FROM THE FILES OF THE STANLEY REPUBLICAN COMPILED BY JOSEPH BACK

116 years ago May 12, 1906

From the Chippewa Independent News comes from Ladysmith that the W. C. will build a handsome brick depot at that point. It will have every modern equipment and will be the best that money can buy. Stanley, a city of nearly three thousand and the best shipping point on the main line has the meanest shack for a depot.

May 18, 1906

A strong wind and a spark leave destruction in their wake, burning down a large portion of the north side.

May 26, 1906

AMONG THE RUINS. A Resume of Events Connected with the Great Fire of Last Week. Plans for the Future.

People Take Heart Again.

Northwestern Lumber Co. Making Extensive Plans for Re-building. Others will build substantially.

The fire of Friday the 18th of May was the most destructive in the history of the city of Stanley. Nearly eighty families were burned out of a home, about seventy dwelling houses were burned. In addition to these, the barns, the warehouse, store and flour mill of the Northwestern Lumber Co., furniture store of J. N. Olson, meat market of Long & Nes, implement warehouse of Christenson & Konsella, blacksmith shop of Peter Halleen, The United Lutheran church and Society building, the Presbyterian church and the contents, furnishings and interior of the Public Library….For two or three days the unfortunate people were dazed, discour aged and disheartened. But kind hearts and helping hands were not lacking and but a few hours elapsed before everybody was provided with shelter, food, and clothing, to meet temporary needs at least…But the dawn of another week witnessed a reawakening… REAL ESTATE AND BUILDING NOTES The following was received on Saturday by Station Agent F. W. Benjamin of the W. C. Railway. And to use a popular slang expression it “helps some” to revive the drooping spirits of Stanley people.

Please see the Mayor at once and express to him and the citizens of Stanley the sympathy of the ovcials of the Wisconsin Central Railway In their loss and say to them that we will start the erection of a depot at Stanley at once.

E. F. Potter.

July 28, 1906

The Contact is Let Building of the New Stanley Depot for Wisconsin Central Falls to Chippewa Falls Construction Company.

Work of Construction begins soon.

Builders are well known and responsible concerns who will unquestionably do a creditable job.

The new Stanley depot, so long anticipated, will be built by the Chippewa Falls Construction Co., and it will be built soon.

This much is known to a certainty. The information is coming to The Republican from an authoritative source on Thursday.

This will be glad news to Stanley people who were reassured by the visit here of the railroad ovcials on the evening of June 11th. AT that time they submitted the plans and specification of the building to be erected and the plans were enthusiastically approved by citizens and city ovcials. The building is to be 26 x 69 over all with a tile roof and containing a lobby 24 x 34, a ladies’ waiting room 16 x 16 with retiring rooms; a smoking room and baggage room each 12 x 16. The in- terior finish will be of native hardwood and the ovce fix tures thoroughly modern and elegant. The building will be located on Emery street crossing and a sixteen foot platform will be extended in front of the building, probably the length of the block of Willard street. An arched doorway and platform will front on Bartlett street and will be approached by a driveway. It is expected that has hitherto been a marsh between Willard and Emery street will be improved and made one of the beauty spots of the city.

The Chippewa Falls Construction Co. who has contract for this building is well known here having built the Citizens State Bank and the city hall.

August 4, 1906

Yourself and Others on page 5 The contract price for the new Stanley depot is said to be $6,300.

Page 4 railroad items The railroad ovcials of the Wisconsin Central and the con tractors for the new depot were here yesterday to stake ou the site for the structure and building operations will begin the first of the week.

December 22, 1906

READY FOR OCCU PANCY The New Wisconsin Central Station will be Ready for Use when Lights are Installed.

A GOOD BUILDING Architect Catermole and Contractor Hanson here on Thursday. Building Accepted.

The Wisconsin Central Railway Co. accepted the new Stanley depot from the contractors, the Chippewa Falls Construction Co. on Thursday. R. W. Catermole division engineer was here representing the railway Co. and J. C. Hansen was here from Chippewa to represent the contractors. Mr. Catermole accepted the building in behalf of the company and declared himself well pleased. All that re- mains is to install lighting fix tures and the building will be occupied as a railway station.

This will be a great event in the history of Stanley and is deserving of more than passing notice. Certainly no one event has been more generally anticipated and longed for by all the people than the providing of a credible railway passenger station here. It is an event almost worthy of public observance of some sort and it has been suggested that some sort of formal observance of the event be held and the ov cials of the railway company be invited to participate.

Speaking of the building itself, Contractor Hanson says that it is a splendid building, well adapted to the purposes for which it is provided. He says that the comparison of this depot with that at Chippewa Falls shows this to be much superior in every respect though slightly smaller.

The Chippewa depot is only a wooden structure, brick veneered, while this is solid brick with a tile roof while the Chippewa depot has only a slate roof. He says that the Stanley depot seems to be just as good as it was possible to make it and that there is not a flaw in it anywhere.

114 years ago August 22, 1908

“G. A. R.” Reduced Rates Account of the National G. A. R. Encampment at Toledo, Ohio, August 31st to September 5th, the WISCONSIN CENTRAL RY. Will sell round trip tickets to Toledo on August 27th to the 30th at greatly reduced rates. For full information call on local agent.”

Jas. C. Pond General Passenger Agent 95 years ago June 10, 1927 The United States gov ernment and the people of America have set themselves the task of giving a welcome home reception to Charles A. Lindbergh, tomorrow at Washington, D. C., which shall excel in noise, enthusiasm and pyrotechnics anything which was staged by the three governments of the old world who vied with each other to do him honor. “Lindy” is nearing his home shores on the American Cruiser Memphis, on which he embarked from Cherbourg last Saturday.

90 years ago May 13, 1932 A change has been made in the force at the local depot, and there are now only the agent and one operator. Agent R. B. Moldenhauer works from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Louie Ludowise works from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. During the hours between, the depot is closed.

60 years ago January 4, 1962 TRAIN LIGHT NOW INSTALLED AT SOO LINE DEPOT An outside light was installed at the Soo Line depot this week, for the use of passengers wishing to board the trains here.

Depot Agent Norman Handrick said that passen- gers need only turn on the flag light to notify the train crew to stop.

The switch and light are located just in front of the ovce windows at the depot, Handrick said.

SNOW SHOVELERS WANTED FOR SKATING RINK Volunteers are wanted to help clear a spot for ice skating on Chapman Lake.

Anyone willing to help is asked to bring shovels and pitch in Saturday afternoon..

After the area is cleared it will be flooded for ice skating, The Republican understands.

54 years ago April 18, 1968

SOO LINE DEPOT TO CLOSE ON FRIDAY The was when the livelihood and the very existence of towns in this area were dependent upon the railroad. Those developments that were bypassed by the railroad in early days either died out completely or became hamlets.

Friday, April 19, marks the closing of the Stanley Soo Line depot. Freight service will be handled through the Soo Line Freight Service Center in Eau Claire which may be reached through a toll free number , Enterprise 1492.

Norman Handrick, depot agent here since 1951, will retire Friday from 48 years of service for the Soo Line. He also worked as night operator here from 1925 to 1932, then worked in Siren for several years, returning in 1941. In 1943 he was stationed in Valdres, then at Nekoosa, returning again in ’51.

Don Logan will become a traveling agent, serving Thorp, Gilman, Boyd and Cadott. His duties as depot agent in Thorp will end Friday but Soo Line will retain a busi- ness ovce for him there.

According to Handrick, freight service will continue as always. As far as the depot goes, he said his guess is as good as anyone’s…The long black ribbon with the white stripe down the center had long ago captured the business of the railroad passenger train, and plane terminal are jammed with former customers who are in too much of a hurry to ride the train.

The railroad has become a victim of progress.

45 years ago February 3, 1977 Don Logan Retires From Soo Line After 39 Years Service Donald R. Logan, 221 Church Street, city, is enjoying his retirement after having been an employee of the Soo Line Railroad for over 39 years. His plans for the future are many and varied and include his hobbies of wood- working, hunting and fishing as well as traveling. As his wife, Bessie stated “the railroad has had him for 39 years and now it’s my turn.”… An era which can never be replaced, especially in the small towns, was over when the depots closed in the ‘60s. The depot was open 24 hours per day and really served as a gathering place. People came to post a letter and stayed to chat, passengers came and went, friends came to see pas- sengers ou or to meet them, and other stopped by just to watch the trains. When John Kelley was the express agent he was also the Justice of the Peace and thus could perform marriages at the depot, which he did. An agent or anyone else present served as the witnesses.

The depot served as a haven, also, for school children going to and from school as they stopped in to get warm and for travelers who may have run out of gas or perhaps suuered a minor accident and needed assistance or advice. Many were transients and riders of the rail in the days of unemployment, especially, and Mr. Logan tells us that they were completely trustworthy, just down on their luck. They might have asked for a quarter for a sandwich but they never stole a thing. Groups of local youngsters were delighted with an occasional ride on a freight to Boyd as a lark, later to be picked up by their parents to return home.

When the passenger trains were discontinued and with the advent of automatic signal devices which meant that travc between Chicago and Minneapolis could be controlled automatically from Stevens Point there was no more use for the operators or the depots.

A native of Boyd, Don Logan and Miss Bessie Nicholson of Stanley were married in Sparta, lived in Emerald for two years, and then came to Stanley, where they have resided since. Mr. Logan served in the Boy Scouts for 23 years, many of them as Scoutmaster, and he is a recipient of the church’s highest award, St. George’s, and also the District Award of Merit… He has had the pleasure and pride of watching each of his six sons reach the status of Eagle Scout. His du8ghter was a Girl Scout, also, and this along with the behindthe- scenes assistance of Mrs. Logan, would tend to deem the Logans truly a “Scouting family.”

The seven Logan children are: Dan of Portland, Oregon; John of Eau Claire; Margaret of Marshfield; Terry of St. Paul and Pat and Bill of Stanley. They have six grandchildren.

Almost 28 years ago August 25, 1994 Thompson Approves Funding 29 for Cadott to Thorp Stretch Governor Tommy Thompson has approved an $8,913,451 contract with Streu Construction Company of Two Rivers, Wisconsin to complete the upgrading of State Highway 29 from 2 to 4 lanes between Cadott and Thorp.

Work on the project will begin immediately and is expected to be completed by mid-November. The project will involve paving of the new eastbound lanes on Highway 29 and the improvement of several intersections. “We are on a very accelerated scheduled with this project,” said William Nicholson, Highway 29 Project Management Team Director. The work will involve removal of 17 miles of pavement from the former two-land Highway 29 and the installation of new concrete pavement. “We want to get this 4-lane section of High-