Our Story

Following are excerpts from A History of Prescott, Wisconsin, as told by Francis Faber regarding a train station located on Trumpeter Valley property:

 

Losey Station was once a small train station at the mouth of Big River Coulee. Pier Faber was the depot agent and telegrapher. “Why there should be a station there at all was a mystery that was never answered.” The family lived in a 40-foot-long boxcar that had been hauled on a flat car to a site about 20 feet from the mainline railroad tracks on the bank of the Mississippi River, and a short walking distance from the depot. “The sliding side doors were never removed but were covered over with boards. A new door was cut into the boxcar which led into the kitchen-dining room at one end. A wood partition separated that area from a living room. Another partition separated that area from the bedroom on the other end of the boxcar.”

 

“A small wood cook stove heated the kitchen. A hot air stove heated the living room and bedroom. All lighting was done with lamps and candles.” A cold spring provided all the free water they needed.

 

“Being located so near to the mainline tracks of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad, every time a freight train would rumble by, or a speeding passenger train would rush by, the boxcar would literally shake on its foundation which was made of railroad ties. Those were the days of steam engines, the big ones, and we would be virtually engulfed in the dense black smoke which emitted from the stacks of the powerful locomotives. The cinders would fall on the roof like rain for a minute or two after the train had passed by.”

 

Faber trapped muskrats, raccoon, fox, and any other animal that had a fur pelt that could be sold. From discarded wood, Pier built a shed large enough to hold 150 - 250 stretched muskrat skins. The small trap line eventually extended 10 miles along the river and into the coulees.

 

“When we were ready to go to church which was in Prescott, our only transportation was 3- wheeled speeder. There were 2 wheels on the track and a sort of outrigger wheel on the other rail to stabilize it. The power was supplied by Father. He pulled on the top of a propelling handle and pushed a bar with the bottom of his feet, he moved the speeder along on the track. Father was very strong, and he had very little trouble getting us up to speed, so it didn’t take long to get to Prescott.”

 

“The woods, the river, the streams, the beautiful skies, the bright sun, the shady coves, the rocky bluffs, the delicious lunches Mother always packed, the cool spring water, the treks through new fallen snow . . . are just a few of the wonderful memories of our short stay at Losey.”

 

Eventually Faber was transferred to the Prescott depot. After the Fabers moved from Losey, the tracks were moved closer to the Mississippi River. The area between the bluff and the railroad soon filled with water, aided by springs in the area. The ponds were used for holding fish (mostly carp) that were shipped by rail to Chicago, St Paul, and other cities.

 

At some point the current Trumpeter Valley property was purchased by George Jacques, who lived on a nearby farm. George’s father, William, founded Jacques seeds, a hybrid corn seed developed and grown in the Prescott area. Eventually George took over the business and grew Jacques Seed from a local seed corn company to a major U.S. multi-seed research, development and marketing firm.

 

George built a cabin by Big River, some of the wood came from his father’s barn on Highway 29. He and his wife used it for family gatherings; he was not a hunter or fisherman.

 

Around 1990 George sold the property to C.R. Hackworthy and Terry Pirius, the Trumpeter Development Company LLC. “There’s No Place Like This” became their promotional motto.They dreamed of using the 300 acres of dedicated pristine wilderness to create 120+ lots and miles of Nature Trails.

 

Around the mid 1990’s the lots were ready for purchase. Some early buyers might remember getting a tour of the property via a Jeep, as many of the streets were undeveloped.The ditches and trails were maintained by Daryl, who lived in the farmhouse, which was likely built in the 1800’s. He was the groundskeeper, security guard, and self-appointed welcome committee.

 

In 1999 Grant and Carol Nelson were the first inhabitants in the neighborhood, followed by the Cole’s and Szymborski’s in the year 2000. The next ten years was a very busy time in Trumpeter Valley with the addition of 45 new homes. As of January 2023, there is a total of 65 homes.