History of Grant County, Wisconsin, preceded by a history of Wisconsin, Part 81

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: [Chicago : Western Historical Co.?]
Number of Pages: 1050

USA > Wisconsin > Grant County > History of Grant County, Wisconsin, preceded by a history of Wisconsin > Part 81

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In 1845, a continuous line of railroad from Maine to the Mississippi was talked of, and in that connection a road from Chicago to Galena was proposed, of which Potosi was to have a branch. The outcome of this effort was the " Galena & Chicago " Railroad, but it did not enter Grant County.

The same year a project was formed for an immense system of railroads to be concentrated at Pensacola, Fla., of which the Illinois Central (as now built) was to be a part; and it was to be extended north through Potosi.

In 1847, a company was chartered to construct a railroad from Lake Michigan "to the Mis- sissippi, in the county of Grant." Among the charter members were J. H. Rountree and Samuel Wilson. In 1849, the terminus was fixed at Cassville, and William Prideaux, M. K. Young, and C. L. La Grave added to the commission.

The Milwaukee & Waukesha Company was authorized, in 1848, to extend its road to the Mississippi, in Grant County. In 1850, its name was changed to the Milwaukee & Mississippi, and enthusiasm ran very high. Meetings were held along the line, and J. T. Mills wrote from Madison that upward of $600,000 had been subscribed, and it was proposed to loan out the school fund to the enterprise. The road was contracted to Waukesha, including T rails and

equipment, at $11,350 per mile. As the terminus was to be at or near the northern limits of Grant County, the people took a deep interest in it, as affording the first means of outlet for their products. It was to run through Dodgeville, and under that expectation the "Potosi & Dodgeville " road secured a charter, intending to form a connection with the road at Dodge- ville. At this period the lead mines were at the zenith of their production; the extent of the underground wealth was vastly exaggerated, while the discovery had been made that the surface, so long supposed to be comparatively unproductive, was valuable for agricultural purposes. Hence, the residents considered that they were soon' to be in the very center of travel and of population. It was confidently expected and predicted that the " future metropolis of the Mis-

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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.

sissippi " would lie within the limits, or close upon the confines of Grant County. The Mil- waukee Commercial Advertiser, in speaking of the above-mentioned road, said, in July, 1851 : "The rush of business and travel through this great artery of communication and trade, will scarcely find its parallel in the West, if in any portion of the United States."

The Herald of March 27, 1851, announced that books of subscription to the capital stock of the Potosi & Dodgeville Railroad would be opened at Potosi, Platteville and Lancaster, as required by the act. April 24, the Potosi Republican stated that 400 shares had been taken in that place up to that time. During that year, and the early part of 1852, meetings were held at various places in the county, in the interest of the projected line. In October, 1851, a meet- ing was held at Lancaster, Judge M. M. Jackson Chairman and J. Allen Barber Secretary. The speakers and all present united in the opinion that immediate steps should be taken toward organizing the company ; and Mr. B. F. Woods was appointed to solicit subscriptions to the stock. December 11, 1851, a meeting was held at the Methodist Church, Potosi, to awaken popular interest. F. H. Bonham was President and George H. Stuntz Secretary. Messrs. Bonham, Vance and Block were appointed to canvass their respective neighborhoods to secure subscrip- tions to the stock. December 20, 1851, another meeting was held at the same place to complete the subscription to 1,000 shares of stock in this road, the same having been nearly subscribed previously. February 17, 1852, another meeting was held at Potosi at which a resolution was passed instructing the commissioners of the projected line to correspond with the directors of the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad and of the Galena & Chicago Railroad for the purpose of obtaining their views and intentions regarding a consolidation with the proposed road. The road, however, never proceeded further than this, owing to a change of route in the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad, by which it terminated at Prairie du Chien instead of in Grant County as called for by the charter. In 1852, the "Southern Wisconsin Railroad " was projected and chartered; and in November of that year a survey was made from Janesville to Dubuque, the route running as follows : Beginning at Dubuque, up the river on the west, to Eagle Point, crossing the Mississippi a little below the place where a lithograph or imaginary city was laid out in 1835 or 1836, on Section 20, Township 1, Range 2; thence northwest along the east bank of said river to Sinipee, on Section 7; thence northeast to Gilmore's farm, and the place known as "Bulgero," on the Platteville and Galena road ; thence east toward Janesville. The intention of the company was to let the contracts at once, and it is stated that the route of descent to the Mississippi was by easier grades and with less expense than by any route above Dubuque. August 24, 1853, an election was held in the town of Potosi, on the question of taking stock in the proposed road, on condition that the company would extend a branch to that place. Theamount of stock to be subscribed was $50,000, and the vote resulted as follows :

For the Railroad

297

Against

Majority for 212

During September Judge Jackson canvassed portions of the county, for the purpose of obtain- ing subscriptions to stock. The Potosi people claimed that both their location and harbor facil- ities would bear favorable comparison with any point on the western limits of Wisconsin ; that a harbor might be made on Grant River, by means of a canal, equal or superior to that of Galena or Dubuque. It was predicted that the canal once opened to the Mississippi, upper river boats would be constantly coming in in search of passengers and freight ; and if Potosi was a railroad terminus, it would monopolize trade from Galena, Cassville and Prairie du Chien. As to the site for a city, the Potosi Republican claimed that the "Hollow " was "sufficient in extent to accommodate any reasonable population that might wish to 'borough ' here together," say forty or fifty thousand. It was also contemplated to form a connection with the Illinois Central at Dunleith, which was then in course of construction, a distance of only fifteen miles from Potosi. Neither of these roads however were built. During the latter part of 1880, the Chicago,

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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.

Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, the present proprietor of the former "Milwaukee & Missis- sippi," graded the line to Gratiot on the Mineral Point Railroad, which, as well as the Platte- ville & Calamine, it had recently acquired by purchase, with the intention, which will very probably be realized, of continuing the line thus formed from Milwaukee via Janesville and Mon- roe, to Platteville, and from the latter place to Dubuque, possibly upon the very route surveyed nearly thirty years previous.

All the agitation has resulted in nothing, and until 1854, the inhabitants of Grant County were a long distance from the pathway of the iron horse. In October of that year, however, the Illinois Central Railroad was opened to Galena, which being the principal market, both of supply and shipment for Grant County, and only six hours distant from its center, the event was looked upon with great interest by the people of the county, being the first rail communi- cation available to them. For two years it continued to be the only outlet. In 1852, the Madison & Prairie du Chien Railroad had been incorporated, to run along the northern bound- ary of the county; in 1853, it was consolidated with the Milwaukee & Mississippi Company, and, during 1854-55, the construction of the road was proceeded with. It ran westward from Madison, entering the valley of the Wisconsin at Mazomanie, and Grant County at Muscoda, running within its borders to Woodman, a distance of twenty-two miles. In September, 1856, the road-bed was completed to the Grant County line, and, on the 1st of October, the cars entered the county at Muscoda, which was the first visit of the iron horse to Grant County.

In 1853, the Western Wisconsin Railroad & Mining Company was authorized to con- struct a railroad from Hazel Green to' Prairie du Chien. Its Grant County Commissioners were N. Dewey, B. C. Eastman, J. Allen Barber, D. R. Burt, J. H. Rountree, Jefferson Craw- ford, John Edmonds and Charles McCoy.

In 1854, the Potosi & Dodgeville Company was authorized to extend its road through Cassville, N. Dewey, D. McKee and others being made Commissioners.

In 1856, the Arena & Dubuque Railroad proposed to build a road between the points mentioned. G. Messersmith, J. H. Rountree, N. H. Virgin and D. Banfill were members. Platteville proposed to aid this road to the amount of $100,000.

In 1856, the Northern Pacific Railroad Company was chartered. The head of Lake Superior, and any point on the west side of the Mississippi not south of Wisconsin, were to be its starting points. Among the corporators were William Hull, J. Allen Barber and Nelson Dewey.

In 1856, the Legislature chartered the Muscoda & State Line Railroad, to run on the Fourth Principal Meridian. It was said that Galena was ready to help it with her capital; Platteville was pledged for a considerable amount, and the farmers along the line would push it to comple- . tion. The road as projected was never built.

In 1857, the Western Wisconsin Railroad was incorporated, to run from below Jamestown to Prairie du Chien. W. E. Parish, B. Hutchinson, Nelson Dewey, S. E. Lewis, O. Cole, J. A. Barber, N. W. Kendall and A. W. Ewing were the organizers.

The Platteville & Calamine Railroad was incorporated March 15, 1861. The corporators were M. M. Cothren, D. W. Jones, Hanmer Robbins, E. Bayley, Samuel Moore, John H. Rountree. Noah Virgin, Nelson Dewey and others. The capital stock was $500,000, and authority was given in the charter to construct a road from Platteville to Calamine. In 1863, the charter was amended so as to authorize the extension of the road to the Mississippi, and to Monroe. It was intended as a link in a chain connecting Milwaukee and Dubuque. In Sep- tember, 1863, meetings were held in Milwaukee, Dubuque and other places along the line, at which a good deal of interest was manifested, and the result was a subscription to the stock of the road by the various towns. In the latter part of 1866, the people of Platteville became thoroughly awakened in regard to the building of this road, which would give them connection with the Mineral Point road, running through La Fayette County to Warren, in Illinois, on the Illinois Central. In January, 1867, a bill was introduced into the Assembly by Hon. Hanmer Robbins, of Platteville, authorizing the people of that place, Lima and Harrison to

Ol/ Rexton.

LANCASTER.

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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.

vote aid to the Platteville & Calamine Railroad, on condition that the cars should run through to Platteville by September 1, 1868. At the same session a bill was passed authorizing the Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien road to continue their Southern Wisconsin branch from Monroe to Dubuque. This road would have run nine miles south of Platteville, and was opposed by the people of that village. The opposition in fact was so great that it gave rise to "the great struggle in the Legislature" of that year. After it became a law, the opposition immediately applied to the courts to enjoin action under it, claiming it unconstitutional. The court sus- tained the opposition in part, which prevented the consolidation with any road west of the Mississippi.

In August, 1867. the people of Platteville, Elk Grove and Kendall subscribed stock to the amount of $270,000, in the Platteville & Calamine Railroad. In the latter part of 1869, the work was so far advanced that the road-bed was graded, and the iron had begun to be laid, and it was finally opened to Platteville July 1, 1870, and of this road the Witness said : "The road was built most of the way through a section of country, the citizens of which gave it no encour- agement, and nearly without aid, except what the people of Platteville and Mr. Beecher, pro- prietor of the Mineral Point Railroad gave."

During the years of 1863 and 1864 several roads were planned, but ended with the planning.

In 1865, M. K. Young, C. L. La Grave, S. E. Lewis and others procured a charter to construct the Dunleith & St. Croix Railroad. It would have passed through Jamestown, Paris, Waterloo, Potosi, Cassville, Glen Haven, Bloomington and Wyalusing. It is said that one or two members rode into the Legislature on this road, but this was the only riding done upon it.

The Oshkosh & Mississippi Railroad Company was chartered in 1866, to build a road from Oshkosh to any point on the Mississippi or any point on the State line in Grant County. Among its incorporators Hanmer Robbins, W. W. Field and Addison Burr. In 1868, a route was sur- veyed from Fennimore to some point opposite Guttenberg, Iowa, two miles below Glen Haven. The routes to the Mississippi were all too steep, except by the valley of Sandy Creek, which enters the Mississippi three miles below Glen Haven. Some of the towns appropriated money to pay for these surveys. It was expected that twenty miles of this road (the Oshkosh & Missis- sippi) would soon be running, and that work would soon be begun on the west end. The road had been projected in 1866, to run in a southwesterly course from Oshkosh to the Mississippi, with the object of affording a connection between the vast lumber interests and iron mines of the northeastern part of the State and the Mississippi River, and would give Grant County an out- let in both directions.

January 28, 1868, the Herald said : "About one year ago we deemed it possible that Grant County might fall heir to several railroads, one centrally through the county ; another along the Mississippi, another from Mineral Point north by way of Muscoda ; a fourth, the Platte- ville & Calamine, and perhaps a fifth, the Southern Wisconsin ; all in addition to the Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien."

In 1868, an act was passed in the Legislature authorizing the towns of Blue River Valley to vote aid to a branch road from some point on the Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien road, to Montfort or Wingville.

In 1869, Nelson Dewey, William Humphrey, H. A. W. McNair, W. P. Dewey, J. C. Hol- loway, D. T. Parker, B. M. Coates, W. W. Field and W. O. Thomas formed the Military Ridge & Grant County Railroad Company, to construct a road from the northeast side of the county through Fennimore, Lancaster and Cassville to McGregor.

The Wisconsin & Dubuque Railroad Company was organized in 1869, to construct a road from Shullsburg through Grant County, to the famous fatal "point on the Mississippi."

In 1870, the Dubuque, Platteville & Milwaukee Company (formerly the Plattville & Cala- mine) was authorized to extend its road to the mouth of the Platte, and thence to Cassville, and connect with the Military Ridge Railroad.

544

HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.

In 1871, another company was chartered to construct a railway from .Dunleith along the river shore, through Potosi and Cassville to St. Croix. The same year the Eastern & Mis- sissippi Company was organized, to construct a road from Shullsburg to the Mississippi.

In 1871, it was proposed to extend the Mineral Point road northwest to the Mississippi, thence to Tomah, making a through line from St. Paul to Chicago, nearly sixty miles shorter than any other. October 20, 1871, an election was held in Potosi on the question of voting aid to the Dubuque, Platteville & Milwaukee Railroad, the vote standing sixty-one majority in favor of aid to the extent of $40,000 ; at that time there had been voted by towns along the line, the amount of $120,000, and with the sum raised and expended by Platteville, the amount of $240,- 000. The " Wisconsin Midland Railroad " was organized under the general laws of 1872 with the same object as the previously projected " Oshkosh & Mississippi Railroad," the route being from Oshkosh through Portage to Arena, then to Mineral Point, Platteville and Dubuque. In 1873, the company issued its prospectus, and some enthusiasm prevailed along the line.

The " Galena & Southern Wisconsin Narrow-Gauge Railroad " was projected in 1871. It was a Galena institution, originated by capitalists of that city, with a view of drawing to it the trade of the fertile region of the east half of Grant, and the west half of Iowa and La Fayette Counties, to the Wisconsin River. Surveys were made during 1871, and the route reported as feasible.

In May, 1872, the contract was let for building the road from Galena to Fennimore, to be completed as far as Belmont the same year. On November 14, an election was held in Platte- ville to vote on the question of taking sufficient stock to induce the company to build it by way of that village, which was not at first intended. The proposition was carried by a vote of two. to one, assuring the building of the road to Platteville. Work was carried on during the sum- mer and fall. During that year, officers of the road visited the towns asking subscriptions of stock. The terminus of the road was to be at Cassville. In the fall of 1874, the road had been graded and bridged to Platteville, and the iron and material was on hand to place the road in running order. Under the agreement by which Platteville had been induced to aid this project, the road was to be in running order in one year's time from the time such aid was voted ; an ex- tension had, however, been granted until the 1st of January, 1875. At that date, the first train ran into Platteville, but the rails had been hastily laid without any attention being paid to bal- lasting or security, and as soon as the train had been run out, the track was taken up and relaid later in a substantial manner and in the May or June following, the trains commenced running with regularity.

During 1873, the project of the " Chicago & Tomah Narrow-Gauge Railroad" was agitated. Meetings were held at various points and petitions of tax-payers in favor of aid were filed, which, by August 14, amounted to over $100,000 in the county ; a meeting held in Lancaster in June was favorable to voting $100,000; a vote in Fennimore, July 10, resulted in the defeat of any aid by fourteen votes ; on this account, a proposition of the company to Lancaster was with- drawn and no vote was ordered.

In 1872, a route had been surveyed from Lancaster to connect with the road up the Kick- apoo. But the project seems to have blown over for the time. In January, 1875, Lancaster had another severe attack of the railroad fever. A meeting was held January 16, largely attended, which voted unanimously in favor of a 5-per-cent tax on the assessed valuation, provided a road was brought to Lancaster from any point. Some favored connection with Dubuque, others with Platteville and Galena. Enthusiastic meetings were held at Potosi and Ellenboro, also February 11 at Dubuque, attended by delegates from Lancaster and Potosi, at which resolutions were adopted favoring railroad connection by any feasible route with Grant County. A ponton bridge was to be built at Dubuque, and the road run from Lancaster to Potosi and so to Dun- leith. A meeting was held early in the spring at Lancaster. H. A. Moore was authorized to employ a competent engineer to survey a route from Lancaster to Platteville, ascertain the cost and report. A company was organized under the State law known as the Lancaster, Platte- ville & Dubuque Railroad Company, capital $300,000. A survey was made and several routes to.

545

HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.

Platteville found practicable. The company was chartered and organized as the "Grant County Railroad Company," President, A. A. Moore ; Vice President, Addison Burr ; Treasurer, John Schreiner ; Secretary, John G. Clark. Much discussion followed, and many projects were started through the summer of 1875. The Dubuque people were expected to assist, i was proposed that the road should be built to Specht's Ferry, and a tracked barge be put on the ferry, and a third rail on the road from there to Dubuque so that narrow-gauge cars could be run through. A special election was held at Lancaster, November 2, 1875, to vote on a prop- osition of the Grant County Railroad Company to build a road to Platteville on receipt of bonds for 5 per cent of the town valuation, viz., $43,000, the same not to be delivered till the road should be ready for the cars, and stock to be issued for the amount of the bonds. The result was 320 to 78 in favor of the proposition. During the winter and spring (1876), meetings were held and the enthusiasm continued. At a meeting February 25, it was voted that books of subscription be opened, and the Dunleith route be chosen, and Potosi asked to join hands. April 10, a meeting was held at Lancaster, and the Platteville route advocated; $80,000 to $100,000 would be required, of which $15,000 was subscribed at once. June 6, an election was held in Liberty to vote on aiding this road to the amount of $5,350 (2} per cent on the town valuation) which resulted in the defeat of the proposal. Whether this vote cast a wet blanket upon the whole scheme or not, certain it is that all the projects under consideration shared the fate of their predecessors, and Lancaster became discouraged in regard to its pros- pects of ever having railroad communication with the outside world. Up to the close of 1877, out of all the efforts that had been made for nearly forty years, the only result was a few miles of the Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien road, along the eastern part of the north line of the county ; a still fewer number of miles of the Platteville & Calamine road, and the small end of the Galena & Southern Wisconsin Narrow-Gauge terminating at Platteville, and as the railroad- building era seemed to have passed, it was not supposed that any would ever be built. Matters remained thus for a year or two, when D. K. W. Williams, President of the Chicago & Tomah Railroad Company, again appeared upon the scene early in 1878. In March, he published a pamphlet or prospectus, in which the cost of construction was estimated at a trifle over $6,000 per mile, including rolling stock, which would be less than one-quarter the average debt of rail- roads in Wisconsin.

May 1, a large meeting was held at the court house, to consider a direct proposition from the Chicago & Tomah Railroad Company, namely : That if the town of Lancaster would vote a 5-per-cent aid (to wit : a subscription to first mortgage bonds to amount of $42,000), the whole amount of bonds not to exceed $5,000 per mile, the company would complete said road from a connection with the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad to Lancaster on or before November 1, 1878. The sense of the meeting was favorable to accepting the proposition; the necessary legal steps were taken, both in Lancaster and the towns between that and the Wisconsin River ; Liberty and Fennimore also voted aid sufficient to make up a subscription of $5,000 per mile, and by May 16, the railroad force was actively at work in the county; and with such expedition was the work pushed that, although the cars were not running from Woodman to Lancaster by November 1, they did actually enter the town January 1, 1879, and thus the only successful attempt was made to penetrate with a railroad the interior of Grant County.

During 1879 and the first part of 1880, this company made efforts to continue their road from Fennimore east to Wingville, and thence to Madison, along the Military Ridge; and also from Wingville southward toward Freeport, the original destination of the road. In 1880, the Chicago & Northwestern Company purchased the Galena & Southern Wisconsin Narrow Gauge. which was then being extended northward from Platteville toward the Wisconsin River; and very soon after, also purchased the Chicago & Tomah. The termini of the two roads were, at that time, only a few miles apart, and the gap was soon filled up by the North western Company, and trains were run from Galena to Lancaster, thus giving the interior of the county an outlet in a southerly direction. The intention of the Northwestern Company is to change the gauge to a standard gauge as soon as the Madison and Wingville division is completed, in the spring of

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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY.

1881; and an extension will probably be built westward from Lancaster, toward the Mississippi, to command the trade of the fertile region around Bloomington known as Blake's Prairic.

TELEGRAPH LINE.

In 1849, visions began to flash with a rosy radiance through the minds of sundry residents of the county, as in misty, prophetic dreams, they seemed to stand on the brink of a rich vista, down which their glances rested on the bright and pleasing picture of Grant County as the dis- seminator of news for the teeming thousands and unborn millions. All this upon the word of one Henry O'Reilly, who held or pretended to hold, a patent for an improved system of Morse telegraphy. The bright and finely-spun rails on which passed, with the rapidity of thought, the chained lightning, carrying the news of weal or woe, should, said Mr. O'Reilly, be at once erected, and the county take a proud stand in the van of civilization, provided the inhabitants of the region would co-operate with him in the role of benefactors of mankind and advancers of the county's interests. The role of benefactor is ever an enticing one, and what wonder that the investors were numerous. A line was erected from Dubuque to Potosi, from that point to Lancaster, thence on to Platteville, and finally terminating at Mineral Point. The line was opened in November, 1849, and communications opened with the outside world. Mr. O'Reilly passed under a cloud and went into bankruptcy, while his deluded victims struggled manfully to continue to operate their new toy with wavering success for a few months longer. In May, 1850, the Grant County Herald proposed that thirty-eight subscribers take one copy more of the paper, paying in advance, in which case the telegraph line would be sustained. This last effort, however, came to naught, and a short time later, the "connecting link " yielded up the ghost; as the wires were of galvanized iron, numerous thoughtful dwellers along the line, daily cogitating on the bankruptcy of the affair, and consequent waste of good material, concluded that the wires would serve as excellent and indestructible clothes lines, and to this day pieces of the Grant County Telegraph Line may be seen doing duty in the lower and useful domestic scale of supporting the week's washing. This experiment is believed to have cost the investors between $6,000 and $8,000.

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History of Grant County, Wisconsin, preceded by a history of Wisconsin, Part 81

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: [Chicago : Western Historical Co.?] Number of Pages: 1050

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: [Chicago : Western Historical Co.?]
Number of Pages: 1050