Wadena & Park Rapids RailRoad was incorporated in 1883 by William R. Baumbach, E. S. Case, William Crooks, James B. Cutler, Charles A. Gilman, John R. Miller, Frank C. Rice, Gilbert H. Rice, Hermann Trott, and I. A. Wolverton to build a single track or double track railway from Wadena, Hubbard County, Minnesota, to Park Rapids, Hubbard County, Minnesota. It engaged in preliminary surveying of a route in 1884 and proposed completion of the rail line in 1885. It had initial capital stock of $1,000,000 and its principal place of business was Wadena, Minnesota. The railroad was organized in 1881, operated in 1891, and was succeeded by the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba RailRoad. William R. Baumbach (1849-1933,) the son of William von Baumbach, a physician, and Augusta Hoffman Baumbach, was born in Racine, Wisconsin, moved with his family to Mendota, Illinois, attended public schools in Mendota, Illinois, served in the 132nd Illinois Regiment in 1864 during the American Civil War, married Jennie R. __?__/Rebecca J. Dawson (1847-1906) in 1870, was a partner of J. J. Meyer in a mercantile business in Illinois from 1876 until 1880, moved to Wadena, Minnesota, in 1880, was a partner in Baumbach & Meyer in Wadena, Minnesota, from 1880 until 1885, left the partnership in 1885 to form the Wadena Exchange Bank, was the president of the Wadena Exchange Bank from 1885 until 1892, became the president of the First National Bank of Wadena, Minnesota, when it merged with the Wadena Exchange Bank in 1892, was a member of the board of directors of the Wadena & Park Rapids RailRoad, married Hannah Swindlehurst (1866–1954,) the daughter of Joseph Swindlehurst and Margaret Maria O’Connor Swindlehurst, was a partner of John Anderson & Company of Sebeka, Minnesota, was a member of the mercantile firm of C. W. Baumbach & Company, filed for a Civil War pension in 1912, was a Republican, was a Mason, was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, died in Los Angeles County, California, and is buried in the Wadena Cemetery, Wadena, Wadena County, Minnesota. Edgar S. Case, the son of Ephriam Case and Mary E. Adsit Case, was a banker associated with the Bank of Wadena, Minnesota, which failed in 1884, was the register of deeds for Wadena County, Minnesota, in 1880, was the master of the Masonic lodge in Wadena, Minnesota, in 1883, and organized the Wadena County Bank of Verndale, Minnesota. James B. Cutler (1830-1909,) the son of Leonard Cutler, was born in Michigan, married Margaret Beard (1832-1916,) resided in LaPorte, Indiana, moved to Iowa in 1850, was the mayor of Osage, Iowa, in 1882, purchased a half interest in the Park Rapids, Minnesota, town site in 1882, and was buried in the Osage Cemetery, Osage, Mitchell County, Iowa. Charles Andrew “C. A.” Gilman (1833-1927) was born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, was a lawyer, taught in New Hampshire country and village schools for four years, taught grammar classes in Gilmanton Academy in New Hampshire, was a New Hampshire highway surveyor from 1854 until 1855, came to Minnesota in 1854, moved to Sauk Rapids, Benton County, Minnesota in 1855, married Hester Cronk (1837-1910) in 1857, moved to St. Cloud, Minnesota in 1861, was a Republican, was a register and receiver in the federal land office at St. Cloud, Minnesota, in 1861, was the county auditor of Benton County, Minnesota, was the register of deeds of Benton County, Minnesota, was a stock farmer, was a lumberman, was a saw mill builder, engaged in land purchases and sales, was a member of the Minnesota Senate representing Aitkin County, Minnesota, Andy Johnson County, Minnesota, BeckerCounty, Minnesota, Buchanan County, Minnesota, Carlton County, Minnesota, CassCounty, Minnesota, ClayCounty, Minnesota, Crow WingCounty, Minnesota, DouglasCounty, Minnesota, ItascaCounty, Minnesota, LakeCounty, Minnesota, MorrisonCounty, Minnesota, Otter Tail County, Minnesota, Pembina County, Minnesota, PolkCounty, Minnesota, PopeCounty, Minnesota, St. LouisCounty, Minnesota, Stearns County, Minnesota, ToddCounty, Minnesota, WadenaCounty, Minnesota, and Wilkin County, Minnesota (District 3,) from 1867 until 1870, was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives representing Stearns County, Minnesota (Districts 31 and 45,) from 1874 until 1880 and from 1914 until 1917, was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1879 until 1880, was Minnesota Lieutenant Governor under Governor John S. Pillsbury and under Governor Lucius Hubbard from 1880 until 1887, was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican Party endorsement for Minnesota Governor in the 1886 election and the 1888 election, was the State Law Library librarian from 1894 until 1899, and died in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Frank C./Franklin C. Rice (1834-1910,) the son of Benjamin Rice, Jr. (1795-1851,) and Mary Maltby Rice (1798- ,) was born in Panama, Chautauqua County, New York, moved to Mitchell County, Iowa, in 1855, taught school and built and operated grist and saw mills in Riceville, Mitchell County, Iowa, lived in Minnehaha County, Dakota Territory, from 1867 until 1873, founded Dell Rapids, Dakota Territory, married Frances C. Wells (1838-1921) in 1873, ran a real estate business in Minneapolis from 1878 to 1881, acquired several hundred acres in Todd Township, Minnesota, and moved his family to Park Rapids, Minnesota, in 1881, built a dam on Fish Hook River to power a rolling stone grain mill and a sawmill, was a notary public, was in the conveyancing, real estate, insurance, loans and collections business in 1882, was the first postmaster of Park Rapids, Minnesota, in 1882, was the Hubbard County, Minnesota, register of deeds in 1883, was a founding member of the Wadena & Park Rapids Railway company in 1885, was a charter member of the First Baptist Church of Park Rapids, Minnesota, in 1890, was a judge of probate from 1898 until 1901, received the franchise to supply electricity to Park Rapids, Minnesota, in 1908, died of heart failure in Park Rapids, Minnesota, and was buried in the Greenwood Cemetery, Park Rapids, Hubbard County, Minnesota. Gilbert H. Rice (1838-1908,) the son of Benjamin Rice, Jr. (1795-1851,) a War of 1812 veteran, and Mary Maltby Rice (1798- ,) was born in Harmony, Chautauqua County, New York, had a common school education in New York, moved to Mitchell County, Iowa, in 1855, laid out the town site of Riceville, Iowa, in 1857, attended the Cedar Valley Seminary at Osage, Iowa, in 1861, married Martha E. Pierce (1848-1928) in 1866, bought out his brothers’ interests in the milling business at Riceville, Iowa, in 1866, sold the mill, reentered the milling business near Osage, Iowa, from 1867 until 1881, moved to Park Rapids, Minnesota, built the pioneer flour mill in Park Rapids, Minnesota, in 1883, was a member of the Park Rapids Literary Society in 1883, was a probate court judge from 1883 until 1887, was a charter member of the First Baptist Church of Park Rapids, Minnesota, was a Republican, was a member of the Sound Money Club of Park Rapids, Minnesota, was a member of Shell Prairie Lodge No. 131 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, died in Medford, Jackson County, Oregon, and was buried in the Greenwood Cemetery, Park Rapids, Hubbard County, Minnesota. Hermann Trott (1830-1903) was the son of C. C. Trott, a German military officer, was born either in Hanover, Germany, or in Austria, received a business education, was an engineer, emigrated to the United States in 1856, moved to Minnesota Territory in 1856, was an agent for the Robertson Company, a group of land speculators led by Daniel A. Robertson, in 1856, was involved in a project to encourage German immigration to Chengwatana, Pine County, Minnesota, in 1856, resided at Chengwatana, Minnesota Territory, from 1856 until 1862, successfully applied to the Minnesota territorial legislature to organize Pine County, Minnesota Territory, in 1856, was a member of the first board of county commissioners of Pine County, Minnesota Territory, in 1856, was a justice of the peace in Pine County, Minnesot Territory, was the enumerator for Pine County, Minnesota, for the 1857 Minnesota census, was a Democrat in 1860, was the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for State Auditor in 1860, moved to St. Paul in 1863, married Ann Eliza Goettel (1837- ) in 1864, was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives representing Ramsey County (District 21,) fron 1865 until 1867, was a clerk in 1866, was the secretary of the land department of the First Division of the St. Paul & Pacific RailRoad in 1868, resided in St. Paul in 1869, was a member of the St. Paul school board from 1869 until 1871, succeeded George Loomis Becker as land commissioner for the First Division of the St. Paul & Pacific RailRoad in 1869, was in charge of building a portion of the St. Paul & Pacific RailRoad in the 1870’s, was the treasurer and the land commissioner of the First Division of the St. Paul & Pacific RailRoad in 1874, was a member of the board of aldermen of St Paul from 1880 until 1881, was an incorporator of the Duluth, North Shore & Southwestern RailRoad in 1884, was the land commissioner of the Northern Pacific RailRoad in 1882, was the secretary of the Minnesota Guarantee Endowment Association in 1887, moved to the State of Washington in 1890, was the president of the Chehalis & Eastern RailRoad in Washington State in 1890, furnished tidal data for Willapa Bay from Sea Harbor, Washington, to the superintendent of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1892, was a member of the Minnesota Territorial Pioneers, returned to St. Paul in 1899, and died in St. Paul. [See note for William Crooks for 57 Wilkin Street.]