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First ladies visit tea party

Event planned at New London’s historic train depot

By John Faucher


The New London Heritage Historical Society will host a cake and tea party from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 19.

Re-enactors portraying President Washington’s wife Martha and President Lincoln’s wife Mary will be special guests.

The event is set to take place in the railroad depot at the Heritage Historical Village located at 900 Montgomery St., New London.

Charmaine Gerndt will play Martha Washington and Peggy Rowley will play Mary Todd Lincoln. The ladies will be dressed in their hoop skirts and talk about their lives as a president’s wife.

Members of the public are invited to join them for birthday cake, assorted tea, cocoa and cider.

NLHHS Secretary Sylvia Stern said the event is one of many slated for 2022 in celebration of the group’s 45th Anniversary.

She said the society plans to make some improvements in the depot this year to restore the luggage areas back to their original configuration.

New London’s train depots

Stern said railway service had been established on Nov. 10, 1876, when the Milwaukee,

Lakeshore & Western Railroad was completed between Appleton and New London.

In 1893 New London became part of the Chicago and Northwestern system.

“This depot was built in 1923 to replace the 1876 depot because the city of New London wanted a modern depot for a city of over 4,000 people,” said Stern.

The increase in automobiles reduced the train passenger revenue and the depression decreased railroad travel.

Passenger travel was eventually discontinued in 1954, but the station continued as a freight agency until it was closed in July of 1982.

It was moved to the Historical Village on June 1, 1987.

Stern said it was the first building moved to the village which now houses several.

The depot displays many historical artifacts and railroad memorabilia such as lanterns, an original timetable track and much more.

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