Old bar, old stuff, old guys

Are you interested in Wisconsin history, vintage collectibles, and spots where you can enjoy a quiet cocktail? Then Sherman Station may be the place for you.

The bar in Adell hits the sweet spot in the center of that Venn diagram.

The building that’s home to Sherman Station is 149 years old and has a little bit of everything under its roof. There’s the bar, of course, an attached hotel, a large hall, a boarding house, and private living quarters.

When it was constructed in 1875, it was known as the American Hotel. Since then, it’s changed hands several times and has been home to many different ventures, including a movie theater and a roller rink.

Bill Such has owned the bar for the past eleven years, naming it after the town’s original railroad station and cultivating a low-key, comfortable vibe, calling it an “old man’s bar.”

Such is also an avid collector of antiquities, and many of his pieces fill the bar. In addition, the building’s hall is now home to a massive amount of relics from the past. Everything from beer signs to Packers memorabilia to toy cars. Lots and lots of toy cars.

On weekends, Such holds a vintage sale, parting with his vast collection one piece at a time.

So, if you’re in the area and looking to soak up a little local history, shop for interesting pieces from the past, and knock a few back without being overwhelmed by rowdy young whippersnappers, pull up a chair at Sherman Station.

It opens at 3 p.m. on weekdays and noon on weekends. The hall’s vintage sale begins at 10 a.m. on weekends.