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<p>In the late 19th Century, electric interurban railways became popular throughout the United States, particularly in suburban and rural areas. In rural areas, the interurban represented a reliable form of transportation, independent of the steam railroads. In 1905, the Milwaukee Northern Railway (MN) was incorporated to construct a new interurban line, extending from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Construction began on the line in 1906, and by the end of 1907, service was open between Milwaukee and Port Washington, Wisconsin. By September 1908, service was extended to Sheboygan. Due to heavy use, the line between Milwaukee and Brown Deer, Wisconsin was double tracked in 1912. In 1922, the MN became part of a larger The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Company (TMER&L) system, which operated a large interurban network extending from Milwaukee. The MN was operated as a subsidiary of the TMER&L, before being fully merged into the system in 1928.</p><p>By World War II, interurban railroads throughout the United States were in decline. The advent of the personal automobile and construction of improved roads led to less use of interurbans, which faced significant financial stress. In 1938, TMER&L became the Wisconsin Electric Power Company, and transit operations were taken over by a new subsidiary called The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Transport Company (TMER&T). In September 1940, the line between Port Washington and Sheboygan would be abandoned. The line between Milwaukee and Port Washington was sold to Kenosha Motor Coach Lines (KMCL) in 1945, which was sold to the Shore Line Transit Corporation in 1947. In March 1948, the remainder of the line would be abandoned due to diminishing ridership. After abandonment, much of the right-of-way would remain intact to serve electric transmission lines. In the early 2000s, Ozaukee County developed the Ozaukee Interurban Trail, which uses the former right-of-way between Wiscona (on the north side of Milwaukee) and Oostberg, Wisconsin.</p>
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