Historic Photo: Depot Between Two Eras in New Glarus
Before yellow paint, visitor maps and landmark status, the New Glarus depot was still finding its place after the railroad era. A 1984 image shows a quieter building whose survival was tied to trail users, DNR staff and a changing downtown.
Before it became one of New Glarus' most recognizable historic landmarks, the former railroad depot served a different purpose. This rare 1984 photograph captures the building as the headquarters of the Sugar River State Trail and a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources office, preserving a chapter in its history that many residents may have forgotten.
The railroad tracks were gone, but the depot had already found a second life.
Taken in 1984, this photograph shows the former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad depot at a time when it was no longer welcoming passengers but was already playing an important role in Wisconsin's growing rails-to-trails movement. Large signs identify the building as the headquarters of the Sugar River State Trail, with offices for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
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