The Community of Duplainville
Compiled and Edited by Michael R. Reilly
Last Revised 03/03/2005
Note: Duplainville is part ofthe Town of Pewaukee to the south but is an integral part of the Sussex-Lisbon area history and influence. (Note: see Duplainvillehome page on the internet) Pewaukee Area Historical Society Web Site
Duplainville, Wisconsin, anunincorporated community within the Township of Pewaukee, is located about 15miles west of Milwaukee at Milepost 102.2 on the CP main or Milepost 102.6 onthe WC. It is between Waukesha and Sussex, Wisconsin. People arrived in theDuplainville area in 1848 attended Mass in Brookfield (There seems to have beena parish in Brookfield – St. Dominic -1842-1845, but there is no actual recordprior to 1858. ). In 1855 they built a meeting house (church) in Duplainvillewhere people attended Mass
In about1855, the Milwaukee Road built its track west from Brookfield Junction towardPortage and Minneapolis for a faster route than what had been over the Prairiedu Chien Line to the Mississippi river or the Northern Lines thru NorthMilwaukee, Rugby Jct, Hartford, Horicon and Beaver Dam. In 1885-86, theWisconsin Central Railroad built south from Rugby Jct to Chicago. Hence theirtracks crossed in Duplainville. You could travel on spur lines to Templeton,Colgate, Menomonee Falls, Sussex and Waukesha by changing trains at BrookfieldJunction.
A tower was erected in thenorthwest quadrant of the diamond in 1890. William Alvord was the chief operatorfor many years. He lived a short distance from the crossing. With heavy winter snow, additional help was hired to keep the tracks andswitches clear. Although there were signals and gates at the DuplainvilleRoad highway crossing, there were numerous accidents and some lives were lost. The tower burned down on January 1, 1929. A new brick building was thenbuilt. It was finally torn down in 1987 after a much needed connection track tothe old Soo was built and CTC was installed. The diamond was then controlledfrom Milwaukee. During 1962, the Wisconsin Central, DSS&A and Soo Linecombined to what is now known as the Soo Line. After the SOO Linepurchased the Milwaukee Road in 1985, the Old SOO ( former Wisconsin Central )crossed the New SOO (former Milwaukee Rd. ) at Duplainville. The tower atDuplainville was closed in 1991 and razed the same year.
Note – all dates listed below are from TheWaukesha Freeman newspaper published then.
April 4, 1878 – Our lively, talkative Charlie Newbecker, theblacksmith and Postmaster, is crowed with business. page 2. (Editor’s note:Charlie Newbecker, who recently moved into town (Waukesha) from Duplainville andbegan a blacksmith business. May 14, 1885)
June 26, 1890 – NEW POSTMASTER AT DUPLAINVILLE
Mr. Chris. Clasen (Classen), postmaster atDuplainville, who resigned his position a short time since, will be succeeded byJ. Berganski, who was appointed a few days since. Mr. Clasen is a democrat, andhas distributed letters at Duplainville a good many years. page 1. (Editor’snote: Chris. Classon formerly of Meno. Falls has recently started a store…April 4, 1878)
March 12, 1891 – Our postmaster, J. Berganski, had a very narrow escape frombeing killed while trying to get aboard the train Sunday morning. Only thetimely aid of Henry Clasen saved him. page 5
March 26, 1908 – Lawrence Hurtgen has been appointed postmaster at Duplainville.page 8
December 12, 1912 – FOURTH CLASS POSTMASTER EXAMINATION
Will Be Held at Waukesha on Saturday, January 4, 1913
The United States civil service commission announces that onthe date named above an examination will be held at Waukesha, Wis., as a resultof which it is expected to make certification to fill a contemplated vacancy inthe position of fourth class postmaster of class “b” at Duplainville,Wis., and other vacancies as they may occur at that office, unless it shall bedecided in the interests of the service to
fill the vacancy by reinstatement. the compensation of the postmaster at thisoffice was $93 for the last fiscal year.
Age limit, 21 years and over on the date of the examination,with the exception that in a state where women are declared by statute to be offull age for all purposes at 18 years, women 18 years of age on the date of theexamination will be admitted. Applicants must reside within the territorysupplied by the postoffice for which the examination is announced. Theexamination is open to all citizens of the united States who can comply with therequirements.
Application forms and full information concerning therequirements of the examination can be secured from the postmaster atDuplainville or the secretary of the board of civil service examiners atWaukesha or from the U. S. civil service commission, Washington, D. C.
Applications should be properly executed and filed with thecommission at Washington within seven days before the date of the examination,otherwise it may be impracticable to examine said applicants.
U.S. CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
Feb 27, 1913 – Matthew. H (N.). Hurtgen appointed postmaster at Duplainville.
Feb 19, 1931 – Duplainville Will Lose Postoffice
The post office at Duplainville will be discontinued onFebruary 28, and all mails addressed to that office will be received at thispost office (Waukesha), and disposed in accordance with the regulationsaccording to Postmaster Louis Meininger.
Patrons formerly receiving mail through the Duplainvillepostoffice should notify their correspondents of the discontinuance of the postoffice, and advise them of their new address, and through what post office they desiremail service on and after February 28, 1931, said Mr. Meininger.
Duplainville has St. Peter& Paul cemetery. The Waukesha History Museum research room has a typewrittenrecord of Saint Peter and Paul’s Cemetery Burials to 1940, compiled fromtomb stones, that was made by Mrs. E. Tallmadge. In 1859, Fr. Weiss ofFussville (Menomonee Falls) built a log cabin church in Duplainville as amission of St. Anthony. From 1870 to 1879, Ss.Peter & Paul was serviced by Capuchin Fathers who came out on the train fromMilwaukee. The present old church was built in 1876. In 1969 Fr. Robert Huettlwas appointed full time pastor of Ss. Peter and Paul, and it became a parish inits own right. On 09-19-70 a facility was built on the corner of DuplainvilleRoad and Green Road (Recently sold to Trinity Academy).
Quad/Graphics printingcompany was founded in Duplainville in 1971 by Harry V. Quadracci, andincorporated on July 13, 1971. The companylaunched operations from a 20,000-square-foot abandonedwarehouse, with a Baker Perkins “America IV” press and a borrowedsaddle stitcher.
In 1973 they found their first division, Duplainville Transport (now part of Quad/Transportation Services).