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Railroad
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Valuation Section(s)
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South/West Terminal
North/East Terminal
Description
Former CMO line to Mitchell
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<p>In 1876, the Worthington and Sioux Falls Railroad Company (W&SF) would begin construction on a new railroad line, extending 58 miles from Org, Minnesota to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The line would be completed in 1878, and the W&SF would become part of the Saint Paul and Sioux City Railroad Company (StP&SC) in 1879. The StP&SC would construct an additional 40 miles to Salem, South Dakota in 1880. In 1881, the StP&SC would be sold to the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway (CStPM&O), also known as the Omaha Road. The Omaha Road would come under control of the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) the next year. The line would be completed to Mitchell in 1887.</p><p>This route served as a branch line for the Omaha Road, connecting to agricultural markets in South Dakota. The Omaha Road would formally be merged into the C&NW in 1959. Because of the branch line status of this line, the C&NW deferred maintenance on the route. In 1981, the Ellis to Mitchell segment of the line would be abandoned. The remainder of the line was abandoned in 1987, but would be sold to the Buffalo Ridge Railroad Authority and the Ellis & Eastern Railroad. Through the 1990s, a number of railroads operated the Buffalo Ridge segment between Org and Manley. In 2001, Minnesota Southern Railway began operations between Org and Manley, and it would be acquired by the Ellis & Eastern Railroad (EE) in 2017. Today, the route is being upgraded by EE to secure future operations.<br></p>
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