How a phonetic spelling of a French name created a major American railroad legacy

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The Soo Line Railroad is not named for a place called Soo, but for the phonetic spelling of Sault Ste. Marie. Born from a 1961 consolidation of Canadian Pacific subsidiaries, this Class I railroad transformed from a passenger carrier into a vital freight network, leaving behind a legacy of repurposed trails.

The Soo Line Railroad traces its origins to the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad. The name 'Soo' was a phonetic simplification of 'Sault,' reflecting the company's historical reach toward the Great Lakes. While the modern entity was incorporated in 1949 as the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railroad, it assumed its current identity in 1961 when Canadian Pacific consolidated several subsidiaries, including the Wisconsin Central Railway. This strategic merger effectively ended most of the line's passenger services, which had previously included notable long-distance routes like the Winnipeger and the Soo-Dominion.

The railroad's footprint expanded significantly through aggressive acquisitions. In 1982, it gained control of the Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway, and in 1985, it purchased the bankrupt Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, commonly known as the Milwaukee Road. However, the company also engaged in major divestments to manage costs. In 1987, it spun off approximately 2,000 miles of track to the newly formed Wisconsin Central Ltd. for $133 million. By the 2000s, the Soo Line was fully consolidated into the Canadian Pacific Railway, though it remains a primary U.S. subsidiary for the CPKC Railway.

Today, the physical remnants of the Soo Line serve communities in unexpected ways. As freight operations shifted or ceased on certain branches, former rail corridors were converted into public recreational spaces. In Minnesota, the Soo Line Trail now connects with the Lake Wobegon Trail, while in Wisconsin, the Wolf River State Trail occupies a section of the former Shawano Subdivision. Similarly, in Michigan, lines once used by the Copper Country Limited have been repurposed for ATV, hiking, and biking trails, ensuring the railroad's path remains a fixture of the landscape even after the tracks have been removed.

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