Milwaukee County Wisconsin Genealogy

 Milwaukee Railroads & Railways

Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad Company
The Western Historical Company, Chicago
A.T. Andreas Proprietor, 1881

Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad Company

Source: History of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, The Western Historical Company, Chicago; A.T. Andreas Proprietor, 1881, pg. 1398-1402

The preliminary steps toward constructing the present Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad were taken in 1856, when railroad charters were almost as numerous as the postoffices in the State, and enthusiasm for railroads was at its height. The first charter, called the Manitowoc & Mississippi, was granted to George Reed, Benj. Jones, S.A. Wood, Jarvis E. Platt, of Manitowoc; Harrison Reed, Joseph Turner and Charles Doty, of Menasha, and H.L. Palmer, of Milwaukee. The road was to be constructed from Manitowoc to the Mississippi River. The contracts were at once let for the work between Manitowoc and Menasha, the first earth being broken at the former place in 1856. The financial crisis of 1857 put a stop to all work on the road, although nearly everything was ready for the rails from the lake west to Menasha. Thus matters remained until 1871, when a new company, called the Appleton & New London Railway Company, which was chartered in 1866, came into possession of this grade. The road was turned to Appleton, finished and opened for business in the Fall of 1872.

Before this, however, in 1870, parties had attempted to secure a charter for a road from Milwaukee, through Sheboygan and Manitowoc, and to Appleton, but were defeated, principally by the Milwaukee & Northern, which was struggling for a charter through nearly the same country. When the latter corporation had secured its charter, another charter was granted to the Milwaukee, Manitowoc, & Green Bay Railroad Company, which was consolidated with the Appleton & New London Railway. The line, as it now exists, was thus formed, the finality not being arranged for, however, until 1872, when the name was changed to Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western, its present corporate title. Although this road is, and has always been, a great feeder for the trade and general commerce of Milwaukee, not a dollar of aid was granted by Milwaukee to lighten the burden of its construction. Aid was granted by other cities and counties along the route, as follows:
City of Sheboygan…………………$ 50,000
City of Manitowoc………………..$ 75,000
City of Two Rivers…………………$ 25,000
County of Sheboygan……………$ 80,000
County of Manitowoc…………..$250,000
Total…………………………………….$480,000

Later, in 1875-6, when the line was extended from Appleton to New London, the City of Appleton voted $75,000, and New London $6,000 of aid. Aside from these amounts, the money that was necessary to construct the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad came from Easter capitalists, who, for a period of five or six years, put, on an average, a quarter of a million per annum into the enterprise.

In 1874, the original projectors were unable to meet their obligations, and the road passed in the hands of the Eastern capitalists, who had purchased the bonds. They reorganized the company, infused into it new life and strength, and have since kept its finances in a healthy condition.

The first incorporators, named in the charter fiben by the Legislature in 1856, have been given. The corporation lay, practically, dormant until 1871, when the following were directors:
Joseph Vilas and Charles Luling, of Manitowoc
J. S. Buck, H.S. Blood and B.S. Douglas, of Appleton
F.W. Cotzhausen and J.E. Mann, of Milwaukee.

The foregoing were the offiers of the Appleton & New London Railway, which built the road from Appleton to Manitowoc, and then sold to the Milwaukee, Manitowoc & Green Bay Company. The first officers of the Milwaukee, Manitowoc & Green Bay Company were:
Charles Cain, of Milwaukee
Joseph Vilas, of Manitowoc
S.W. Cozzens and R.W. C. Murrington, of New York.
In 1874, when the bondholders came into possession of the road, the following persons became directors:
Lawrence Wells, W.H. Guion, S.S. Sands, Isaac H. Knox, of New York
T.C. Henry, of Philadelphia
Robert Garrett, of Baltimore

A few weeks later, H. Mann, of Milwaukee
James H. Mead, of Sheboygan
Joseph Vilas, of Manitowoc
Charles Dana and F.W. Rhinelander, of New York, were added to the Board, and the latter chosen as President.

The first annual meeting after the corporation became the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western was held June 14, 1876. At that time, F.W. Rhinelander was chosen President; W.H. Guion, Vice President; Charles Dana, Treasurer; S.S. Sands, Secretary. In 1877, the same officers were reelected, except Gordon Norrie was chosen Treasurer. IN 1878, the operating staff was: F.W. Rhinelander, President; W.H. Guion, Vice President; Alfred L. Cary, Secretary; H.G.H. Reed, Treasurer, Superintendent and Chief Engineer; Cottrill & Cary, Solicitors; H.F. Whitcomb, General Freight and Passenger Agent; J.D. McLeod, Auditor. For the year 1879 the officers were F.W. Rhinelander, President; W.H. Guion, Vice President; Arch. Rogers, Treasurer; A.L. Cary, Secretary; H.G.H. Reed, General Superintendent; H.F. Whitcomb, General Freight and Passenger Agent; C.F. Rand, Auditor.

At the date of last report, December 31, 1879, the company owned 188.1 miles of road; it owns and operates now about 250 miles of well-finished track. The total cost of the road to January 1, 1880, with equipment, was $7,546,182.47. The capital stock is $6,000,000,authorized by the charter, of which one-sixth is common and five-sixths preferred stock. The bonded debt is $1,345,000, due in 1905 and 1909. The total earnings for 1879 were $315,943.18, and the operating expenses $187,983.96.

The Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad Company is extending its lines and increasing its equipment and general facilities as rapidly as possible, the intention being to have lines tap the lumber and mining regions of the northern portion of the State, and ultimately of the northern peninsular of Michigan. This line enters the city from the north, its passenger-depot being at the foot of Wisconsin street, overlooking Lake Michigan.

General Officers:
The general officers of this road are as follows:
F.W. Rhinelander, President; New York
Wm. H. Guion, Vice President; New York
Allyn Cox, Treasurer; Milwaukee
Alfred L. Cary, Secretary; Milwaukee
J.P.C. Cotrill, Attorney; Milwaukee
H.G.H.Reed, General Superintendent; Milwaukee
H.F. Whitcomb, General Freight and Passenger Agent; Milwaukee
J. Donohue, Assistant Superintendent; Manitowoc
C.F. Rand, Auditor; Milwaukee
J.O. Thayer, General Land Agent; Milwaukee
S. Charnley, Master Mechanic; Manitowoc
C.S. Hayden, Train Dispatcher; Milwaukee
Harry C. Reed, Assistant Train Dispatcher; Milwaukee

Employees:
A.F. Graham, Freight Agent; Milwaukee
Martin Moran, conductor; Manitowoc
P.H. Moran, conductor; Manitowoc
Charles R. Bartlett, conductor; Manitowoc
H.N. Hullison, engineer; Manitowoc
Charles Ramus, roadmaster; Manitowoc
H.J. Frick, passenger conductor; Milwaukee
John Farin, Conductor; Manitowoc
Joseph E.Langlois, passenger conductor; Two Rivers, Manitowoc County
Wallace H. Holmes, passenger conductor; Wausau