The Railroad in Mazomanie
The Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad Company, immediate successor of the Milwaukee and Waukesha formed in 1850, built the first railroad line across Wisconsin between Milwaukee and Prairie du Chien. Edward H. Brodhead was hired as Chief Engineer in 1851 and selected Mazomanie as a site for fueling, watering, and servicing locomotives. The railroad was officially opened to Mazomanie on June 7, 1856.
Two special trains operated from the village during the 1800s. A "wood train" obtained wood to fuel the steam locomotives. A construction train and crew performed emergency work both east and west of Mazomanie. Quarters located on the second floor of the depot provided housing and dining facilities for these and other railroad crews.
During the height of nineteenth-century railroading, there were as many as five side tracks in addition to the main line in the Mazomanie railroad corridor. An engine house, turntable, and water tower were located between Brodhead and Cramer Streets. A branch line to Sauk City and Prairie du Sac was completed in 1881 and a wye added in 1942.
On July 1, 1982, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation bought the right-of-way and on July 6, 1982, the last train operated by the Milwaukee Road passed through the village. Subsequent operators included the Wisconsin and Western, the Wisconsin and Calumet, and the Wisconsin and Southern Railroads. In 1992 the track and roadbed were rehabilitated by the Wisconsin River Rail Transit Commission.
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Location. 43° 10.536′ N, 89° 47.588′ W. Marker is in Mazomanie, Wisconsin, in Dane County. It is at the intersection of Brodhead Street (County Road Y) and the railroad grade crossing, on the right when traveling north on Brodhead Street. Marker is along the path leading east from the parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Mazomanie WI 53560, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Wisconsin and in Greater Madison. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Branch Line (here, next
Also see . . . Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railway Company Brief History. (Submitted on October 28, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 12, 2021. It was originally submitted on October 27, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,039 times since then and 47 times this year. Last updated on February 27, 2021, by Jim Schaettle of Madison, Wisconsin. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 28, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
