FYI-,
A very interesting read. So the Watertown Plank road ran between Milwaukee and Watertown prior to building of the Milwaukee and Watertown (predecessor of the Milwaukee and LaCrosse and then Milwaukee Road bought that).
So interesting sidebar on that, the Milwaukee and Watertown built on the current CP Rail Twin Cities mainline from Milwaukee to Watertown and beyond and is the former Eastbound track of the double track (single track back then between Milwaukee and La Crosse). The original Milwaukee and Mississippi first of the two rail lines built ran from airline yard in Milwaukee to Elm Grove, then bridged North Avenue on a wooden trestle and became the Westbound main it crossed over the Milwaukee and La Crosse via interlocking level grade track just West of the Brookfield Depot and headed towards Waukesha. At that time Brookfield was an interchange point and the Brookfield Depot was called Brookfield Junction. At any rate the railroads ruined both the stage and private toll plank road business because they charged substantially less fare than either of the two. I think I read somewhere the example of the C&NW route between Sheboygan and Fond Du Lac. Stage charged $2 and Railroad Fare was .25 cents (see the orgins on why passenger rail service was a money loser.....ha-ha).
Anyways interesting article on what was in place prior to the Milwaukee Road and the general traffic and revenue. Keep in mind stages only moved at 4 mph and the horses had to be serviced or replaced at 12-25 mile intervals vs whatever the stats were for rail. And while the Plank Road was abandoned the right of way was donated for a public road and later became one.
http://www.watertownhistory.org/articles/WatertownPlankRoad.html
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