History: History of Abbotsford 
 

Poster: Marla Zwakman 
 

Email: dzwakman@msn.com 
 

Surnames: Wing, Crockett, Penny, Hamblin, Hunt, Lap, Margraff, Meyers, Young, Horn 
 

----Source: Abbotsford Tribune (Abbotsford, Clark County, Wis.) 02/26/1953 
 

Written by F. B. Wing 
 

Claude E. Crockett, a retired train dispatcher, now retired and living at Stevens Point, recalls his arrival at Abbotsford from the Wisconsin Central general office at Milwaukee where he had been working a relief job. This was in December, 1898. When he arrived at Abbotsford on Train No. 3, about 3:00 o’clock in the morning, he was met by a fellow who inquired if he was to be the new operator. It happened to be Jack Penny, who was running a rooming and boarding house called the Tennant Hotel, who said he would furnish board and room for $15 per month. Mr. Crockett agreed to stay with him, but on arising that morning, he saw the town and decided to go back to Milwaukee. However, Will Hamblin, the operator to be relieved, prevailed upon him to stay awhile. 
 

William Hamblin later was married to Pearl Meyers. He recalls that Frank Hunt was depot agent and Myron W. De Lap was night agent. He also recalls the Margraff boarding house, the Meyers store, and Young’s grocery at that time.  
 

The division moved to Abbotsford on Feb. 1, 1900, while he was still the day operator at a salary of $50 per month. Things around the depot and yard were a mess for quite some time after the division came, as there was no round house or coal shed large enough to take care of the engine and the yards were too small to allow many trains to come in at one time. 
 

1. R. Horn came as the superintendent at the same time the division was being moved from Waukesha to Fond du Lac. He also recalls the winter of 1899, before the division came, as one of the coldest on record. The thermometer stood around 20 and 40 below zero for one solid week. The division officers did not come to Abbotsford until September, 1900. There was no provision made for homes and housing and it was some time before the office force could locate and build their homes and move their families to Abbotsford.

He recalls that in 1900, the salaries for the employees was small. On the *** Note: The rest of the article was cut off and was not available at the time of transcription.