Town of Russell: Town History Part II
The road to Bayfield “Cemetery Road” started at Four Corners in a generally southerly direction. It passed along the south edge of a goat farm which was the field west of the current Weidinger orchard and traveled up the hill along the present road, used Cemetery Road passing the Hauser farm to current County Trunk I, through the cemetery and on into Bayfield.
A railroad came to the area in the 1880s. Called the “Transfer,” this narrow gauge railroad went past the present Town Garage (State Highway 13 and east junction of Old County Trunk K). The track paralleled Old County Trunk K and the grade can be seen today just north of the road. The Transfer ended in Bell’s logging Camp in Sections 16-17. The railroad hauled logs to a Bayfield sawmill and later farmers shipped fresh produce to stores in Bayfield. A branch line was built from the current Town Garage location west passing north of Four Corners and then southwesterly to a logging camp.
Formal education for children started in 1896 with two log schoolhouses being built. One was located in the Sand Bay area, and the other at the top of Peterson hill for what was known as the Raspberry community. The second is in existence today and may be seen at Old World Wisconsin.
Telephone came to the Town in 1900. Gottfried Peterson had the first telephone on a single line that ran from Bayfield to Cornucopia. A local telephone company was started in the Town in 1915 and operated until it was sold to Wisconsin Telephone Company in 1947. This year, 1947, also marked the arrival of electricity to the Town when the REA began installing power lines.
The Town of Russell incorporated in 1912. A Town government and school district were immediately formed. Rural Free Delivery (U.S. Mail) started in 1914.
New schools were soon opened. Carver School in January 1915 at the current Town Garage site and Sand Bay School in September 1922 which is currently the Town of Russell Community Center.
Roads were also improved. During 1916 a new road from Four Corners to Bayfield was laid out bypassing the big hills and offering an easier route to travel. These are the current Turner Road and County Trunk J.
