Three Lakes Depot and Winery

What today is the Three Lakes Winery was once the primary way in and out of our community. In an area originally only considered valuable for lumber, the railroad companies that developed and planned the town probably didn't foresee their many impacts.

During the height of logging transportation in the Northwoods, railroads were focused on suppling lumber camps and delivering logs. Importantly, some adventurous tourists also hitched a ride to Three Lakes to discover the amazing chain of lakes and a paradise for sportsmen.

The last train out of the Three Lakes Depot was in 1982, marking an end of one era, and a new retail opportunity. In 1988 the Three Lakes Winery began their 30+ years of business at the old depot which now houses their tasting room.

The Winery can be found at the head of Superior Street on the corner of Highway 45 and County Road A. Parking is available on site.

The development of Three Lakes into the town it is today began with the appearance of the railroad built specifically for the purpose of supplying loggers in the area. On July 15, 1881 the Lake Shore Traffic Railroad Company bought this area from the US government. In 1884 it was sold to the Milwaukee Lakeshore and Western Railroad and ultimately ended up as the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad in 1893.

Story has it Three Lakes owes its name to the railroad surveyors who came across three lakes, one at a time, as they attempted to site a line and move the rails north. Finally, finding a clear route they chose to name the supply station Three Lakes.

The first Three Lakes freight traffic manager was Frank Steiner who was reported to have worked from a large tree stump on the rail platform. Within a few short years, a station depot was built, similar to the other wood frame buildings along this line. In September of 1924 the depot was destroyed by a tornado but rebuilt.

The tracks through town would continue to haul freight, logs, lumber and eventually potatoes, for just more than 100 years. Warehouses built along the tracks supported these businesses.

It didn't take long for tourism to become a part of the Three Lakes economy. The Chain of Lakes, with an abundance of opportunities for the eager sportsman, helped sell Three Lakes as an ideal escape from the city. The Chicago and Northwestern railroad began advertising Three Lakes as a destination to attract business to the new passenger train.

Soon the depot became the heart of the town, always busy with two trains a day, 9:30 am headed north and 3 pm, back south, with people, supplies and mail. And the locals who liked to watch the trains and passengers pass by. The images from the 1915 CNWRR tourist promotion brochure show the number of resorts already established and the lack of roads, and those that existed being only dirt or trails.

Upon arriving in Three Lakes by train in 1904 passengers could be found securing supplies at one of five mercantiles in town. Boats docked at Maple Lake waited to deliver visitors to distant lake homes and resorts on the chain of lakes through the new channel. There were very few roads and no bridges. Where those early dirt roads did exist, the owner of the mercantile had a horse and wagon in a livery out back to get you to your destination. A town favorite through the years, Bert Louk was also available with a dray.

As automobiles became more reliable and roads improved, riding the passenger train “up north” fell in popularity. The last passenger train departed Three Lakes in 1971. In June of 1980 the very last freight train made its way out of the station and the line was abandoned and tracks removed. While the age of the railroad in Three Lakes was over, the Old Chicago Northwestern Depot continued to serve the community in a new way.

The Three Lakes Centennial Celebration of 1981 inspired a group of town citizens to establish the Centennial Museum in the old depot. While only there one year, the newly established Three Lakes Historical Society found its permanent location in the nearby Johnson House.

Today the old depot serves as a tasting room for the Three Lakes Winery, the second oldest winery in the state of Wisconsin, brought to Three Lakes from Eagle River in 1988 by John and Maureen McCain and family. The tracks and most things railroad are gone, but the old depot can still be seen under the new renovations and additions. And just like those early rail passengers, you too can step out of the depot doors, breath in the pine scented air, look down the road and imagine you hear the CNW conductor say,

“... this is vacation paradise”

Three Lakes Historical Society. The Pine, the Plow, and the Pioneer . Volume 1. Eagle River, WI. Hahn Printing, 1983.

Three Lakes Historical Society. The Pine, the Plow, and the Pioneer . Volume 2. Eagle River, WI. Hahn Printing, 1984.