Old Sturtevant railroad Depot is on the move

The old Sturtevant railroad Depot is on the move.

Monday is moving day for the 1902 Milwaukee Road Depot. It's been cut into three sections, the turret and roof removed and loaded on trailers. Shortly after midnight Sunday night / Monday morning a caravan of trucks will leave the old Sturtevant railyard and -- moving at a stately 5 miles per hour along Highways H, K and 38 -- make their way to Linwood Park on 5 Mile Road where the station will be placed on a new concrete foundation.

In the spring, the work of restoration will begin as funds become available to the Caledonia Historical Society, which saved the Depot from the wrecking ball, obtaining it from the Canadian Pacific Railroad. The station will sit north of the restored 1877 Town Hall. The Society says its goal "is to restore the depot to as near its original condition as we can get. The depot is quite unique because it originally served two perpendicular main lines; thus its “L” shape. It is one of the last in the country with a turret."

The Society will hold a spaghetti dinner to raise funds for the restoration for the Depot, with a very special guest: First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt! Enjoy a home cooked meal, step back into the 1940s listening to “period” music. After dinner, Mrs. Roosevelt, as portrayed by Racine actress Jessica Michna, will give a first-person presentation about Eleanor, her formative years and her years in the White House.

The dinner will be Nov. 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Franksville United Methodist Church, 10402 Northwestern Ave. Advance sale tickets are $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Limited door sales will be available for $18. Anyone joining the Caledonia Historical Society that evening will receive a $5 discount on membership.

Call 262-758-2131 or email Michael Michna, president of the Caledonia Historical Society, for tickets.