, 1872-12-19
History Of Its Various Org anizations
and Consultations.
a Bit Of Early-Day History in the
"Old Galena.a
And HoW The Chicago 6 Wisconsin Be-
came the Head Of tha Family.
The New Route to the Great Iron
Region Of Lake Superior,
&C., &c, &c.

Region of Lake Superior,
Sc, &c, &c.
The Iaiuois Legislature Of 1886 shook down
;railroa3 charters by the dozen. Thi1ty-si1 pa
per corporations sprung into existence, and Of
40 small account Was Chicago in that early day
that tI1e solemn and pompous legislators from
Central and Southern Illinois laughed at the
idea that ANYBODY would ever wish to reach Chi
cago bv pil. Why, they had the canal in pros
pectire. What more could they wish or desire !?
Neverthele IS, the first railroad charter grant
ed, and WAS deemed no very valuable acquisition
hereaway, after all. Finally it became the prop
erty Of Neunss l. Townsend, OF NeW York and
e. K. Hubbard, then Representative in Chicago,
set out to build the road on the West Division
By setting strong posts IN the ground to carry
the sleepera. Two th4see miles we're built,
but the universal crash put IN end to the pro-
ceedings, and tor six years .uothing VAS done.
Then Hon. William B. Ogdel,, IN l847, bought
the charter for S20, 600 cash spd S2o,o con-
1lngent, and SGT about work in earnest In the
new Directory were A1r. Ogden, Hharlos Walker
John B. Turner, Messrs Holland a1 dRobinson, OF
Rockford, andit began to look like a1siness. The
Directors took to meetings in the asirie towns
subscription Lists, and, even IS John / he Eaptist
IN the Wilderness went shouting throu Eh North
ern Illinois, ''Prepare ye the way" The far
mers who had been hauling wheat to chit,ago
from the Fox River md the Rock River beg an
to wonder after all if something might not lie
achieved to obyiate spending from one to thra
weeks in marketing 100 bushels Of wheat. ThA'
road became certainty, and tho managers set
at work to discuss the details. There we're
grave discussions whether the line from Chicago
should make for Elgin or Ottawa but it Has de-
cided that Ottawa was happy ip the prospective
canal, and would never need q RAILROAD. That
Tas certain.
The Company bought The rejected dat rail
dom the Rochester d Batavia Railroad, in New
1orE, now 8 part Of the New York Central This
rail WAS laid at q cost Of 81, 500 per mile, tt be
replaced three yea1a after BY rail, at COST OF
$4,000. Then Mo. Ogden and his associates
hought small seq ond-hand locomotive at q ceet
OF q, 200, paid fo1 in stock Of tho Company, and
the iron horse 81 It out from Chicago on his way
westward; and. the same year, Mr.. Ogden made
speech at the. Julien House, in Dubuque, and
Startled the Oh | river men who believed in the
Mississippi Us permanent path Of empire by
telling them ie Pacific Railroad Was coming out
their way by and by. And, in the first Galena
Railroad Rep ort Of 1849, q thin pamphlet before
Us, the same far-seeing citizen, Mr.. Ogden, ut
tiers such ut ,rts OF precience and forecast that
they read Lii @ prophecy when he tells Of the In
&ure railro.| system Of Chicago.
Now look at the map ne publish in this con-
nection, AZ see what twenty-three years have
accomplish ed, and study the Tast radiation Of
lines Tesa, northwest, and north, the great
spokesin The wheel OF Chicago's destiny.
We purpose to sketch the history, present
status. .,nd prospective future Of
TIE CHncAGo NORTHWESTERN RAILWAY.
We sh III briefly recite how, from a mere stub
1ine 1t h1 s developed until it stretches its vari-
Gus lines ar: aggregate length of oeer 1900
miles. L I'd we may also show how small,
proftless business has SO expanded within the
present de rade, that each recurring month adds
Of the trad, and renders tributary to
our city tho constantly Increasing trade
OF FIVE States intersected By it.
need to r.: Re The memory Of tho Oldest inhs'1-
itant for 1t WAS no further ba.k than the year
1852 when
TIE FIRST RAIL
was laid D run the original line projected from
Chicago t the Wisconsin State line under the in
corporate; lname of the Illinois Wisconsin Rail-
road Com: nny: Three Tesxs ;ater the process Of
consolda ion began by the absorption OF the
under the Pretentious tG,le of the Chicago, St.
Paul g. F. Ind du Lac Ra,iSoad. This first nibb1e
having cr sated an eppetisa* within one year
ls2O the' 1leeonsin d sure0or, Marquette =
roads were, Swallowed up. But they wore too
heavy to -car1y comfortably anN quickly sent
the heo CON pany Aato bankruptcy, frsua which, N
zed nal ne it stul bears-the ChicagtS u North
WESTERN Rallwey Compiny.
FROM 1859 TO 1864.
Eve eu5seq .uent years Of Indifferent frogress
prepared the. way for the consultations, which
2ypnffrf in fha ff7rv .
the NorthW7e estern Company. The o. ,ening
month dated the absorption Of the Dixon. Rock- {;
lord 70 q hena 5ha Railroad only three days .fter
d State Live and Dixon, Rockford l. State ..:ue
Railroads. :and the midsummer month gaw tho
Galena & Chicago Union Railroad wholly mere I'd =.
into the Chicago & Northwestern.
The " Old Ga1ena," as above referred to. vasg
alxteen years the older company, having been
1ncorporat cd in 1886, and amended twice,-in !
1887 and - 5s47. Under the guidance Of Mr.: og-
great-ats railroads then we're rated-by absorb
5,, 1ssa, in nu;' 1a55' and BY leasing tie s.:
Line Railroad in 1883, and tho Chicago. Iowa i
Nebraska and Cedar Rapids d Missouri River
Railroads in 1852, furnishing direct line from
Chicago to the Missouri River.
OF this united company William B. Ogden re-
tanned the Presidency until the late Henry c.
Keep assumed the direction. Meantime, in the
before-mentioned memorable year-1864-tho
in; then, after lapse Of seven years, the latest
and last consultations added the Beloit l. Madi-
son and the Baraboo Air Line Railroads-in 1871
this
WHOLESALE SWALLOWING PROCESS
>sas going On, diversion in favor Of Milwaukee
resulted in the leasing of the Chicago and Mil
waukee Railway in 1866. Complete control was
Or otherw1se-of the iaCrosse, Trempeleau
l. Prescott RailEpad, tie Winona & st.