If it wasn’t for the railroad industry boom in the early 1900’s, there’s one small town in Southeast Wisconsin that might not be on the map.
There’s a lot of history behind how the Village of Butler became known as Train Town USA.
In the early 1900’s, steam engine trains and railways were the mainstay of the community’s economy.
“The village would not exist today if it wasn’t for the Chicago and North Western Railroad,” said Secretary-Treasurer of the Butler Community Foundation Marilyn Schultz.
Schultz says the transformation of the area where the village now lies, started in 1909 when Chicago and North Western Railroad representatives met with farmers on the east side of 124th Street.
“They were asking to purchase a portion of this farmland to create a railroad right-of-way to build a belt line around Milwaukee to ease freight congestion in the downtown yards. Once the farmer agreed to sell their properties then the construction began.”
To hear the full story, click on the audio link above.