The first railroad projects received send-offs worthy of any large public undertaking: parades,oration, solemn ceremonies, and much symbolism. The shovel, trowel and hammer were used in a ceremony that involved placing a symbolic "First stone" on the spot where work began. But two other tasks remained to launch these new enterprises: money had to be raised in unprecedented quantities, and a practical route had to be carved out. Choosing a route was often as demanding as raising $10 million in a country where the average laborer's wage as $1 per day. Using a chain-then the basic measuring device- and crude transits, compasses, painted rods and plumb bobs, the engineers plotted and calculated curves, grades, locations for bridges and tunnels and made the millions of small decisions required to find the best route. The federal government gave virtually no direct financial aid to early American railroads, but favorable legislation and engineering expertise that it did provide were equally valuable.

Much of the work to develop the rail lines in this area of Western Wisconsin and Eastern minnesota was done by the farmers or merchants who needed to use them to move goods. A hard workingman could earn as much as $2.75 for a full day's labor, working on the rail gang. Clearly the economy of this area was dependent on get local goods to market, but not all rail travel was related to marketing of commodities.

Trains also transported people. Before the automobile, airplane, and bus, the railroad was the only reliable, all weather, reasonably rapid means of travel available, and Americans took full advantage of their railroads. Nothing captured the fancy of the average American so completely as the simple ability to go to the train station, buy a ticket, and board a train for somewhere. After the railroad came through Osceola, Wisconsin the SOO Line brought people to the area to have picnics. The SOO Line even built a dance pavilion on the bluff in Osceola, Grand Balls were held there. One SOO picnic, in July of 1889, consisted of 14 cars of employees; over 1,500 passengers wre brought to Osceola,swelling the population of the town from 400 to 1,900 people. The railroad continued to encourage excursion trains from the Twin Cities, running as many as five different trains per day on weekends to come to Osceola to experience the clean area air and medicinal mineral waters.

The Rush City - Grantsburg line provided a "Blueberry Special" during the picking season, delivering pickers to their favorite berry patches at locations along the line. The train made sevelal unscheduled stops along the way to deliver the pickers to the patches and told them when to expect the trains return. The engineer blew the whistle in advance of arrival to warn the pickers of its return, giving them time to get back to the tracks to be picked up for the return trip.

The Northern Pacific 328 was the train that made these "Blueberry Special" trips. This is the engine that sat for many years in the park in Stillwater near the St. Croix River. The engine is currently owned by the City of Stillwater, but is being restored for service by the minnesota Transportation Museum. For information on its progress you can log onto www.trainride.org.