Cormier Station at Howard, Wisconsin, on the Milwaukee Road

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

Why is the Milwaukee Road station at Howard (formerly Fort Howard), Wisconsin, named Cormier and not Howard? I have consulted several Milwuakee Road books in my collection and online and cannot find an answer.

I find the name Cormier of interest. It is an Acadian surname. My Prince (or Le Prince, if you prefer) relatives lived at Rivière-aux-Canards (Duck Creek for you Anglos) which is adjacent to Howard. They were also Acadians. There are limestone quarries near Howard and Pierre Prince, Jr. (my great-great-uncle) and David Cormier owned two of the quarries. I am distantly related to the Cormiers back in Acadia.

I just find it interesting that in this little community of French-Canadians and Métis families there were also Acadians and that one of these Acadians had a Milwuakee Road depot named after him.

As I am modeling this area, I plan to add a linestone quarry to my layout and will perhaps name it after Mr. Cormier. (I already have Prince & Sons Hardward Co.: “All Your Building, Lumber, & Fuel Needs” on the layout).

Any information would be appreciated. Thanks. By the way, can you tell my other hobby is genealogy?

2

I checked an 1889 plat map and the Cormier station appears to be in Duck Creek, Howard Township, and not in the city of Howard. It looks like the city of Howard held the Milwuakee Road yard according to this map, which calls the line the Milwaukee and Northern.

To confuse things even more the City of Howard (formerly Fort Howard) was incorporated into Green Bay in 1895. This is why the Milwaukee Road yard is called the Green Bay yard and not the Howard yard. Duck Creek, just north of the former City of Howard in Howard Township was renamed the Village of Howard in 1959. My family records always refered to it as Duck Creek or Rivière-aux-Canards.

As David Cormier was prominent in local affairs, I suspect the station was named after him rather than as Duck Creek or Rivière-aux-Canards. Can anyone confirm this?