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.
Throughout its history the Legal Department played an integral role with the
Milwaukee Road. In 1974, the Legal Department was led by Raymond Merrill and James
Reedy. According to the April 1974 Milwaukee Road
Magazine, the Department “protects the railroad’s privilege to engage in
a business that benefits both the customer and the railroad”. During this time, the
Milwaukee Road operated in 16 states, employing 13 attorneys in the Chicago office
working full-time handling legal affairs. When the Milwaukee Road filed for
Reorganization in 1977, the Legal Department played a crucial role in handling the
proceedings.
