St. Paul and Duluth Railroad
| Company type | Independent rail company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessor | Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad |
| Founded | 1877 |
| Defunct | 1900 |
| Fate | Absorbed by Northern Pacific Railway |
| Headquarters | Saint Paul, Minnesota , United States |
Area served | Minnesota, Wisconsin |
| Products | Rail transport services |
The St. Paul and Duluth Railroad functioned as an independent rail company in Minnesota and Wisconsin from 1877, following its reorganization from the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad, until it was absorbed by the Northern Pacific Railway in 1900. Commonly referred to as the "Skally Line," a nickname likely derived from the Swedish term "skulle" meaning "would," it operated routes connecting Saint Paul and Duluth, Minnesota, with branch lines extending to significant Minnesota locales such as Minneapolis, Taylors Falls, Kettle River, and Cloquet, as well as serving Wisconsin points including Grantsburg and Superior.
Great Hinckley Fire
In the catastrophic event known as the Great Hinckley Fire of 1894, Train No. 4, called the "Duluth Limited" and powered by Steam Locomotive No. 69, was traveling southbound from Duluth to St. Paul carrying approximately 400 passengers. Upon reaching Hinckley, Minnesota, engineer James Root and his team assisted several individuals escaping the blaze before reversing direction to evade the advancing fire. They proceeded northward toward a marshy area locally referred to as "Skunk Lake," presently recognized as a historical location along the Willard Munger State Trail, situated roughly 4.5 miles north of Hinckley and about 8.5 miles south of Finlayson, Minnesota. There, both passengers and those fleeing took shelter in the water.
During this ordeal, Root suffered injuries from shattered glass propelled by extreme heat that broke windows on both the locomotive and passenger cars. Operating the train in reverse exposed the crew directly to smoke, flames, embers, and debris—a hazard that later led to safety improvements requiring fully enclosed locomotive cabs. Observers noted that Root was nearly incapacitated due to smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion; meanwhile, both engine and cars endured extensive damage while passing through the fire zone. The wildfire resulted in over 400 fatalities—an amount close to the passenger count on Train No. 4 prior to rescuing additional survivors—highlighting Root’s critical role in significantly reducing potential loss of life.
Relationship to the Willard Munger State Trail
The Willard Munger State Trail commemorates Munger, a native of West Duluth and Minnesota's longest-serving legislator. Spanning 65 miles, this trail traces the original corridor of the St. Paul and Duluth Railroad. Its northern terminus in West Duluth is located near the Lake Superior Zoo within Norton Park along the banks of the St. Louis River. The trail passes through Jay Cooke State Park, named after financier Jay Cooke of the Northern Pacific Railway. At its southern end in Hinckley lies the rebuilt St. Paul and Duluth Railroad Depot—later serving as a Northern Pacific Railway station—and home to the Hinckley Fire Museum. This depot is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.
Disposition
Following its acquisition by Northern Pacific Railway in 1900, this rail line became part of Burlington Northern in 1970 after mergers involving the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railway, Great Northern Railway, and Spokane, Portland, and Seattle Railway. In 1996, Burlington Northern combined with Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to establish what is now known as the BNSF Railway Company (officially named in 2005). After 1970, much of the St. Paul and Duluth route became redundant due to parallel tracks operated by Great Northern and Northern Pacific; consequently, numerous portions were either abandoned or repurposed into rail trails.
Notable sections include:
- From St. Paul to Maplewood: discontinued service; currently incorporated into the Bruce Vento Regional Trail
- Maplewood to Hugo: currently managed by the Minnesota Commercial Railway
- Hugo to North Branch: abandoned; transformed into Hardwood Creek Regional Trail and Sunrise Prairie Trail
- North Branch to Hinckley: operated by the St. Croix Valley Railroad, which retains the "Skally Line" designation along with a logo inspired by Northern Pacific’s original "monad." This railroad connects with BNSF at Hinckley.
- Hinckley to Duluth: abandoned; now forms part of the Willard Munger State Trail.