by Ross Richardson

Since the founding of Gettysburg in 1883, the public spirited citizens worked diligently to bring a railroad to their town since the nearest railroad connection was at Blunt, 38 miles south. When the Chicago & Northwestern began the extension of their line west from Redfield, a right-of-way through Potter County and 440 acres of land for townsite purposes in Gettysburg were tendered to them as an inducement to build in Gettysburg. This evidently brought results as the line was so extended and completed to Gettysburg on September 22, 1887, the town having a population of about 400 people at that time.

Until the year 1910, Gettysburg was the terminal of this branch of the Chicago & NOrthwestern Railway from Redfield and besides regular freight service furnished us with daily passenger, mail and express service. During this period the passenger would arrive daily; the locomotive would be turned around on a turntable and return to Redfield the next day.

In 1890 some boosters at Forest City (Buckeley, Springer and Hassler), operating under the name Forest City Land & Improvement Company, induced some eastern capitalists to build a railroad from the western end of the Chicago & Northwestern right-of-way to Forest City. This road was completed on December 21, 1890, to a terminus located on land owned by W.S. Small about one mile from Forest City proper, being a total of 15 miles, 1385 feet. At the beginning, the total rolling stock consisted of one locomotive, one combination coach, one box car and two flat cars. This road, known as the Forest City and Sioux City Railway, never gave regular service and was a failure, discontinuing operations in the year 1900. All rolling stock, rails and removable equipment were sold to N.J. Schlachter of Gettysburg at a reported consideration of $70,000 upon a down payment of $1.00.

In 1910 the Chicago & Northwestern extended their line from Gettysburg to Blunt, furnishing daily passenger and mail service both ways until the year 1944. On January 10, 1944, they discontinued their passenger trains No. 106 and 107 between Gettysburg and Blunt and since have furnished only freight service.

(From: Gettysburg South Dakota, 75th Anniversary, 1883-1958, page 19, with permission)