Only a Short Drive to Hilbert

July 27, 1939, Menasha Record

It might be a short drive to Hilbert, compared to the hundreds of miles that the Chippewa will take you to Milwaukee, Chicago or parts beyond, but still, it's not like walking down the block to the train station.   Nowadays, Menasha to Hilbert is 18 miles on a nicely paved US 10 and WI 114; it might take 25-30 minutes to get there.  Not sure about the condition of the roads in 1939, or the speed limit.  And I'm sure it was two lanes all the way. Still, the ad is enticing-  an air-conditioned train in the midst of summer sounds rather appealing and since this was the golden age of train travel, those stream-lined train engines were all the rage.  It just looked fast, even if it wasn't.