Waunakee

About the Neighborhood

Trains thundering across the golden Wisconsin prairies opened the door for development in Waunakee just after the Civil War. When the Chicago and North Western Railroad expanded its line from Madison to St. Paul, it also opened the opportunity for a local supply center and a market for shipping farm produce.
The Packham Mill, in operation for 10 years, seemed a logical spot for the location of a new and potentially prosperous village. Located just 2 miles from the present Waunakee depot, railroad officials had already decided it was an ideal location.