Last Updated September 14, 2003
by John Jenkins
Go back to history Page
Origin of the SOO Line Railroad
by
Pat Kytola
History portrays that there were two major elements that had significant effects on the future of the St. Croix River Valley. The first was logging and the second occurred during the second half of the ninetenth century with the introduction of railroading into the area. The fertile farmlands here produced large quantities of grain, which needed to be transported to market. With the Twin Cities being one of the nations, four leading milling centers, it was only natural to transport the grain there for milling. From there the grain was shipped to Milwaukee and Chicago as well as Duluth and Superior. The increase in shipping rates via Chicago gradually became unmanageable. The prominent shippers in the Minneapolis area began looking for alternative ways to get their grain to the Great Lakes and on September 25, 1883, W.D. Washburn, John S. Pillsbury and others from Minneapolis founded the Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie and Atlantic Railway. This railway would provide Minneapolis shippers with an alternative route, making rates competitive again. The route they chose was from minneapolis to Sault St. Marie, Michigan, there connecting with the operating Canadian Pacific system. Thus, was the birth of the SOO Line Railway.
The railway has changed hands many times over the years, bing the Minneapolis St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie, SOO Line, Wisconsin Central, Canadian national to name a few.
The route from Minneapolis to Sault Ste. Marie contained obstacles in the building, but the delightful views that could be seen, as it traveled through the scenic St. Croix River Valley are a wonderful site, yet today. The line was completed as far as Osceola, Wisconsin on August 21, 1887. Two crews of men were laying track; one crew was going east from Minneapolis and the other crew was going west from Turtle Lake. They met on August 26, 1887. The celebration may not have been as great as the golden spike laid in Utah, but it marked a little over four years of construction and immediately freight trains began running over the line. The first passenger train arrived on September 10, 1887. Regular passenger service began operating, with one train going westbound in the morning and another going eastbound at night. It is recorded that Osceola citizens purchased 335 tickets between September 12 and October 15, 1887.
Just as the train replaced the steamboat as the preferred method of travel, the automobile replaced the train and the last regularly scheduled SOO Line passenger train left the Osceola depot on June 21, 1961. But Americans have always had a love for trains and riding the rails and passenger service did not stop with the closing of the SOO line service, but has been revived by the Osceola Historical Society, working in conjunction with the Minnesota Transportation Museum. Passenghers are again being offered rides along the scenic St. Croix River. The Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway offers rides from mid-May to late Octover on weekends and holidays, or during the week for specials, groups and charters. New this year to their line of services is Sunday morning brunch trains and Laurel and Hardy silent movie and dinner nights. The ever popular pizza and dinner trains have been continued as has th regular scenic trips through the valley on weekends. For more information about the Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway, the history of the vintage rail cars or other information about the specials being offered you can log onto www.trainride.org.
Go back to history Page