Commonly referred to as the "Milwaukee Road" (or simply "The Road"), the origins of
this railroad began in 1847, when the Milwaukee and Waukesha Railroad was
incorporated. Three years later its first train operated between Milwaukee and
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and by 1857, its track reached Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. In
February 1874, the name changed to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway as
it continued to expand throughout the Midwest. By 1887, it reached into Iowa and
South Dakota, as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, and north into the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan.
In 1905, the Milwaukee Road decided to expand west again, this time to Puget Sound in
Washington. The "Lines West" were built between 1906-1909, from the middle of South
Dakota to Seattle and Tacoma in Washington. Even though the lines were technological
marvels, they were never successful, and were a major contributor to the bankruptcy
in 1925. In 1928 the Road reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul &
Pacific Railroad, but went bankrupt again in 1935 and 1945. In 1977, in financial
trouble once more, it reorganized and sold off two-thirds of its trackage. It was
acquired by the Soo Line Corp. on February 21, 1985, which operated it as the
Milwaukee Road, Inc. until merging it with their own lines on January 1, 1986.
The Traffic Department was an important part of the Milwaukee Road from at least 1865
until 1985 when the Soo Line purchased the company. The department was in charge of
freight and passenger business, helped secure new industries and developed new
traffic for the railroad. It also provided traffic estimates, rate information and
other matters concerning a shipper’s needs for special equipment. For many years,
the Traffic Department consisted of a Freight Department and a Passenger Department.
The Freight Department was responsible for the transportation of goods, while the
Passenger Department was responsible for rates, routing, marketing and providing
information about scenic viewpoints along the routes.
According to the November 1947 issue of Milwaukee Road
Magazine, Albert V.H. Carpenter established the Passenger Department in
1865. He was the company’s first general passenger and ticket agent and introduced
the consecutive numbering of card tickets. Additionally, he was also the father of
Isabelle Carpenter Kendall, who became the first editor of the Milwaukee Road Magazine. In the very early years,
Milwaukee Road passenger agents traveled throughout the United States to colonize
lands by convincing farmers it was in their best interest to sell land to the
railroad.
On August 1, 1929, an Agricultural Department was created as part of the Traffic
Department. The title was changed to the Agricultural and Mineral Development
Department on October 1, 1941. This department’s responsibilities included helping
farmers improve crop and livestock production, conserving natural resources and
studying the best places for land utilization. The department operated until the
early 1970s when it became absorbed by the Market Development and Pricing
Department.
On January 16, 1973, the Traffic Department changed its organizational structure to
accommodate the needs of its customers. The newly organized department now consisted
of a Vice President of Market Development and Pricing and a Vice President of Sales
and Service, with several offices under each Vice President. The primary goal of
this reorganization was to improve the profitability of the department and develop
new global markets. On January 1, 1975, a new Passenger Services Department was
formed as a branch of the Operating Department. This brought all areas of the
Milwaukee Road’s Amtrak, commuter and passenger operations together under one
office. The Commuter and Passenger Services Department that had existed as an
extension of the Traffic Department was eliminated, along with the Mass Transit
Services Department.
