Lake Front Depot
Encyclopedia
The Lake Front Depot was a train station
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
built in 1889–1890 by the Chicago and North Western Railway
(C&NW). It was located near the shore of Lake Michigan
at the end of East Wisconsin Avenue, by today's Milwaukee County War Memorial
. The structure was built with stone in the Romanesque
style, and had a tall clock tower
which reached 234 feet (71.3 m) high. The depot cost $200,000 to build at the time, and eventually served 98 trains per day.
Chicago and North Western owned the depot until 1946 when Milwaukee County bought the structure and surrounding land for $7 million, with the intent to use the land for park purposes and a freeway. C&NW continued to use the depot until May 15, 1966 when trains were moved to the new Union Station (now the Milwaukee Intermodal Station
) after it was built by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
(Milwaukee Road). The Milwaukee Road had itself vacated its old Everett Street Depot the previous year.
The Lake Front Depot lasted two more years until 1968. Some efforts were made to save the building from being torn down, but they were unable to raise the needed money. Estimates ranged from $325,000 to restore the structure to $575,000 to move it to another location.
Many of the C&NW's "400" trains served this station starting in 1935. In the early days of the Twin Cities 400
, the steam locomotive
s which pulled the train were exchanged at the Milwaukee station. The engines ran at such high speeds on the route from Chicago to Minneapolis–Saint Paul that some components in the drivetrain couldn't withstand the 410 miles (659.8 km) trip. The railroad eventually got the exchange process down to a very quick five minutes.
Other trains to serve the depot included the Flambeau 400, Peninsula 400, and Valley 400.
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
built in 1889–1890 by the Chicago and North Western Railway
Chicago and North Western Railway
The Chicago and North Western Transportation Company was a Class I railroad in the Midwest United States. It was also known as the North Western. The railroad operated more than of track as of the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states before retrenchment in the late 1970s...
(C&NW). It was located near the shore of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
at the end of East Wisconsin Avenue, by today's Milwaukee County War Memorial
Milwaukee County War Memorial
The Milwaukee County War Memorial is a memorial building located on Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, WI. It was designed by architect Eero Saarinen. Construction began in 1955 and the building was dedicated on Veterans Day in 1957. The mosaic mural by Edmund D. Lewandowski was installed in 1959.-...
. The structure was built with stone in the Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
style, and had a tall clock tower
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
which reached 234 feet (71.3 m) high. The depot cost $200,000 to build at the time, and eventually served 98 trains per day.
Chicago and North Western owned the depot until 1946 when Milwaukee County bought the structure and surrounding land for $7 million, with the intent to use the land for park purposes and a freeway. C&NW continued to use the depot until May 15, 1966 when trains were moved to the new Union Station (now the Milwaukee Intermodal Station
Milwaukee Intermodal Station
Milwaukee Intermodal Station is a train and bus station in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin served by Amtrak and several intercity motorcoach operators, including Coach USA, Greyhound Lines, Jefferson Lines, Indian Trails, and Lamers. Megabus stops on Fifth Street near the station...
) after it was built by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names...
(Milwaukee Road). The Milwaukee Road had itself vacated its old Everett Street Depot the previous year.
The Lake Front Depot lasted two more years until 1968. Some efforts were made to save the building from being torn down, but they were unable to raise the needed money. Estimates ranged from $325,000 to restore the structure to $575,000 to move it to another location.
Many of the C&NW's "400" trains served this station starting in 1935. In the early days of the Twin Cities 400
Twin Cities 400
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 steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s which pulled the train were exchanged at the Milwaukee station. The engines ran at such high speeds on the route from Chicago to Minneapolis–Saint Paul that some components in the drivetrain couldn't withstand the 410 miles (659.8 km) trip. The railroad eventually got the exchange process down to a very quick five minutes.
Other trains to serve the depot included the Flambeau 400, Peninsula 400, and Valley 400.