Milford Mine Memorial Park near Wolford in Crow Wing County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Railroad Construction on the Cuyuna Range
| | Milford Mine Memorial Park | |
Photographed by McGhiever, June 27, 2025
1. Railroad Construction on the Cuyuna Range Marker
Making the Grade
Railroad Construction in the North Cuyuna Range was initiated by the Cuyuna Iron Range Railway company, which was formed in 1908. In 1910, the Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Sault Ste. Marie Railway Company, better known as the Soo Line, purchased the Cuyuna Line. The rail line to Milford Mine was part of a loop constructed in 1913, starting approximately 1 mile north of Iron Hub and looping northward around Rabbit Lake. This rail line serviced Milford Mine, the community of Manganese, and mines at Trommald.
Within the Milford Mine Historic District, the Cuyuna Line main grade exhibits typical cut-and-fill construction techniques, consisting of cuts through uplands and the use of the fill removed from those cuts to build up the grade through lowlands and wet areas. This was a common construction technique in the early 1900s, involving a significant amount of hand labor.
Photos courtesy of the Cuyuna Iron Range Heritage Network
Erected by Crow Wing County.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1908.
Location. 46° 32.108′ N,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Minnesota’s Northland. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Great North Woods, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Milford Mine Rail Loop (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Barrow Pits for Rail Grade & Road Construction (about 500 feet away); Soo Line Railroad Hauls Cuyuna Ore (about 600 feet away); Storage Facility (about 600 feet away); Cuyuna Iron Range Railway: Spanning Rivers, Lakes, & Wetlands
Photographed by McGhiever, June 7, 2025
2. Railroad Construction on the Cuyuna Range Marker in Milford Mine Memorial Park
Credits. This page was last revised on November 5, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 5, 2025, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 80 times since then and 39 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 5, 2025, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
