Edgerton station

Edgerton
Former Milwaukee Road passenger rail station
South side of the station, facing the railroad tracks
General information
Location	20 South Main Street, Edgerton, Wisconsin 53534
History
Opened	1853
Closed	1971
Rebuilt	1906–1907
Services
Preceding station Milwaukee Road Following station Stoughton toward Madison Madison  – Milwaukee via Waukesha Milton toward Milwaukee Madison  – Rondout Milton Junction toward Rondout
Edgerton Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Northern side of the station
Show map of Wisconsin Show map of the United States
Coordinates	42°50′0″N89°4′13″W / 42.83333°N 89.07028°W / 42.83333; -89.07028
Area	less than one acre
Built	1906 (1906)-07
Architect	Loweth, C.F.
NRHP reference No.	98000283 [1]
Added to NRHP	April 13, 1998 [2]

The Edgerton Depot is a historic railway station located at 20 South Main Street in Edgerton, Wisconsin. The station was built in 1906 to 1907 to serve the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, also known as the Milwaukee Road; it replaced the city's original depot, which opened in 1853 with the railroad. Railroad engineer C.F. Loweth designed the station, which features a hipped roof, bracketed overhanging eaves, a red brick exterior with stone trim, and decorative brick quoins and keystones. The station was critical to the city's tobacco industry, which attracted customers from as far away as Europe; the railroad both shipped tobacco to larger cities and brought business agents to the city's firms. Passenger trains to the station, which were used both by residents and the aforementioned businessmen, primarily served routes to Milwaukee and Chicago. The station was remodeled in 1939, though rail travel in Edgerton had already begun to decline by this point; it fell even more significantly in the 1950s and 1960s, and the station closed in 1971. ^[3]

The station was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 13, 1998. ^[1]

Economic significance

For much of its operational history, Edgerton Depot played a key role in the local economy. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Rock County was a prominent tobacco-producing region in the Midwest. Local growers shipped leaf tobacco from the depot to warehouses in Milwaukee and Chicago, where it was processed and distributed nationwide. ^[4]

The depot also supported nearby industries. Furniture and cigar box factories located close to the rail line utilized the facility to receive lumber and ship finished goods. ^[4]

Passenger service and decline

Passenger service at Edgerton was provided by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, commonly known as the Milwaukee Road. ^[5] Ridership declined during the 1950s due to increased automobile ownership and the expansion of the highway system, reflecting a national trend. ^[6]

By the mid-1960s, most passenger services had ceased. The final scheduled passenger train stopped at the depot in 1971, shortly before the establishment of Amtrak. Freight operations continued for a period but eventually ended, and the depot fell out of regular use. ^[4]

Station history

The current Edgerton Depot building was constructed between 1906 and 1907, replacing an earlier frame depot built in 1853. The structure was designed by C. F. Loweth and features red brick walls, bracketed overhanging eaves, stone trim, and decorative brickwork including quoins and keystones. ^[4]

The depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 13, 1998. ^[3]

See also

• Milwaukee Road
• New York Central Railroad
• Amtrak
• Rock County, Wisconsin

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. "Edgerton Depot". Wisconsin Historical Society. January 2012. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
3. Eiseley, Jane (February 15, 1997). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Edgerton Depot". National Park Service . Retrieved May 14, 2016. With six photos.
4. "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Edgerton Depot". National Park Service. February 15, 1997. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
5. "Edgerton Depot". Roadtrippers (via Mapbox/OpenStreetMap). Retrieved July 5, 2025.
6. "Rail Travel's Decline (USA): 1950s-1970s". American-Rails.com. Retrieved July 5, 2025.