1902 Map of Marathon

About this map

Marathon and the surrounding townships of central Wisconsin appear here at a peak of the region's timber and rail era. The landscape is defined by the sharp transition from organized agricultural grid lines to the winding watercourses of the Rib River and the Big Eau Pleine River. Early industrial infrastructure is prominent, featuring the Abbotsford and Northeastern RR and the Chicago and Northwestern RR, which supported the rapid growth of settlements like Stratford and Edgar. Of particular interest to local historians are the specialized logging lines, such as Connors Logging R. R. and Mc Millans Logging R. R., which pushed into the wooded sections of Day and Cleveland townships. Small hamlets like Poniatowski, Wuertsburg, and Naugart serve as markers of the distinct ethnic and community clusters that characterized the county at the opening of the twentieth century.