Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Collection
Title
Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway Company Collection
Date(s)
- 1913-1918 (Accumulation)
Extent
1.47 linear feet (4 boxes)
Name of creator
Administrative history
The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMSP&P RR) was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and northwest of the United States from 1847 until its acquisition by and merger with the Soo Line railway in 1985–1986. The company went through several official names and faced bankruptcy several times in that period. While the railroad does not exist as a separate entity anymore, it is still commemorated in buildings like the historic Milwaukee Road Depot in Minneapolis, Minnesota and in railroad hardware still maintained by rail fans, such as the Milwaukee Road 261 steam locomotive.
The Milwaukee Road appeared as the Milwaukee and Waukesha Railroad when incorporated in 1847, but soon changed its name to Milwaukee and Mississippi. After three years, the first train ran from Milwaukee to Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and the first passenger train ran on February 25, 1851. In 1874 the name was changed to Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul. By 1887, the railroad had lines running through Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, and the upper peninsula of Michigan.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
This collection originated from the Madison, S.D. Railway Depot and was then donated to Prairie Village of Madison. The barn in which Prairie Village kept the records burned down but the records were salvaged. The collection provides a variety of different communications and report information, and is an excellent source to view original documentation. However, the collection is not a complete record of all communications and so is not an effective source for researching specific transactions, etc. It is organized into folders each containing a different form of communication used by the railroad company. The beginning of the collection contains all photocopied material. The middle of the collection contains the encapsulated material, and the end of the collection contains the samples of original records.
Because this collection was damaged in a fire all records received were photocopied with only a few original samples retained from each category of the collection. Some unique samples were encapsulated for easier handling and display.
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
This collection is open to researchers without restrictions. The materials in the Archives do not circulate and may be used in-house only.
Researchers conducting extensive research are asked to make an advance appointment to access archival material. Please call or e-mail prior to visiting the collection and indicate as much detail as possible about a particular topic and intended use.
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
South Dakota State University supports access to the materials, published and unpublished, in its collections. Nonetheless, access to some items may be restricted as a result of their fragile condition or by contractual agreements with donors.
Languages of the material
- English