1045 Historic Depot Traditional Geocache

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ThePharmGirl: Time to say goodbye. Don't worry.... I have a feeling you'll be back to this location soon.

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Hidden : 5/3/2010
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:


This cache is placed outside the Historic West Bend Depot, built in 1900 and restored in 2009-2010. Feel free to walk inside during business hours, and you may get a little tour of the Depot with old photos of its heyday.

The West Bend Depot is the only surviving example of a C&NW combination depot of its type in the state of Wisconsin, and it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History:

The West Bend area began settlement in the mid-1800's, and as the Washington County seat, it became a center for government and business. In 1873, the Northwestern Union Railroad completed a rail line through West Bend, connecting Milwaukee and Fond du Lac. In 1893, it became the Chicago and North Western Railway (C&NW). The first station was built, and many businesses gravitated to the area, such as a grain elevator, stores, a brewery, malting house, canning company, lumber company, Gehl Manufacturing, West Bend Aluminum, Amity Leather, and many more. West Bend became known as "The City of Varied Industries."

With such an economic boom from these industries, a new station was built in 1900 which still stands today. The West Bend Depot was a major freight stop, with many industries shipping materials for world-wide distribution, as well as war materials during World Word II and the Korean War.

The C&NW was also a passenger train, making regular stops in West Bend, four trains in each direction Monday through Saturday, and two trains on Sunday. During WWII, both civilians and troops regularly used the train. In fact, on August 9, 1934, even President Franklin D Roosevelt stopped at this West Bend Depot with huge crowds gathering at the train station to watch him arrive. The passenger service stopped in April of 1971, and the station closed in 1983. By 2000, the depot was abandoned. A few years later, the land was bought by the State of Wisconsin and the rails were taken out and the path was converted to the 18-mile Eisenbahn Bike Trail.


This historic site is now the office of the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust. Permission to hide cache granted by Executive Director Shawn Graff.

This cache was initially placed as part of the 2010 West Bend Cache Ba$h. Don't forget to stamp your booklet, and leave the stamp behind for the next finder.

Historic WB Depot
WB Depot 2010

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Arne qbbe

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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