| A CN through freight parallels Union St. and passes the former Sherry St. grade crossing as it backs into the north end of the former SOO yard at Neenah, WI, on 6 Jun. '20. The historic Murer House, 432 Sherry St., stands to the left. It was built by Felix Murer in 1892 (construction commenced the previous year). It was briefly (ca. 1893) 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 Joe Mayer [Meyer] ca. 1907, still known as the Murer House (likely Joseph A. Mayer). It was owned by Ole M. Lyken by 1914, it was known as the Lyken Hotel ca. 1920. Circa 1923-24 it was a grocery store owned by Mrs. Mary E. Lyken, Ole’s widow (he passed away in ’23). From at least 1928 until 1939, 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 historic Neenah Cheese & Cold Storage Co. facility, 434 Sherry St., is partially visible beyond the train. It was built in 1902 after the original 1892 building was destroyed by fire and is currently used for storage. The parking lot 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. 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. |