Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad Company

Variant names
Dates:
Active 1901
Active 1971

Biographical notes:

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad Company or the "Milwaukee Road" opened in Montana in August, 1908. The company felt that to be competitive it had to expand its services to the Pacific Coast. Despite the fact that it had to buy most of its right away and avoid established areas, they were able to build 2,300 miles of track in three years. Along with building track from Glenham, South Dakota to Seattle, they absorbed local railways such as the famous Jawbone of Central Montana and local lines like the Gallatin Valley's Inter-urban and Bozeman's street railway. Eventually, the steep grades and frigid weather forced the Milwaukee to turn to electric power rather than traditional steam. An abundance of hydroelectric dams and copper from Anaconda made the transition an easy choice and the conversion of the line from Harlowton to Avery, Idaho began in 1914. Increased use of automobiles, numerous bouts of bankruptcy, and the merger of the Burlington Northern, Northern Pacific and Great Northern all lead to the decline of the Milwaukee in Montana.

From the guide to the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad Company Records, 1918-1975, (Montana State University-Bozeman Library, Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections)

Railroad traversing central Montana.

The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad (always known as the Milwaukee Road) was the third transcontinental railroad to cross Montana. It arrived in Roundup, Mont., in 1907. The rail line provided ready transportation to the booming coal mines in the area. After the mines closed in 1951, profits decreased and the spur rails were abandoned. The last train departed Roundup in Mar. 1980.

From the description of Records of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad Company, 1927-1980. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 70963093

Links to collections

Comparison

This is only a preview comparison of Constellations. It will only exist until this window is closed.

  • Added or updated
  • Deleted or outdated

Information

Permalink:
SNAC ID:

Subjects:

  • Architectural drawings
  • Bozeman
  • Bridges
  • Freight and freightage
  • Montana
  • Photographs
  • Railroad accidents
  • Railroads
  • Railroads
  • Railroads
  • Railroads
  • Railroads
  • Railroads
  • Railroads
  • Railroads
  • Railroads

Occupations:

not available for this record

Places:

  • Montana--Roundup (as recorded)
  • La Crosse (Wis.) (as recorded)
  • Montana (as recorded)
  • Wisconsin--La Crosse (as recorded)
  • Harlowton (Mont.) (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)

SNAC Cooperative Logo

Social Networks and Archival Context

SNAC is a discovery service for persons, families, and organizations found within archival collections at cultural heritage institutions.

Sponsors

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Institute of Museum and Library Services
National Endowment for the Humanities

Hosts

University of Virginia Library
National Archives and Records Administration