CN US-63 Bridge (Stanberry)

In 1906, the Owen and Northern Railway Company (O&N) had begun constructing a 45 mile railroad line, extending from the existing Wisconsin Central Railway (WC) mainline at Owen, Wisconsin to Ladysmith, Wisconsin.  At the same time, the WC acquired the partially completed property of the O&N, and completed construction as part of a bigger project to construct a new line to reach Lake Superior at the Twin Ports.  Between 1906 and 1909, the WC constructed 112 miles of new railroad, extending from Ladysmith, Wisconsin to Superior, Wisconsin and Duluth, Minnesota.  In 1909, the WC would be leased by the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway (Soo Line), which itself was controlled by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). In 1910, an additional 19 miles were constructed between Spencer, Wisconsin and Owen, Wisconsin.  These projects were among several major projects undertaken by the WC/Soo Line, which included constructing new lines and revising existing lines to improve operations.  This line would serve as a principal mainline for the WC/Soo Line, connecting the Chicago with the Twin Ports while bypassing the Twin Cities.

The Soo Line had constructed and acquired a large network of railroads, connecting the Upper Midwest with Canadian Railroads.  Throughout the early 20th Century, this line remained a critical mainline for the Soo Line, which owned sprawling terminal facilities in Duluth and Superior.  In addition, the line connected to additional secondary lines which extended into central Minnesota from Duluth.  In 1961, the WC would be merged with other CP subsidiaries Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroad and the Soo Line to form Soo Line Railroad, a company controlled by CP.  In 1984, the Soo Line would be reorganized as the Soo Line Corporation in advance of a pending purchase of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road).

In 1987, this line would be sold to Wisconsin Central, Ltd. (WC).  Known as the "new" Wisconsin Central, the railroad acquired several excess rail lines from the Soo Line, Milwaukee Road and Chicago & North Western Railway. In 1988, a portion of the line between Gordon, Wisconsin and Ambridge, Wisconsin was abandoned in favor of the parallel Chicago & North Western Railway route, which had also been acquired by the WC.  The former Soo Line route would be purchased for trail use.  In 2001, WC was merged into Canadian National Railway (CN), becoming the American subsidiary of CN.  Today, CN continues to operate the Spencer to Superior segment as the northern portion of the Superior Subdivision, which provides the main CN access to the Twin Ports from Wisconsin.  The Wild Rivers Trail currently uses the former Soo Line route between Gordon and Ambridge.