Baraboo is the county seat of Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States, located along the Baraboo River. The population was 12,556 as of the 2020 census. The most populous city in the county, Baraboo is the principal city of the Baraboo micropolitan statistical area which comprises a portion of the Madison combined statistical area.
Reedsburg is a city in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States within the Baraboo micropolitan area. Its population in 2020 was 9,984. The city is surrounded by the Town of Reedsburg and is situated along the Baraboo River.
The Wisconsin and Southern Railroad is a Class II regional railroad in Southern Wisconsin and Northeastern Illinois currently operated by Watco. It operates former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad and Chicago and North Western Railway (C&NW) trackage, mostly acquired by the state of Wisconsin in the 1980s.
The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over 12,000 miles (19,000 km) of track in seven states before retrenchment in the late 1970s. Until 1972, when the employees purchased the company, it was named the Chicago and North Western Railway.
The Elroy-Sparta State Trail is a 32.5-mile (52.3 km) Wisconsin State rail trail between Elroy and Sparta, Wisconsin. Considered to be the first rail trail when it opened in 1967, it was designed for foot, bicycle, equestrian and light motorized traffic. Designated a multi-use trail, it offers recreational access to the routes and is open to the public. The trail is part of the larger Wisconsin bike trail system operated by the state of Wisconsin. It passes through rural scenery and three tunnels. It is one of six connecting trails in west-central Wisconsin. It was added to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy hall of Fame in September 2008. It is one of the most popular trails in Wisconsin.
The Circus World Museum is a museum complex in Baraboo, Wisconsin, devoted to circus-related history. The museum features circus artifacts and exhibits and hosts daily live circus performances throughout the summer. It is owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society and operated by the non-profit Circus World Museum Foundation. The museum was the major participant in the Great Circus Parade held from 1963 to 2009.
The Mid-Continent Railway Museum is a railroad museum in North Freedom, Wisconsin, United States. The museum consists of static displays as well as a 7-mile (11 km) round trip ride aboard preserved railroad cars.
The 400 was a named passenger train operated by the Chicago and North Western Railway between Chicago and Saint Paul, with a final stop in Minneapolis. The train took its name from the schedule of 400 miles between the cities in 400 minutes, and was also a nod to "The Four Hundred Club", a term coined by Ward McAllister to refer to the social elite of New York City in the late 19th century. It was an express train with limited stops between Chicago and the Twin Cities. The "400" ran from 1935 to 1963 on the Chicago to Twin Cities route. The C&NW later named their other passenger trains using the number "400".
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Passenger and Freight Complex is a nationally recognized historic district located in Fort Madison, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. At the time of its nomination it contained three resources, all of which are contributing buildings. The buildings were constructed over a 24-year time period, and reflect the styles that were popular when they were built. The facility currently houses a local history museum, and after renovations a portion of it was converted back to a passenger train depot for Amtrak, which opened on December 15, 2021.
Main Street Commercial Historic District is a historic district in Reedsburg, Wisconsin that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It was listed alongside the Park Street Historic District. The district consists of 21 commercial buildings. Eighteen of the buildings are brick and three are of stone construction.
Charles Sumner Frost was an American architect. He is best known as the architect of Navy Pier and for designing over 100 buildings for the Chicago and North Western Railway.
Chicago and North Western 1385 is a preserved R-1 class 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler" steam locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in March 1907 for the Chicago and North Western Railroad (C&NW). The locomotive was mainly used to operate the C&NW's freight trains until 1956, when it was retired from service. In 1961, the original members of the Mid-Continent Railway Museum (MCRM) purchased No. 1385 for $2,600 scrap value, and the locomotive was moved to the museum's original location in Hillsboro, Wisconsin.
Frost & Granger was an American architectural partnership from 1898 to 1910 of brothers-in-law Charles Sumner Frost (1856–1931) and Alfred Hoyt Granger (1867–1939). Frost and Granger were known for their designs of train stations and terminals, including the now-demolished Chicago and North Western Terminal, in Chicago. The firm designed several residences in Hyde Park, Illinois, and many other buildings. Several of their buildings are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The 400 State Trail is a 22-mile (35 km) rail trail between Reedsburg and Elroy, Wisconsin. It is designed for foot, bicycle, equestrian, snowmobile traffic. It is designated as a multi-use trail, offering recreational access to the routes, and is open to the public.
The East Wilson Street Historic District includes remnants of businesses that grew around two railroad depots a half mile east of the capitol in Madison, Wisconsin, starting in the 1860s. A cluster of the hotel and saloon buildings from this district are still fairly intact, in contrast to Madison's other railroad station on West Washington. In 1986 the district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the State Register of Historic Places in 1989.
The Milwaukee Road Depot in Madison, Wisconsin was a railroad depot built in 1903 and operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. It served numerous passenger trains, including the Sioux and Varsity, and was located next to a major yard, turntable, and roundhouse. The station was one of two Milwaukee Road stations in Madison, and was also known as West Madison station or West Madison Depot to avoid confusion with Franklin Street station on the east side of Madison. All Milwaukee Road passenger service in Madison was consolidated to this station with the closing of Franklin Street in 1952. The Milwaukee Road's service from Chicago to Minneapolis-St. Paul traveled through Milwaukee and central Wisconsin, bypassing Madison to the north. The railroad's competitor, the Chicago and North Western Railroad, offered direct service northwest to Minneapolis.
The Waunakee Railroad Depot is a small wooden depot of the Chicago and North Western Railway built in 1896 in Waunakee, Wisconsin. In 1978 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Chicago and North Western Depot in Waukesha, Wisconsin is a railroad depot built in 1881 and operated by the Chicago and North Western Railway. It is a 1.5-story cream brick building and was originally built for a predecessor of the C&NW. Passenger train service to the Waukesha station ended on June 16, 1957, when trains No. 601 and 620 were discontinued between Milwaukee and Madison. The final train carried just 7 passengers.
Madison station is a former railroad station in Madison, Wisconsin. The station served passenger and freight trains of the Chicago and North Western Railway (C&NW). Passenger service ended in 1965 and the passenger station and freight depot was bought by Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) and has been renovated to serve as offices. The station and freight depot are listed as contributing properties on the National Register of Historic Places East Wilson Street Historic District. The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad had tracks paralleling the C&NW and also had a nearby passenger station that outlasted the C&NW station as an active station by several years.
The Baraboo Air Line Railroad was a railroad chartered in Wisconsin to join Madison, Wisconsin to Winona, Minnesota in 1870. It became part of the Chicago and North Western Railroad route from Chicago to Winona, Minnesota. After abandonment by the C&NW, part of the Baraboo Air Line route became the first rail trail, the Elroy-Sparta State Trail. Currently, the line from Madison to Reedsburg is operated by the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad. The portion from Reedsburg to Elroy is now the 400 State Trail. The portion from Sparta through Medary is now the La Crosse River Trail.
