looked for on the bank of the Mississippi, as long as we were almost exclusively dependent upon that river for transportation. Accordingly we find Fountain City and Alma to be the earliest centers of trade in the county as they remain the most important up to the present time. The found- ing and further progress of these two places must be considered in another chapter, in this we have to relate how from them roads began to spead themselves in every direction, at first with a dis- tinct intention of reaching other places, and directing the settle- ment of the adjacent country so as to connect with the starting points. Petitions to the legislature resulted in the appointment of commissions for laying out state roads. From Fountain City, then the " defacto " county-seat, a road was laid out in a general north- ern direction, keeping for about thirty miles upon the ridge of the bluffs, which divide the waters of the Trempealeau river from those of the Waumandee Creek, and descending into the valley of Elk Creek near the source of the south branch of the same, at the township line between townships twenty-two and twenty-three thence north wards in the valley to the westward turn of the creek' thence about six miles in a western direction to near where Gilman- ton is now situated, thence in a general northern direction to Mon- dovi and beyond to Eau Claire or Chippewa Falls. Prudence at that time demanded that crossings of streams should be avoided, since there was no immediate prospect for bridging them. This accounts for the persistant progress of the road uponthe " ridge," for which it still bears the name of the "Ridge Road." Another road was laid out from Fountain City to Alma, following the foot of the bluffs where the wide prairie did not invite a deviation for the purpose of straightening out the road. This same road was after - wards extended to Durand and Eau Claire. Another road intended to connect with the Fountain City Ridge Road at some place was
342
TRANSPORTATION.
laid from Alma to the Little Waumandee Valley, substantially where the present road on the Belvidere Bluff is situated. After crossing Little Waumandee Creek it kept on the east side of it and crossed the intervening ridge into the Loomis' Settlement near the line between Sections 35 and 36 of Township 23 North of Range 11 West. These roads, although yet extant as far as general direc- tions are concerned, have been materially altered in numerous places, as convenience, necessity and other causes have suggested. One of the earliest roads required for intercommunication was the Beef River road. True to the notion or instinct that the crossing of a creek or river should, if possible, be avoided, the first road in that valley ran 'up and down the steepest grades, through ravines and finally also up into the Loomis' Settlement. The road from Fountain City to Waumandee Valley was also urgently called for. On the northern point of the sand prairie, towards the foot of the bluffs the state road turned in a western direction and from this point the Waumandee Valley road branched off in a direction al- most opposite, then again, as the trend of the bluffs required, in a more parallel direction. This road, also, kept as nearly as pos- sible along the bluffs, avoiding the crossing of swamps and streams. It must be evident to every one who even at the present time, after the labor of thirty years and large sums of money have been expended upon it, how difficult, and even hazardous the traveling on this road must have been at the start, since in spite of all improvements there are streetches in the road, disagreeable and dangerous to pass during the spring thaw, which in these places lasts a long time. The obvious advantage of running a road along the ridge of a series of hills is strongly counterbalanced by the difficulty of getting into the valleys, or out of them to the main trunk road. But in this county, as probably in all similar situations, the first settlements were made in valleys. The cultiva. tion of the comparatively level places on the top of the hills or bluffs was for many years confined to lands situated near the cen. ters of trade, or other favorable locations, that is such, where the wood cut down in the process of clearing could be conveniently dis_ posed of at a remunerative price. These settlements in valleys necessitated the opening of roads to the bluffs and down the same. These roads were but too, often located into ravines, which seen from below appeared to ascend sufficiently in their narrow ends,
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sistance from the Colonization Society, not by any means a very good road, but one much better than those formerly traveled in that direction. The first road laid out according to a uniform grade throughout, was the one. from Glencoe in the direction to Fountain City. It used to be known as the "Dug way" and was originally laid out, and some years subsequently improved, by Mr. David D. Davis, who had a deserved reputation as a surveyor and civil engineer. The old gentleman had an advantage over the younger class of the same profession by having in former times acquired a sound stock of information as to the probable cost of such undertakings. The town of Glencoe has probably the great- est comparative number of graded roads of any town in the county, all planned with excellent judgment. It came, after some time, to be understood generally, that graded roads were desirable in every respect, and though some of them might cost more than those laid out otherwise, to begin with, a much greater amount would be saved in the future repairs, not to speak of the saving on wa- gons and teams, and the greater comfort for every one who had to travel. A new impulse to the construction of graded roads was given by that of the road leading from the bluff east of Fountain City to the lower part of the town or village. This road was also laid out by Mr. Davis in 1871. One from the upper part of the village followed 1872. In 1876 the village of Alma laid out a road of the same kind from Laue's house to the bluff, joining the old road at the boundary line between Alma and Belvidere.
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