LAKEWOOD – Kathleen Marsh will be the featured speaker in Lakes Country Public Library’s Speaker Series on July 15, 2026. Her presentation begins at 5:30 pm. and includes rare photos and fascinating facts that might have been lost to history.

The Town of Townsend, originally known as Johnson Siding, was born in the late Nineteen Century. A tiny, tenacious logging settlement, it was a rough and tumble remote outpost with a bad reputation. At its founding, no one could have imagined that one day Townsend would be home to million-dollar mansions and find itself in the top two assessed value municipalities in Oconto County.

It could not have happened without Chicago & Northwest Railway using it as a transportation hub. The railroad shipped millions of sawlogs to the mills in Oconto and provided passenger service for decades, selling the last ticket in 1950. The route later became a corridor to facilitate construction of Highway 32.

Townsend’s unique history was recounted by Marsh in three volumes of The Truth About Townsend and Townsend Time, a 2016 Centennial Tribute. All are available at Lakes Country Public Library. Free copies of Volume II and III will be available that evening while supplies last. The Lakes Country Public Library is located at 15235 State Hwy 32, Lakewood.

Photo Credit: Kathleen Marsh

Published on: Jul 8, 2026 at 2:13 pm