DUBUQUE AND MONROE RAILROAD

DUBUQUE AND MONROE RAILROAD. The construction of a railroad across western Wisconsin to the MISSISSIPPI RIVER and certainly Dubuque was proposed in 1867. On August 23rd a lengthy letter was published in The Herald from a person in Platteville strongly suggesting that all hope of people in Shullsburg, Wisconsin for the railroad had disappeared. This self-serving letter suggested that a Mr. Beecher of the Mineral Point Railroad and the Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien Railroad was willing to construct five miles of railroad using his own money the first year, five the second, and six the next into Platteville. The condition was that the residents of Platteville, Belmont, Elk Grove, and Kendall would through a vote support a certain amount of stock. Platteville had voted to support $140,000 in stock. If the vote failed, two individuals and a few others, had promised to raise the needed amount themselves. It was, however, up to the people of Dubuque to finance the railroad west from Platteville or "die of starvation." (1)

The Dubuque, Platteville & Milwaukee Railroad completed the construction of 9.6 miles of track from Calamine to Belmont in 1868. In 1870 the Dubuque, Platteville & Milwaukee Railroad completed construction of 7½ miles of track from Belmont to Platteville. (2) In October, 1871 Mr. N. B. Everts, the chief engineer of the Iowa Pacific made a new survey of the proposed route via Platteville and reported a route superior to the original survey. Estimates of the amount of grading per mile were lessened which would make construction cheaper. (3)

As proposed in 1871, the railroad would be extended from Monroe, Wisconsin to Dubuque by the Milwaukee, St. Paul Railroad. Interest was being generated from citizens in Wisconsin encouraging Dubuque residents to have another link with the Great Lakes. (4) Advertisements for the line also indicated it would pass through the LEAD and ZINC mining region of Wisconsin. (5)

In August, The Herald reported that a "prominent Dubuque citizen" had returned from Wisconsin after finding that opponents to the project were spreading rumors. It was being said that Dubuque was using interest in the Monroe branch to increase interest in some other route. On Saturday, August 19, 1871 citizens of Shullsburg, New Diggings, Benton, and Hazel Green, Wisconsin were to vote whether they supported the project. Somewhat late to address the issue, a group of Dubuque leaders formed a committee to reassure the people in Wisconsin. A resolution was written and published in the Dubuque newspapers. (6)

On June 14, 1872 the Galena Gazette reported the failure of a meeting between businessmen from Dubuque and Shullsburg with officers of the Milwaukee & St. Paul. (7) Writers of The Herald, however, were happy to announce that the reported "death" of the meeting was premature. Two of the three members of the Dubuque delegation had remained in Milwaukee and it appeared possible that the directors of the railroad would visit Dubuque. (8)

No other information has been found.

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Source:

1. "Dubuque & Monroe Railroad," The Herald, August 23, 1867, p. 4

2. "Dubuque, Platteville and Milwaukee Railroad," Wikipedia. Online: http://riptrack.net/wisconsin-19th

3. "Dubuque & Monroe Railway," The Herald, December 23, 1871, p. 4

4. "Dubuque & Monroe Road," The Herald, August 19, 1871, p. 4

5. "The Milwaukee Railroad," The Herald, February 28, 1872, p. 2

6. "Dubuque & Monroe Road (Aug. 19)

7. "Dubuque & Monroe Railroad," The Daily Herald, June 14, 1872, p. 4

8. Ibid.