| A CN local hugs the bluff, passes the Vulcan Heritage Park, and passes the S. Memorial Dr. bridge over the Fox River as it descends the grade into 'The Flats' via former C&NW rails at Appleton, WI, on 30 Oct. '20. Local was headed for Kimberly and Combined Locks. Now just a short branch line, this stretch of rail is a remnant of the MLS&W main line which once ran from Milwaukee to Ashland. The MILW rails used to run parallel along this side of the active rails. Over the past several years, I have noticed that some misinformed individuals erroneously refer to ‘The Flats’ as ‘Oneida Flats,’ or some other variation. For all of my life, the historic, industrial heart of Appleton has been simply ‘The Flats.’ However, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries it was referred to as 'The Water Power.' |