• Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • RSS Feed
  • Threads
  • YouTube
  • About Us
  • Archival Collections
    • About the Archive
    • Browse Collections
    • Donate Materials
    • Image Use & Research
    • Out of the Archives Column
  • Events & Programs
    • Conferences
    • Awards
    • Webinars
  • Exhibitions
  • Publications
    • Books
    • Railroad Heritage
    • Blog: Collection Tracking
  • Join & Support
    • Membership
    • Ways of Giving
    • Legacy Society
    • Newsletter
View Cart
  • About Us
  • Archival Collections
    • About the Archive
    • Browse Collections
    • Donate Materials
    • Image Use & Research
    • Out of the Archives Column
  • Events & Programs
    • Conferences
    • Creative Photography Awards
    • Webinars
  • Exhibitions
  • Publications
    • Books
    • Railroad Heritage
  • Join & Support
    • Membership
    • Ways of Giving
    • Legacy Society
    • Newsletter
View Cart
    • Facebook
    • Flickr
    • Instagram
    • Threads
    • YouTube

Zoom member-exclusive: The History and Development of Madison’s Railroads

Our summer 2023 members-only program features a detailed look at the Center’s hometown Madison, Wisconsin, by executive director Scott Lothes, showcasing the photography of John Gruber. These presentations are open to members of the Center and are presented to express our gratitude for their support. If you’re not a member, consider joining today to see this program as well as previous members-only events.

Railroads played a tremendous role in building Madison and south-central Wisconsin, and they continue to play a critical role in the regional economy. Before the 20th-century rise of car culture and the building of the interstate highway system, a town’s ability to attract a railroad was a significant marker of its growth and economic health. At their zenith, nine different railroad lines radiated out of Madison. Seven of those routes remain in service today, although only four of them still extend to their original destinations. This program largely draws from the collection of John Gruber, the Center’s principal founder, who grew up in Prairie du Sac and lived in Madison, covering the changing railroad scene of Milwaukee Road, Chicago & North Western, and others.

CRP&A members can request the recording link at info@railphoto-art.org 

This program originally aired on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, 7:00 p.m. (U.S. Central Time).

Not a member? Become a member here.

←Zoom program: Railroads, Art, and American Life, by J. Craig Thorpe
Zoom program: Linn Westcott’s Wildly Diverse Railroad Photography→

RECENT posts

  • Collection Tracking: Madison, Wisconsin, with John Gruber

    Collection Tracking: Madison, Wisconsin, with John Gruber

  • David Kahler, 1937-2026

    David Kahler, 1937-2026

  • David Plowden, 1932-2026

    David Plowden, 1932-2026

Center for Railroad Photography & Art

Our mission: to preserve and present significant images of railroading.

(608) 251-5785
info [at] railphoto-art.org
1930 Monroe Street, Suite 301
Madison, WI 53711-2059

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • RSS Feed
  • Threads
  • YouTube

Become a member

Browse collections

Make a gift

shop books

Subscribe to newsletter

Railfans ride a Mid-Continent Railway Museum caboose in North Freedom, Wisconsin, in May 1963. Photograph by John Gruber, Gruber-05-021-0003

©2026, Center for Railroad Photography & Art