website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown,
Wisconsin
C. M. & St. Paul Railway
Purchased Milwaukee and Watertown Railroad
1855
The Milwaukee and Watertown Railroad
(single track), later the C. M. & St. Paul, was begun in 1851, and finished
by 1855. The funds were raised by
subscriptions, and each contributed in his particular line, such as carts from
the wagon makers, harnesses from the harness makers, cattle, horses, pork,
oats, etc. from the farmers. This was given to the contractors in payment for
the work. Some people even mortgaged their farms to aid in the construction of
the railroad which at times was in great financial trouble, but pulled out of
bankruptcy. The east-bound track was
constructed in 1902.
1875
05 19 N. W.
Pierce, ticket agent at the Junction
WR
1887
07 01 The most extensive conflagration that ever
visited Watertown occurred last Thursday night at 11:30 o'clock, by the burning of the rail mill, machine shop, carpenter shop
and blacksmith shop of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway
situated at the junction in the Third ward.
1888
07 20 Jonas Sleeper 1939-1888. In 1860 he
came to Watertown; agent of C. M. & St. Paul Railway. Co. WG
1905
Watertown
Daily Times, 12 08 1905
Thursday
afternoon, a tramp who gave his name as Ole Larason
and his home as Minneapolis, was quite severely injured while attempting to get
onto a moving freight train on the C. M. St. P. railroad near the east side
depot.
He was
brought to the city hall and taken into the office of Chief of police Block and
Dr. F. C. Moulding, the surgeon of the road summoned,
who upon examination found two of the bones in his right foot badly crushed,
which would in his judgment, necessitate an amputation of the foot. He dressed
the wound and made the poor fellow as comfortable as possible under the
circumstances and at 7 o'clock in the evening he was taken to the Northwestern
depot enroute to the poor farm at Jefferson.
The
unfortunate is a Norwegian and speaks but little of the English language and
through an interpreter it was learned his name, residence and the name of his
son Carl Olson 1102 Camdem Place, Minneapolis, also
that in a small town near Chicago he was robbed of his watch and five dollars
in money by two negro roughs and was trying to beat his way back to his home.
It was
quite probable that he had ridden for a long distance and being cold and
stiffened got off the train to exercise and get his blood into circulation and was
injured in his endeavor to get upon the train again. As the poor fellow had no
money with which to buy smoking tobacco, Dr. Moulding
generously gave him the money with which to buy a supply.
1905
Watertown
Daily Times, 07 26 1906
One
day last week when it was desperate hot - just sizzled - there was not a bus at
the St. Paul depot at the time of the arrival of the 12:44 passenger train and
those who came had to walk to their homes or the homes of their friends.
Emil Pehl, proprietor of the Commercial Bus Line says that this
statement is not true, as his bus line meets all regular trains. On Saturday
there was a special train at 12:10 p.m., on which several passengers arrived,
but that was not known in time for the bus driver to make it. Mr. Pehl says if those who make the statements will inform him
in what time special trains are due here he will meet them as well as all
regular trains.
- The
Bus Driver
1907 Is the Chicago,
Milwaukee and St. Paul road discriminating
against Watertown?
1908 Chicago, Milwaukee& St. Paul road took over the entire chain of hotels and
eating houses, together with the new distribution system, along its line.
1909
03 26 Wells Fargo took charge of the express
business on the C.M.&St.
Paul lines WG
06 04 James Mortenson, 33
year employee, died WG
1926
11 25 Death of Herman Block, detective for C.M.&St. Paul Ry. Co, former Watertown Chief of
Police WG
1977
06 23 Junction of Chicago and North Western with
Milwaukee Road tracks removed WDT
Cross
References:
No 2: “When the St Paul Railroad came here it was
so poor that Daniel Jones couldn’t pay for the wood it needed to run its
engines. “Alexander Mitchell was a great
friend of mine and he told me that if I would pay for the wood he would see
that I didn't lose by it. For two years
I bought the wood for it. When the Chicago & Northwestern got this far it
couldn’t get its iron, which was in bond. With several others I signed the bond
that released the rails and permitted the road to go on. These acts cost me dear.”
No
3: 1861, Amos
Bennett was chief carpenter of the C. M. & St. Paul; came to Watertown in
May, 1848
No 4: 1865, John Booney
employed by C. M. & St. Paul
No 5: John Ford, seven years was in the office of
the Chief Engineer of the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company.
No
6: 1879, N C Daniels,
Superintendent of the C. M. & St. Paul’s Railmill,
Machine and Blacksmith Shops
No 7: Station Agent George W. Webb, 48 years
continuous railway service with the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad is
a record.
No 8: George Wilder, Assistant Purchasing Agent,
1850 – 1923
Depot and train image, WHS_006_335
