A busy morning at Scandinavia.
Although this postcard was published in the 1980's, it shows a scene from
about 1910. Scandinavia's Union Depot was a busy junction point at this time.
Trains from three different railroads are shown here.
Green Bay & Western train westbound train #1 faces the camera. A
connecting train from the Iola & Northern is on the left of the photo, while
a train from the Waupaca - Green Bay waits on the south side of the station on
the right side of this photo.
The Iola & Northern was purchased by the GB&W on December 28, 1914
and the branch was abandoned June 1, 1958. The GB&W foreclosed on the
Waupaca - Green Bay on December 15, 1921 and abandoned it on July 4, 1947.
The sole combination car behind the I&N loco holds a very special place
in my Green Bay Route memories. After serving on the I&N, it was
retired from service during the Great Depression and then served as the depot at
New Franken, my hometown. Eventually it wound up in a field about a half
mile away from my grandfather's farm, where it remained until the 1990's.
The car was such a regular sight it was just taken for granted... never did I
question what it was doing out there! I just figured that it must have
been there forever!
Postcard, ca. 1910.