The Saint Paul Eastern Grand Trunk Railway was formed to be the first link in the new route from St. Paul to Sault Ste. Marie, and thence by the Grand Trunk, of Canada, to the Atlantic ports.

The line was organized to operate a line from some point on Lake St. Croix or the Mississippi River, in Wisconsin, to a point on Green Bay or Lake Michigan. The line served Menomonie, Eau Claire, and Chippewa Falls.

The line began operations in 1879.