USA > Wisconsin > Fond du Lac County > Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, past and present, Volume I > Part 39
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"Adelbert Coffman, present (1905) chief fire marshal, has been a fire fighter in this city since boyhood, a period of about thirty-five years. He knows the department and its work almost from the beginning.
THE GREAT FIRE OF 1852
"The great fire in December, 1852, that burned out the whole east side of Main street frontage, from First to Second streets, except the Keyes-Darling bank corner, was a serious affair. The concerns burned out were: Case & Alling's grocery store, where the fire originated; M. Sasse's shoe shop; E. Per- kins' tin and stove store: A. P. & G. N. Lyman's general store; D. R. Cur- ran's drug store ; Nate Lepper's paint shops; Carswell & Dee's dry-goods store and the residences of W. A. Dewey and D. R. Curran, around the corner on Second street. It was Sunday evening and so cold that John Case came up to the store, filled the big stove full of grubs, rolled the barrels of vegetables up near the stove to prevent freezing, locked the door and went away. A few days before, the Davis block, located just north of where the Lauenstein store is now, was burned, and the city being wholly without fire apparatus, except a few leather buckets, it was necessary to watch the smoldering ruins to prevent it breaking out anew. Five or six young men, with headquarters in the Journal office, on the ground where Mason's crockery store is now, were on watch and at about one o'clock discovered a light reflected on the street and found the Case & Alling store was ablaze. The grubs, the stove and the vegetable barrels did the business. The weather was dreadful cold and all that could be done was to carry goods out of the stores at a safe distance-much of it to be stolen. So cold was it that an empty pail from the stores, after going on top of a building a couple of times with water, would come thundering down into the street half full of ice. Men dipping water from the reservoir at the corner of Main and Second streets, would burn the backs out of their coats and freeze their cheeks, noses, and ears, without. knowing it. The cylinder of the pumps of fire engines and the hose would have frozen if the city had had fire apparatus and tried to use it. Next day fully one-half the men in town had peeling cheek bones and noses from the frost. It was a night of dreadful experiences; as to the fire, the only thing that could be done, as George Weikert said, was to 'let her burn.'
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There was considerable wind and blazing shingles and boards were carried to roofs and long distances away people had to work on their roofs to save their homes. What has for years been known as the 'Giltner House' on Second street, opposite No. 1 engine house, repaired and altered last year, was on fire six times from those flying shingles, but was saved, Ed. Farnsworth staying on the roof until he froze his hands. Soon after this fire a move was made toward procur- ing fire apparatus, and old No. I was bought in Milwaukee."
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
It was some time after the city of Fond du Lac had been chartered that it had a police force that could be so called. Before the village became separated from the town, each man looked after his own conduct and was liable to police duty at any time he was called upon. Finally, in 1847, when Fond du Lac became incorporated, two constables were elected and but two police officers bearing the title of constable looked after the deportment of the villagers until it had grown into a city in 1852. Before 1852 George Williams, Carmi Wright, Joshua Barnett, George Croft, F. D. McCarty, Wilfred Van Dresar, Charles Vanorder, Fred Homiston and others served as constables. Under the city charter the chief police officer was known as city marshal and he covered the town himself without any assistance, for a number of years. The office of marshal was abol- ished by the legislature in 1866, at which time Fond du Lac became cosmopolitan in its police department. James T. Conklin was the first chief of police and he, has had many successors. The department in Fond du Lac is doing its duty well and the city has a record for cleanliness in its morals and deportment second to none in the state.
Those who have served as chief executive of the city of Fond du Lac from its incorporation to the present time are the following: 1852, M. C. Darling; 1853, George McWilliams: 1855, M. C. Darling ; 1856, D. E. Hoskins; 1857, I. S. Sher- wood; 1858, John Bannister; 1859. John Potter; 1860, E. H. Galloway; 1861, J. M. Taylor; 1862, A. D. Bonesteel; 1864, J. M. Taylor; 1866, James Sawyer ; 1867, W. H. Hiner : 1868. C. J. L. Meyer; 1869, John Nichols; 1870, T. J. Pat- chen ; 1871, E. N. Foster ; 1873, Alexander McDonald; 1874, H. H. Dodd; 1875, G. W. Lusk; 1877, C. A. Galloway; 1878. Orin Hatch; 1879. S. S. Bowers; 1882, T. F. Mayham ; 1885, John Hughes; 1886. T. F. Mayham; 1887, C. R. Harrison ; 1888, Alexander McDonald; 1889, B. F. Sweet; 1891, T. F. Mayham; 1892, E. ' McDonald and S. S. Bowers; 1893, T. F. Mayham; 1895, E. E. Atkins; 1896, B. F. Sweet : 1897. L. A. Ehrhart; 1898, T. F. Mayham; 1899, F. B. Hoskins; 1902, T .. A. Bishop; 1904, John Hughes. The present mayor is F. J. Wolff.
ELECTRIC LIGHTING AND STREET CARS
The first system of illuminating the city by electricity was the erection of five steel towers with as many different points of the compass in the city, upon which were placed electric lamps. One of the towers was placed on Main street in front of the courthouse. The others were on First, Division, Forest and Arndt streets and were completed and in running order in September, 1882. Two of these towers were blown down in the wind and storm in 1886 but were rebuilt at a
VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY NO. 4, IN 1874
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less height than at first. For several years one engine was all the power the plant had to run its dynamos and this made the lighting very unsatisfactory. Since the use of electric motors has become so general, motor power is needed, so that four quick motion engines and four large engines, with twelve dynamos, ranging from two to ten feet in diameter to generate the electricity for railway, lighting and general purposes have been placed in use. In 1888 J. P. Burkholder secured a franchise and laid a street railway line with a light Tee rail from the landing to the old fair grounds on upper Main street and on Fourth street near the Kite fair grounds. The barn or power house was at the terminus of the latter line and consisted of thirty mules. The line proved very unsuccessful and shortly after Burkholder had disappeared, a Hollander by the name of Lewis Ne Peiu settled the indebtedness, which amounted to $18,000 and took possession of the road. It was but a few months thereafter that he retired from business with scarcely a dollar to his name. W. G. De Celle took possession of the road and replaced the mules with electric power. He also purchased new cars and put up two electric lighting plants. The debt was too heavy for him and Elihu Col- man, being a large creditor, organized a company under the name of the Fond du Lac Light & Power Company, which took possession of the road and its franchise. Even this company failed to pay out and soon became the Fond du Lac Electric Company, which continued to run the electric lighting plant but dis- continued the railway line. The city was without adequate transportation for some time but was relieved when H. F. Whitcomb and others organized the Fond du Lac Street Railway & Light Company. In 1899 the road was completed and equipped in good shape and the following year extended its tracks to North Fond du Lac and Lakeside Park. The power house was enlarged and new machinery was installed, so that today the city has not only a well equipped and well con- ducted electric light and railway plant, but a paying institution. In 1903 the line from Fond du Lac to Oshkosh was built and before the expiration of that year the Eastern Wisconsin Railway & Light Company was organized to construct a line on the east shore of the lake.
WATERWORKS
The citizens of Fond du Lac first depended for their water supply for all pur- poses upon wells, but in 1849, a man named Curtis, a practical well driller from the east, came to this city from Sheboygan and drilled a well for J. C. Lewis and R. L. Morris at the old Badger Hotel. After he reached eighty some odd feet, a powerful stream of water was struck and within a few minutes it was gush- ing out of the top of the hole in such quantities as to overflow the vicinity and a ditch had to be dug to carry off the surplus. This was the beginning of Fond du Lac's fountains or artesian wells. The next one was drilled at the home of George McWilliams, where the warehouse now stands. It overflowed into the river and was for many years one of the most noted wells in the city. It was nearly one hundred feet in depth. Many other wells or fountains were sunk in the city but few if any of them are now in existence. In 1853 what was known as the Big Fountain was struck at the corner of Marr and Sixth streets.
The Fond du Lac Company received its franchise from the city in 1885. The promoters of the enterprise were T. F. Flagler, H. H. Flagler, G. A. Gaskill and Vol. I-21
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P. H. Linneen. This company sunk seven wells, the shallowest of them being 475 feet in depth and the deepest 1,103 feet, and most of them six inches in diame- ter. This for a while supplied sufficient water to meet the demands of con- sumers and the city. Frank Barnes was the first superintendent. He was suc- ceeded by Fred Tenbrook. About two years ago the city took over the property of the Fond du Lac Waterworks Company and elected a commission of three citizens to guard the interests of the people and although paying a good round price for the public utility it in all probability has made a splendid bargain.
STREET PAVING
Fond du Lac has many miles of good paving. A great deal of it is concrete but there are a number of streets that were first paved with cedar blocks which failed to meet the expectations of the contractors and city authorities. Today the city is proud of its thoroughfares and is adding to its improvements in this regard from year to year.
GAS WORKS
Early in 1861 propositions had been made to the council for lighting the city with gas, and franchises for the privilege of erecting works and using the streets for pipes were sought by J. Lockwood, of Milwaukee, and John P. Crothers. A franchise was granted John P. Crothers in the month of September, giving him and his assigns the right to all streets, lanes and alleys, for the purpose of laying and maintaining gas mains and pipes. In accordance with the ordinance, under which the franchise was granted, a gas plant was erected on land purchased of Isaac S. Sherwood, in block "K" on Macy street, between Second and Court, and on the 16th of October, 1862, Crothers sold the plant to H. J. Hayes. The following June Hayes sold out to James G. Miller at a profit, and in September, 1863, the firm of Miller & Bonesteel were the proprietors. This firm sold to Jesse Buckley, in 1867, for the sum of $33,000, and Mr. Buckley at once began improve- ments, laying several miles of new pipe and mains. In 1879, Joseph Andrews, of Cincinnati, Ohio, came into possession of the property and within a few days thereafter he organized and incorporated the Fond du Lac Gaslight Company. At this time the gas plant is under the control of the Eastern Wisconsin Railway & Light Company, a corporation of which Clement A. Smith is president ; W. E. Cole, treasurer ; H. R. Whitcomb, Jr., secretary ; and R. T. Dunn, general manager.
HALLS AND PLACES OF ENTERTAINMENT
The first hall of importance for public use was in Darling's block, corner of Main and First streets, erected in 1847. Before this the schoolhouse on Main street, between Second and Third, was used as a public hall and church and a place for holding court.
Amory Hall was built in 1856, and even to this day is from its outward view rather pretentious. At the time of its erection there was probably not its dupli- cate in the state of Wisconsin. As a matter of fact it was considered the finest building of its kind in Wisconsin for a number of years. The hall itself has
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practically gone into disuse, but the second and ground floors are used for business purposes.
Opera Hall, a brick block, was erected at the head of Forest street on Main street, by Charles Johnson, in 1865, and has long since gone out of use. A num- ber of other public places have from time to time been in use. No mention can be made of them at this time.
Boyle Opera House was recently built and is modern in every detail. There are other theaters given over to vaudeville and modern picture shows. Chief among them is the Bijou on Main near First and the Ideal on First, nearly oppo- site the Federal building. These are first class houses and always play to remu- nerative audiences.
Among the hotels may be mentioned the old Fond du Lac House, erected by the Fond du Lac Company in 1836. This was a double log building that cost its pro- prietors the sum of $500 for the building and furniture. Colwert Pier was its first landlord. Dr. Mason C. Darling erected a log house on the corner of Main and First streets and opened it as a hotel under the name of the Fond du Lac House. This building has often been confused with the old Fond du Lac build- ing. It was erected in 1838.
The next structure put up for hotel purposes was erected in 1838 on a tract of land donated to Theodore Hebert by Dr. Darling. In 1847, having accumu- lated considerable from the proceeds of his tavern, Mr. Hebert built a new tavern which he called the Exchange Hotel. It was three stories high and the largest structure in the city. It proved a success. Another hotel, the Temperance Cottage, was built in the spring of 1846 by John J. Drakes. It stood on the corner of Main and Court streets where the American House was afterwards located. From the fact of its having the name of Temperance Cottage, the youngsters of the village who liked their "tea" called the hostelry "Dishwater Castle" because no liquor was sold there.
The Badger House was built in 1846, opposite the court house square. The old Temperance Cottage eventually became the Globe Hotel. Then there was the Lewis House, built by Robert Wyatt in 1846 on the corner of Fourth and Ellis streets. It was first classed the Eagle and in 1849 Mr. Wyatt moved it to the corner of Main and Sheboygan streets, enlarged it to three and a half stories and then rented the property to J. C. Lewis. James Ewen purchased the building in 1850 and named it the Lewis House. Three years later B. S. Patty bought the property.
The original American House was a three-story wooden building erected by Henry Shattuck, built in the fall of 1861, on the corner of Main and Court streets. It gave way to a newer and larger building in 1875. The Patty House, now known as the Palmer, was the largest and most expensive building erected for hotel purposes in Fond du Lac. It was constructed of brick and fronts eighty feet on Main and one hundred and forty feet on Sheboygan street and is still in oper- ation, being the leading hostelry in the city. Other hotels that may be mentioned are the National, built in 1866, on the corner of West Division and Brooke streets ; the Washington House, corner Main and Fifth streets; the Serwe, on Main, hav- ing been the City Hotel, on Main just north of Division; and others.
The New Erving has recently been remodeled and caters to a good class of trade. It stands on Main street, with one side facing the court house square.
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INDUSTRIAL FOND DU LAC
The industries of Fond du Lac are treated in a general way by Ernest J. Perry, cashier of the First National Bank, in an address made on the occasion of the "Home Coming" in 1912, which is made a part of this article. This city's manufactures are varied and the number of people engaged in creating new arti- cles of commerce for the industrial world has so increased that a detailed sketch of each concern cannot be given. General mention of the important corporations and companies doing business in Fond du Lac is given below. The details con- cerning Fond du Lac's business activities are covered in Mr. Perry's admirable collection of facts.
The principal industries of Fond du Lac now in operation are: The B. F. & H. L. Sweet Company, manufacturers of wagons, sleighs, etc. This firm is one of the pioneers of the county in the manufacturing world, dating back to the year 1855, when the brothers, B. F. and H. L. Sweet, started to manufacture sleighs and sleds, which soon took prominence in the trade. The firm is now employing about fifty men and doing an annual business of about $100,000. The factory is located on West Arndt street, between Packer and Satterlee streets.
The Moore & Galloway Lumber Company, located on West McWilliams and Packer streets, began business in 1864. They now employ 260 men and their annual sales amount to $615,000. The present officers are: H. W. Moore, presi- dent; E. M. Moore, vice president; G. N. Mihills, secretary ; C. A. Galloway, treasurer ; F. M. Moore, assistant secretary.
Huber & Fuhrman Drug Mills began business in 1864. They employ thirty hands and do an annual business of $90,000. The plant is located on Marquette and East Sibley streets.
The Giddings & Lewis Manufacturing Company, located on Doty and Rees streets, are manufacturers of sawmill machinery. They now employ from eighty to one hundred people and the annual business transacted amounts to between $200,000 and $300,000. The officials are: C. E. Cleveland, president ; Henry Rueping, secretary and treasurer. The firm has been in existence since 1866.
The O. C. Steenberg Company, manufacturers of sash, doors and blinds, began business in 1868. The plant is located on West McWilliams and Brooke streets and employs from fifty to sixty people. The annual sales amount to $75,000. The officers are: Mrs. H. G. Steenberg, president; Fred G. Steenberg, secretary- treasurer. The Harrison Postal Bag Rack Company was founded in 1881. The' annual sales amount to $24,500. The plant is located on Sheboygan and Port- land streets, and the present officials are : L. Fred McLean, president and secre- tary ; Mary A. Hoskins, vice president ; and Mary M. McLean, treasurer.
The Gurney Refrigerator Company, manufacturers of refrigerators, was founded in 1890. The firm employs two hundred people and the annual sales amount to $500,000. The officers are: C. J. Medberry, president ; David Jack, vice president ; F. J. Peck, secretary and treasurer. The concern is located on Forest avenue and South Brooke street.
The Winnebago Furniture Manufacturing Company, at 101 Western avenue, began business in 1890. The firm employs from one hundred and forty to one hundred and fifty people and the annual sales amount to $185.000. The officers are :
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C. V. McMillan, president ; H. Ley, vice president and superintendent ; and C. H. McMillan, secretary.
The Fond du Lac Table Manufacturing Company began business April 1, 1891. They now employ seventy-five hands and the sales amount to $125,000 annually. The officers are: Louis Rueping, president; Louis H. Rueping, vice president ; Charles H. Karstens, secretary and treasurer. The concern is located at 239-57 West Scott street.
The Fond du Lac Shirt & Overalls Company began business in 1896. They employ ninety hands and the annual sales amount to $155,000. The officers are: Mrs. A. Meiklejohn, president; W. W. Collins, secretary and treasurer. The fac- tory is located at 55 Forest avenue.
Longdin-Brugger Company, dealers in automobiles, began business in 1898. They now employ thirty-four people and the sales amount to $135,000 annually. The officials are: C. Brugger, president; S. Longdin, vice president; S. T. Treleven, treasurer; W. F. Treleven, secretary. The firm does business at 21 West Second street.
Badger Sewing Company, manufacturers of overalls, is located at 20-24 East First street. The business was started in 1898 and now employs eighty-five hands, while the annual sales amout to $125,000. The officers are: T. E. Ahern, presi- dent ; Thomas Watson, vice president ; W. W. Collins, secretary and treasurer.
Boex-Holman Company, wholesale candy manufacturers, is located at 79-83 East First street. The business was started in 1904 and now employs one hun- dred and twenty-five people. The annual sales amount to $200,000. The officials are : A. M. Boex, president and general manager ; F. A. Holman, vice president ; John Holman, secretary and treasurer.
The Northern Casket Company began business in 1905. It employs one hun- dred people in the manufacture of its output, the annual sales amounting to $150,000.
The Fond du Lac Church Furniture Company does business at 178 North Main street. It was founded in 1907 and now employs one hundred and ten people, while the annual sales amount to $160,000. The officers are : M. O. Pills- bury, president ; N. W. Sallade, secretary and treasurer.
The Fond du Lac Malt & Grain Company is doing business at the end of Macy street. It was founded in 1890 and employs thirteen men in carrying on the business. The annual sales amount to $275,000. William C. Reinig is sec- retary and treasurer.
The Harris Typewriter Company is one of the later innovations, the concern having been founded September 1, 19II. It employs seventy men, the plant being located near the Northwestern depot.
The Vulcan Manufacturing Company is another comparatively new concern, having been founded March 1, 1911. They employ thirty-five men in the manu- facture of their output, and the annual sales amount to $80,000.
Galloway West Company was organized March 1, 1910, and now employs twenty people, while the annual sales amount to $202,375.
ADDRESS BY ERNEST J. PERRY
"To condense the sixty years of the industrial development of Fond du Lac into an address, which I am to deliver in the short time allotted to me, I have found a very difficult matter.
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"At the best I have only been able to give you an outline of what has been accomplished, and to deal with the facts in a general and not a specific way.
"I realize that I have an advantage in being the first speaker on this after- noon's program and I could well take the entire afternoon in telling you of the wonderful progress Fond du Lac has made during the last fifteen years, but if I were to take more than the time allotted to me, I am sure the speakers who are to follow would feel towards me very much like the fellow who had been sentenced by a judge for horse stealing. After sentence had been pronounced upon him, the judge asked the prisoner if he had anything to say. The prisoner replied : 'No, except I think you are pretty darn liberal with another man's time.'
"We have come to believe that no great industrial development can succeed without the aid of good shipping facilities. The founders of Fond du Lac were also convinced of this fact. Their facilities for shipping by water were limited, the use of the ox team was a very slow means of transportation. As early as 1849 there was talk of iron rails for Fond du Lac but those who had faith in them were very few in number. The local papers in those days were not as progressive as our papers today. Columns of space were devoted to the build- ing of plank roads, but short paragraphs sufficed for the railroad enterprise.
THE FIRST RAILROAD
"It was not until John B. Macy, who had discovered that nothing could be done in Fond du Lac towards the building of a railroad went east with maps and plans and succeeded in interesting Robert J. Walker, of Washington, in the new enterprise.
"Late in the year 1850 a contract was let to Bradley & Company, of Ver- mont, practical railroad builders, to construct a certain portion of what was to be known as the 'Rock River Valley Union railroad,' which was proposed to be built from Fond du Lac in a southwesterly direction through the counties of Fond du Lac, Dodge, Jefferson and Rock. T. F. Strong, for the contractors, came west in 1850 to look over the proposed route of the railroad, and rode on horseback from Chicago to Fond du Lac. After looking over the situation here he returned to Vermont, and the following spring of 1851 he returned to com- mence work on the new railroad. Up to this time the people of Fond du Lac had been skeptical and few believed that a road would be built, but when they saw his crew of men with one hundred and sixty horses followed by loads of . shovels, picks, wheelbarrows and other tools, they were quickly aroused from their lethargy.
BREAKING THE GROUND
"The date set for the commencement of the work on the new railroad was July 10, 1851. Arrangements had been made for breaking ground in true west- ern style. At an early hour on the 10th teams began to pour into the village from all directions. Walworth, Dodge, Rock and Jefferson counties sent large delegations. The state officials were here, and members of the bar and officials from the various counties were present. Preceded by a band, the procession marched to the spot where the work was to begin, a point a few rods north of
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