Milwaukee Depot in Menasha: (Satellite, just south of the existing track and east of Racine.)
Milwaukee Freight House in Menasha: (Satellite, my guess based on the aerial photo below, about a block west of the depot.)
As part of studying the Wisconsin Waterway, I used a satellite map to find the Menasha Lock. When I noticed the dam at the other end of the navigation channel, it struck me that this town was probably a mill town back in the 1800s and that this channel was a headrace. In fact, there is a headrace on the south side of the dam as well. Judging by the turning basin, I presume that this channel provided water transport as well as water power.
Looking at the Neenah side of Doty Island, we see another dam and the remnants of two headraces.
The mills along the Fox River started out as the usual gristmills and sawmills. But in the 1870s more specialized mills to process Wisconsin forests were developed such as paper mills. I recognize Kimberly-Clark as a paper products company. And as the name implies, Neenah Paper also makes paper products. Since their paper products are more specialized than the paper used in photocopiers or newsprint, hopefully they will continue to survive in the Internet age. (When we drove through northern Alabama to check out the dams on the Tennessee River, we passed some huge paper mills that were closed.) I also noticed the strong paper mill heritage of this area represented by Georgia-Pacific and Kimberly-Clark plants. Us Paper Mills appears to specialize in using paper for packaging. They could benefit by a backlash against plastics because so much ends up in the ocean. I also noticed the last two plants appear to be rail served.
The headraces for Menasha have yet to be filled in. But the southern headrace for Neenah used to be longer.
When I saw all of the industry south of the south headrace, I wondered if there used to be a tailrace along what is now Wisconsin Ave. But looking at an older topo shows a tailrace probably never existed. It does show that the south headrace in Menasha used to be longer and that the land between the north headrace and the river was extended into the river.
.C&NW Depot
As part of studying the Wisconsin Waterway, I used a satellite map to find the Menasha Lock. When I noticed the dam at the other end of the navigation channel, it struck me that this town was probably a mill town back in the 1800s and that this channel was a headrace. In fact, there is a headrace on the south side of the dam as well. Judging by the turning basin, I presume that this channel provided water transport as well as water power.
Looking at the Neenah side of Doty Island, we see another dam and the remnants of two headraces.
 |
| Marty Bernard posted Neenah-Menasha, WI Depot, Duane Hall photo, May 1987. In 1987 which railroad's was this? Brent Erdmann: Would of been the CNW still but the FRV was founded in 1988. |
 |
| Street View Dennis DeBruler commented on Marty's post To my surprise, it has been preserved. 44°11'35.3"N 88°27'23.5"W |
 |
| Street View Dennis DeBruler commented on Marty's post |
The mills along the Fox River started out as the usual gristmills and sawmills. But in the 1870s more specialized mills to process Wisconsin forests were developed such as paper mills. I recognize Kimberly-Clark as a paper products company. And as the name implies, Neenah Paper also makes paper products. Since their paper products are more specialized than the paper used in photocopiers or newsprint, hopefully they will continue to survive in the Internet age. (When we drove through northern Alabama to check out the dams on the Tennessee River, we passed some huge paper mills that were closed.) I also noticed the strong paper mill heritage of this area represented by Georgia-Pacific and Kimberly-Clark plants. Us Paper Mills appears to specialize in using paper for packaging. They could benefit by a backlash against plastics because so much ends up in the ocean. I also noticed the last two plants appear to be rail served.
The headraces for Menasha have yet to be filled in. But the southern headrace for Neenah used to be longer.
 |
| 1955 Neenah Quadrangle @1:24,000 |
When I saw all of the industry south of the south headrace, I wondered if there used to be a tailrace along what is now Wisconsin Ave. But looking at an older topo shows a tailrace probably never existed. It does show that the south headrace in Menasha used to be longer and that the land between the north headrace and the river was extended into the river.
 |
| Paul Hillmer commented on a post |
Milwaukee Freight House in Menasha
Bill Rosenberg posted three photos with the comment: "Some photos from Menasha fifty years ago. Verne Brummel took pictures of the depot, and a Fairbanks-Morse switcher working the yard."
Jim Beson: The Menasha depot was located behind what is now the Subway sandwich shop on Racine St. Me and a grade school friend were regular nuisances there back in the early 60's. The Neenah depot is on Forest Ave. in Neenah and the modeling club operates it as "The Milwaukee & Northern Railway Historical Society" as it was M&N before CM&St.P purchased them.
Dave Martens shared
Jack Franklin shared
 |
| 1 |
 |
| 2 |
 |
| 3 |
 |
| 1938 Aerial Photo |
Big Picture
 |
| 1955 Neenah Quad @ 24,000 |
No comments:
Post a Comment