An map of the Green Bay Route shows steam boat connections on the Great Lakes and a proposed extension to St. Paul.

The Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul RR was the successor to the failed Green Bay & Minnesota.  The line came under control of the Delaware Lackawanna & Western and spent much of its 15 year life from 1881-1896 trying to develop new markets for the eastern road.

As was obvious from the newly reorganized railroad's name, a major goal was the idea to lay rails to St. Paul.  The Minnesota city would provide a new outlet for the DL&W's coal traffic and well as a link to the expanding Minnesota grain milling business. An expansion of the GBW&StP's dock facilities were undertaken to further that aim.

This 1889 map from the Rand McNally Official Railway Guide and Handbook shows the Green Bay Route with a proposed line from Merrillan to St. Paul.  It also shows the boat link through lakes Michigan and Huron which tied the Green Bay Route into the DL&W master plan. However, the GBW&StP had a persistent problem of never running in the black and the expansion never occurred.  

By the time the railroad was reorganized as the Green Bay & Western in 1896 several competing roads had lines running from the west end of the GB&W to St. Paul and the dream of a northwest expansion were laid to rest.

Related Material

• St. Paul Extension (1892)