| A CN local crosses the Fox River via the former C&NW bridge, parallels W. Edison Ave. (originally Mill St.), and passes beneath the Oneida Skyline Bridge as it heads northeast through 'The Flats' at Appleton, WI on 9 Nov. '19. Local was headed for Kimberly and Combined Locks and had one locomotive, GTW 6226. The former MILW bridge, now sans rails, runs parallel a few feet to the left of the C&NW bridge. The MILW abandoned this stretch of track in 1981, portions of it were sold to the C&NW. Now just a short branch line, this stretch of rail is a remnant of the MLS&W main line which once ran from Milwaukee to Ashland. The Atlas Paper Co. mill, 425 W. Water St., stands on the far side of the river at left. Completed in 1878 and expanded over the years, it eventually became part of the Kimberly-Clark Corp. (K-C). The mill ceased operation ca. 1999, the year K-C donated it to the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame. After some of the additions were razed, the Hall of Fame opened its new home and its interactive museum, the Paper Discovery Center, on 26 Feb. ’05. Over the past several years, I have notice that some misinformed individuals erroneously refer to ‘The Flats’ as ‘Oneida Flats,’ or some other variation. However, the historic, industrial heart of Appleton is simply ‘The Flats.’ |