Fargo and Southern Railroad Photograph Collection
Collection
Identifier: Photo 412
Scope and Content
The Fargo and Southern Railroad Photograph Collection currently only holds one photographic print. Identification on back states "Building Fargo & Southern Railroad between Wheaton, MN & White Rock, DT, June or July 1884".
Dates
- 1884
Access
The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the NDSU Archives.
Copyrights
Copyrights to this collection remain with the creator or is in public domain.
History
Wishing to reduce freight charges, 23 Fargo business pooled $100,000 in 1881 to build a railroad line from Fargo south to Ortonville, Minnesota (117 miles away) where they planned to link with the Milwaukee Road. Construction of the line began in 1883. The first official Fargo and Southern train ran on the evening of July 2, 1884. The first passenger train ran on August 17. Within a few months, the railroad was running two passenger trains daily and had built a brick depot at 2nd Avenue and 11th Street north. They also built a freight depot two blocks west at 13th Street.
Just as the Northern Pacific established Fargo, so did the Fargo and Southern establish Abercrombie and Wheaton in 1884. In fact, Wheaton was named in honor of Daniel Thomas Wheaton, the civil engineer and county surveyor who did the original plat work for the Fargo and Southern Railroad. The railroad was short-lived, however. Bowing to financial pressures, H.E. Sargent, President of the Fargo and Southern (who lived in Chicago) sold the line to the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad (later known as the Milwaukee Road). The last solely passenger train left the depot on December 7, 1931. The railroad continued mixed operations (passenger and freight) until October 31, 1956, when all passenger service was stopped. The passenger depot became a freight depot at that time. In December 1961, the depot was essentially abandoned as the Milwaukee Railroad modernized their office and freight operations.
Just as the Northern Pacific established Fargo, so did the Fargo and Southern establish Abercrombie and Wheaton in 1884. In fact, Wheaton was named in honor of Daniel Thomas Wheaton, the civil engineer and county surveyor who did the original plat work for the Fargo and Southern Railroad. The railroad was short-lived, however. Bowing to financial pressures, H.E. Sargent, President of the Fargo and Southern (who lived in Chicago) sold the line to the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad (later known as the Milwaukee Road). The last solely passenger train left the depot on December 7, 1931. The railroad continued mixed operations (passenger and freight) until October 31, 1956, when all passenger service was stopped. The passenger depot became a freight depot at that time. In December 1961, the depot was essentially abandoned as the Milwaukee Railroad modernized their office and freight operations.
Extent
1 Photographic Prints (1 Photographic print)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Fargo and Southern Railroad was a short lived railroad company started by 23 Fargo businessmen to link Fargo with the Milwaukee Road in Ortonville, Minnesota.
Provenance
Donor unknown.
Separated Glass Negative
Original glass negative housed in the Institute 5x7 Glass Negative Collection (5x7G-1)
Property rights
The NDSU Archives owns the property rights to this collection.
- Title
- Finding Aid to the Fargo and Southern Railroad Photograph Collection
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Institute for Regional Studies Repository
Contact:
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu