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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.
1887
Watertown
Daily Times, 07 01 1887
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
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
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
- 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.
Cross
Reference:
No 1: C.M. & St. Paul Railway Bridge
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
