Stop 5 – Railroad Depot

Downtown Middleton Historic Walking Trail and Historic Landmark Trail Stop Five:

There was no settlement at what is now Downtown Middleton until 1856 when the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad selected that location for its new rail line and depot. Development then shifted from the Pheasant Branch area, which had been a thriving settlement. Businesses spurred by the depot included three hotels, stockyards, and warehouses. Until the 1870s, large quantities of wheat were shipped to market from the Middleton station. The present building, which was built in 1895, is the third depot. The depot continued as a passenger station for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul Railroad until 1960 and as a freight depot until 1975. In that year, Middleton purchased the building for a senior citizens center. More recently, it has housed the city tourism offices and a museum. The depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

Status: This is currently the location of the Middleton Visitor Depot and is open to the public from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.

Click here for stop six: The Friendly Store

Historical photo from the Wisconsin Historical Society.