Westby and the Railroads

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and
Pacific Depot after an addition was
added to the right.
Original section built in 1879

Although settlers had been homesteading the land in Christiana township, Vernon County, from 1848, Westby did not have its beginning until 1879, when the Milwaukee Railroad built a spur line from Sparta, south to Viroqua. The railroad platted the village of Westby Station and named it to honor Ole Westby a longtime merchant in the newly plotted village and erected a depot with Andrew Johnson as its first agent.

La Crosse and Southeastern Depot.
Built in 1904-1905

Before 1879 the this area was called Coon Prairie. Many of its first settlers were immigrants from Norway; brother sent for brother to come live on this land which is some of Wisconsin's finest farmland. Raccoons, foxes, wolves and such were the earlier settlers, so Coon Prairie was rightfully named. The first regular train reached this spot on the 13 of August 1879, and in 1905 the La Crosse & Southeastern railway arrived at Westby. Soon many new and larger warehouses for lumber, grain, and tobacco were erected. With the arrival of the railroads it was then that the surrounding farmers could ship products to better markets and the whole region prospered.