ALL ABOARD! ALL ABOARD!

This Mural was created by: Andy Goretski

"ALL ABOARD! ALL ABOARD!"

The tracks and depot are long gone; however, Andy Goretski, artist from Tomahawk, WI, has brought the Chicago Northwestern passenger and freight trains back to Wittenberg. Conductor Herman Stelter stands on the platform urging people to board. Visit our newest mural on Low's storage shed, facing Howard Street.

HISTORY OF THE TRAINS IN WITTENBERG

The Milwaukee, Lakeshore, and Western Railroad was continued from Tigerton to Carbonero in 1880, two years before the village of Wittenberg was incorporated. The initial name of the village, Carbonero, had been chosen by the railroad; however, it was changed to Wittenberg at the behest of Rev. E. J. Homme. The railroad was then continued to Eland Junction, later to become the village of Eland. The Chicago & Northwestern bought the MLS & W in 1893. Passenger, freight, and mail service were provided to Wittenberg.

During the 1920's and 1930's there were as many as 20 trains a day running and stopping at Wittenberg. The last steam train to travel through Wittenberg was about 1954. In 1981, the rail service came to a halt on the line from Clintonville to Eland and the tracks were removed. At that time, not only was there the mainline but also there were three sidings for service to the village.

The mural--ALL ABOARD! ALL ABOARD!--is on the former Wheeler-Arnold Company building. This business had been started in 1897, operating a combination of logging of cedar poles, posts, and piling for bridges and buildings. A building on this site was constructed in 1928, burned and the present building, erected in 1930, housed the equipment for manufacturing snow fence as well as the company office. It should be noted that this snow fence was sold throughout the U.S. and Canada for corn cribs and snow breaks along roads and highways. The firm also provided telephone and light poles to utility companies in the 1900's.

Information offered by R. E. Best and Wilmarth Thayer