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<p>In the late 1880s, the Chicago, Madison & Northern Railroad (CM&N), a subsidiary of the Illinois Central Railroad (IC) was incorporated to construct a series of branch lines and extensions to the IC system in northern Illinois. In 1887, the CM&N constructed a 46-mile branch line between Freeport, Illinois and Madison, Wisconsin. The line allowed the IC to serve an underserved area of southern Wisconsin, and connect to other railroad lines in Madison. The CM&N was merged into the IC in 1903. By the 20th Century, the IC was a respected railroad, operating an extensive railroad network through the central United States. This line served as a mainline for the IC, connecting lines in Iowa to Chicago. In 1972, the IC merged with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad (GM&O) to form the Illinois Central Gulf (ICG). By the 1970s, this line had been reduced to a branch line, and was in danger of abandonment. The Wisconsin River Rail Transit Commission (WRRTC) was formed in early 1980 to acquire and operate this line. From 1980 to 1984, the line was operated by the Central Wisconsin Railroad (CWRC), which filed bankruptcy in 1984. In 1985, the Wisconsin and Calumet Railroad (WICT) began operations of the line, but abandoned the line in 1993. The line was retained by the WRRTC, which opened the Badger State Trail in 2007. Today, the trail continues to be popular with hikers, bicyclists, ATVs and snowmobiles. <br></p>
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