HISTORY OF THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY - CHAPTER 37


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Faithful Record of all Important Events, Incidents, and
Circumstances that have Transpired in the Valley of the
Chippewa from its Earliest Settlement by White People,
Indian Treaties, Organization of the Territory and State;
Also of the Counties Embracing the Valley, Senatorial,
Assembly and Congressional Districts, and a Brief
Biographical Sketch of the Most Prominent Persons in the
Settlement of the Valley. BY Thomas E. Randall 1875.  Free
Press Print.  Eau Claire, Wisconsin

CHAPTER 37

Reference has been made in the foregoing chapters, to a
grant of land made by Congress in 1856, to be held in trust
by the State of Wisconsin for the purpose of constructing a
railroad from Portage City to the Mississippi at La Crosse,
with a branch from Tomah to the St. Croix River. It has also
been stated that Legislature conferred the grant on an
organization known as, "Milwaukee and La Crosse Rail Road
Company," at the head of which was Byron Kilbourn; this last
named branch being designated in the Charter of 1857 as the
Western Wisconsin Rail Road. It probably never occurred to
the people of this valley nor to their representatives in
Congress at the time the aforesaid grant was made, that we
should ever need a road running transversely to this down
the river and on to the great prairie world to the Southwest
of us - for, as it was then fashionable for the government
to give away its lands to build railroads, there is little
doubt but a donation could easily have been obtained for a
road extending from Ashland on Lake Superior, via Chippewa
Falls, Eau Claire and Wabasha to Fort Dodge and the Missouri
River in Iowa. Such a grant, for a Road crossing three great
states would have found able advocates, and when built would
have been one of the best paying roads in the Northwest.

St. Paul and Minneapolis were wise enough to see the point
and secure a grant for the Sioux City Road and are now
reaping the advantages, while we have just began to realize
the want of a thoroughfare in that direction.  Private
enterprise will probably supply the want in time, but at the
time of which we are speaking, the river was deemed
altogether sufficient for the transportation of our lumber,
and connection with the East of paramount importance; and
the Honorable C.C. Washburn our Representative in Congress
was instructed to secure the grant for this, the West
Wisconsin Road, the route for which presented so many
obstacles and so few inducements in regard to the value of
the land and the prospective business over the road when
built, that although ten years were designated in the act as
the time for its completion no capitalists had been found up
to the expiration of the period bold enough undertake it.

Kilbourn and his associates had indeed sent out surveying
parties who after making preliminary surveys for a half a
dozen routes finally fixed upon the extreme southwestern
line, or the one nearest the Mississippi and farthest from
the great business interests, it was intended to sub serve -
the lumber business - of any route examine, for the location
of the Road.

In conformity with the act of Congress, the lands along this
line were immediately withdrawn from the market for six
miles on either side, until all embraced in the odd-numbered
sections should be designated on the official plats of the
respective land offices in the districts through which it
passed, and greatly elated were the settlers along the line
at the prospect of immediate railroad facilities.

As an inducement to capitalist, these lands were exempted
from taxation for ten years, but the prostration of business
operations, caused by the revulsion of 1857-8, and extending
into several succeeding years, and the probable completion
at an early day of other railroad lines to St. Paul, the
objective point of this road, forbade all hope that a road
would be constructed on that line. Another discouraging
feature was that the company who were pushing one of these
competing lines, held the franchises of this road by
transfer from the old bankrupt company upon whom it was
conferred. In view of this condition of affairs pertaining
to the land grant, and the prospect of its forfeiture to the
government some of the business men of St. Croix, Dunn,
Chippewa, Eau Claire, and Jackson Counties, the most
prominent of whom were D.A. Baldwin, Captain William, J.G.
Thorp, H.S. Allen, and W.T. Price conceived of the idea of a
new organization to build the road.

These men with their associates were incorporated in March
1863, by act of the legislature, with the title of the Tomah
and St. Croix Railway Company, and held their first meeting
at Durand on the following 9th of June. At the next session,
the legislature conferred land grants upon this company,
with the right of way and the privilege of locating the line
on its present route. Congress was also memorialized to
renew the grant, which was done, and exemptions from taxes
on the land  until 1870 also granted.

It does appear to have been the intention of the
incorporators and stockholders in this organization to
invest their means in the undertaking; and indeed, few of
them at the time had any capital to invest in any enterprise
outside their regular business; neither did they expect to
realize any benefits, except to secure the building of the
road.

The only hope of achieving the object the company had in
view, was to induce capitalists from abroad to take hold of
the work, and the first thing to do was to survey the new
route and obtain correct profiles, estimates of the cost of
the work, topographical descriptions of the country, present
and prospective value of the lands donated, and the business
of the road when completed. To accomplish this required at
least twenty thousand dollars, and one man only in the
company was sanguine enough in his hopes of success to
advance the money, and that man was D.A. Baldwin of Hudson.

In the fall of 1864, he cause a surveying party under the
charge of a competent engineer to take the field, whose
labors were continued for the year and all necessary
examinations made - profiles, maps, estimated cost,
descriptions of the country, soil, timber, productions, etc.

Armed with these vouchers, Mr. Baldwin, under the direction
of the company, visited Eastern cities and Europe, for the
purpose of enlisting capitalists to undertake the work; and
in the fall of 1866 succeeding in inducing four or five
gentlemen from New York to come on and personally examine
the route and personally examine the route and inquire into
the resources of the country. They could see no inducement
to invest, and, being mostly financial agents only, made a
most dismal and discouraging report to their principles.

At the next meeting of the Directors, the entire management
of the concern was delegated to Mr. Baldwin, who was
authorized to contract with any party, and on any terms,
that would construct the road, consistent with his
interests. It was an uphill business, and he now began to
realize that he had a good sized elephant on his hands.

The principle railroad concerns doing business in the State
were applied to; their means and energies were all absorbed
and directed in the extension of more hopeful lines, and
could afford no immediate aid. The apathy of Milwaukee in
regard to this work has been the subject of condemnation by
the press and people of this part of the State, and the
advantages now reaped by the Chicago and Northwestern Road
are its natural sequences.

The Atlantic was again crossed, and two full years consumed
in fruitless endeavor to find the right man. But his
perseverance was equal to the occasion, and his efforts
finally crowned with success.

Jacob Humbird, of Baltimore, was a successful railroad
contractor; had lately returned from Brazil, where extensive
contracts under the imperial government had resulted in a
handsome fortune. To him Mr. Baldwin submitted his case,
exhibited his profiles, estimates, acts of Congress and the
Legislature; in fact, all the franchises of the road, and
the resources of the country through which it would pass,
and a contract for all the work to complete the road was
immediately drawn up and signed by the parties. It is
reasonable to suppose that under the circumstances, Mr.
Humbird obtained very favorable terms; and, as the price of
labor and every commodity was greatly inflated by the late
war, it is not surprising that the cost of the work exceeded
the estimates, or that its earning sometimes fall short of
the interest at least on the nominal investment.

The funds to complete the first thirty-two miles, to Black
River Falls were furnished entirely by Mr. Humbird, the
payment of which, and all other sums due him for work under
contract, is secured by a construction lien, or first
mortgage, on the roadbed. Certificates were immediately
issued by the Governor for the lands, and an eight percent
loan effected in Europe, receivable in installments as the
work progressed, and secured by bond and mortgage on both
the lands and roadbed. Before commencing the work, the name
of the West Wisconsin Railway was assumed in accordance with
an act of the legislature.