History

From Sturtevant

History of Western Union Junction and the Town of Corliss

Western Union Junction

Is situated at the junction of the Western Union and Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroads, on sec 21, Town 3, Range 22, East. Seven miles west of Racine, twenty-three miles south of Milwaukee and sixty one miles from Chicago, was commenced as a business place in the year 1872. The grounds upon which the depot is built were purchased from Mr. H. Johnson, who, settled in the country when it was comparatively new, coming from Schuyler, Herkimer Co., N. Y. in 1844. Shortly after the depot and other Railroad buildings were erected, Mr. Johnson commenced the building of the "Johnson House," neat, substantial and commodius Hotel, in close proximity to the two railways, completing the same in 1873. Mr. H. M. Fitzgerald, an accommodating and courteous landlord, is the present proprietor of the Hotel, having leased it for a term of years. In 1874, Mr. S. Parker, platted twenty-five acres of his lands laying adjacent to the junction, naming the plat "Parkersville," and putting them into the market, readily disposed of several lots, upon which are now erected tasty and comfortable cottages and several business buildings. In the fall of 1874, Mr. S. A. Sage, in partnership with Wm. I. Carpenter, built a large and well constructed building and engaged in the business of pressing hay. Subsequently, Mr. Sage purchased the interest of Mr. Carpenter, and alone continues the business. Twelve hundred tons of hay was put up at this press the first season, and nearly three times that amount the season following. The Post office is named Johnson, though a change of name to Western Union Junction is early expected, a petition having been forwarded to Washington for that purpose. The Depot is under the immediate charge of Mr. Phillip R. Frey, an old and experienced railroad man, than whom a more honest, capable and accommodating railroad official cannot be found. The present population of the village is upwards of one hundred, the majority of whom are railroad employees. To those seeking a place of business, or a quiet home, no better opportunities are afforded than at Western Union Junction.

Corliss

The incorporated Village of Corliss is situated in the western part of Mount Pleasant Township, seven miles west of Racine, at the crossing of two divisions of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. It was formerly known as "Western Union Junction." The village was surveyed by Samuel D. Austin on August 13, 1901, for the Brown Corliss Engine Company of Milwaukee, of which Julius Wechselberg was president and W. S. Whiting was secretary. Three days later the plat was filed in the office of the register of deeds under the name of "Corliss." The company built a large factory for the manufacture of Corliss engines, but after a time reverses came and the works were closed.

On July 20, 1907, a new survey of the village was made by T. H. Knight, county surveyor, and on September 14, 1907, a petition was filed in the circuit court asking for the incorporation of Corliss. An election was ordered for October 28, 1907, at which 182 voters expressed themselves in favor of the incorporation and only three votes were cast in the negative. The court then issued the order declaring Corliss to be an incorporated village, according to the laws of the state.

Corliss has gas, electric light, a good system of waterworks, a bank, two hotels, two physicians, several general stores and small shops, a public school and a nursery. Being located at the junction of two lines of one of the country's great railway systems, the shipping facilities are unsurpassed by any village of its size. In 1910 the population was 525, and in 1915 the property was valued for taxes at $683,630.