Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-02-01
A BACKWARD GLANCE
INTO BYGONE DAYS
The Building of Railroad Into
Lancaster.
Interview With d. r. Williams Who
Built the Line Here from Fennimore
and Montfort.

On Thursday a representative OF
The Herald had the pleasure Of
meeting and having a short chat
with d. r. Williams, to whom be-
longs most of the credit of connect
ing Lancaster with the outside
world by rail. Mr.. Williams is we'll
along in years, and although he has
led very active life, is we'll pre-,
served. He is man who would
attract attention in a crowd and
possesses an abundance of that rare
asset, personal magnetism. AS a
cOnversatiOnalist, he is entertaining
and instructive, and during our
short visit with him he gave us
some facts on early railroad history,
that will no doubt be of interest to.
herald readers.
About 1875 the citizens of Lancas-
ter began to feel the need of rail
road connections, and bee me de-
termined to have them. Mass meet
ings were held, different routes
were discussed, and the people
showed themselves will1ngand ready
to give a company sufficient aid to
build a road to almost any point
possible to connect with. Two.
projects that were planned fell
through from different reasons.
One of these was route to Du
buque by way of Potos1, and the
other, was to Platteville, via Ellen
boro.
The year 1878 rolled around, and
the county seat of Grant was still
without railroad facilities and they
seemed just as far distant as ever
But they weren't by any means
for in that J ear, D. K. Williams ap-
peared on the scene. Mr.. Williams
was at that time president of the
Chicago and Tomah road, then
operating in this section of the state
and he made a proposition to com
plete line from the Milwaukee and
st. Paul to Lancaster. He started
diligently to work to secure the aid
of the different towns along the
proposed route, which was TO run
from Woodman by way of FennI-
more 70 Lancaster, and extend east
! to Montfort, where 1t would connect
with the Galena road coming north.
The citizens of the towns came
Lqu1ckly to his support and soon
secured the money to commence
the work of construction. Patrick
Flynn, now CT Platteville, was
superintendent of construction, and
he, of course, encountered the usual
obstacles that loom up in such an
undertaking He FASTENED the work
along however, and on New Years
Day, 1879, the first locomotive.
pulled into our city and gladdened
the hearts of all who saw it, for
Lancaster lad now gained It's hearts
desire.
By November connection with
Milwaukee was completed. In 1890.
the Chicago and North western com
pany purchased the Galena Mont
fort and Woodnlan-Lancaster roads.
and by this sale all the debts CON
tracted by the Chicago & Tomah
company in construction were
cleared up and later the entire route.
except from Woodman to FenpI-
more, was made into a broad gauge.
When the Chicago & North west
ern came into possession, the COM
petition between that line and the
Milwaukee and st. Paul became so
active that the cost Of transporta-
ton to Chicago was lessened from
$50 to $35 a car. From the time
the road was completed TO the
present time, all the money con-
tributed toward its construction has
been paid back.
Mr. Williams In giving us these
facts modestly refrained from prais-
ing his own work aud it is for us to
say that the vast benefits resulting
from the road, itself, exist as a re-
suit of his unceasing efforts Al
though the people CO. operated with
him he alone pointed the way and
with his experience in railroading
secured the result.