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<p>In 1870, the Mason City and Minnesota Railway (MC&M) constructed a 28-mile railroad line, extending from Mason City, Iowa to the Minnesota/Iowa State Line near Lyle, Minnesota. The same year, the Minnesota Central Railway (MC) constructed an additional 11 miles to connect to an existing mainline at Austin, Minnesota. In 1870, the MC conveyed their portion of the line to the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (M&StP), and in 1871, the MC&M was conveyed to the M&StP. In 1874, the M&StP was reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road). In 1874, the M&StP changed its name to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road). By the late 19th Century, the Milwaukee Road had developed a large railroad network throughout the Midwest. This line served as a connecting line, connecting existing mainlines at Mason City and Austin.</p><p>The Milwaukee Road was often in financial trouble, especially after the costly Pacific Extension was completed in 1909. In 1925, the company declared bankruptcy, and reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1928. Financial hardship continued through the 20th Century for the Milwaukee Road, and the railroad again filed for bankruptcy in 1977. By 1985, a suitor for the Milwaukee Road was being sought, and the Soo Line Railroad, controlled by Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) purchased the Milwaukee Road in 1986. In 1997, CP would sell this line to I&M Rail Link, which was purchased by the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (DM&E) subsidiary Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad (IC&E) in 2002. The DM&E/IC&E were purchased by Canadian Pacific in 2008. CP merged with Kansas City Southern Railway in 2023 to form CPKC, the current owner of the line. Today, CPKC operates this line as a portion of the Owatonna Subdivision.</p>
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