Mazomanie in Dane County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Mazomanie
Photographed By Keith L, May 5, 2009
1. Mazomanie Marker
Inscription.
Mazomanie. . In 1850, the Milwaukee and Mississippi Rail Road Company began building a line to span the lower third of Wisconsin between Milwaukee and Prairie du Chien. Chief Engineer Edward Brodhead concluded that this area's topographical features were ideal for constructing a railroad servicing station and a commercial trading village. In 1855, he platted the village and named it "Mazomanie," an Indian name he believed to mean "Iron Horse." Mazomanie developed quickly after a dam and millrace were built to harness the water power of Black Earth Creek. The new railroad village revitalized the lagging farm economy of the early settlers, who arrived in the 1840s under the auspices of the British Temperance Emigration Society. By the mid-1870s Mazomanie was a thriving commercial and industrial center of over 1100 people. The village eventually supported two flour mills, two creameries, a brewery, four blacksmith shops, a foundry, and factories which produced knitted goods, cabinets, carriages, wagons, and agricultural implements. Many of Mazomanie's 19th-century buildings remain in the village today.
In 1850, the Milwaukee and Mississippi Rail Road Company began building a line to span the lower third of Wisconsin between Milwaukee and Prairie du Chien. Chief Engineer Edward Brodhead concluded that this area's topographical features were ideal for constructing a railroad servicing station and a commercial trading village. In 1855, he platted the village and named it "Mazomanie," an Indian name he believed to mean "Iron Horse." Mazomanie developed quickly after a dam and millrace were built to harness the water power of Black Earth Creek. The new railroad village revitalized the lagging farm economy of the early settlers, who arrived in the 1840s under the auspices of the British Temperance Emigration Society. By the mid-1870s Mazomanie was a thriving commercial and industrial center of over 1100 people. The village eventually supported two flour mills, two creameries, a brewery, four blacksmith shops, a foundry, and factories which produced knitted goods, cabinets, carriages, wagons, and agricultural implements. Many of Mazomanie's 19th-century buildings remain in the village today.
Erected 1996 by the Wisconsin Historical Society. (Marker Number 337.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars
Location. 43° 10.545′ N, 89° 47.642′ W. Marker is in Mazomanie, Wisconsin, in Dane County. Marker is at the intersection of Brodhead Street and American Legion Street, on the right when traveling north on Brodhead Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Mazomanie WI 53560, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Mazomanie's 1857 Railroad Depot is the oldest wooden depot in the Midwest.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 8, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 30, 2009, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 1,552 times since then and 78 times this year. Last updated on January 7, 2024, by Devon Polzar of Port Washington, Wisconsin. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on May 30, 2009, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
