The 440 at North Freedom in July, 2005

The Opportunity

Antigo and Langlade County has a rich railroading history, and the "440" project is an opportunity to share this unique period with generations that have never, and will never, know the power of the Iron Horses that once were king of the northwoods.

It's only due to the work of Francis Deleglise, Antigo's founder and first citizen, that the rail lines came here at all. When the first lines were planned by the Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western railway from Eland to Ashland, Antigo was bypassed. But Deleglise saw the benefits a rail line could bring and convinced the company to alter the route with an offer of eight blocks of land and an extensive right-of-way. When the first train arrived in 1880, the crew was greeted with sandwiches and lemonade.

In 1892 the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad took over the line, starting a longstanding relationship with the community that lasted over 90 years. Over the ensuing years, the railway erected a series of buildings that dramatically altered the city, including a passenger depot, a large roundhouse, pump house, warehouses, and shops. By the time Antigo replaced Kaukauna as the Ashland Division headquarters in 1907, the railroad occupied the area from Seventh Avenue to Third Avenue.

By the 1940s, the heyday of the steam engine, the Chicago & Northwestern served as Antigo's largest employer with 300 workers on good-paying jobs.

Rail usage began to decline in the 1950s as the interstate highway system was developed and companies turned to semi tractor-trailer units to move their goods. The last "Iron Horse" steam engine to roll through Antigo was on September 24, 1957, when the "Old 175" pulled in with seven cars on an excursion train from Green Bay to Three Lakes. The last diesel-powered passenger train rolled through Antigo in 1971 and the last freight train 11 years later. The rails were removed by the fall of 1983.

The railroad era is over, but its formative impact remains!

From Antigo’s “55 Minutes for Lunch”

The Plan

The Langlade County Historical Society, through the generosity of Barney and Doris Lazewski and Dean Blazek, took the initial steps toward preserving that history in 2001, when a caboose was purchased, restored, and placed on rails on the museum's grounds.

Now comes the next step--the purchase and the restoration of the "440," a steam locomotive very similar to that once called Antigo home.

The actual locomotive is a Union Pacific engine that traveled the Midwest, based in Nebraska, before ending up moldering on a siding at the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom. It is one of a very few locomotives actually available for sale within a relatively easy transport of Antigo. The Langlade County Historical Society has agreed to purchase the engine, install it on a siding constructed by volunteers on the museum grounds, restore it and open it to the public. To accomplish this, we need the help of everyone!

The goal is an ambitious one--$75,000 by June 1, 2006.

How Can You Help?

► Become a member of the Society's new "440 Club." For a donation of $100 or more, payable in four quarterly installments if desired, contributors will have their name, business or civic club included on a bronze plaque that will be located in front of the restored steam engine. Larger donors will receive special recognition, if they desire, on the plaque.

► Tell your friends! Spread the news about this Society fund-raiser and encourage others to donate as well.

► Join the Langlade County Historical Society, become a volunteer, and help continue our important work of preserving the unique history of Antigo and Langlade County.

► Get involved today!

The 440 in action

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Our Goal is $75,000

To get involved, please contact:

Society President Steve Bradley

at (715) 623-3787

Project Coordinator Glenn Bugni

at (715) 623-7169

Historical Society Museum

at (715) 627-4464