The Milwaukee Road's new flagship streamliner Hiawatha, which began running in 1935, made a stop in New Lisbon to permit connections with local trains heading north to Minocqua.

Demand was such that on several June Saturdays the Milwaukee Road operated an additional train ("section") directly from Chicago to Minocqua via New Lisbon.

[1]: 36 In June 1936 the Milwaukee Road introduced a new train between New Lisbon and Star Lake, Wisconsin, which it dubbed Hiawatha – North Woods Section.

The Milwaukee Road relaunched the service in April 1937, adding a "Beaver Tail" parlor car displaced from the original Hiawatha and new coaches.

In the summer of 1939 the Milwaukee Road began operating the train directly from Chicago again, departing 10 minutes ahead of the Afternoon Hiawatha.