The Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad was the first railroad between St Paul and Duluth.
After several years of surveying, clearing land, building trestles, and laying track, the first train traveling from St. Paul arrived in Duluth at 11:30 PM, August 1, 1870. The completion of the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad was a momentous event in the history of Minnesota, as well as in expasion of railroads in the country. The 154 miles of track connected the head of navigation of the Great Lakes with the head of navigation on the Mississippi River. This greatly increased two-way commercial traffic between Midwestern and Eastern markets and brought people to build the town and industries that we see today.
The section of track from Thomson to Fond du Lac, known as the Skally line, followed the St. Louis River through (what is now) Jay Cooke State Park. This portion of the original track was chalenged by steep and rocky and a long (nine mile) grade requiring many high wooden trestles. These trestles were difficult to maintain and posed a fire threat due to the wood burning locomotives of the day. The Duluth Short Line Railway built an alternate route into Duluth in 1888 eliminating the dangers of the Skally line. Today, the Munger State Trail uses much of the route created by the Duluth Short Line and Lake Superior and Mississippi Railraod.
Since 1980, the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad has operated as a tourist excursion using a portion of the original right-of-way and, in some places the original track, along the river from the Gary-New Duluth neighborhood to the Fremont neighborhood in Duluth.
Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad History
This documentary was created in 1983 by LSM volunteers.
It takes you back to the beginning in 1870 up to 1983.
The LS&M became the St. Paul & Duluth Railway and later a part of the Northern Pacific Railway which constructed railroads across the American West. Since 1870, Duluth has participated in transcontinental and international trade by rail and shipping through the Port of Duluth & Superior.
Happy birthday to the first train in duluth
August 1, 2020, is a time for celebration on the Railroad: the 150th year anniversary of completion of the original Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad into Duluth.
The LS&M was the catalyst in opening up commerce in Duluth allowing both rail and shipping opportunities to increase the population in Duluth many fold. Thus, the LS&M is significant historically, culturally and socially by connecting Duluth with the other centers of population as well as bringing the advent of the technically advanced steam engine into the City.
The St. Paul Press (newspaper) printed the following on August 2, 1870. “At thirty-five minutes past 11 o’clock p.m. of August 1st, 1870, the First Through Train [sic] on the Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad arrived at Duluth—having left St. Paul at seven o’clock and fifteen minutes the same morning. Late was the hour crowds of the people of Duluth lined the track and surrounded the Depot on the Lake Shore [sic], and bonfires blazed and human voices cheered as the locomotive that had in the morning drank of the waters of the Mississippi stood smoking panting, and thirsty on the shores of our Inland Sea and replenished its tank from its crystal waters alongside the track.”
The Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad organization of today is an all-volunteer tourist excursion that follows the 6 miles of the original route from West Duluth to Boy Scout Landing in Gary New Duluth.
Our History Committee assembled the necessary historical documents and presented ic document that was presented to the Duluth Heritage and Preservation Commision in November 2017.
The Duluth City Council on July 8th, 2019 approved with the support of the Heritage and Preservation Commission the rail right of way we run on as a local heritage preservation landmark.
