Though the Washburn Bayfield & Iron River Railway has been treated in many books and articles, almost all has been written from the viewpoint of angry Bayfield County taxpayers who believed that they had been robbed in the whole affair. This book attempts to paint an unbiased view of the WB&IR, using still existing corporate and official records in an attempt to trace the company's history from its incorporation, through its construction, operation, financial failure, and subsequent sale to the Northern Pacific Ry.