McLeod County, Minnesota - Chapter 20: Railroads, 1917

McLeod county is crossed by several lines of railroad. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Co. has a line running east and west through the county, with a spur track from Glencoe to Hutchinson. The Great Northern Railway Co, has a line extending from the east line of the county, due west to Hutchinson. The Luce Line of the Electric Short Line Railway Co. also extends westward across the county to Hutchinson,

The first railroad in the county was the Hastings & Dakota Railroad Co. line from Hastings to Glencoe. This company was sold, July 1, 1872, before trains were running to Glencoe, to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Co., the present owners. The line was opened for traffic to Glencoe, August 14, 1872. Direct railroad communication was thus established between Glencoe and Chicago, and thus with the Atlantic seaboard. The pioneer days were over; hereafter McLeod county was not to depend on horses or oxen for its connection with the outside world. Mail, produce and new settlers were to come over the route of iron rails, and the produce of the county was to be known to the markets of the world. The line built into McLeod county in 1872 is now a part of the great trans-continental line, over which run the famous coast trains from Chicago to the Pacific ocean.

Westward at once, and the survey was started. But the next year, the grasshoppers came, and for several years the county to the westward was too poor to support a railroad. But in 1877 the work was resumed, and in 1878 trains Were running to Montevidio, 82.4 miles west of Glencoe. The first train reached Brownton June 18, 1878, and Stewart, on June 28, the work train arriving simultaneously with the laying of the rails,

This completed the east and west line of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul through McLeod county. It passes through the townships of Helen, Glencoe, Sumter and Collins, with Stations at Plato, Glencoe, Sumter, Brownton and Stewart. The nearest station east of the county is Norwood in Carver county, and the nearest station west of the county is Buffalo Lake in Renville county.

The same company, in 1886, completed a spur to Hutchinson, 4 distance of 13.27 miles. This spur was opened for business Oct. 6, 1886. It passes through the townships of Glencoe, Rich Valley and Hassan Valley, and has an intermediate station at

The St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway Co. built a line from Minneapolis Junction westward to Hutchinson in 1886, the line being opened for business Dec. 31, 1886. Thus Hutchinson was provided with two railroads the same year, one to Glencoe and one to Minneapolis. Hutchinson has econtinued to be the terminal point of both lines. The St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway Co. was leased for 999 years to the Great Northern Railway Co. on February 1, 1890. The line in McLeod county extends due east and west in the extreme northern part of Bergen, Rich Valley and Hassan Valley fownships. Its intermediate stations in this county are at Lester Prairie and South Silver Lake. The nearest station out- Side of the county is New Germany in Carver county.

The Luce line of the Electric Short Line Railway Co. was Sranted a right of way through the northern part of the county in 1909, Passenger service has now been in operation over a year from Minneapolis to Hutchinson. The line passes through Winsted, Hale and Hutchinson townships, with stations at Winsted, Hale and Hutchinson. Under its franchise the line can be extended westward through Acoma township. The idea of building the Luce Electric Lines was conceived by

- L. Luce, about fifteen years ago, and about eleven years of which were Spent in acquiring an adequate terminal in the city of Minneapolis. The rest of the time was spent in con- structing the line to Hutchinson. Plans are now under way for a system which will contain approximately 1000 miles, and cover the richest section of Minnesota and South Dakota. The promoters of the company have great future in the tremendous growth during the next ten years of the territory their lines are to traverse.