This collection consists of Authorizations for Expenditure and Minor Improvement
Authorizations of the Milwaukee Road. The folders contain correspondence, maps,
drawings, photographs, and receipts. The AFEs primarily cover activities for the
Superior Division, which ran from North Milwaukee to the Upper Peninsula of
Michigan, and primarily includes Minnesota and Wisconsin, but includes others states
as well. There are typically three parts to an AFE: the request for an AFE, which
originates from whichever department needed something; the authorization of an AFE,
this was issued by the department head, budget department, or other authority
figure; and the completion of the AFE, which originated from whomever did the work,
often an outside company. Not every file contains all these parts; some may not have
any of them except for a brief description of the work that was done. Some of the
AFEs were cancelled before they were completed while others have empty files.
Occasionally, there is no number for an AFE. These distinctions are noted in the
contents list.
