On July 20, 1856 farmer John T. Jones of rural southern Sauk County boarded a rail car at Mazomanie and sat beside his new purchase, a brand new J. I. Case threshing machine. Jones accompanied his pride and joy as it passed over the new bridge of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul line which crossed the Wisconsin River and headed into Sauk County. The trip from Mazomanie incredibly took only 12 minutes and Jones had his machine unloaded at his farm. The ride had been a bit of a courtesy as the rail line wasn’t even finished yet and the train was in fact the construction train that was working on the line that would pass through the town of Spring Green and eventually the village of the same name.
Spring Green is one of the most unique and interesting communities in the roster of Sauk County places. One of the few villages that did not grow up around a mill site, the birth of Spring Green is attributed to the railroad and Spring Green has the honor of being the site of the first railroad connection within the boundaries of Sauk County. The early history of Spring Green will be the subject of two presentation by Sauk County Historical Society Executive Director Paul Wolter on Tuesday, September 26 and Tuesday, October 3 at 7 p.m. at the Spring Green Community Library. Topics explored will range from the naming of the community to the villages early years as a temperance community and much more. The presentations are free and open to the public. For more information contact the Sauk County Historical Society at 608-356-1001.
