New Sign Welcomes Travelers to Iron Ridge

The Village of Iron Ridge is welcoming visitors with a new city entrance sign at the intersection of State Highway 67 and State Highway S, capping nearly two years of planning and community effort.
The project began in the fall of 2023, after the Iron Ridge sign on Highway S, south of the village, had deteriorated beyond repair. Village Trustee Larry Lensmith proposed a replacement design for a more visible location at the highway intersection. At the same time, a local Boy
Scout proposed a sign for the south side as part of his Eagle Scout badge project. The Boy Scout’s sign was completed this past September, replacing the old structure.
“The Boy Scout got the sign at the south side, and the big sign was given the more visible spot you are seeing,” Lensmith said.
The design for the new entrance sign reflects Iron Ridge’s history, including elements inspired by the Neda Iron Mine, which sparked the village’s founding in 1913 during the era of iron, steam engines, and railroad expansion. Planned additions include a round steam train emblem, cut from stainless steel, to be installed on the sign’s taller column in the spring.
The Highway 67 sign is a community-funded project. A fundraiser held in May and June invited residents to purchase engraved bricks, raising more than $3,000 toward materials. Those bricks will be incorporated into the sign. Local businesses—including Apache Stainless, Curt’s Service, X-Cel Tooling, and McKramer Construction—contributed to the project, and all labor was donated by residents.
Construction began in July, with hopes to finish by November. While most work is complete, final touches, including the name bricks and the steam train emblem, are scheduled for installation in the spring.