Historical sketch    "The Fond du Lac, Amboy and Peoria Railway, chartered in 1874, was built over the next four and one-half years as a narrow gauge line to Iron Ridge, some 29 miles to the south of Fond du Lac. There was much town aid and guaranteeing of bonds ($200,000 by the city of Fond du Lac, of which $30,000 was to be for a railroad shop). The terms of the issue were later disputed and the bonds burned- a major political issue in the election of 1878 in Fond du Lac. Completed in 1879, the railroad was built to serve the iron mines and quarries in the Iron Ridge area where it connected with the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul's line between Milwaukee, Horicon and Portage which had been originally built by the LaCrosse and Milwaukee. The Fond du Lac, Amboy and Peoria Railway was absorbed by the St. Paul (later the Milwaukee) road in 1885 (sic 12/1883), the rail was relaid, and the line made standard gauge." From RLHS Railroad History No. 135, p 6., citing    Consul Willshire Butterfield, History of Fond du Lac County, Wisonsin (Chicago, 1880), 430-432.    Maurice McKenna (Ed.), Fond du Lac Couniy Wisconsin: Past and Present (Chicago, 1912), 189-190.    Charles L. Hill, History and Development of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin: 1654-1948 (1948).    William A. Titus, "The History of Fond du Lac", Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter (1936). Dated History Outline - Principal sources 1. George Frederick, When Iron Was King In Dodge County, Wisconsin (Mayville, Wisconsin, 1993). 2. Indexed entries of the Milwaukee Sentinel, Milwuakee Public Library. May 30, 1874    The history of the Fond du Lac, Amboy & Peoria Railway Company began on May 30, 1874 in Amboy, Illinois, with the chartering of a 3-foot gauge railroad to be built north from Amboy towards the Illinois border. The original intention was to join up with the line of the Fond du Lac & Whitewater, which was to build south from Fond du Lac toward Walworth or Rock County.    The original officers included Alonzo Kinyon of Amboy Illinois, Wm. P. Wolf, Egbert Shaw, T. H. Mink and B. A. Mink. Kinyon was to be President of the the Illinois line while Wolf was to preside over the Wisconsin line. December 26, 1874    Fond du Lac & Whitewater Railway Co. incorporated in Wisconsin as a 3-foot narrow gauge line. "Article III. The length of the road is to be ninety five miles commencing at or near Fond du Lac in Fond du Lac County Wisconsin and running thence through the counties of Dodge, Jefferson, Waukeshaw and Walworth or Rock counties in said state of Wisconsin to a point on the South line of said state in said Walworth or said Rock County in said state." Capitalized at 1 million dollars in 10,000 shares of $100 each. Officers are    Alonzo Kinyon of Amboy, Lee County, Illinois (200 shares)    Egbert Shaw of Amboy Center, Lee County, Illinois (200 shares)    T. H. Mink of Clarence, Cedar County, Iowa (200 shares)    B. A. Mink of Clarence, Cedar County, Iowa (200 shares)    Wm. P. Wolf of Tipton, Cedar County, Iowa (200 shares) "The intention of this organization is to consolidate with a company in the state of Illinois projecting a line of railroad from Peoria in said state of Illinois to the south line of the state of Wisconsin." (January 26, 1875 MS 7/1)    -FAP plans narrow gauge road between Peoria and Fond du Lac (February 11, 1875 MS 3/3    -project arouses interest among Fond du Lac citizens) March 22, 1875    The Fond du Lac & Whitewater (Railway Co.?) was consolidated with the FAP, with the company officially headquartered in Amboy Illinois. Dodge County was to cede the (undeveloped) Iron Ridge & Mayville RR Co. right-of-way to the FAP. (The IR&M had been built somewhat earlier by Byron Kilbourne and other iron interests, but track was only laid to the south from Iron Ridge to meet the line of the LaCrosse and Milwaukee, another Kilbourne line later absorbed by the CMStP. The economy of Iron Ridge was based on the mining of iron ore, and for some years a charcoal furnace operated there as well. Both ore and pig iron were shipped to Milwaukee from the IR&M. Article IV of the consolidation articles called for nine directors, including seven of the original company, to wit    Alonzo Kinyon    Joseph T. Kinyon (relationship to A. Kinyon unknown)    Wm. P. Wolf    Egbert Shaw    T. H. Mink    B. A. Mink    Clarke Sprague Article VIII stated the purpose as a line from Fond du Lac to the Illinois River at or near Peoria, with a branch to Chicago and a branch to Milwaukee. May 1, 1875    Mortgage to John S. McDonald, Samuel White, Trustees (June 11, 1875 MS 5/1    -consolidates with F&W) (December 7, 1875 MS 4/2    -proposed line to be built) (February 24, 1876 MS 8/4    -terminus sought by Fond du Lac) (March 30, 1876 MS 2/1    -Neosho opinion divided about construction) May 12, 1876    Ground was broken at Iron Ridge to commence grading of the narrow-gauge line northward to Fond du Lac via Mayville. (Was George Wellman already the contractor at this point?) (May 20, 1876 MS 7/1    -construction work commencement reported by Judge Kinyon, president) (September 23, 1876 MS 2/5    -ceases construction activity) December 4, 1876    Mortgage by George Wellman to Barney & Smith Manufacturing Co. for rolling stock December 15, 1876    A mortgage of $10,052.93 was arranged by George Wellman for the purchase of two narrow gauge locomotives from Burnham, Parry, Williams & Co. (Baldwin). Details of the two locomotives are based on RLHS "Locomotives", p108 and the Baldwin 1876 Narrow Gauge Catalog:    FAP #1 "G.H. Wellman" built 05/1877, BLW#4082    4-4-0 American type; Cylinders 11" diameter x 16" stroke, 42" drivers, weight 34,500 lbs.    This was a Baldwin Class 8-16 C (see pg. 8 of 1876 BLW Narrow Gauge Catalog)    Typically 42" drivers, 24" truck wheels with center bearing bolster.    Wheelbase 18' 3", rigid wheelbase (drive centers) 7' 2".    Tender typically 4 or 6 wheel, 750 or 1100 gallons.    This engine was later sold to the Eagles Mere Railroad and became EMRR #1 (1891, 7-8 years after CMStP acquisition, then Tuscarora Valley #1)    FAP #2 "Judge Kinyon" built 08/1877, BLW#4132    2-6-0 Consolidation type; Cylinders 12" diameter x 18" stroke, 37" drivers, weight 42,730 lbs.    This was a Baldwin Class 8-18 D (typically 11 x 16 cylinders, drivers 36-40")    24" truck wheels with swing bolster and radius bar.    Wheelbase 17' 8", rigid wheelbase 11' 8".    Tender 8 wheeled, 1200 gallons.    This engine was later renumbered CMStP 104 (second) 12/1883, 414 (1898) and 1403 (1899) (December 30, 1876 MS 3/4    -Hustisford votes to burn bonds if railroad builds depot near village) (March 15, 1877 MS 5/2    -being extended to Iron Ridge (March 19, 1877 MS 5/2-March 20 MS 5/2)    -rents general office at Fond du Lac (March 31, 1877 MS 2/5    -will pass through Neosho (April 6, 1877 MS 5/1    -starts work in Fond du Lac (April 9, 1877 MS 2/3 - April 14 5/1    -construction to be started to Iron Ridge (April 20, 1877 MS 5/1    -plans for construction in Fond du Lac to be abandoned (April 26, 1877 MS 5/2    -30 men to work on Fond du Lac construction    -route from Fond du Lac to Waupaca to be surveyed (May 15, 1877 MS 5/2    -narrow gauge engine expected (May 25, 1877 MS 5/2    -steel rails arrive (May 29, 1877 MS 5/2    -workers strike for higher wages (June 9, 1877 MS 5/2    -begins to lay tracks at Fond du Lac (June 25, 1877 MS 5/3    -lays track from Fond du Lac to Mayville and Iron Ridge (July 7, 1877 MS 5/3 - July 15 5/2    -passenger coaches arrive at Fond du Lac (July 9, 1877 MS 5/2    -nine miles of track laid from Fond du Lac (July 13, 1877 MS 8/3    -tracks quickly laid (July 16, 1877 MS 5/2 - August 11 5/2 - August 15 5/2    -described as extension plans are revealed (July 26, 1877 MS 8/2    -pays off the strikers (July 30, 1877 MS 5/2    -bridge completed at Mayville August 1, 1877    The first train from Fond du Lac reached Mayville. (August 9, 1877 MS 5/3    -completed to Iron Ridge station (August 14, 1877 MS 5/2    -rumored saled to CMStP denied (August 14, 1877 MS 5/3    -regular trains to connect with CMStP for Milwaukee August 14, 1877    The line reached Iron Ridge (Junction?). (August 16, 1877 MS 2/4    -extension to Milwaukee proposed (August 11, 1877 MS 2/4 - August 20 5/1    -begins passenger service Fond du Lac to Iron Ridge (September 5, 1877 MS 2/3, 5/1    -passengers injured when train jumps track near Fond du Lac (September 11, 1877 MS 5/2    -road-bed improvements made (September 12, 1877 MS 5/2    -gravel train to resume work (a gap of a few years here) Jan 7, 1878    The Fond du Lac Daily Commonwealth publishes "Give Us A Narrow Gauge! The Trials and Tribulations of the Fond du Lac, Amboy and Peoria Railway" by George P. Knowles. September 25, 1878    Mortgage to Ephraim Mariner, Trustee From the Amboy News, September 8, 1882: (pg 4 col 3, reference from Lee County Genealogical Society)    "Judge Kinyon has sold his narrow gauge Fond du Lac, Amboy & Peoria railroad to the great Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul corporation. This is a narrow gauge line, completed several years ago from Fond du Lac to Iron Ridge Junction, a distance of thirty miles. Business on the line has been very light for some time, and the company failed to meet the interest on its indebtedness. The purchase by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Company gives that corporation direct communication with Fond du Lac, and were it to continue the road according to the charter obtained and the line surveyed a few years ago, it would also have connection with the southern coal fields of Illinois- something the Milwaukee company has for years been endeavoring to secure." December 31, 1883    Deed to CMStP April 25, 1884    Satisfaction of mortgage to CMStP by E. Mariner

Updated March 13, 2004.