About the Ozaukee Interurban Trail
You're on the right of way of an interurban railway that
connected Ozuakee Co to Milwaukee and Sheboygan. Now it's the
Ozaukee Interurban Trail.
In 1922, the right-of-way was acquired by The Milwaukee Electric
Railway and Light Company for development of an improved rapid
transit service from Milwaukee to Sheboygan. The Northern Route,
the interurban electric railway from Milwaukee to Sheboygan since
1908, had stops in the mostly rural communities of Brown Deer,
Thiensville, Cedarburg, Grafton, Port Washington, Belgium, Cedar
Grove, Oostburg and Sheboygan. This rapid transit was an electric
railway system linking Milwaukee and many of the surrounding
communities from its inception in 1905 to the end of all operations
in 1951. During its operation, the Northern Route of the interurban
line was also made famous for transporting African-American blues
musicians to the main recording studio for Paramount Records
recording label in Port Washington and ultimately in Grafton,
Wisconsin. The idea of African-American artists from the rural
South traveling to Grafton, Wisconsin in the late 1920s and early
1930s by taking the "electric train" seems fantastic.
About Treasures of Oz celebration:
On Saturday, June 18, 2011, we'll celebrate Ozaukee County's
significant natural resources. Join us for the free, kid-friendly,
day of exploring the following seven sites. We'll wrap up the day
with food, music, and a raffle at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve.
See TreasuresOfOz.org for more details.
The 2011 Featured Treasures Sites and their themes are...