Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-04-08
DIVISION Be REMOVED

WILL DIVISION BE. REMOVED
Proposed Removal Of Breckenridge Di-
vision to Wilimar-Big Changes
contempIated.
That the Breckenridge division
point of the Great Northern is to be
removed from that city to Willmar is
a rumor that is now again revived
through publications appearing re-
Gently from Crookston, which city is
to be made headquarters for three di-
visions. The Crookston Journal is
responsible for the following:
There is no longer any doubt of
the plan of the Great Northern to
make Crcokston headquarters for
three divisions, that has been under
consideration for some months. The
erection of a building suitable for the
purpose will he commenced as soon
after the first Of April as possible,
| and it is to be comple ted for occupancy
by July 1st, which is the date set for
| the establishment here of the COM
pany's business office.
This gives but three months in
which to complete the work, and g.
| large force OF workmen will be nec-
cessary as the building will be NAM
moth aft air. The blue prints are out
and have been seen by parties in
CroOkston. They show two story
structure that will have total length
of 500 feet. and while this is an un-
usually large building it will be ne
cessary to house the business that
will center here.
"The plan that is proposed is to
reOrganjze the system and create two
new divisions east of Williston, Mout.
This is done with view of reducing
the trackage that is controlled by each
division superintendent and under the
new arrar cement will not exceed 400
miles.
| "By the new arrangement it is under
stood that the division points at
Larimore, Grand Forks, Breckenridge
and MelrOse and Barpesville will be:
! discontinued. The Larimore head
quarters will be removed to Minot and
that will be headquarters for the Da-
kota division, which will have charge
Breckenridge division will be removed
to Willmar, which will also be the
head dquarters for the Sioux Falls di-
vision. This leaves Crookston as the
point whence the remainder of the
lines in this part and Eastern North
Dakota will be managed. Melrose
will be the southern point of divi-
sion that will extend from Crookston
to that city and back to. Cass Lake,
and which will do the business OF the
former Fergus Falls division. An
other new division will be created that
will extend over the route covered by
the Halstad line to Fargo north to
Grand Forks, and take In the Port,
Hand, Mayville and Apets branches.
II The third division that will have
Headquarters here Is the Northern di-
vision. This will extend from Cass
Lake to Devils Lake, and include all
the branches north of that line both In
this state and in North Dakota.'
"These are the present Intentions of
the company and there Is no doubt
that they will be carried out. The
force of clerks in the headquarters
numbers between 20 and 30 for each,
and this will result in an accession of
Is men to the population of Crookston
Ia that capacity. Added to these are
the roadmasters, linemen, engineering
department. ana Otners, VINO Will nave
headquarters in the new building, and
it will be seen that it must be large
one to house them all. In addition to
these will be large number of train
men, carpenters, mechanics, etc., and
that a large proportion of them have
families, and it follows that the pro-
posed changes will mean the accession
to the population of at least 1000 peo-
ple."
The Gazette at Breckenridge says:
1.-THE aforesaid proposed removal
bobs up every spring. The only thing
that will be removed from Brecken-
ridge will be the superintendent and
dispatchers Office. The proposed
change will cut no figure with the run
ming of trains aud handling of train
crews. The round house and coal
sheds are here, and Breckenridge will
always be q division point"