The Milwaukee
and Mississippi Railroad Company will in a few weeks have their road
completed to Prairie du Chien, and are extending it on the east side
of the Mississippi to St. Paul. Another road is being built up the
valley of the Red Cedar River in Iowa to Minneapolis. The Keokuck road
is in operation over fifty miles, and will soon be under contract to
St. Paul. This road is to run via the valley of the Des Moines River,
through the rich coal fields of Iowa, and will supply the upper
Mississippi and Lake Superior region with coal.
The Green Bay and Minnesota Railroad Company has been organized and
the route selected. This road will soon be commenced. The active men
engaged in the enterprise reside in Green Bay and Stillwater. A
company has been formed and will soon commence a road from Winona to
the western line of the territory. The St. Anthony and St. Paul
Railroad Company will have their line under contract early the coming
season. The Milwaukee and La Cross Company propose continuing their
road west through the valley of Root River, through Minnesota to the
Missouri River. Another company has been formed for building a road
from the head of Lake Superior to the Red River of the North.[1] Such
are some of the railroad enterprises which are under way, and which
will contribute at an early day to develop the opulent resources of
the territory. A railroad through this part of the country to the
Pacific is among the probable events of the present generation.
[1 The following highly instructive article on navigation, I take from
The Pioneer and Democrat (St. Paul), of the 20th November:
"GROWTH OF THE STEAMBOATING BUSINESS THE SEASON OF 1856.
About ten years after the first successful attempt at steamboat
navigation on the Ohio River, the first steamboat that ever ascended
the Upper Mississippi River to Fort Snelling, arrived at that post.
This was the 'Virginia,' a stern-wheel boat, which arrived at the Port
in the early part of May, 1823. From 1823 to 1844 there were but few
arrivals each year sometimes not more than two or three. The
steamers running on the Upper Mississippi, at that time, were used
altogether to transport supplies for the Indian traders and the troops
stationed at Fort Snelling. Previous to the arrival of the Virginia,
keel boats were used for this purpose, and sixty days' time, from St.
Louis to the Fort, was considered a good trip.
"By a reference to our files, we are enabled to present, at a glance,
the astonishing increase in steamboating business since 1844.
