| A pair of foreigners lead a through freight along Union St. past the former Sherry St. grade crossing as they back into the north end of the CN, former SOO, yard at Neenah, WI on 12 Jan. '19. The historic Murer House, 432 Sherry St., stands at left. 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 (he passed away in ’23). 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 WC (later SOO) depot stood on the opposite side of Sherry St. (just out-of-frame to the left); it was 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. 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 yard was built, but a map from 1909 shows the yard here. |