The north Iowa times. [volume] (M'Gregor [i.e. McGregor], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-04-03
From the Milwaukee Daily Sentinel.
Northern Iowa and Minnesota-Their
Relatious to Milwaukee.

actly the true position OF MILWAUKEE,, ana
to prophecy for her future more bril-
liant than her most sanguine friends now
hope for, it is necessary that her advan-
tages should be studied from points so
truly tributary to her as Northern Iowa
and Minnesota As but little attention
has ever been directed this way, and as
this section is 50 little known, l will en-
deayor to, convey q truthful impression Of
this rich and beautiful country. "a
sr The position Of Northern Iowa and
Minnesota, in estimating the resources Of
Milwaukee, has never been fairly under
stood, in fact scarcely ever taken into con.
sideration !; from the Mississippi westward
not an. acre of unavailable land is met
u with, nothing but what is susceptible OF
a., the highest state of cultivation. No
marshes, nor low unhealthy grounds but
an average level Of 600 feet above the
Mississippi, with rapid, running streams
and clear beautiful water. Prairie and
timber follow each other in succession,
. and there is no soil or country that offers
so many inducements in beauty and fer
tility to the enterprising emigrant
y Rapidly, yet silently this country has
been filling up with sterling and ener-
gctic class ofinhabitants, and the time has
now come when they demand a Railroad
communication with the East.
The building of the McGregor, St.
Peters, and Missouri River Railroad, a
continuation of the Milwaukee and Mis-
sissippi Railroad through Northern Iowa
and branchto Mankato on the St. Peters
River, are the enterprises they propose to
take hold OF and carry out; enterprises
of paramount importance to Milwaukee,
for by them she will secure the enormous
trade and traffic which this section of
country viii afford and which already is
exciting the attention of Dubuque and
Galena, who have projected routes to cut
off this trade from its legitimate market.
On reference to the map of Iowa, we
find that McGregor, opposite Prairie du
Chem is situated twenty-six miles on a
line of longitude west OF Dubuque, and
thirty-six miles north, and therefore oc-
cupies decidedly the finest position with
respect to the country, north and west of
it, Dubuque is 1873 miles from Lake
Michigan at Chicago, and MeGregor 100
miles from the Lake at Milwaukee. and as
the terminus Of the NJ. IL M. R. R. is
twenty-six miles west of the terminus of
the Chicago and Gelena Road, We draw
the conclusion that all that country lying
on the line Of equal distances from Dubu-
que and McGregor is twenty four miles
nearer Lake Michigan, and that the coun-
try North ofthat line fairly and honorably
belongs to Milwaukee. OF course the
light grades and superior facilities for do
ing business at Milwaukee and Prairie du
Chem gives the Mil. d. Miss. r. r. an ad-
vantage equally as greatas the actual num-
Der of miles saved. On the opening of
the Detroit and Milwaukee R. r. direct
communication is then had with the East
and it's superiority in distance over any
other route isspparent that it is unneces-
sary to draw any comparison.
The following statement Of Up River
Business for 1856, is from the North Iowa
TINES: arrivals at St. Paul S37, be-
ing an increase of 267 over the year '55,
freight delivery above Dubuque not less
than $50, 900 tons and passengers estima-
ted at 100000. Estimating the tonnage
at an average of S15, and calling the
average passenger fare 81, we have to-
tai of 81 millions Of dollars paid to the
steamboat interests, by country that has
been few years only known to the inhabi-
tants of the Atlantic States.
The annual increase of up river bust
ness, for the past five years, has been SO
per cent per annum. Taking this as the
increase for 1857 and considering that the
largest portionoft this business comes from
the East, and that it will henceforward
take the shortes: and cheapest route, BY
the NJ. g. NJ. r. R., may we not presume
to say that the opening business of that
road will be of the most unprecedented 1
and nexpectedscharacter
have given in previous article state
ment Of the practicability of Railroad
west from McGregor, and although the
river business seems to be large and i'm
portantit must not be estimated too high
ly when brought in comparison with this
rail road route. The summit level is at
tanned fifteen miles west of the river at a
maximum grade of less than SO feet per
mile from thence westward the grades
are light and the country of the most ia
vorable character for the construction of
railroad, the cost of which will not ex-
coed under any circumstances that of the
Mil. d Miss. r. r.
The Milwaukee & Mississippi r. R. |
was in running operation (spring of '52. }
before the country along the line of that
road was as well settled as this now is
The population of the different villages
through which the first surveyed line
passes, and the distance between is as fol-
lows:
McGregor, the starting point, 65o.-
Menona IS miles 800; Postville 10 miles,
100; Clermont 10 miles, 800 West
Union, County Seat of Fayette Co., 9
miles. 1900; Fredericksburg 20 miles,
100 Bradford, County Seat of Chicksaw
County. Is miles, $50; St. Charles, Co.
Seat Of Floyd county, Is miles, 800;
Rockford Is miles. 100; Mason City,
County Seat of .Cerro G2rdo county. 10