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Buncombe, Wisconsin Tunnel, Abandoned 1938.jpg
DeWayne Manon

Buncombe, Wisconsin Tunnel, Abandoned 1938.jpg

Buncombe, Wisconsin

The Buncombe Railroad Tunnel

The line north of Galena, Illinois was built of the 3' gauge by the Galena and Southern Wisconsin Railroad and reached Platteville, Wisconsin by January 1, 1875. In 1880, the franchise was sold to the Chicago &, North Western Railroad Company (C&NW), rebuilt to standard gauge, and then extended northward from Platteville to Montfort, where it connected with the existing C&NW track to Madison. As the route coursed north and south between Benton and Galena, it fol-lowed the flood-prone Coon Branch and Fever River valleys. A 350-foot long tunnel was constructed east of Buncombe to avoid placing the track along the winding Fever River. The northern opening of the tunnel is still visible. There was also a spur built along the course of the Hardscrabble Branch to Hazel Green, with another spur to the Kennedy Mine. Both of these spur lines passed through the village of Buncombe to connect with the main branch of the C&NW just to the east. In the heyday of the rail-road, Benton was visited with four passenger trains daily. As railway traffic decreased and the section between Benton and Galena suffered a number of washouts, it was abandoned in 1938. Benton then became the "end of the line," and a turntable was built there to maintain railroad service for the still active Vinegar Hill Zinc Company's National Roaster located between Benton and Cuba City on Co. Hwy J. The track remained in place to Cuba City until the early 1980s, when a lack of use caused its abandonment.
The former community of Buncombe was located just to the west of the turn onto Kennedy Road, where the Bull and the Hardscrabble Branches join the Fever River. It was at this location that a railroad spur went north to the Kennedy Mine and another northwest to the Village of Hazel Green. Although the little community of Buncombe was served by a post office from 1875 to 1903, today only a few broken foundations remain where once a store, school, and several houses existed well into the 1950s. .


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Guest 26-Oct-2011 08:04
My relatives in the area are Thomas B Bennett born 15 March 1856, died 10 May 1924. He waas married to Alice Hocking, born 26 September 1874, died Janurary 1951. They had my grandmother, Bertha Jan Bennett born sometime in 1901. There is no record of her birth date except her grave marker. She died in Rockford, IL 25 November 1965. I think that Thomas B Bennett's mome was Elizabeth Bennett, born 1824 in England. That's all I have. I am looking for Bertha's grand parent's names and dates. From what I've heard, Alice Hocking Bennett owned part of a local lead-zinc mine near Buncombe.
Mary 10-Sep-2011 00:00
Sheryl, please contact me. My grandfather is Thomas Bennett, son of Zachariah Bennett and Ellen Hocking. Zachariah is William Bennett and Elizzabeth Burley's son. I actually have some pictures of the Bennett's and Hockings--Ellen Hocking and even Elizabeth Burley. My Uncle Larry Bennett had done some genealogy before he died and he sent my mom some pictures. Mary.
Sheryl Simpson 15-May-2011 03:08
Hi Doug, I wanted to see if the Hocking's and Bennett's in my family tree were related to yours. My great grandmother was Ellen McGlynn Hocking from Vinegar Hill,IL who married Charles Alfred Hocking who was born in 1877 in Benton & died in 1944. They lived in the Benton-Hazel Green area until they moved to Rockford, IL.

Charles 's father was William Alfred Hocking born in 1851 in Benton & died in 1899 and his mother was Rebecca Bennett born 1853 in Montreal Canada and died in 1931 in Vinegar Hill. Charles Hocking's grandfather was William Hocking born in 1822 Cornwall,England & died in 1905 in Buncombe and his grandmother was Eleanor Jenkins born 1824 in Cornwall & died in 1904 in Buncombe. Charles Hocking's great grandfather was William Hocking born 1796 in Cornwall, England and his great grandmother was Ann Burley born 1800 in Cornwall, England.

Rebecca Bennett's father was William Bennett born 1820 in Cornwall, England & died in 1864 in Buncombe and her mother was Elizabeth Burley born in 1820 in Cornwall & died in 1918 in Buncombe. They were married in 1845. Rebecca's grandparents were Thomas Bennett and Sarah Grace Burly.

My mother said the Hockings and Bennett's on her mothers side worked in the mines as did the Baxters & the Cassidy's who are on her father's side. I would love to hear back from you.
Doug Stoxen 13-May-2010 05:57
My ancesters lived and worked in Buncombe in the mines. I spoke to my 88 YO Aunt last week and she told me about the place a bit. Somewhere near there is a cemetary with my great great grandfather and mother and my great mother's family. I remember visiting it as a boy 50 more than 50 years ago. It was severely depressed, I remember. I've been looking for information on it but can't find anything. My grandmother's family were Bennetts. Grandfather, and great grandfather were Stoxens, Louis Stoxen and his wife Mary lived near there. My great grandmother was a Hocking and she owned a small piece of one of the mines.
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