Congress made a grant of land to the state of Wisconsin to aid railroad building (Madison or Columbus via Portage City to the St. Croix, and thence to Lake Superior and Bayfield).

The evidence

• “In the spring of 1856 congress made a grant of land to the state of Wisconsin, to aid in the building of a railroad from Madison, or Columbus, via Portage City, to the St. Crwx river or lake, between townships 25 and 31. and from thence to the west end of Lake Superior, and to Bayfield.”

  1879-history-of-rock-county/04-wisconsin-railroads-commerce-health-statistics.md, PDF p. 171 / book p. 175

  Butterfield, C. W., et al. The History of Rock County, Wisconsin: its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879. Cornell University Library via the Internet Archive, archive.org/details/cu31924028871585.

  Grade A: Found on a page of one of our sources