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<p>In 1877, the Menominee River Railroad (MRR) constructed 25 miles of new railroad, extending from Powers, Michigan to Qinnesec, Michigan. In 1880, the MRR was reorganized with the same name. In 1880, an additional 17 miles would be constructed to Florence, Wisconsin, followed by an additional 20 miles to Iron River, Michigan in 1882. In 1882, the MRR was acquired by the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW). In 1887, the Iron River Railway (IR) constructed 35 additional miles between Iron River and Watersmeet, Michigan, where it met another railroad line. The IR was acquired by the C&NW in 1889. This line served as a secondary line for the C&NW, connecting numerous branches and spurs throughout the southern portion of the Upper Peninsula. The line mainly served iron mines and timber industry in the area.</p><p>By the early 20th Century, the C&NW had constructed and acquired a large railroad network throughout the Midwest, making it one of the premiere railroads of the area. Throughout the first half of the 20th Century, this line remained well used by the C&NW, as it provided connections to a number of lines throughout northeast Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The line served a variety of industries, hosted passenger trains and was used for hauling iron ore. A portion of the line between Antoine, Michigan and Watersmeet was abandoned in 1983, and acquired for trail use. The C&NW was acquired by Union Pacific Railroad (UP) in 1995. UP soon began to sell or abandon excess tracks acquired from the C&NW. The line from Powers to Antoine was sold to a subsidiary of Wisconsin Central, Ltd. (WC). In 2001, WC was purchased by Canadian National Railway (CN), and became the American subsidiary of the railroad. Today, CN continues to operate the line between Powers and Antoine as the Iron Mountain Subdivision. An ATV/snowmobile trail currently uses the railroad grade from Antoine to Watersmeet.</p>
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