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Hustler, Wisconsin
Hustler, WI is located in Juneau County on County Trunk "A".
It has a population of approximately 157.
Settlement began at Hustler shortly after the West Wisconsin Railroad laid track south from Camp Douglas in the Early 1870’s. A small freight platform and a siding marked the spot of the village, but growth was slow until the 1890’s.
J.H. Morrill handled the freight, which consisted of farm produce and livestock, on a commission basis. His operation grew large enough for him to construct a warehouse a short distance away from the siding. Then he set about persuading the railroad to extend its track. Morrill so pestered the superintendent that the railroad man remarked that all he got for breakfast, lunch and dinner was "Hustler." Morrill replied that the superintendent would get nothing else until Hustler got what it wanted.
Local farmers, who considered themselves "hustlers" when it came to work, offered to grade the siding if the railroad would lay the ties and tracks. An agreement was reached and the line was extended to Morrill’s warehouse. A depot was built with John Moore as the first agent in 1896. Hustler became one of the leading freight stations on what was then the Omaha Railroad.
Hustler owes its name to the post office that sent a list of names to the community and let the villagers choose one. Hustler was the only name on the list that was not already on the Wisconsin map but one story holds that the villagers inserted it themselves and the post office accepted the idea.
While the railroad triggered initial community growth, the rerouting of Highway 12 through the village between 1926 and 1931 brought good times to the community. The good times lasted until Highway 12 was routed to bypass Hustler.
The decline of the railroad and the rerouting of the major Highway brought changes to the community. What once was the Omaha Railroad is now the Omaha Bike Trail.
These pictures were taken during Hustler's Annual Hustler Fest and are courtesy of Hustler's "Hustle Stop" store!
