Story goes is that the name Troy was desired by two men (from upstate NY) and it was decided by a horse race who would get the name.
Take another close look at google and see if you can find another railbed.
The Milwaukee and Beloit was graded West from East Troy as well, the two lines would have crossed somewhere on the Westphal farm (Pecks station) . The M&B was used by the TMER&L for the interurban line and was re-graded all the way to Elkhorn in 1907.
It is interesting to see how these develeoped. Another in the Milwaukee area is Allis named after the Allis-Chalmers plant on the South Side off the Milwaukee Road mainline and West Allis.......further to the West off a Milwaukee Road air line.
Highland, Michigan (N 42.63800 W 83.61559), as it stands now, was not the original Highland.
The original Highland (N 42.63623 W 83.66199), now known as West Highland (at least by locals), was supplanted by "Highland Station" when the Holly, Wayne and Monroe Railroad was built. The HW&M was rolled into the Flint & Pere Marquette as soon as it opened. But I digress.
"Highland Station" was eventually shortened to "Highland," and the former Highland became "West Highland."
Today Highland is a busy hamlet on M-59, and West Highland is little more than a crossroad.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
I’ve never been in Wisconsin, the state where TRAINS Magazine got its start, so I hardly can comment authoritatively. But, “East” and “Center” are transposed in the town names, which suggests, to me anyway, that the word Center has a different sense than East Troy, namely “Center” as in an activity place and NOT in the geographic sense.
As is so often the case, whatever activity there was in Troy Center likely disappeared, and the town east of Troy Center grew, so today the town east of Troy Center is named East Troy.
Anyway, that is my guess
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.
I have a feeling that both locales were/are in Troy Township. The township name probably preceded either settlement, and the one that was built in the center of the township (presumably with land set aside for that purpose) was named Troy Center. Then, because imagination was probably lacking, the name chosen for a new settlement to the east of Troy Center became...There didn't need to be a West Troy, or a North or a South.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
Interesting story, once upon a time (1870's to 1880's) there was a Milwaukee Road rail connection built between Eagle, WI on the Brookfield, WI to Prairie Du Chen, WI line and Elkhorn, WI on the Southwestern Line. You can use Google to find 1890 rail maps when the branch was still in existence (it was abandoned in 1920), you can also research why it was built (utilize the Southwestern's connection into Iowa.) Interestingly the town directly to the West of East Troy was named Troy Center. It still exists today and looks layed out by the railroad in simple grid square plats. You can still see parts of the winding railbed if you use the Satelite view of Mapquest. Some of the roadbed had roads built on it but you can more or less overlay the 1890 rail map onto mapquest and see the remnants of the branch line connector.
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