Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1911-11-01
MAY HAVE BELT LINE
ELECTRIC RAILWAY
To Connect a Number of Grant
County Towns
Meeting Held in Rooms of Country Club
Monday Evening to Consider
the Proposition.

Thomas Mcdonald, a former
citizen of Lancaster, who has but
recently returned from stay of
several years in Henryetta, Okla.
and again taken up his residence
here, is promoting an electric rail
way proposition for this county
which seems to meet with much
approval and which was dis cussed
at considerable length in meeting
of representative citizens at the
rooms of The Country Club Monday
evening.
It is proposed to build standard
belt line of electric railway from
Lancaster through the towns of
South Lancaster, Beetown, Glen
Haven, Bloomington, Patch Grove,
Mt. Hope, Mt. Ida, Fennimore,
Liberty and North Lancaster,
returning to Lancaster, and from
here build a main line through
LAFAYETTE county and connecting
with the Chicago & Great Western
Ry at Warren, Ill. 1t is proposed
to have regular inter urban passen-
ger and freight service on the belt
line and regular passenger and
freight trains on the main line,
from Lancaster to Warren, the
Great Western to run their regular
trains from Warren to Lancaster,
in addition to the electric trans of
the new company.
The electric power is to be
supplied from two power dams on
lower Grant river, one on the Platte
and one on Apple river, with a
large auxiliary steam plant at Lam
caster, which will be the division
point.
If the project goes through there
is to be 60 miles of the belt line and
20 miles of main line, which it is
estimated will cost about $25, 900
per mile, including dams, rolling
stock and all other equipment.
The incorporators will ask aid
from the various municipalities in
an amount approximiating 25 per
cent of the cost of constructing the
belt line, which it is estimated will
amount to about 6 cents annually
for 10 years upon each 800 assessed
valuation of the district affected,
and it is fur her estimated that such
a road would be great benefit in
the way of increasing values of all
property IN the territory it covers
The following resolution was
unanimously adopted at Monday
nights meeting:
Whereas, The trades. professions
and general business interests of the
city and county, have for a long time
lacked the necessary railway facilities
to enable them to develop commercial
ly, : nsi stent with their resources,
and it'll increase Of population
nd tur'l growth of wealth. due to
industry and an abundance of natural
resources. and
Whereas, A proposition for addi-
tional railway facilities is now
being placed before us by a fellow
townsmap, Thomas Mcdonald, ana
Whereas, Such proposition contains
the elements necessary to the success
fdl promotion and building of belt
line of railroad in the central and
western pal of our county and con-
Getting line with the Chicago &
= reat Western railroad south of
Warren, H., giving direct route to
Chicago.
Be 1t Resolved, That it is the
sense o. this Meeting that the PROPOSE
tion for the building of this line of
electric railway road be endorsed by
the bu mess interests of this section
of the county and this city, and that
we lend such material aid as may be
nesessarY to bring this proposition to
a successful issue.
Be 1 Further Resolved, That,
recognizing the Importance and neces-
sity of coo 2ration of the various
effected munici 2alities of the county,
we urge all nese municipalities to
join in su: port Of this PROPOSE
ton regarding the whole section
affected as having community of in
terest