Railroad: Escanaba, Iron Mountain & Western Railroad Co.

Built → Escanaba, Iron Mountain & Western Railroad Company → Chicago & North Western (ore line)

Operated independently for less than one year.

Line completed: 1891

Leased to: C&NW in 1891. Became their "Ore Subdivision".

Became: Merged into Chicago & Northwestern in 1947.

Reference: [MRRC]

Notes

Though roads like this were often construction railroads, this road was built by an iron mine owner for the specific purpose of bringing iron ore from Iron, Florence, Dickinson counties to ore docks in Escanaba.

The EIM&W also built an ore dock in Escanaba (later known as C&NW #5).

After being leased, this line was operated by the C&NW as its "ore line" between Antoine (Iron Mountain) and the docks at Escanaba. Loaded ore cars used this line east bound, with empty ore cars returning westbound on the C&NW's lines from Escanaba to Powers and then west to Iron Mountain.

This line was later known as the "Schlesinger Line". [EDP-1948-1217] It was anticipated that this road would bring iron ore from ranges near Iron Mountain and Crystal Falls, owned by Frederick Schlesinger. Chaplin owned the Chaplin Mine during this period. It was quickly leased to the C&NW before reaching most of those mines.

C&NW, which leased the line before it was completed, shows the line extending into Florence County, WI. It essentially ran parallel to the C&NW Iron Mountain to Watersmeet line. It ran north of Florence where the other line ran south into Florence.

In Wisconsin, it appears that the line was never operated. Some road bed had rail, some was just graded, and the remainder was just land purchased in anticipation of building the line to Crystal Falls and Iron River. It is not clear from the drawings whether bridges were ever built over the Menominee or Brule rivers. [CNWV]

Time Line

1890. March. The negotiations between the Soo railroad and Ferdinand Schlesinger, whereby the railroad has tried to convince Mr. Schlesinger that it would be cheaper for the mining and railroad syndicate of which he is the leading spirit to use a portion of its road in the transportation of ore from its mines on the Menominee range than to expend a large sum in building a new road, it seems, have failed to connect. The proposition of the Soo Line was to allow the Schlesinger syndicate, or that portion of it interested in the railroad, to use the track and pay its portion of the expenses and it seems to Manager Underwood, of the Soo Line, that the syndicate is short sighted in allowing the opportunity to pass.

Of the new railroad, which is to be known as the Escanaba, Iron Mountain & Western, Mr. Schlesinger says: "In about ten days, work will begun on the new line - that is to say, the right-of-way will be cut and preparations made for the grading and track laying work in the spring. The syndicate which is building the road will be independent of the so-called Schlesinger mines, but will handle most of the ore. There will be no partiality shown to any railroad. The North-Western, of course, will get just as much of our ore as heretofore, because the output is to be increased sufficiently to supply the new line. It will be almost exclusively an ore road and transport ore from Crystal Falls, Iron Mountain and Florence to Escanaba." [DD-1890-0301]

1891. February. The Chapin Mine (in Iron Mountain) shipped 750,000 tons of Bessemer ore this year via the new road from Iron Mountain to Escanaba (known as the Ore Line), owned by the Schlesinger syndicate. The new line carries Chapin ore instead of using its former route to Escanaba on the C&NW. This amounts to five trains per day and is the majority of ore transported between the two towns. It is now stated on what we regard as good authority, that the Vanderbilts, either for themselves personally or for the Northwestern Road, which they control, have purchased both the Chapin mine and the new road of the Schlesinger syndicate. [DFP-1891-0202] Editors note: Vanderbilt's C&NW competed with the Milwaukee & Northern, which had apparently assisted the Schlesinger group with building the EIM&W and may have anticipated operating it for them.

1891. April. The EIM&W road has been closed out, Stetson, Trombly & Kent of New York, being the real purchaser. It is probable that the C&NW will control the road. [LCD-1891-0402]

1893. At a meeting of the stockholders of Escanaba, Iron Mountain & Western railroad company, held at Iron Mountain, Jan. 11th, 1893, the following board of directors were [sic] elected: Byron L. Smith, Albert Keep, M.M. Kirkman, J.B. Redfield, Charles E. Simmons, Chicago. As four of the above are Chicago & Northwestern men it is hardly likely that Mr. Schlesinger will operate the E.I.M. & W. this summer. [RTR-1893-0119]

1894. The I. Stephenson Co. has commenced suit in circuit court to eject the Escanaba, Iron Mountain & Western Railroad company, better known as the "Schlesinger road," from the land occupied by that company [in Escanaba] for railway yards and dock purposes. When the road was completed it was transferred to the Chicago & North—Western Railway company, and has been operated by the latter ever since, but only during the seasons of navigation. The I. Stephenson company, who donated the land and water front to the Schlesinger syndicate, did so with the strict understanding that the line would be operated continuously, and they sold several hundred lots, mostly to poor people, who thought they saw an opportunity for a good investment. It was generally believed that the new road meant a great boom for Escanaba, as it would give this place a competing line of railway.

Nobody dreamed that Schlesinger would ever be anything else than the "iron king" of America, but almost unexpectedly the Chicago & North-Western company secured control of the new line, and the result was that those who bought real estate at the terminus suffered a great financial loss. The I. Stephenson company will do its best to see that the Chicago & North Western company will use the Schlesinger line for something more than a mere sham. There are hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in improvements on the disputed land, such as railway yards, a mammoth ore dock, and an extensive lumber dock, etc. [RTR-1894-0210]