Soo Line Railroad Company Collection

Collection

Identifier: Oversize 7

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Collection of architectural drawings of the dining car employee building at Enderlin, depots, ice house, cattle shute related to the Soo Line, maps showing the rail lines through a number of North Dakota towns, including Enderlin, Fairmount, Max, Wilton, Wishek, Devils Lakes, Drake, Hankinson, Harvey, Kensal and Minot, N.D., and elevation maps of several Soo railroad lines. Also includes a corporate history chart of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway Co. (1916) and color posters of Soo Line 7-post boxcars and GP30 locomotive. A photocopy of a manuscript by James W. Lydon titled 'History of Soo Line Railroad' processed separately as Small Collection 109. There is also a copy of "Combined Soo, Milwaukee, and MN & S Lines System Diagram Map" and resolution of thanks to John Hjellum who served on the Soo Line Board of Directors (1981).

Dates

1906-2000.

Creator

Lydon, James W. (Person)

Access

The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Institute.

Copyrights

Copyrights to this collection remain with the original creators.

History

The Soo Line Railroad was completed in 1893 and brought settlers to North Dakota and Saskatchewan. At that time, it consisted of four main but separate lines: Minneapolis, Sault Sainte Marie, and Atlantic Railway Company in Wisconsin; Minneapolis and Saint Croix Railway Company in Minnesota; Minneapolis and Pacific Railway Company in Minnesota; and Aberdeen, Bismarck, and Northwestern Railway Company (including Ordway, Bismarck, and Northwestern Railway Company) in Dakota Territory. In 1888, these railway companies consolidated into the Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and Sault Sainte Marie Railway Co. The Soo Line Railroad Co. was formed in 1961 when the Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and Sault Sainte Marie Railroad Company merged with Wisconsin Central and Duluth, South Shore, and Atlantic. The Soo Line Corporation Holding Company was formed in 1984 and merged with Milwaukee Road, Inc. and Minneapolis, Northfield, and Southern Railway in 1986. In 1990, Canadian Pacific gained full control of the Soo Line Corporation and in the 2000s, Soo Line was consolidated into Canadian Pacific. Most engines no longer bear the Soo name in favor of the Canadian Pacific Logo. Throughout its history, it has been important for transporting grain and passengers alike. The name “Soo” comes from the phonetic spelling of the pronunciation of “sault,” meaning “rapids” in Middle French, from Sault Sainte Marie.