Highlights Archives
All Aboard for Railroad Day at Stonefield
Railroad transit and travel played a key role in the settlement of Wisconsin, and on Saturday, August 19, Stonefield historic site will celebrate the state's railroading heritage during Railroad Day. Activities will center around Stonefield's 1890s-style railroad depot, which symbolizes the so-called Golden Age of Railroading — loosely defined as the period from 1880 to 1916. In addition to three railcars located on tracks next to the depot, Railroad Day visitors can see Stonefield's newly restored velocipede — an early 1900s, three-wheeled railroad handcar used to inspect tracks.
Several southwestern Wisconsin railroad museums and heritage organizations will participate in the event with displays ranging from model train layouts and railroad hobo postcards to presentations and memorabilia. Participating museums include the Fennimore Railroad Historical Society Museum, the Rollo-Jamison Museum in Platteville, the Mineral Point Railroad Museum, the Depot Heritage Museum in Boscobel, and the New Glarus Depot Preservation Society. The Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom will present a program on the role of railcars in the service of the Wisconsin Fish Commission. Between 1893 and 1912, the state of Wisconsin commissioned specially built "fish cars" to assist with the transportation of game fish fingerlings and eggs from fish hatcheries to lakes and streams throughout the state.
In a throwback to the era of freight train hopping, which became a common practice during the Civil War and continued during times of widespread economic dislocation such as the Great Depression, Stonefield will feature an "End of the Line" hobo camp. Celebrated hobo Luther the Jet, a former national "hobo king," will preside as king of the camp, regaling visitors with a repertoire of his original hobo and railroad songs, tales of his times riding the rails, hobo history, and railroad lore. Samples of mulligan stew, standard fare for many a hobo traveling the rails, will be available in the camp. After exploring the camp, visitors can quaff a cold beer or root beer to the sound of piano music in the village saloon.
For those taking part in Railroad Day festivities, a stop at the nearby State Agricultural Museum is a must. Children's games, broom making demonstrations, and tours of the the homesite of Wisconsin's first governor Nelson Dewey will take place throughout the day. While visiting Stonefield, you'll also want to view its recently installed "River Connections" exhibit that explores the connections between the Mississippi River and the communities that dot its shores. For a deeper look at the history of railroading in Wisconsin, visit Turning Points in Wisconsin History.
Railroad Day is sponsored in part by the Alliant Energy Foundation and the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.
:: Posted August 14, 2006
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