Scandinavia was an important junction in the early years of the Green Bay Route.  The Iola & Northern and Waupaca-Green Bay railroads joined the Green Bay & Western main line at this point, and train service between the the three lines was closely coordinated.  A single depot served all three lines.

Iola & Northern engine #2 was originally purchased by the Green Bay & Minnesota in 1875 and was sold to the Iola & Northern when that line was formed in 1895.  After the I&N was merged into the Green Bay & Western, its ownership was transferred once again.  Engine No. 2 also was leased to the Ettrick & Northern during construction. The E&N interchanged with the Green Bay Route at Blair.

The combine behind the engine had a storied history - after serving for many years on the I&N and GB&W, it eventually wound up in a field about one mile from my grandfather's farm near New Franken.  It was a local fixture in the 60s and 70s, eventually disappearing without a trace in the 1980s.

After the I&N and W-GB railroads were absorbed by the GB&W, Scandinavia began to lose its importance to the railroad. The Waupaca branch was abandoned in 1947, passenger service was eliminated in 1949, and the Iola branch was abandoned in 1958.  By then Manawa, with several industries, a long passing siding, and a small yard, took over as the center of GB&W operations on the New London Division.

Related material:

• Station "66" (1910)
  The Iola & Northern depot at Iola is still standing today.