The Southern Minnesota Railroad, an affiliate of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, built a line that reached from Jackson, MN, to Pipestone, MN, in 1879. In 1880 the Milwaukee Road continued the line and reached Madison, SD. In ensuing years the line was extended further to Woonsocket, and finally to Wessington Springs, SD.
Towns on the line:
- Jackson, MN
- Lakefield, MN
- Okabena, MN
- Miloma, MN (where the line crossed the Omaha's, St. Paul - Sioux City Mainline. Miloma got its name from the first syllables of each Railroad, Milwaukee Road - Omaha. The two Railroads also shared a depot there.)
- Kinbrae, MN
- Fulda, MN
- Wirock, MN
- Iona, MN
- Chandler, MN
- Edgerton, MN
- Hatfield, MN
- Pipestone, MN
- Airlie, MN
- Flandreau, SD
- Egan, SD (where there was a wye to Sioux Falls, SD. Built in 1881, eventually Abandoned to Dell Rapids)
- Coleman, SD
- Wentworth, SD (the line is not abandoned between Wentworth and Madison)
- Madison, SD
- Junius, SD
- Winfred, SD
- Howard, SD
- Vilas, SD
- Roswell, SD
- Fedora, SD
- Artesian, SD
- Woonsocket, SD
- Lane, SD
- Wessington Springs, SD
A rough timeline of the route:
South Dakota | Minnesota
Wessington Springs Woonsocket Madison Wentworth Egan Pipestone Jackson
=========================================================================================
1879 |--- SMRR ---|
1880 |------ CMStP&P ------------|------------|
1881 |-CMStP&P--|----------------------------------------|
1903 |--- CMStP&P ----|---------------------------------------------------|
1972 |----------------|..........|----------------------------------------|
1979 |................| |--------------------|...................|
1980 |-----------|........|
???? |...........|
|.....| = Abandonment