Train To Ellsworth, Beldenville

 My decision to focus on Beldenville, a midpoint on the Ellsworth leg of the rail line had more to do with what Beldenville had once been than on anything else.  Hudson, River Falls, Ellsworth all grew in size and population.  Beldenville wasn't the only town/village that failed to grow along the line but the change in size is the most prominent of those villages.

Sources, again, Arlyn Colby's book as well as this publication from the Pierce County Historical Society of which I'm a member.  In this Volume Nine - Beldenville I'm including photos from the following book as well as a chapter written by Pat Mory, her The Interesting Story of The Railroad between Hudson, River Falls and Ellsworth.  Again, permission was obtained as long as I gave credit to the sources.

From the 1908 Plat Book.....

  

The 1974 USGS Topo map....

  

Where the Right of Way followed topography and the path through Beldenville. 

  

 Researched and Written by Pat Mory - Building the Branch Line

 "By 1871 the Western Wisconsin Railway had built a line from Eau Claire to Hudson.  With all the railroad activity in St. Croix county and tracks for the Chicago Burlington and Quincy line being laid through southern Pierce County, people were talking railroads.

Much speculation was going on concerning the railroads.  Many people were waiting to buy railroad land should it become available.  Groups of people with capital on hand were looking to get involved in railroad ownership as the newest way to make a profit.  Each attempt to attract a rail line caused questions as to who would build the railroad, where would the capital come from, where would lines be built, and most of all, when would a railroad actually get completed.  After many failed attempts, local people remained persistent and talk continued."

"A small company, the Hudson and River Falls Railway Company was formed and a line between Hudson and River Falls was complete by October 1878.  "A trainload of invited quests came down from the Twin Cities and were royally entertained by the ppeople of River Falls.  A banquet was served at which nearly six hundred people sat down at the tables, after which exercises commemorative of the occasion were held at the Normal hall, which was crowded to its utmost capacity.""

Note the siding and spur in Beldenville. 

  

Modern aerial view of Beldenville courtesy of Google.  The right of way highlighted in magenta, the sidings and railroad concerning structures circled in red.

Aerial view from 1939....(Wisconsin Historical Image)

 

 

"The main exports from the River Falls area at the time were various farm products and timber.  To get an idea of the actual amount of products moved.....

 

This was a listing for goods shipped from the River Falls station in just the month of February, a month in which the mills had been shut down part of the time.  One can only wonder how much flour was sent out in a good month if 50,000 pounds was a "poor showing."  The newspaper does report that in the next year, 1881, the amount of flour leaving River Falls totaled 11,720,000 pounds.  Other big export items for 1881 included 5,436,500 pounds of wood, 5, 436, 564 pounds of lime and 4,842,500 pounds of railroad ties."
 

Typical track map w/location, Township 26 North, Range 18 W.

 

Talk again and again returned to extending the line to Ellsworth or beyond.  Rumors were kept alive in the newspapers.  In March 1885 the Prescott Plain Dealer reported "The extension of a railroad from River Falls to Ellsworth has become a certainty...The building and completion of the road, at so early a day, is almost entirely due to the influence and energy of the Hon. H. B. Warner, senator from this district, who is now more than repaying his woods friends, who have stuck to him for the last twenty years like wood ticks." 

 

"With the exception of a few spans the bridges are all completed from River Falls to Forestville and the piling is all driven to the Ellsworth town line.  The pile driver is now at work on the 1200 foot trestle.  This structure will be completed in 30 days...So far as we can learn the railroad company has been very liberal in dealing with land owners.  We shall probably see a locomotive in Ellsworth early in September----so it looks now." 

 

A siding was being built into the mill at Beldenville (on F. Severence's property) in November 1885.  There were arguments as to where the depot should be built at Beldenville.  Finally it was decided that the Beldenville depot was to be "definitely located on land formerly owned by J. Collins"  In reality, the depot didn't get built for more than two years.

 

 

Photo courtesy of Arlyn Colby.....

 Rumors were running rampant..."A prominent railroad official was recently overheard to say that the Ellsworth railroad extension would be continued to Red Wing as soon as the frost is out of the ground in the spring."

Then the November 11, 1885 Pierce County Herald carried the headline "RAILROAD OPENING! The Omaha Extension to Ellsworth Completed and Ready for Business...Quite a Day for the Backwoods."

Photos from Brian Gilbertson.....

 

 

The original Beldenville depot was built in 1888 but was very small.  It was replaced in 1890 and additions were made in 1891 and 1898 as seen in the roof.

 Beldenville saw many changes with the coming of the railroad.  Even though Beldenville had been established early in the history of the county, growth had been slow.  Before the railroad, C.J. Baker had already established a blacksmith shop, stave and heading mills were in business, C.C. Ferguson had a farm for breeding thoroughbred horses, and a general store and post office were operating.  There was talk of a depot in September 1887 with construction taking place in December 1887 on the left side of the crossing.  A small passenger depot was opened with George Fletcher as the first station agent in 1888.

After the arrival of the railroad several more manufacturing interests became practical since there was a way to transport goods out of the valley.  The timber had always been there, but moving it was very difficult until the railroad arrived.  The Hudson manufacturing Company set up veneering and circular saw mills for the manufacturing of both veneer and lumber.  As of April 1890 this enterprise employed 40 men and had control of two million feet of logs.  Woods & Larson set up a saw mill and were waiting to saw up to 800,000 feet of logs piled in their yard.  "They are operating a store with general merchandise and have plans to construct a large store and another for a commodious hotel and boarding house."  

A general merchandise store, a harness shop, a meat market and a public hall for "meetings of all kinds" with a general repair shop on the lower level all followed the arrival of the railroad.  With all of this activity, citizens were anxious for easier access to shipping, they met with "Omaha officials" about facilities for handling and storing freight.  Also, there was interest in a doctor/pharmacy business since "...this place is getting to be a regular hummer and now is the time to locate here and catch your portion of the music and money...."

In April 1890 surveyors were locating a spot for a depot possibly near the veneering mill switch as a "commodious depot and freight station" were greatly needed.  Land speculation and logging became the main business activity for the next 20 years.  As the cut timber moved further and further from the area towards the east, plans were considered for extending the railroad, not only to the uncut forests but also to a potential "new" town.  As timber was removed, stumps were the next obstacle as the cleared land became crop land.

But the railroad actually had little impact on the population.  The railroad workers left and after the forests were cut, the loggers did as well.  It was the local farmers that kept the railroad profitable.

Photo from Jeff Bjork....

Two fashionably-attired ladies appear to be waiting for the arrival of the train to take them to their destinations.  Included in the picture are various items to assist loading and unloading baggage.

 

 "From that date (1885) the increase in freight has been slow, owing partly to the fact that the lands are most improved, that the timber has largely disappeared and the industries that were dependent upon a supply from the forests have largely disappeared.  There being no very large water powers in the county, the opportunity for manufacturing has not been large and the people have been contented with improving their farms or homes and slowly accumulating wealth."

In 1889 5,630,000 pounds of goods were shipped from nearby Ellsworth and a year later, 7,600,000 pounds left their facilities.  332 loaded cars left the depot in December 1890.

Photo from Brian Gilbertson....

L. Larson & Son had 18 manure spreaders, one corn husker, several harrows, corn planters, and a few wagons brought in by train on April 3, 1913.  Attending the big parade were company representatives from the International Harvester Co., Appleton Manufacturing Co., and S. McManus & Co.  The Beldenville band played and about 200 people were given a big dinner.

 

 

Photo from Brian Gilbertson....

From River Falls Journal....

 

 

By December 1928 newspapers are reporting changes in passenger service on a trial basis, no longer and morning and evening passenger train, instead a mixed freight/passenger schedule was implemented.  "This change will not make much difference to River Falls as far as passenger service is concerned as practically no one uses the trains anyway."

A hearing was held was held in October 1930 on the local branch, the question about closing the Beldenville depot, the decision to close the depot permanently.  The depot burned within a couple of years and was not replaced.  This was being repeated throughout the Omaha system.  "Throughout the bleak 1930s as North Western men were laid off in droves and others retired, many migrated to far less harsh climates than those native to the Omaha or C&NW."

 

There was a resurgence of business during the war years but it quickly dropped off again as rationing ended.  The railroad attempted to encourage industry, adapted diesel power but profits escaped them and most if not all of the single-man stations were closed.

In 1964 freight movement continued to drop and though many local businesses still hoping to take advantage of rail service met with railroad officials to plead their case, closing of the line seemed imminent.  Then in March 1965, Clinton Jones of Houghton, Michigan made an application to buy the line and keep it open as an independent rail line.  He hoped to operate a steam-powered passenger excursion train with the capability of continued freight service to businesses along the line.  Jones hoped to finance the railroad through selling bonds and with local financing.  "The River Falls Railway Co. was incorporated by September of 1965 with Clint Jones as President.  The new corporation owned a diesel locomotive, a steam locomotive of 120 tons and a caboose to be used for freight and passenger excursions."  Plans were abandoned when the necessary funds weren't able to be secured.

 

Photo from John Goodman....

 

 

Photo from Clint Jones, 1964.....

 

 

Photo from Arlyn Colby...

 The Severance siding location.....into those trees

"The last train left River Falls at 12:10 p.m. on Saturday, February 1966.  After that day, all train service between Hudson and Ellsworth was discontinued."  "Gone forever....Line Abandoned" was the headline.  By June 16, 1966 the tracks were all removed, followed by trestles and bridges.

 

 

Highway 65 bridge....Photo from Clint Jones

Photo from Arlyn Colby....

 

 

Photo from Wisconsin Historical Aerial Image 

 

Photos from Ken Close....

 

Maynard Trestle.....

 

 

Photos from Clint Jones....

 

 

Photo from Clint Jones...

 

 

Photo from Arlyn Colby...

Ellsworth today....

 

 

Photo from Rod Peters....

 

 

I think that is enough here, hopefully it gives a reasonable background to what this and other small branch railroads went through in their life cycle.  I focused on some things most interesting to me and hopefully I've made clear how much of this material was lifted verbatim from Arlyn's book and the Pierce County Historical Society's Beldenville book.

I would encourage you, if the interest is there and even if you're curiosity hasn't quite been quenched with what I've shared here that you pursue membership in a or your Historical Society to learn more about those or any other times in our history.  I'm sure Arlyn would graciously sell you a copy of this book or his many other regional Wisconsin railroad publications.  He's done an incredible job sourcing, documenting, photographing and drawing the materials.....his books are art in themselves.

Next in my queue are some rally Posts and ride highlight Posts, hopefully those will be online soon.

Thanks much for sticking with these, hope you found something to enjoy and be more curious about.