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Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad M/A 1995.03.01
| Creator: | Abbott, Howard S., (Howard Strickland), 1864-1944 |
| Title: | Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad |
| Dates: | 1934-1944 |
| Quantity: | 1.0 boxes |
| Repository: | James K. Hosmer Special Collections Library |
History
The Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad was founded in 1870 and was absorbed by a larger railroad in 1960. The railroad faced financial difficulties for a significant portion of its history. In 1923, the railroad went into receivership and faced bankruptcy problems for a 20 year period. Pragmatic leadership and multiple reorganization schemes, however, helped pull the railroad out of its difficulties. By 1943, the railroad became debt free. In 1942, they launched into massive reorganization, led by President Lucian Sprague. Despite the company's successful efforts to reorganize and quell financial problems, the small railroad company struggled to compete against more prominent companies and was absorbed by the larger Chicago and North Western Railway in 1960. The Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad served primarily the states of Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, and Illinois. The farthest point south started in Peoria, Illinois, ran through central Iowa, ran through the Twin Cities, and ended in eastern South Dakota. The railroad was designed to serve the agricultural regions of these particular Midwestern states, and bypass the massive railroad system of the Chicago region.
Description of the Collection
The collection includes a scrapbook with newspaper clippings on the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad reorganization, receivership, and the shops in Kenwood area of Minneapolis. This scrapbook covering the years of 1934 to 1944 was compiled by Howard Abbott, a long-time employee of Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad. It gives chronological order and vivid details of how the railroad struggled and succeeded in overcoming its own internal problems. A brief biography on Howard Abbott's life and involvement in the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad, and other companies is also included.
Subject Headings
Persons
Abbott, Howard S., (Howard Strickland), 1864-1944
Corporate Bodies
Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway.
Subjects
Table of Contents
| Howard Abbott Biography -- Box 1, Folder 1 |
| Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad Scrapbook 1934-1944 -- Box 1, Folder 2 |
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