121-697: The West Wisconsin Railway was a small railroad in Wisconsin, connecting the Chicago and North Western Railway at Elroy, Wisconsin to Hudson, Wisconsin . It became part of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway ("Omaha Road"). This Omaha Road merged into the Chicago and North Western Railway. Today some of its route is still active as Union Pacific 's Altoona Subdivision between Saint Paul and Altoona, Wisconsin . An 1871 proposal map shows
242-581: A grain elevator in Fremont, NE , while several other GP7's, GP9's, and a few other CNW locomotives are owned by regional railroads, short lines, or industries. As of 2020, 9771 and 6706 have yet to be repainted. Union Pacific continues to follow its new tradition of releasing "Heritage" EMD SD70ACe units to represent the paint schemes of companies absorbed by UP. After painting at the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad 's Horicon, WI shop, UP 1995 , painted in
363-712: A "Heritage" C&NW paint scheme, was unveiled on July 15, 2006, at North Western Station in Chicago, IL. The North Western Station was rechristened to the Ogilvie Transportation Center in 1997 to honor Richard B. Ogilvie , a former governor of Illinois and well as the creator of the Regional Transportation Authority . The station serves as UP's Metra terminus for its three lines ( Union Pacific West Line , Union Pacific Northwest Line , and Union Pacific North Line ). However, many longtime Chicago residents still refer to
484-467: A capacity of more than 20,000 cars. Potatoes from the west were one of the main crops carried by the CNW, and its potato sheds in Chicago were the nation's largest. It also carried western sugar beets and huge amounts of corn and wheat. This road, like other lines depending strongly on transportation of crops, was adversely affected by government agricultural credit policies, which sealed a lot of products on
605-402: A decline of 3.2% from 2010. According to the 2010 census , 103,211 people live in the 12 towns of at least 4,000 people, covering 96.5 square miles (250 km ). A total of 116,548 people live in the 18 towns and villages of at least 2,000 people, which cover 108.5 square miles (281 km )—less than 1% of the peninsula's land area. Federal censuses indicate that the population of
726-707: A dozen of C&NW's bilevel railcars and painted them with the Phase III paint used with Amtrak's EMD F40PH locomotives. They are no longer in use. In conjunction with Union Pacific and Southern Pacific , the North Western operated some long distance passenger trains , including the Overland Limited , City of Los Angeles , City of San Francisco , City of Denver , and the Challenger . These services lasted from 1889 to 1955, after which
847-474: A few of them. The railroad operated what was once the largest "potato yard" or potato market, at its Chicago Wood Street yards. Potatoes came to the yard from every point in the United States to be bought or traded by produce dealers and brokers. While the facility came to be known as the "potato yard", it was also a site where other vegetables could be bought, sold or traded. In 1891, the CNW adopted
968-444: A kind of meat turnover originally brought to the region by Cornish miners, is popular among locals and tourists alike. Pasty varieties include chicken, venison, pork, hamburger, and pizza, all of which many restaurants serve. Many restaurants serve potato sausage and cudighi , a spicy Italian meat. Finnish immigrants contributed nisu , a cardamom -flavored sweet bread; limppu , an Eastern Finnish rye bread; pannukakku ,
1089-622: A large variety of wildlife. Some of the mammals found in the UP include shrews , moles , mice, white-tailed deer , moose , black bears , cougar , gray and red foxes , wolves , river otters , martens , fishers , muskrats , bobcats , coyotes , snowshoe hares , cotton-tail rabbits , porcupines , chipmunks , squirrels, raccoons , opossum and bats. There is a large variety of birds, including hawks, osprey, owls, gulls, hummingbirds, chickadees, robins (the state bird), woodpeckers, warblers, and bald eagles. In terms of reptiles and amphibians ,
1210-689: A limited operation, instead of a full-blown program. The steam tour took place in May 1982, dubbed the "Prosperity Special" , to promote the C&;NW's locomotive and rolling stock upgrades. As a result of the Prosperity Special’ s success, additional steam tours took place in the ensuing years throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. Some of the trains used C&NW track rights to travel over Milwaukee Road and Burlington Northern trackage. The final steam tour took place in 1987, during
1331-585: A number of rest areas in Thor, Dakota City, Bradgate, and Rutland. The trail crosses the Boone River west of Eagle Grove. It is a Deck Plate Girder and Trestle that is 280 Feet Total, 80 Foot Main Spans. Upper Peninsula of Michigan The Upper Peninsula of Michigan —also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. or Yoop —is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up
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#17327879997061452-785: A parody of the "Say YES to Michigan" slogan promoted by state tourism officials, shows an outline of the Upper Peninsula and the slogan, "Say ya to da UP, eh!" The dialect and culture are captured in many songs by Da Yoopers , a comedy music and skit troupe from Ishpeming . Newspapers of the Upper Peninsula include The Daily News in Iron Mountain, The Menominee County Journal in Stephenson , The Daily Mining Gazette in Houghton, The Daily Press in Escanaba, and
1573-708: A roundabout with the Capital City State Trail, which is not a rail trail. The former Illinois Central line , now the Badger State Trail , runs on a bridge directly above the roundabout and has ramps connecting to the Capital City and Cannonball Paths. This area is known as the "Velo Underround". The Cowboy Trail is a rail trail that follows the abandoned CNW line between Chadron, Nebraska and Norfolk, Nebraska . When completed, it will be 321 miles in length. The Glacial River Trail
1694-498: A variant on the pancake with a custard flavor; viili (sometimes spelled "fellia"), a stretchy, fermented Finnish milk; and korppu , hard slices of toasted cinnamon bread, traditionally dipped in coffee. Some Finnish foods such as juusto (squeaky cheese, essentially a cheese curd , like Leipäjuusto ) and saunamakkara (a ring-bologna sausage) have become so ubiquitous in Upper Peninsula cuisine that they are now commonly found in most grocery stores and supermarkets. Maple syrup
1815-723: Is Mount Arvon , at 1,979 feet (603 m). Michigan's Upper Peninsula is bounded on land by Wisconsin to the southwest and west; and in territorial waters by Minnesota to the west, Ontario to the west, north and east, and the Door Peninsula of Wisconsin extends into Lake Michigan east of the western Upper Peninsula. Five Michigan Upper Peninsula counties include nearby major islands: Mackinac Island , Round Island and Bois Blanc Island in Lake Huron are in Mackinac County ; Sugar Island and Neebish Island in
1936-527: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Chicago and North Western Railway The Chicago and North Western ( reporting mark CNW ) was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States . It was also known as the "North Western" . The railroad operated more than 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over 12,000 miles (19,000 km) of track in seven states before retrenchment in
2057-470: Is a highly prized local delicacy. Fresh Great Lakes fish, such as the lake trout , whitefish , and (in the spring) smelt are widely eaten. There is minimal concern about contamination of fish from Lake Superior waters. Smoked fish is also popular. Thimbleberry jam and chokecherry jelly are a treat. The Upper Peninsula is rich in mineral deposits, including iron, copper, nickel, and silver. Small amounts of gold have also been discovered and mined. In
2178-557: Is a rail trail that follows the abandoned CNW line between Milton, Wisconsin and Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin . The Military Ridge State Trail runs from Fitchburg to Dodgeville on the former "Ridgerunner" line. It connects with the Cannonball Bike Path in Fitchburg. The Peace Trail runs between Janesville, Wisconsin and Beloit, Wisconsin next to the existing ex-Milwaukee Road line.. The Sangamon Valley Trail
2299-509: Is another rail trail, currently 5.5-mile (8.9 km) in length, on the west side of Sangamon County in Illinois , which skirts Springfield, Illinois . It is a segment of a former St. Louis, Peoria and North Western Railway 38-mile (61.2 km) right-of-way (which was later folded into the CNW) that has been set aside for rail trail use. The entire right-of-way connects Girard, Illinois , on
2420-401: Is popular among students of Michigan Technological University (the university actually owns the mountain). Further up the peninsula in the small town of Lac La Belle is Mt. Bohemia . A skiing purist's resort, Bohemia is a self-proclaimed "experts only" mountain, and it does not groom its heavily gladed slopes. Other ski areas are Pine Mountain located in Iron Mountain, Norway Mountain in
2541-514: The Sault Ste. Marie Evening News . The Mining Journal , based in Marquette, is the only daily newspaper that publishes a Sunday edition, which is distributed, with the exception of Chippewa and eastern Mackinac counties, across the entire UP (the other six days are distributed in its local area only). The Keweenaw Peninsula is home to several ski areas. Mont Ripley , just outside Houghton,
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#17327879997062662-509: The C&;NW North Line to Kenosha, Wisconsin . At Crystal Lake Junction, some trains branched off to Williams Bay, Wisconsin . The West Line also had branches to St. Charles , Aurora , Freeport , and Crystal Lake . A fourth commuter line operated on the KD Line between Kenosha and Harvard until 1939. In 1974, responsibility for the commuter lines and equipment ownership transferred to
2783-644: The CNW Corporation was formed to take over the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company; the employee-owned stock of the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company was transferred to the new CNW Corporation. In 1988, the Blackstone Capital Partners formed the Chicago and North Western Acquisition Corporation to purchase the CNW Corporation; the CNW Corporation was acquired by Blackstone Capital Partners under
2904-564: The Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad in 1884, and the Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western Railway in 1893. They also held extensive property in Michigan, particularly its Upper Peninsula , to the point where they were one of the largest property owners in the state. By 1899, the company had rostered 1,380 locomotives, 1,176 passenger cars, and 49,484 freight cars. The first repair facilities for rolling stock were located along
3025-646: The French and Indian War (part of the Seven Years' War ) in 1763, the territory was ceded to Great Britain . Sault Ste. Marie is the oldest European settlement in Michigan and the site of Native American settlements for centuries. American Indian tribes formerly allied with the French were dissatisfied with the British occupation, which brought new territorial policies. Whereas the French cultivated alliances among
3146-585: The Green Bay Packers . This is a result of both proximity and the broadcast and print media of the area. The four counties that border Wisconsin are also in the Central Time Zone, unlike the rest of Michigan, which is on Eastern time. In some cases, commercial cartographers draw incorrect maps that inadvertently annex the Upper Peninsula into Wisconsin. The Upper Peninsula has a distinctive local cuisine. The pasty (pronounced "pass-tee"),
3267-526: The Indiana and Illinois Territories). When Michigan applied for statehood in the 1830s, the proposal corresponded to the original territorial boundaries. However, there was an armed conflict known as the Toledo War with the state of Ohio over the location of their mutual border. Meanwhile, the people of Michigan approved a constitution in May 1835 and elected state officials in late autumn 1835. Although
3388-509: The Litchfield and Madison Railway on January 1, 1958. The Litchfield and Madison railroad was a 44-mile (71 km) bridge road from East St. Louis to Litchfield, Illinois . On July 30, 1968, the North Western acquired two former interurbans — the 36-mile (58 km) Des Moines and Central Iowa Railway (DM&CI), and the 110-mile (180 km) Fort Dodge, Des Moines and Southern Railway (FDDM&S). The DM&CI gave access to
3509-562: The Menominee , Odawa , Ojibwe , Nocquet , and Potawatomi . Étienne Brûlé of France was probably the first European to visit the peninsula, crossing the St. Marys River around 1620 in search of a route to the Far East. French colonists laid claim to the land in the 17th century, establishing missions and fur trading posts such as Sault Ste. Marie and St. Ignace . Following the end of
3630-741: The St. Marys River , and Drummond Island in Lake Huron are in Chippewa County ; Grand Island is in Alger County ; Summer Island is Delta County ; and Isle Royale is part of Keweenaw County .The peninsula is divided between the flat, swampy areas in the east, part of the Great Lakes Plain , and the steeper, more rugged western half, called the Superior Upland , part of the Canadian Shield . The rock in
3751-718: The Union Pacific Corporation acquired the former Chicago and North Western Holdings Corporation (the second Chicago and North Western Transportation Company) under subsidiary UP Rail, Union Pacific controls the former Chicago and North Western Holdings Corporation (now the second Chicago and North Western Transportation Company) and the Chicago and North Western Railway (formerly the first Chicago and North Western Transportation Company) under UP Rail subsidiary. The Chicago and North Western corporate structure under Union Pacific ownership: The Union Pacific Corporation merged UP Rail into Union Pacific and then merged
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3872-541: The 1,500 mi (2,400 km) Chicago Great Western Railway merged with the North Western. This railroad extended between Chicago and Oelwein, Iowa . From there lines went to the Twin Cities, Omaha, Nebraska, and Kansas City, Missouri . A connection from Hayfield, Minnesota , to Clarion, Iowa , provided a Twin Cities to Omaha main line. The Chicago Great Western duplicated the North Western's routes from Chicago to
3993-662: The 1840s. The Upper Peninsula's mines produced more mineral wealth than the California Gold Rush , especially after shipping was improved by the opening of the Soo Locks in 1855 and docks in Marquette in 1859. The Upper Peninsula supplied 90% of America's copper by the 1860s. It was the nation's largest supplier of iron ore by the 1890s, and production continued to a peak in the 1920s but sharply declined shortly afterward. The last copper mine closed in 1995, although
4114-515: The 1890s, Finnish immigrants began settling there in large numbers, forming the population plurality in the northwestern portion of the peninsula. In the early 20th century, 75% of the population was foreign-born. From 1861 to 1865, 90,000 Michigan men fought in the American Civil War , including 1,209 from the Upper Peninsula. Houghton County contributed 460 soldiers, while Marquette County sent 265. Including extensive parts of
4235-645: The 1920–1940s. Almost every town on their route had at least the main crossing in town protected by them. The most common style were the Center Harp shorties. They were almost iconic to the CNW. Many of them, which were grandfathered in after the Federal Railroad Administration ruled them inadequate protection in 1949, survived until the 1970s and a few remain on lines in Wisconsin that have been sold off to other railroads. Lack of available parts and upgrades to roads have replaced all but
4356-525: The 1980s, and the right of way converted to a trail. Service was discontinued to St. Charles in 1951. Service between Geneva and Aurora and Elgin and Crystal Lake was discontinued in the early 1930s. Service to Freeport ceased in the late 1940s. By 1981, following the start of the early 1980s recession and the bankruptcy of the Milwaukee Road, public opinion on railroads around the Milwaukee area
4477-546: The 19th century, mining dominated the economy, and the UP became home to many isolated company towns . For many years, mines in the Keweenaw Peninsula were the world's largest producers of copper (see Copper mining in Michigan ). The mines began declining as early as 1913, with most closing temporarily during the Great Depression . Mines reopened during World War II , but almost all quickly closed after
4598-579: The British, resulting in temporary peace and changes in objectionable British policies. Although the Upper Peninsula nominally became United States territory with the 1783 Treaty of Paris , the British did not give up control until 1797 under terms of the Jay Treaty . As an American territory, the Upper Peninsula was still dominated by the fur trade. John Jacob Astor founded the American Fur Company on Mackinac Island in 1808; however,
4719-427: The C&NW's dry mainline through Iowa also became flooded. Upon learning about the flooding, some C&NW employees called into work during their time off, in order to help the railroad through the flood. By the time the flood ended, most of the C&NW's rail lines remained intact and were quickly reopened. In February 1994, the Chicago and North Western Acquisition Corporation and the CNW Corporation merged into
4840-496: The CNW route to Chicago was changed to the Milwaukee Road's due to poor track conditions. Chicago and North Western also operated commuter train service in the Chicago area, where they developed what was perhaps the first control car . A modified gallery car was built in 1960 with locomotive controls to allow push-pull operation. which is preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum . The C&NW also pioneered
4961-466: The Chicago River near the center of Chicago , but these were abandoned for a more extensive, 240-acre plot of land to the west along West Kinzie Street. The facilities were expanded in 1900 and became known as the 40th Street Shops, which at that point included three roundhouses, extensive locomotive overhauling capabilities, and a complete set of passenger and freight car shops. These shops served
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5082-411: The Chicago and North Western Acquisition Corporation subsidiary from the employee owned stock; Blackstone Capital Partners controls the CNW Corporation and the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company under the Chicago and North Western Acquisition Corporation subsidiary. Chicago and North Western Holdings Corporation (or "CNW Holdings Corporation" and "Chicago and North Western Holdings Company")
5203-510: The Chicago and North Western Holdings Corporation, leaving only the Chicago and North Western Holdings Corporation and the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company. In May 1994, the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company reverted to its original name, Chicago and North Western Railway and the Chicago and North Western Holdings Corporation was renamed to the second Chicago and North Western Transportation Company . The Chicago and North Western corporate structure: In April 1995,
5324-671: The Firestone plant in Des Moines, Iowa , and the FDDM&;S provided access to gypsum mills in Fort Dodge, Iowa . On November 1, 1960, the CNW acquired the rail properties of the 1,500-mile (2,400 km) Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway . In spite of its name, it ran only from Minneapolis, Minnesota , to Peoria, Illinois . This acquisition provided traffic and modern rolling stock, and eliminated competition. On July 1, 1968,
5445-686: The Fond du Lac railroad started in March 1855, the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad is considered to be the origin of the North Western railroad system. Other lines acquired and added to the network included the Chicago, St. Paul and Fond du Lac Railroad in 1859, the Winona and St. Peter Railroad in 1867, the Chicago, Milwaukee and North Western Railway in 1883, the Sioux City and Pacific Railroad in 1880,
5566-610: The Geneva line having been extended west to Elburn . However, service on the branch to Williams Bay was gradually cut back over the years, also resulting in changes to the name of the branch. In 1965, service was abandoned between Williams Bay and Lake Geneva. In 1975, service ended between Lake Geneva and Richmond. In 1981, service between McHenry and Richmond ended. Rails and ties north of the Cargill plant in Ringwood were removed during
5687-474: The Great Lakes, depositing a variety of fresh and salt water fish and invertebrates, most notably the zebra mussel , Dreissena polymorpha . There are also many plant species that have been transported to the Great Lakes, including purple loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria and Phragmites australis , both of which are considered to be a threat to native hydrophyte wetland plants. The emerald ash borer
5808-471: The Great Lakes, the Upper Peninsula contains about 36,139 square miles (93,600 km ) of total area. Of that, about 16,378 square miles (42,420 km ) is its land area, about 29% of the state. It is bounded on the north by Lake Superior , on the east by St. Marys River , on the south by the Niagara Escarpment , Lake Michigan and Lake Huron , and on the west by Wisconsin and (counting
5929-593: The Indians, the British postwar approach was to treat the tribes as conquered peoples. In 1763, tribes united in Pontiac's Rebellion to try to drive the British from the area. American Indians captured Fort Michilimackinac , at present-day Mackinaw City , then the principal fort of the British in the Michilimackinac region, as well as others and killed hundreds of British. In 1764, they began negotiations with
6050-537: The Keweenaw Peninsula the snowiest place east of the Rockies . Herman averages 236 inches (5.99 m) of snow every year. Lake-effect snow can cause blinding whiteouts in just minutes, and some storms can last for days. Hancock is found frequently on lists of the snowiest cities in America. The banana belt along the Wisconsin border has a more continental climate since most of its weather does not arrive from
6171-585: The Lower Peninsula are commonly called " trolls " by Upper Peninsula residents, as they live " Under the Bridge ".) This regionalism is not only a result of the physical separation of the two peninsulas, but also the history of the state. Residents of the western Upper Peninsula take on some of the cultural identities of both Wisconsin and Michigan. In terms of sports fandom, residents may support Detroit professional teams or those of Wisconsin—particularly
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#17327879997066292-416: The Midwest. The first routes on the C&NW to be flooded were the routes south of St. Paul, Minnesota. Ten miles of their line between North Freedom , Baraboo , and Devil's Lake were also flooded, and it isolated the C&NW's quarry supply in Rock Springs (a vintage diesel switcher from the nearby Mid-Continent Railway Museum assisted the Rock Springs quarry, until the flood cleared). During July,
6413-485: The Twin Cities and Kansas City, Missouri, via Des Moines, Iowa . The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) approved North Western's bid of $ 93 million on June 20, 1983. The line was well-engineered, but because of deferred maintenance on the part of the bankrupt Rock Island, it required a major rehabilitation in 1984. The company then began to abandon the Oelwein to Kansas City section of its former Chicago Great Western trackage, which duplicated Spine Line service. In 1985,
6534-449: The Twin Cities and Omaha, but went the long way. This merger provided access to Kansas City and further eliminated competition. After abandoning a plan to merge with the Milwaukee Road in 1970, Benjamin W. Heineman , who headed the CNW and parent Northwest Industries since 1956, arranged the sale of the railroad to its employees in 1972; they formed Northwest Industries to take over the CNW in 1968. The words " Employee Owned " were part of
6655-410: The U.S. state of Michigan ; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac . It is bounded primarily by Lake Superior to the north, separated from the Canadian province of Ontario at the east end by the St. Marys River , and flanked by Lake Huron and Lake Michigan along much of its south. Although the peninsula extends as a geographic feature into the state of Wisconsin ,
6776-554: The UP a year-round tourist destination. During the Cold War , the U.P. was home to two U.S. Air Force bases, Kincheloe south of Sault Ste. Marie , and K.I. Sawyer , south of Marquette . Both were bases of the Strategic Air Command (SAC), with B-52H bombers ; Kincheloe closed in 1977, and Sawyer in 1995. In 2004, microbreweries began opening across the Upper Peninsula; 14 opened by 2014, and 23 by 2019. In 2019, their annual economic impact totaled $ 346 million. As of 2018 , three of Michigan's fifty largest breweries were in
6897-652: The UP has common garter snakes , red bellied snakes , pine snakes , northern water snakes , brown snakes , eastern garter snakes , eastern fox snakes , eastern ribbon back snakes , green snakes , northern ringneck snakes , eastern milk snakes (Mackinac and Marquette counties) and eastern hognose snakes (Menominee County only), plus snapping turtles , wood turtles , and painted turtles (the state reptile), green frogs , bullfrogs , northern leopard frogs , and salamanders . Lakes and rivers contain many fish such as walleye , muskie , northern pike , trout , salmon , bullhead catfish , and bass. Invasive species like
7018-403: The UP, but not elsewhere in the state. Critics of the DNRE's position on the species, including the founder of the MCCR, say that the department is attempting to "avoid paying for a cougar management program". There also many invasive species that are primarily brought in the ballast water of foreign ships, usually from the ocean bordering northeastern Asia. This water is dumped directly into
7139-466: The Upper Peninsula grew throughout the 19th century as European settlers moved into the region, then boomed around the turn of the century, and experienced gradual decline overall during most of the 20th century. The decline was uneven, however: the population in the largest cities – Marquette, Sault Ste Marie, and Escanaba – grew somewhat, while smaller cities and non-urban areas have generally declined in population. The six westernmost counties experienced
7260-458: The Upper Peninsula poorly suited for agriculture. The region is home to a variety of wildlife, including moose, wolves, coyotes, deer, foxes, bears, mountain lions, bobcats, eagles, hawks, and owls. The first known inhabitants of the Upper Peninsula were tribes speaking Algonquian languages , specifically the Algonquian branches of Ojibwe and Menominee . They arrived roughly around 800 C.E. and subsisted chiefly from fishing. Early tribes included
7381-423: The Upper Peninsula, particularly near Marquette and the community of Jacobsville . The sandstone was used in many buildings, both locally and around the United States. Since logging of white pine began in the 1880s, timber has been an important industry. Stands of hemlock and hardwood in the western reaches of the forest experienced larger scale selection-cutting beginning in the mid-20th century. Because of
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#17327879997067502-401: The Upper Peninsula: Keweenaw Brewing Company , Blackrocks Brewery , and the Ore Dock Brewing Company . There are 15 counties in the Upper Peninsula. State prisons are located in Baraga , Marquette , Munising , Newberry , and Kincheloe . During most of the " System of 1896 ", the Upper Peninsula was overwhelmingly Republican even by the standards of Michigan during this era. However,
7623-455: The abandoned Chicago Great Western Railroad from Forest Park to St. Charles . The Glacial Drumlin State Trail of 52 miles follows the abandoned CNW line between Madison, Wisconsin and Milwaukee, Wisconsin . The Three Rivers Trail Trailhead is located 2 miles west of Eagle Grove, IA extending west 33 miles to Rolfe, IA. It is a crushed limestone trail that has been developed over the abandoned railroad right-of-way. The trail also features
7744-428: The acquisition (although some of them were gradually repainted into UP colors.) Many former CNW units have received "patches" with a new road number and reporting mark to match their new owner's roster. Only 2 "patched" units remain on the Union Pacific, UP AC44CW 6706, and UP C44-9W 9771. Several others work under different owners. However, it is still possible to find untouched CNW units in service. CNW 8646 and 8701 were
7865-584: The alewife and sea lamprey can be found in the Great Lakes. The UP also contains many shellfish, such as clams , aquatic snails, and crayfish . The American Bird Conservancy and the National Audubon Society have designated several locations as internationally Important Bird Areas . After being nearly extirpated from the conterminous United States , gray wolves survived in the remote northeastern corner of Minnesota and Ontario. The repopulation of wolves in this region has occurred naturally as they have expanded their territory after they were protected under
7986-427: The area's economy declined in the 20th century, largely becoming dependent on logging and tourism. The Upper Peninsula contains 29% of the land area of Michigan but only 3% of its total population; at the height of the mining and timber era in the early 20th century it had as much as 11% of the state's population. Residents are nicknamed Yoopers (derived from "UP-ers") and have a strong regional identity, enhanced by
8107-440: The available habitat and the number of this predators the region can support. The department supports delisting as wolves have met and exceeded the biological recovery goals that would necessitate protection. There is significant discussion and studies over the presence of eastern cougars in the UP. Historically, the last of the species, or subspecies, was extirpated near Newberry in 1906, although there have been sightings of
8228-512: The border follows a line from Lac Vieux Desert to the headwaters of the Montreal River . An 1847 survey established the east branch of the Montreal River as the border. However, the 1908 revision of the Constitution of Michigan specified that the west branch of the Montreal River was the proper border, which would have placed an additional 360 square miles of land on the Michigan side of the border. A 1926 Supreme Court decision awarded this tract of land to Wisconsin. The Upper Peninsula contains
8349-440: The centennial of the City of Chicago. By which time, there was an insurance crisis within the railroad industry. The railroad's management had also changed, and enthusiasm on the C&NW to operate steam tours was lost. The CNW was known for running on the left-hand side when running on double track mainlines. In the United States, most railroads used the right-hand track along double-track mainlines, while left-hand running
8470-404: The cities in 400 minutes. CNW was the first system to start a high-speed Chicago-Twin Cities schedule because it used refurbished rather than new equipment, but in 1939, modernized the 400 with new E3A diesel locomotive pairs and streamlined cars. Other named trains the CNW operated included the Ashland Limited , Duluth-Superior Limited , and the North Western Limited CNW eventually renamed
8591-439: The company in April 1995 and integrated it with its own operation. The Chicago and North Western Railway was chartered on June 7, 1859, five days after it purchased the assets of the bankrupt Chicago, St. Paul and Fond du Lac Railroad. On February 15, 1865, it merged with the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad , which had been chartered on January 16, 1836. Since the Galena & Chicago Union started operating in December 1848, and
8712-522: The company logo in the ensuing period. The railroad was renamed from Chicago and North Western Railway to Chicago and North Western Transportation Company . The railroad's reporting marks (CNW) remained the same. After the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (Rock Island) ceased operating on March 31, 1980, the North Western won a bidding war with the Soo Line Railroad to purchase the roughly 400-mile (640 km) " Spine Line " between
8833-411: The concept of Head End Power (HEP), generating 480 volt electricity from the locomotive to power the air conditioning, lighting, and heating on the new bi-level cars. This eventually became the standard for all railroads in the United States. Three commuter lines radiated from North Western Station ; the C&NW West Line to Geneva, Illinois ; the C&NW Northwest Line to Harvard , Illinois; and
8954-462: The creatures over the years since. These reports increased in number over the first decade of the 21st century. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) formed a four-person team to investigate sightings in the state. The biologists with the DNRE currently do not believe that there is a breeding population anywhere in the state, rather that the sighted animals are visitors to
9075-410: The daylight hours are short—around 8 hours between sunrise and sunset in the winter. Lake Superior has the greatest effect on the area, especially the northern and western parts. Lake-effect snow causes many areas to get in excess of 100–250 inches (2.5–6.4 m) of snow per year—especially in the Keweenaw Peninsula and Gogebic County, and to a lesser extent Baraga, Marquette and Alger counties, making
9196-489: The deal. In January 1837, the U.S. Congress admitted Michigan as a state of the Union. At the time, Michigan was considered the losing party in the compromise. The land in the Upper Peninsula was described in a federal report as a "sterile region on the shores of Lake Superior destined by soil and climate to remain forever a wilderness." This belief changed when rich mineral deposits (primarily copper and iron) were discovered in
9317-628: The eastern section of the CNW system. Meanwhile, the western section was served by back shops in Clinton, Iowa and the northern section was served by facilities in Winona, Minnesota . In 1911 a new freight yard and shops were built 13 miles west of Chicago in Proviso Township, which featured a mammoth, 58-stall roundhouse (a twin of the one in Fulton, Illinois ). Changing traffic patterns and competition with automobiles and trucking disrupted
9438-461: The extreme northwest of the peninsula. All of the higher areas are the remnants of ancient peaks, worn down over millions of years by erosion and glaciers. The Keweenaw Peninsula is the northernmost part of the peninsula (not counting Isle Royale, which is politically part of the UP). It projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States, part of a larger region of
9559-416: The famous "ball and bar" logo, which survived a few modifications throughout its 104-year existence. This included the changing of text: The railroad also purchased a great deal of its equipment second-hand. CNW shop forces economized wherever possible, earning the railroad the nickname "Cheap and Nothing Wasted." Sometimes employees referred to the condition of equipment as "Cardboard and No Wheels." One of
9680-463: The farms where they were produced. Although it stood sixteenth in operating revenue in 1938, it was eighth in passenger revenue among American railroads. It served Chicago commuters; its 400 streamliners provided intercity transportation, and it provided an eastern link to bring the Union Pacific 's passengers from Omaha, Nebraska and points west to Chicago. The CNW had owned a majority of
9801-418: The federal Endangered Species Act in 1978. Michigan Department of Natural Resources's principal goals set in 2008 included maintaining a viable wolf population, facilitating wolf-related benefits, minimizing wolf-related conflicts and conducting “science-based and socially acceptable management of wolves”. Michigan removed wolves from the state's list of threatened and endangered species in 2009 having reached
9922-651: The first 400 to the Twin Cities 400 as the CNW labeled almost all of its passenger trains with variations of the 400 moniker, including the Flambeau 400 , Minnesota 400 , Valley "400" , Shoreland "400" , Dakota 400 and the Kate Shelley 400 . CNW ceased running the Twin Cities 400 in 1963, and all intercity passenger service on CNW ended with the formation of Amtrak in 1971. Amtrak bought
10043-551: The first rail trails created in the United States was the 32.5-mile (52.3 km) Elroy-Sparta State Trail in Wisconsin, which used a segment abandoned in 1965. The 400 State Trail runs from Reedsburg to Elroy on the former main line. The Cannonball Bike Path runs on a 5-mile stretch in Madison, Wisconsin on the old "Ridgerunner line". It connects with the Military Ridge State Trail in Fitchburg at
10164-539: The highly seasonal climate and the short growing season, agriculture is limited in the Upper Peninsula, though potatoes, strawberries and a few other small fruits are grown. Tourism has become the main industry in recent decades. In 2005, ShermanTravel, LLC listed the Upper Peninsula as #10 in its assessment of all travel destinations worldwide. The peninsula has extensive coastline on the Great Lakes, large tracts of state and national forests, cedar swamps, more than 150 waterfalls, and low population densities. Because of
10285-538: The industry began to decline in the 1830s as beaver and other game were overhunted. When the Michigan Territory was first established in 1805, it included only the Lower Peninsula and the eastern portion of the Upper Peninsula. In 1819, the territory was expanded to include the remainder of the Upper Peninsula, all of what later became Wisconsin , and part of Minnesota (previously included in
10406-443: The lakes. Summers tend to be warmer and winter nights much colder. Coastal communities have temperatures tempered by the Great Lakes. In summer, it might be 10 °F (5.6 °C) cooler at lakeside than it is inland, and the opposite effect is seen in winter. The area of the Upper Peninsula north of Green Bay through Menominee and Escanaba (and extending west to Iron River) does not have the extreme weather and precipitation found to
10527-1141: The largest decrease, from a 1920 population of 153,674 to a 2020 population of 79,392. Many ghost towns exist in the region . A " [REDACTED] " indicates an increase in population from the previous census, and a " [REDACTED] " indicates a decrease in population from the previous census. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan has three state universities ( Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Technological University in Houghton, and Northern Michigan University in Marquette) and five community colleges ( Bay Mills Community College in Brimley, Bay de Noc Community College in Escanaba and Iron Mountain, Gogebic Community College in Ironwood, and Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College in Baraga). Early settlers included multiple waves of people from Nordic countries , and people of Finnish ancestry make up 16% of
10648-559: The last unpatched CNW locomotives on the UP roster which railfans referred to them as the "CNW twins". In 2017 after years of surviving untouched they were repainted and renumbered to 9750 (ex 8646) and 9805 (ex 8701) respectively. 9750 is in storage as of 2020 while 9805 is active and was rebuilt by GE/Wabtec into a C44ACM. CNW 6847 and CNW 7009 are preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum in their original factory paint. CNW 1518, CNW 411, and CNW 414 (METX 308) are also at IRM, with 1518 and 411 having been restored in CNW paint. CNW 4153 works at
10769-514: The late 1970s. Until 1972, when the employees purchased the company, it was named the Chicago and North Western Railway (or Chicago and North Western Railway Company ). The C&NW became one of the longest railroads in the United States as a result of mergers with other railroads, such as the Chicago Great Western Railway , Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway and others. By 1995, track sales and abandonment had reduced
10890-535: The majority of mines had closed decades before. Some iron mining continues near Marquette. The Eagle Mine , a nickel-copper mine, opened in 2014. Thousands of Americans and immigrants moved to the area during the mining boom, prompting the federal government to create Fort Wilkins near Copper Harbor to maintain order. The first wave were the Cornish from Great Britain, with centuries of mining experience; followed by Irish, Germans , and French Canadians . During
11011-423: The majority of the peninsula switched to Eastern Standard Time; only the four western border counties of Gogebic , Iron , Dickinson , and Menominee continue to observe Central Standard Time. Daylight saving time is observed peninsula-wide. The Upper Peninsula remains a predominantly rural region. As of the 2020 census the region had a population of 301,608, just more than 3% of Michigan's total population and
11132-481: The newly formed Regional Transportation Authority , whose rail division was later branded in 1984 as Metra . The C&NW continued to run the lines under a "purchase of service" contract, in which the railroad maintained the right-of-way and operated trains on behalf of Metra. All three C&NW commuter lines live on in the Metra system, and are still operated by Union Pacific under a purchase of service contract, with
11253-788: The north. The coldest temperature officially recorded in the Upper Peninsula was −48 °F (−44 °C) in Humboldt in January 1915. Like the entire Lower Peninsula, most of the Upper Peninsula is within the Eastern Time Zone . However, the four counties bordering Wisconsin are in the Central Time Zone . In 1967, when the Uniform Time Act came into effect, the Upper Peninsula went under year-round Central Standard Time, with no daylight saving time . In 1973,
11374-592: The peninsula called the Copper Country . Copper Island is its northernmost section. About one-third of the peninsula is government-owned recreational forest land today, including the Ottawa National Forest and Hiawatha National Forest . Although heavily logged in the 19th century, the majority of the land was forested with mature trees by the 1970s. There was a boundary dispute over the border with Wisconsin. The northwesternmost portion of
11495-422: The peninsula's population. The Finnish sauna and the concept of sisu have been adopted widely by residents of the Upper Peninsula. The television program Finland Calling was for a long period the only Finnish-language television broadcast in the United States; it aired on Marquette station WLUC-TV from March 25, 1962, until March 29, 2015. Finlandia University , America's only college with Finnish roots,
11616-601: The perception that the rest of the state neglects them. Proposals have been made to establish the Upper Peninsula as a separate state but have failed to gain traction. Its largest cities are Marquette , Sault Ste. Marie , Escanaba , Menominee , Houghton , and Iron Mountain . Because of the surrounding waters and northern latitude, it receives more snow than most of the eastern U.S. The heavily forested land, soil types, short growing season, and logistical factors (e.g. long distance to market, lack of infrastructure) make
11737-698: The presence of cougars at the time. These results were disputed in a second journal article in 2007 by other researchers from Eastern Michigan University and the U.S. Forest Service . A citizen's group, the Michigan Citizens for Cougar Recognition (MCCR), independently tracked sightings and in 2009 listed Delta County as the location with the greatest number of reports in the state. The DNRE verified five sets of tracks and two trail camera photos in Delta, Chippewa, Marquette, and Menominee counties since 2008. DNRE officials acknowledge that there are cougars in
11858-420: The railroad's profitability by mid-20th century. After nine years in bankruptcy, the CNW was reorganized in 1944. It had turned rapidly to diesel power, and established a huge diesel shop in Chicago . Its Proviso Freight Yard, located 12 miles (19 km) west of the city center in suburban Cook County, was constructed between 1926 and 1929 and remained the largest such in the world, with 224 miles of trackage and
11979-580: The recovery goal of 200 for five consecutive years in 2004. In 2012, FWS issued a rule that classified and delisted a sub-species called the Western Great Lakes wolves under the federal Endangered Species Act. Michigan had a legal wolf hunt in 2013. Wolves were returned to the list of federally threatened species in December 2014 as a result of a court ruling. The Department of Natural Resources found that an equilibrium has been achieved between
12100-495: The route from Saint Paul joining the Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad at Tomah, Wisconsin . The West Wisconsin Railway was authorized in 1876 to build from St. Paul, Minnesota through to reach the Chicago and North Western Railway at Elroy, Wisconsin. It crossed the Milwaukee Road at Camp Douglas, instead of Tomah. In 1878 the bankrupt West Wisconsin Railway was acquired by the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway . This article about transportation in Wisconsin
12221-603: The second Chicago and North Western Transportation Company and the Chicago and North Western Railway into the Union Pacific Railroad; the Chicago and North Western system became part of the Union Pacific Railroad system. A joint UP-CNW subsidiary, Western Railroad Properties, Inc. , was also merged into the Union Pacific system in the acquisition. Chicago and North Western locomotives continued to operate in their own paint schemes for several years after
12342-444: The settlement of a dispute with Ohio over the city of Toledo . The region's exploitable timber resources and the discovery of iron and copper deposits in the 19th century brought immigrants, especially Finnish , French Canadian , Swedish , Cornish , and Italian (the peninsula includes the only counties in the United States where a plurality of residents claim Finnish ancestry). With the exhaustion of readily available minerals,
12463-517: The skiing, camping, boating, fishing, snowmobiling, hunting, and hiking opportunities, many Lower Peninsula and Wisconsin families spend their vacations in the UP, and tourists visit from Detroit, Chicago, Grand Rapids , Milwaukee , and other metropolitan areas. The opening of the Mackinac Bridge in 1957 (see below) has made the Upper Peninsula easily accessible to tourists from the Lower Peninsula and southeast of Michigan, and has helped make
12584-554: The south end, to Athens, Illinois , at the north end. The right-of-way spans the western half of Sangamon County in a north–south direction, and also traverses small sections of Macoupin County and Menard County . The Three Eagles Trail runs for a couple miles south of Eagle River, Wisconsin . The Wild Rivers Trail is a 104-mile-long rail trail that follows the abandoned CNW line between Rice Lake, Wisconsin and Superior, Wisconsin . The Great Western Trail of 17 miles follows
12705-497: The state boundary follows the Montreal and Menominee rivers and a line connecting them. First inhabited by Algonquian-speaking native American tribes, the area was explored by French colonists, then occupied by British forces, before being ceded to the newly established United States in the late 18th century. After being assigned to various territorial jurisdictions, it was granted to the newly formed state of Michigan as part of
12826-615: The state government was not yet recognized by the United States Congress , the territorial government effectively ceased to exist. President Andrew Jackson 's government offered the remainder of the Upper Peninsula to Michigan if it would cede the Toledo Strip to Ohio. A constitutional convention of the state legislature refused, but a second convention, hastily convened by Governor Stevens Thomson Mason , consisting primarily of his supporters, agreed in December 1836 to
12947-563: The state. As late as January 2007, the DNRE's official position was that no cougars lived in Michigan. Several residents in the state disagree with both current and previous positions on the part of the DNRE. Researchers at Central Michigan University and the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy in 2006 published the findings of a study using DNA analysis of fecal samples taken in the Upper and Lower peninsulas that showed
13068-488: The station as "North Western Station," and many longtime employees still call it "CPT," for "Chicago Passenger Terminal." The CNW's most famous train, the Twin Cities 400 from Chicago to Minneapolis/St. Paul, was introduced in 1935 to compete with the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 's Zephyr s and the Milwaukee Road 's Hiawatha s. This train was so named because it traveled the 400 mi (640 km) between
13189-476: The stock of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway (Omaha Road) since 1882. On January 1, 1957, it leased the company, and merged it into the North Western in 1972. The Omaha Road's main line extended from an interchange with the North Western at Elroy, Wisconsin , to the Twin Cities, south to Sioux City, Iowa , and then finally to Omaha, Nebraska . The CNW acquired several important short railroads during its later years. It completed acquisition of
13310-507: The total mileage to about 5,000. The majority of the abandoned and sold lines were lightly trafficked branches in Iowa , Illinois , Minnesota , South Dakota and Wisconsin . Large line sales, such as those that resulted in the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad , further helped reduce the railroad to a mainline core with several regional feeders and branches. Union Pacific (UP) purchased
13431-707: The town of the same name, and the Porcupine Mountains Ski Area located in Ontonagon. Houghton is where professional ice hockey was first started in 1904. As of 2018, the western Upper Peninsula is home to about 173,887 people, while the eastern Upper Peninsula is home to about 133,499 people, a total of 307,386—only about 3% of the state's population—living in almost one-third of the state's land area. Residents are known as Yoopers (from "UP-ers"), and many consider themselves Yoopers before they consider themselves Michiganders . (People living in
13552-579: The war ended. The last copper mine in the Copper Country was the White Pine mine , which closed in 1995. Marquette County sits along the Marquette Iron Range , which sent out a significant portion of the iron ore mined in the United States for many years. As of 2020 , Marquette County is home to one remaining iron ore mine and one nickel and copper mine. From approximately 1870 to 1915, about 32 quarries mined Jacobsville Sandstone in
13673-475: The water border on Lake Superior) by Minnesota . It has about 1,700 miles (2,700 km) of continuous shoreline with the Great Lakes . There are about 4,300 inland lakes, the largest of which is Lake Gogebic , and 12,000 miles (19,000 km) of streams. Its lowest elevation is along the shoreline of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, averaging 577 feet (176 m) above sea level. Its highest elevation
13794-484: The western UP a prominent part of the midwestern snowbelt . Records of 390 inches (9.9 m) of snow or more have been set in many communities in this area. The Keweenaw Peninsula averages more snowfall than any other location east of the Mississippi River . Because of the howling storms across Lake Superior, which cause dramatic amounts of precipitation, it has been said that the lake-effect snow makes
13915-614: The western portion is the result of volcanic eruptions and is estimated to be at least 3.5 billion years old (much older than the eastern portion) and contains the region's ore resources. Banded-iron formations were deposited 2 billion years ago; this is the Marquette Range Supergroup . A considerable amount of bedrock is visible. Mount Arvon is within the Huron Mountains , located in Marquette and Baraga counties. The Porcupine Mountains are located in
14036-575: Was beginning to sour. In response, management of the C&NW explored options to generate public awareness that the C&NW was still a healthy company. Manager of the railroad's Wisconsin Division, Chris Burger, pitched the idea of the railroad hosting a steam excursion program, using steam locomotive No. 1385 from the Mid-Continent Railway Museum. Because of the recession, C&NW President James R. Wolfe only approved
14157-475: Was first reported in the UP at Brimley State Park and is considered to be a serious ecological threat to the habitat and economy. The Upper Peninsula has a humid continental climate ( Dfb in the Köppen climate classification system). The Great Lakes have a great effect on the larger part of the peninsula. Winters tend to be long, cold, and snowy for most of the peninsula, and because of its northern latitude,
14278-504: Was formed and took control of the Chicago and North Western Acquisition Corporation, which controlled the CNW Corporation and which the CNW Corporation controlled the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company. The Chicago and North Western corporate structure under the Blackstone ownership: In 1993, several of the C&NW's routes became flooded by that year's Great Flood , which also affected other railroads that operated in
14399-522: Was located in Hancock, but has shut down as of spring 2023. Street signs in Hancock appear in English and Finnish to celebrate this heritage. Other sizable ethnic communities in the Upper Peninsula include French-Canadian , German, Cornish , Italian, and Ojibwe ancestry. People from the Upper Peninsula speak a dialect influenced by Scandinavian and French-Canadian speech. A popular bumper sticker,
14520-451: Was more common in countries where British companies built the railroads. According to a display in Metra 's Lake Forest station, the reason for this was a combination of chance and inertia. When originally built as single-line trackage, the C&NW arbitrarily placed its stations on the left-hand side of the tracks (when headed inbound toward Chicago). Later, when a second track was added, it
14641-480: Was placed on the side away from the stations so as not to force them to relocate. Since most passengers waiting at the stations were headed toward Chicago, the inbound track remained the one closest to the station platforms. The expense of reconfiguring signals and switches has prevented a conversion to right-hand operation ever since. The Chicago and North Western was known for its installation of Western Railroad Supply Company wigwag signals at many of its crossing in
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