Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad

The Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad originates in 1863 when financier Jay Cooke designates Duluth as the northern terminus of a new line, and local businessman Lyman Dayton contributes $10,000 for the initial survey and serves as president until his death in 1865, after which Philadelphia banker Frank Hamilton Clark assumes the presidency. Construction finishes in 1870, the line reaches Duluth through Carlton, and on August 1 1870 the first passenger trains run between the Twin Cities and Duluth; the railroad operates as a freight and passenger carrier until 1877. The Panic of 1873 strains Cooke’s finances, leading the LS&M to reorganize in 1877 as the St. Paul and Duluth Railroad, which later becomes part of the Northern Pacific Railway. After a long dormancy, volunteers of the Lake Superior Transportation Club reincorporate the name in 1981, launching a heritage excursion service that follows much of the original right‑of‑way. In 2003 the St. Paul Pioneer Press names the Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad the “Best Train Ride.”