| A CN container train parallels Union St. and approaches the Main St. overpass as it passes a halted through freight at the north end of the former SOO yard at Neenah, WI, on 9 Aug. '20. Container train had two locomotives, CN 2726 pulling and CN 3102 mid-train. Through freight had three locomotives, CN 3136 and CN 3875 pulling as well as CN 3020 mid-train. The parking lot in the background to the left was the site of the WC (later SOO) depot, built on the north side of Sherry St. on the east side of the tracks in 1891. It replaced the ca. 1871 depot that stood at the west end of Wisconsin Ave. The Sherry St. depot was demolished ca. 1955 when a new depot was built between Main St. and N. Lake St. on the west leg of the wye, about 850 ft. to the northwest. On the far side of Sherry St. stands the remnant of the Neenah Cheese & Cold Storage Co. facility, 434 Sherry St. It was built in 1902 after the original building was destroyed in a fire. The original 2-story brick building was constructed by Nicholas Simon in 1892, a 3rd story was added later. It was home to his N. Simon & Co., a cheese maker as well as wholesaler of butter, cheese and eggs, until he moved his company to Appleton, WI, ca. 1900. By the 1950s the facility was home to the L. D. Schreiber & Co. refrigerated warehouse. A 2-story section at the rear of the building was demolished at some point. It appears to be used for storage now, and has been for quite a while. To the left of that stands the historic Murer House, 432 Sherry St. It was built by Felix Murer in 1892 (construction commenced the previous year). It was briefly (ca. ‘93) known as the Northern Pacific Hotel, almost certainly a reference to the short-lived corporate relationship between the WC and NP railroads. It was owned by Ole M. Lyken by ’14; it was known as the Lyken Hotel ca. ‘20. Circa ‘23-‘24 it was a grocery store owned by Mrs. Mary E. Lyken, Ole’s widow. From at least ‘28 until ‘39, it was the Mayerl Grocery, owned by Mayme Mayerl. At some point it was turned into a tavern and is currently home to Sherry Town Station. Previous names of the bar include (in no particular order), Susie’s Trackside, Chesapeake Pub, Gigi’s, Mychal’s Bar (Mychal’s On Sherry Street), Sit and Sip Tavern, et al. The area between the tracks and Union St., from Main St. to Monroe St., used to be the yard. I don't know when the current, significantly larger yard (extending southwestward from Winneconne Ave.) was built, but a map from 1909 shows the yard still here. The remnants of the foundation for the water tower or coaling tower can be seen at the lower right. I think this was the water tower, if so, the coaling tower stood about 70 feet to the south. |