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<p>In 1887, the Penokee Railroad (PR) constructed a 26 mile railroad from Mellen, Wisconsin to the Wisconsin-Michigan State Line at Hurley, Wisconsin. At the same time, the Gogebic and Montreal River Railroad (G&MR) constructed 7 additional miles from the State Line to Bessemer, Michigan. Immediately, the PR leased the G&MR. In 1888, the Penokee Railroad was sold to the Wisconsin Central Railroad (WC), which was reorganized as the Wisconsin Central Railway (WC) in 1899. This line provided the WC with a branch line, which served iron ore mines in the Bessemer area. Iron from these mines was shipped to Ashland, Wisconsin via the WC mainline at Mellen. In 1909, the WC would be leased by the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway (Soo Line), which itself was controlled by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). </p><p>The Soo Line had constructed a large network of railroads, connecting the Upper Midwest with Canadian Railroads. Throughout the early 20th Century, this line remained a branch line for the Soo Line. In 1961, the WC would be merged with other CP subsidiaries Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroad and the Soo Line to form Soo Line Railroad, a company controlled by CP. In 1984, the Soo Line would be reorganized as the Soo Line Corporation in advance of a pending purchase of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road). In 1987, this line would be sold to Wisconsin Central, Ltd. (WC). Known as the "new" Wisconsin Central, the railroad acquired several excess rail lines from the Soo Line, Milwaukee Road and Chicago & North Western Railway. The line was abandoned in 1997, and acquired for trail use. Today, the Hurley to Bessemer segment is used by the Iron Belle Trail, while the remaining line is used for ATV trails or is abandoned.</p>
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