Station: Hurley, WI

Hurley is a town in Wisconsin, opposite Ironwood, Michigan. Both the C&NW and the Soo Line came through here, on the way to Michigan's portion of the Gogebic iron range.

Photo Info: Top, the C&NW depot at Hurley in the early 1970's. [Joe Pierson photo, C&NW Historical Society.]. 2nd photo a view of another depot at Hurley in 1885. It is not known whether this is the Soo Line depot or an earlier version of the CNW depot. [Wisconsin Historical Society]. 3rd photo, a broader view of the C&NW railroad yards at Hurley. The depot is on the left, along with a water tower and crossing flagman tower. 4th image, a postcard view of a C&NW train coming around a hill. This is likely on the connection from the main line to the loop line, crossing the Montreal River, still on the Wisconsin side. 1910.

Notes

Time Line

1883. The Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western railway builds into Hurley. The line is purchased by the C&NW in 1894.

1918, The C&NW had a station operator here on the day shift. [TRT]

1920. The Commercial Club in Hurley petitions the Wisconsin railroad commission for three wishes: 1) better Western Union services, 2) a railroad viaduct on Third avenue over the Soo Line railroad (because long ore trains block passage), and 3) a new C&NW depot, which the present structure is inadequate to serve the needs of the public and is situated in the fire zone and "is in a very unsanitary condition". [IDG-1920-0813]

1926. The Soo Line is installing automatic crossing signals at Second, Fourth and Fifth avenues in Hurley. When a train gets within 450 feet of the crossing the bell automatically rings to sound a warning to motorists that they should proceed slowly. The system is economical, since it eliminates the expense of maintaining watchmen at the crossings. [IDG-1926-1203]

1936, The city will petition the C&NW railroad to maintain a full time man at the Hurley station in place of the part time worker. [IDG-1937-0707]

1957. John Durkee of Ironwood, switch foreman for the C&NW railway, entered a plea of innocent this morning in Iron County Court at Hurley when he was arraigned on a charge of obstructing public travel on Fourth Avenue by allowing a train to be upon the crossing for more than five minutes. He was released on his own recognizance and trial set for the following week. The complaint was filed by a Hurley city police officer who said the crossing had been blocked for 25 minutes. [IDG-1957-0125]

1958. Sheriff Eino Nevala warned that any boys apprehended for riding trains will be taken into juvenile court. He also noted that the practice is extremely dangerous and they could be killed or seriously injured if they should fall of the cars. The Sheriff has received numerous reports of boys riding ore trains between Montreal and Pence mines. [IDG-1958-0718]

1964. Hurley's City Council has gone on record in opposition to the railroad's application for authority to withdraw agency service and remove the depot at Hurley. The Wisconsin Public Service Commission will hold a public hearing on the application in the Courthouse at Hurley. [IDG-1964-0311]

1972. October. A C&NW boxcar was broken into in the railroad yard along 9th Avenue in Hurley. A door on the car was found open and some cases of tomato sauce were missing. Four of the cases were recovered when found in some bushes north of the car. [IDG-1972-1003]