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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Washburn in Bayfield County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
 

Washburn Historic Waterfront

Bigelow / Hines Railroad Trestle

— Wisconsin's Maritime Trails —

 
 
Washburn Historic Waterfront Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, June 17, 2012
1. Washburn Historic Waterfront Marker
Inscription. In the early days of Washburn, the waterfront was filled with saw mills. The A.A. Bigelow Mill (1887-1902), later to become the Hines Mill, was the largest of three major sawmills in Washburn. It rested on pilings that ran directly out from the present 6th Avenue West. Logs were hauled to the mill by the Washburn & Northwestern Railroad, a narrow gauge system that was owned by the mill. Once the logs reached the lake, they were fed into the mill ponds at log dumps. To handle the massive amount of timber coming out of the Bayfield Peninsula, a trestle was built 1500 feet out into the bay, just east of the main Bigelow/Hines mill dock. This trestle left the shore about where this sign is now.

Today, except for a few broken off pilings and some crib rock, there is very little left of the trestle itself, but its path is strewn with hardware from the logging cars. Everything from hand tools and tie-down chain, to pieces of the logging cars and coupling systems lies right where they were left the last day of work. Seeing these artifacts lying on the bottom, it’s tempting to picture a frustrated rail worker watching a link pin drop into the water while the engineer whistles impatiently to pull out for another load of logs.
 
Erected by Wisconsin Historical Society and University of Wisconsin
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Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & CommerceRailroads & StreetcarsSettlements & SettlersWaterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Wisconsin’s Maritime Trails series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1500.
 
Location. 46° 39.998′ N, 90° 54.099′ W. Marker is in Washburn, Wisconsin, in Bayfield County. Marker can be reached from 6th Avenue West south of Lakeview Drive, on the left when traveling south. Located along the waterfront walking trail in Thompson's West End Park at the end of 6th Avenue W. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Washburn WI 54891, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Washburn Lumbering Days / The Hines Lumber Company (within shouting distance of this marker); The Sprague Well (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bank of Washburn (approx. 0.7 miles away); Washburn, The Monolith City (approx. 0.7 miles away); Madeline Island (approx. 4 miles away); Schooner Lucerne (approx. 4.8 miles away); Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy (approx. 4.8 miles away); Doctor Edwin Ellis (approx. 5.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Washburn.
 
More about this marker. Unfortunately, this marker
Washburn Historic Waterfront Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, June 17, 2012
2. Washburn Historic Waterfront Marker
photo in upper left corner
has been "tagged" with graffiti.
 
Also see . . .  Wisconsin's Maritime Trails. Wisconsin Historical Society (Submitted on July 26, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.) 
 
Washburn Historic Waterfront Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, June 17, 2012
3. Washburn Historic Waterfront Marker
Map in lower left corner
Washburn Historic Waterfront Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, June 17, 2012
4. Washburn Historic Waterfront Marker
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on August 27, 2018. It was originally submitted on July 25, 2012, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 922 times since then and 19 times this year. Last updated on August 23, 2018, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 25, 2012, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 29, 2024