CPKC Bridge #MA-324

In 1884, the Wisconsin, Minnesota and Pacific Railway Company (WM&P) began construction on a new railroad line between Red Wing, Minnesota and Mankato, Minnesota.  84 miles would be constructed in 1884, extending from Red Wing to Eagle Lake, Minnesota.  An additional 10 miles to Mankato would be completed in 1887.  In 1894, the WM&P would be reorganized as the Wisconsin, Minnesota and Pacific Railroad, and the railroad would again be reorganized in 1897, retaining the name.  By 1901, the railroad would be leased by the Chicago Great Western Railway (CGW).  The CGW would be reorganized as the Chicago Great Western Railroad (CGW) in 1909.  The CGW had acquired and constructed a modest railroad network throughout Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri; connecting major cities in these states.  The CGW was one of the smaller railroads in the area, and was late to develop lines.  As a result, the railroad never saw the fortunes of other railroads in the area.

This line never developed beyond a secondary route, and the WM&P would be fully consolidated into the CGW by 1920. In the early 20th Century, the CGW was often surviving on razor-thin profit margins.  In 1940, the CGW entered bankruptcy, and was again reorganized as the Chicago Great Western Railway.  After the bankruptcy, the CGW became an innovative railroad, pioneering intermodal service and becoming one of the first railroads to completely switch to diesel locomotives.  A capital improvement program was launched in 1949, which sought to rebuild and rehabilitate deteriorated infrastructure.  In 1968, the CGW would be purchased by the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW).  The segment between Benning and Mankato was abandoned in 1972, and the segment between Morristown and Faribault was abandoned the same year.  The line was further reduced in 1976, when the segment between Waterville and Morristown was abandoned.  In 1982, more of the line between Cannon Falls and Red Wing was abandoned.

The Faribault to Waterville segment would be purchased by the Minnesota DNR and converted to the Sakatah Singing Hills Trail, while the Cannon Falls to Red Wing segment would also be purchased by the Minnesota  DNR and converted to the Cannon Valley State Trail.  The C&NW retained operations over the Benning to Mankato portion of this route, and abandoned their parallel route.  In 1982, the C&NW sold their mainline across southern Minnesota to the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (DM&E).  In 1995, the C&NW was purchased by Union Pacific Railroad (UP).  The DM&E would be purchased by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) in 2008, which in turn merged with Kansas City Southern Railway in 2023 to form CPKC.  UP currently leases the Cannon Falls Industrial Lead to Progressive Rail, and CPKC currently operates a portion of the  route as part of the Tracy Subdivision.