Source: The Minding Journal
Marquette, Mi.
March 22, 1951

 

Sidnaw Rail Junction
fay Back in '88

 

Sidnaw, March 22 - A lot of interesting railway happenings could
mark their anniversaries in and about tae year 1952. me of them
size up as interesting and even humcrous when analyzed in cetro-
spect.

Take the advent of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul into the
Sidnaw region. Ultimately destined to converge on Ontonagon for the
terminus of its now known Superior division, it came into Northern
Michigan at this point with somesaing far less than fanfare.
Preseded by DSS&A

The Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic road was extended i
Sidnaw region in 1838 and not too many year later the "aug
Paul" came through. Fireworks ensued when the latter decided to
proceed northerly, for the South Shore already was on the job in
Sidnawe

But while the South Shore men were enjoying a heavy night's snooze,
the track men out of Chicago and Hilwaukee placed rails atop the
South Shore's tracks. When the hefty snorers aboard the work cars
of the latter road eased reluctantly out of their berths next morning
they found the Milwaukee engine plumb cross the DSS&A track. Well,
the deed was done then and very little about it could be changed.
Consequently Sidnaw decame a railway junction point over night.
Northern Kept Out

Pesitively diplomatic, too, were the reasons which kept the Chi-
cago and Northwestern out of the Copper Country. Ramsay, in the
Gogebic iron range, was just getting settled. A planing and shin-
gle mill was built in Irondale(Ramsay) 1887. At the time Av-
vil, Colby Puritan and Mikado were producing ore, but Rams was
not.

The railway which coursed through Ramsay at the time wes pre-
dessor of the Northwestern, the itilwaukee, lake Shore and stern.
But the South Shore ran through Bessemer Township to Hurley, Wwis.,
in 1890, too.

Gentlemen's Agreement

Through a gentlemen's agreement between the two lines it de-
creed that the South Shore would stay out of Iron County and the
Northwestern would remain distant from the confines of the Copper
Country. To this day this agreement has been honored.

True, the Northwestern did run a passenger train into the Copper
Country prior to 1920, but never over its own tracks. It alwi
used those of the South Shore.

And did you know that the Copper Range had a track all surveyed
through to a connection with the Northwestern at satersmeet?
That's right. what a road the CR would have been had they follow-
ed their plans!

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

 

CR
C&NW
DSS2A

MLS&W