USA > Wisconsin > Eau Claire County > History of Eau Claire county, Wisconsin, past and present; including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county > Part 36
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89
369
EAU CLAIRE PRIOR TO INCORPORATION
the franchise and the litigation growing out of it. The city issued its bonds to the amount of $95,000, the proceeds to be used in construction of the proposed dam.
A corporation was formed to construct the dam and to oper- ate it, the city to construct its own waterworks except certain waterwheels in consideration of the $95,000 for which the city was bonded, and also when completed the works were to be leased to the company for the sum of one dollar per year for the term of ninety-nine years, and in addition the water rights and privileges other than such as was required by the city for waterworks. The flowage rights were to be obtained by the city but paid for by the Improvement Company. The works as con- structed comprised a dam sixteen feet in height across the river, necessary booms and piers for holding and assorting logs, and a canal or flume from the west end of the dam to Half Moon lake. The expense of the dam and works was considerable in excess of the $95,000 which was paid by the Improvement Company.
The Mississippi River Logging Company, a corporation cre- ated under the laws of Iowa, succeeded to the property and rights by lease or purchase of the original parties holding and oper- ating Beef slough. The millowners on the Mississippi river still longed for the volume of pine adjacent to the Chippewa river. Some of them had made large purchases on their own account. Realizing that any further attempt to drive the Chippewa by force would be futile, they resorted to another scheme which proved eminently successful. The plan was for practically all the Mississippi millowners to join with those at Eau Claire in a common pool. That is, the operations should be carried on in the name of the Mississippi River Logging Company, in whose name the purchase of timber and logs should be made, each sub- seriber to have a certain interest in the assets according to his subscription, and entitled to a certain quantity of the logs to be manufactured by him to be taken from the common mass. This scheme proved attractive to the millowners at Ean Claire It saved part of the expense of handling logs. It assured to them at all times a stock of logs. It removed all opposition to holding logs in check at the Dells for a sufficient time to turn logs as required into their reservoir, principally Half Moon lake. By reason of the extensive holdings and purchase of logs by the com- pany, its immense resources in the way of money, logs could be secured at practically their own price. There was no other mar- ket for the independent logger. Ile must sell his logs to the pool or not sell at all. It was the most complete monopoly that ever
370
HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
existed in any branch of trade. Its restraint of trade was never equalled. The advantage on the part of the millowners upon the Mississippi was in thus being able to get their supply of logs from the Chippewa without serious opposition on the part of the millowners upon that stream. In securing all that interest as friends instead of foes, their interest in the concern was prac- tically in proportion eight to one. The result was not only the making of millionaires of those who became members of the monopoly, but to rapidly denude the forest of pine, some eight hundred million feet passing out of the state each year to be manufactured, and thus to limit the period in which manufacture of lumber could be carried on within the state. To deprive the state and locality of the incidental benefits arising from manu- facture in the way of employment of labor, the increase in popu- lation, the increase of manufacture, and the revenue by means of taxation. It was a partial paralysis of the growth and devel- opment of Eau Claire.
To be able to successfully carry out this scheme, the exten- sive mill and works and the large holdings of pine of the Union Lumber Company at Chippewa Falls were purchased by the same interest, but in the name of a separate corporation, the Chip- pewa Falls Lumber and Boom Company. Extensive dams were constructed on the main Chippewa and its branches for flood- ing purposes, and to further obtain complete control of the stream, another corporation, merely in name, was formed to monopolize the floating of the logs, named the Chippewa River Log Driving Company.
As a temporary bait to the citizens of Eau Claire and to stifle opposition on their part, it was proposed to locate the office of this great concern at Eau Claire. It was never intended to be per- manent. The office of the Chippewa Lumber and Boom Company was necessarily at Chippewa. The business and interest of the two concerns was common and it would not be good business judgment to have the offices of the two concerns at different places. However, the greed of this giant monopoly is not only apparent from the immense profits realized, but was made appar- ent at that day aud continuously thereafter by the fact that it refused to pay taxes upon its property. It was found that it had 125,000,000 feet of logs that year by the records, although it had in fact twice that quantity. The authorities at Eau Claire, as was their bounden duty, assessed it for this holding of 125,000,- 000 feet. Then came the direct threat in which the members from Eau Claire joined, that if the assessment was insisted upon the
371
EAU CLAIRE PRIOR TO INCORPORATION
office would be removed to Chippewa Falls. No attention was paid to this threat, the assessment stood and in a few days the clerks, typewriters and the few articles of furniture of the office of two small rooms were taken to Chippewa Falls, leaving behind only the threat of Weyerhauser, the chief organizer, that he would make the grass grow in the streets of Eau Claire. When the tax thus levied became due, payment was refused, and it was only after the safe and its contents of the company then at Chippewa Falls was seized for the tax that the tax was paid, amounting to nearly $12,000. The common council of Eau Claire, all but one of two-thirds of the members of that body, were either interested in the pool or controlled by some of the local members, adopted a resolution to refund the money thus collected. The mayor promptly vetoed it. The attempt to pass it over the mayor's veto failed only by the lack of one vote. No reason was ever given or argument advanced why the tax should not have been paid except that the citizens would derive an incidental benefit from having the office at Eau Claire. That the property was subject to taxation was never questioned. The rates of toll were fixed at seventy-five cents per thousand feet of logs and timber, two cents for railroad ties and one cent for fence posts. The works were completed with a capacity of 200,000,000 feet.
The music hall at the corner of Barstow and Kelsey streets was erected in 1867 and destroyed by fire in 1871. After a lapse of three or four years, what was known as the Music Hall Block was built on its site, and that part of it which was devoted to amusements was called the City Opera House until the Eau Claire Opera House was built in 1883.
A volunteer fire department was organized on the west side as far back as 1868, with the following officers: First foreman, James Tarrant; secretary, W. E. Demming. Engine Company No. 1-J. Scott, Fred Rawlins, Jerry Murphy, Benjamin and John Wells. Wales II. Willard was the first engineer. The en- gine was named after Hon. W. F. Bailey, president of the village. The village afterwards became merged into the city of Eau Claire. Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 was organized. At a meeting held April 29, 1873, at the then city rooms in the Gleason Block the following officers were appointed: William Bonell, Sr., foreman ; Peter Girnean, first assistant; W. F. Cook, second assistant; II. SlingInff, secretary; John Joyce, treasurer, and Captain John Kelly, fire warden. Among the members were John Bubser, John Hancock, John Foster, Hugh Fitzpatrick, Philip Fitzpatrick, George Sebenthal, William Bonell, Jr., D. C.
372
HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
Whipple, William Dean, Andrew Oleson, John McCool, Charles Lang, M. R. Brown, Matt Stoddard, A. D. Wyman, T. E. John- son, S. Brackett, W. M. Bell, M. H. Donaldson, Henry Hendricks, Den Callahan, W. G. Butterfield, F. B. Buell, I. Norman, James Graves, L. Barnard, George Wyman, D. Merriman, Elisha Ross, James McMahan, D. H. Murphy, T. Gilbertson, D. G. McDonald, Jacob Kuhn, P. Yeager, J. H. Hartman, John Hallman, N. Sloggy, John Hancock and Charles Mabbit.
At a meeting of the fire-fighters held June 25, 1873, at the west side engine house, the City Volunteer Fire Department was or- .ganized when the following officers were elected: Eugene Bul- lard, chief; William Bonell, Sr., first assistant; Jerry Murphy, second assistant ; W. E. J. Demming, secretary, and John Joyce, treasurer. In 1874 Capt. A. M. Sherman was chief. The changes in 1875 were the appointment of W. F. Cook as chief, and Edward Oliver as second assistant. John T. Tinker was chief in 1876, and Julius Churchill held that position in 1877. The city purchased an additional steamer in April, 1875-G. E. Porter No. 2. It was assigned to the members of Hook and Ladder Company No. 1, and they changed the name of their organization to Hook and Ladder Company No. 2. Engine Company No. 1 was continued up to the time the city took charge of the department.
CHAPTER XXI.
LUMBER INTERESTS.
The lumber interests have always been foremost in the growth and prosperity of the whole Chippewa valley and Eau Claire especially. The water facilities at this point for sawmills, espe- cially on the Eau Claire river, is what first attraeted lumbermen to this loeality. From one little mill started in 1846 by McCann, Randall & Thomas, there grew up a number of what may be justly called mammoth institutions. The almost insurmountable difficulties some of them had to contend with by reason of floods, the natural courses of the rivers and financial depression are noted at length elsewhere. This mill was destroyed by the flood of 1847, and another one was erected in its place in the winter of 1847-48 by George W. and Simon Randall in association with Philo Stone and H. Cady. The last named disposed of his inter- est to Mr. Swim, and Simon Randall's share went to Mr. Pope. This was early in the "fifties." The firm thus became Stone, Swim & Co., and they parted with the property in the spring of 1855 to Carson, Eaton & Downs.
The second sawmill was built on the Eau Claire river by J. J. Gage, James Reed and Captain Dix in 1848. This property with large traets of pine lands and one-half the village plat became vested in the two first named parties. After operating the mill for several years the whole property was placed on the market. Adin Randall eame to Eau Claire in the summer of 1855 and undertook to find a purehaser. As a preliminary step he obtained a bond from the owners agreeing to dispose of the property at a fixed price. Ile negotiated with Nelson C. Chapman and J. G. Thorp, who purchased the property in May, 1856, for $42,000, although they did not come to Eau Claire and take possession until the following year. Shortly afterward they purchased the entire property of Carson, Eaton & Downs, and thus became the proprietors of both mills. Nelson C. Chapman was born in Dur- ham, Green county, N. Y., in 1811, removing to Norwich, Che- mango county, when sixteen years of age. He remained there, doing a successful business, until 1846, when he removed to Ox- ford in the same county and entered into partnership with J. G. Thorp. His birthplace was Butternuts, N. Y., and the date 1812.
373
374
HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
He entered the store of Ira Wilcox at Oxford in 1829. Seven years afterward he was taken into partnership and the firm was known as I. Wilcox & Co. In 1846 the senior member disposed of his interest to N. C. Chapman, and thus was formed the firm of Chapman & Thorp. The business was carried on in the same place until 1857, when Mr. Thorp removed to Eau Claire and Mr. Chapman went to St. Louis where he continued the business of the firm until his death in 1873.
An amusing incident grew out of the contract with Gage & Reed, at least to those who were not affected by it. A certain sum was paid down and the balance was to be liquidated by in- stallments. Gold was plentiful at this time and did not command a premium, so no stipulation was made as to the mode in which the accruing sums were to be discharged. Before the last pay- ment became due, money in any shape, but especially gold, was not to be found in the West. Gage & Reed having signified their intention not to accept anything else, looked forward to a fore- closure, particularly as the sum amounted to $9,000. When the day for settlement eame their astonishment can be more readily imagined than described when the money, principal and interest, was handed to them in American gold. Such was the manner in which this firm conducted their business. By adhering to this system they established a name and eredit that carried them not only through the monetary crisis that existed from 1861 to 1865, while thousands became bankrupt, but to success. Not only did they surmount all difficulties, but in ten years they had made valuable accessions to their real estate.
In 1866 the Eau Claire Lumber Company was incorporated, with a paid-up capital of $160,000, with Joseph G. Thorp as its president. Such was the magnitude of its rapidly increasing busi- ness that in 1880 its capital had increased to $3,000,000. In addi- tion to the lumber mill plant it had at one time machine shops, flouring mills and an elevator in Eau Claire, besides mills at Ma- ridean and Alma, giving a combined capacity of 100,000,000 feet a year. As much as 40,000,000 feet of lumber was eut in one year. The company erected a large brick store in 1874 to replace the one destroyed by fire that year for the retailing of general merchandise at a cost of $30,000. 'At one time the transactions of this branch of the business amounted to $350,000 a year.
The losses of the company at various times by fire and flood would aggregate a very large amount. The extensive flourmill was destroyed by fire in 1877 when a loss of $50,000 was sus- tained, with insurance of $27,000. On December 19, 1878, the
375
LUMBER INTERESTS
machine shop was also burned down. A year afterward the boiler of the planing mill exploded, killing J. Wright Hoskins (the engineer), Anthony Gallagher and Michael Helping. Thomas Hall was also injured and the mill badly shattered. The shingle mill went up in flames in June, 1890, inflicting a loss of $15,000. The Mississippi River Logging Company purchased the whole of the property in 1887 and the business was carried on by them.
Another successful mill enterprise was that inaugurated by the late Daniel Shaw at what was named after him, Shawtown. He located his plant at the outlet of Half Moon lake in 1856. He was born in 1813 at Industry, Franklin county, Maine, and chose lumbering as a vocation and engaged in business in Allegany county, N. Y. Ile was successful in the selection he had made, but, desiring to enlarge his sphere of operations, he came to Wis- consin in 1855 and traveled through the Chippewa valley pine district. Satisfied with the outlook, he, in association with Mr. Clark, the father of Dewitt C. Clark, purchased a large quantity of pine lands and removed to Eau Claire with his family the fol- lowing year. Another element that indneed him to take this course was that he had been successful in associating himself with Ingram & Kennedy, Smith & Ball and Adin Randall, and obtaining a charter from the legislature authorizing them to excavate a race or canal from the river to Half Moon lake and establish a sheer boom at a suitable point, and so stock the mills at Shawtown. The whole work was pressed forward with com- mendable dispatch, but the terrible collapse in the commercial centers of the West and the almost total prostration of the lumber trade in the next succeeding years placed an effectual check on these operations and presented obstacles to running the mill with satisfactory results that few men could surmount; but he battled with them all and came out the victor by associating himself with Mr. C. A. Bullen. The firm finally succeeded in establishing the business on a solid basis when the mill was destroyed by fire in August, 1867. Nothing daunted, the firm rebuilt the mill in the same year on a more extensive scale and with improved machinery, augmenting their resources by taking into partner- ship with them Newell & Ferguson.
The institution was incorporated in 1874 as the Daniel Shaw Lumber Company, with a capital of $500,000. The first officers were : Daniel Shaw, president; C. A. Bullen, vice-president ; C. S. Newell, treasurer, and G. B. Shaw, secretary. Additions were made to the plant which occupied many acres of land with twelve buildings.
376
HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
The Empire Lumber Company also had its works at Shaw- town. A mill was erected there by Ingram, Dole & Kennedy in 1856. Mr. Dole retired soon afterward and the firm became known as Ingram & Kennedy. They were previously operating in Canada. The hard times of 1857 taxed their resources to the utmost, and to add to the impediments in the way to establish- ing a successful business the mill was, about two years later on, consumed by fire. This loss was, however, overcome, and after struggling through the depression that existed during the war period, business gradually improved under the able management of the senior partner. At about the same time, and adjacent to the site of the Ingram & Kennedy mill, another mill was con- structed by John P. Pinkum and operated by him, having a capacity of about 30,000 feet per day.
In 1869 they purchased of Arthur M. and John S. Sherman what is known as the "Eddy" mill, which was located north- east of Mount Simon on the Chippewa river. The members of the firm ultimately associated themselves with the Charles Ilor- ton Lumber Company, of Winona, Minn., and Dulany & Mc Veign, of Hannibal, Mo., and organized the Empire Lumber Company on March 26, 1881, with a capital of $800,000, Mr. Kennedy retiring.
The sawmill erected by Adin Randall in 1856 on what later on became Menomonie street, "Randall's Land" passed shortly after into the hands of Smith & Ball. George A. Buffington, who came to Eau Claire in 1856 from Cattaraugus county, New York, and ran a livery and kept a hotel, purchased the interest of the junior member of the firm in the mill property in 1859. The institution was thenceforth and until March 5, 1872, operated by Smith & Buffington, when it was incorporated with a capital of $250,000. The first officers were George A. Buffington, presi- dent ; C. M. Smith, vice-president, and C. M. Buffington, secretary. The old mill was removed in 1874 and one of the largest steam mills in the valley erected on its site, William Carson having purchased the interest of Smith, and with this addition the com- pany became financially strong, and owing to the integrity and good business judgment of both Mr. Carson and Mr. Buffington, the entire transaction was a grand success. The capacity of the plant was 25,000,000 feet of lumber, 20,000,000 shingles and about 15,000,000 laths and piekets a year. The number of men em- ployed was 200, including the mill hands and those engaged in the lumber camps.
In 1868 a small rotary sawmill was built on an island above
377
LUMBER INTERESTS
the Dells, three miles and a half from Eau Claire, but within the city limits, by Prescott, Burditt & Co., with a daily capacity of nearly 40,000 feet. A few years afterward, 1873-74, this mill was torn down and replaced with a gang and rotary mill having a daily capacity of 100,000 feet. It was operated until and ineluding the year 1889, cutting from 10,000,000 to 16,000,000 feet of lumber each season. The business was organized in 1879 as a corporation under the name of the Dells Lumber Company, with a capital of $100,000.
A gang and rotary mill was built by R. F. Wilson, of the west side of the Chippewa river, a short distance north of the Madison street bridge, in about 1878, but was burned down two years later. It was rebuilt by the Pioneer Lumber Company, which operated for a time, then it remained idle for about four years and was then sold to the Dells Lumber Company.
Arthur M. and Jolm S. Sherman settled in Eau Claire in the winter of 1856-57, and in 1860 commeneed the erection of a mill at Big Eddy, later known as the Eddy mill. It was sold by them to Ingram & Kennedy in 1869. The brothers then engaged in the logging business and bought an interest in what was known as the Boyd mill, which went out with the flood of 1880 and was landed in a completely demoralized condition seven miles down the river. In the fall of 1880 they began the erection of the Sherman mill on the east side of Half Moon lake, which was eom- pleted in July, 1881. After operating about one year it was burned down. It was then rebuilt by the owners, who sold a eon- trolling interest in it to the Chippewa Logging Company. The logging company then purchased the interest of the Sherman brothers. After running the mill for several years under the name of the Sherman Lumber Company, it was shut down. It was next sold to John S. Owen and R. E. Rust, who associated themselves together and organized the West Eau Claire Mill Company in 1887, with a capital of $42,000. The Sherman mill thus became merged in this company.
The Westville Lumber Company was incorporated in 1882, with a capital of $100,000, for the manufacture and marketing of lumber, and operated a mill at Shawtown on or near the site of the Alexander Boyd mill hereafter referred to.
The Rust-Owen Lumber Company was incorporated in April, 1882, with a capital of $300,000, with the mills at Drummond, Bayfield county, Wis. The principal offiee was at Ean Claire.
The Davis & Starr Lumber Company was organized in June, 1886, with a capital of $100,000, which was inereased to $250,000.
378
HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
The corporation owned and operated a small mill at Little Black, Taylor county, on the Ashland division of the Wisconsin Central, now the Soo Railroad. This mill was burned down in the spring of 1889, and a new plant with the latest improvements was erected the same year. The main office was at Eau Claire.
The Montreal Lumber Company was incorporated, with its principal office at Eau Claire, in August, 1887, with a capital of $500,000. The works were at Gile, a suburb of Hurley, on the Montreal river, Ashland county, Wis.
The Sterling Lumber Company was incorporated in March, 1888, with a capital of $100,000, with main offices in Eau Claire. The mill was located at Sterling, Clark county, Wis., on the Wis- consin Central Railway.
At an early date, the exact date not being remembered, a mill was constructed near the entrance of the canal into Half Moon lake by Stephen Marston. This mill was abandoned a few years later. Mr. Marston came from Maine and was among the early settlers of Ean Claire. He engaged in the mercantile business which he carried on successfully. He died many years ago.
Mead and Angel operated a mill on Half Moon lake in 1867 and 1868 and prior thereto. Wilcox and Parker also operated a shingle mill on the lake during the same time. Wilson and Foster in 1867 and prior thereto operated a mill near the en- trance of the canal and adjacent to the Pinkum mill. It was not a success financially and was finally abandoned.
Porter and Moon operated a mill at or near the outlet to Wheaton Springs for some years.
This firm also had an extensive mill located at Portersville, in the town of Brunswick, particular mention being made where that town is considered. It purchased from the Mississippi River Logging Company the interest they purchased from the Eau Claire Lumber Company and operated the mills until within a few years. Also their extensive mill and interest at Stanley, the principal office being at Eau Claire, the name of all the con- cerns here being changed to that of the Northwestern Lumber Company. The Northwestern Lumber Company is found in the industries of Ean Claire.
Alexander Boyd owned and operated a mill at Shawtown as early as 1866. Also W. B. Estabrook. McGuire and McRae owned and operated a mill in the town of Union, located on the west side of the Chippewa river a few miles south of Eau Claire. There was also another mill called the Gordon mill located a short distance from the mill last named.
CHAPTER XXII
REIGN OF TERROR IN EAU CLAIRE.
Early in August, 1862, bands of the Sioux Indians fell upon. New Ulm and other towns in Minnesota, murdering men, women and children, and sending terror into every settlement. Stories of these deeds were widely spread and magnified until the atmos- phere was laden with terror and tidings of danger sent abroad without reason. In the early morning of the last Sunday of this month a dense fog rested upon the Chippewa Valley, and many whose nerves were shaken with vague fears faueied that they saw savages lurking in the woods. The whole country became panie strieken, the wildest tales were believed, "a thousand of the fiends lurked in the big swamp and on the Chippewa bot- toms," in short, all through the valley. The farmers around the town gathered here, bringing additional stories of savages in ambush, smoke rising from burning houses, etc. The churches were quickly emptied, a committee of safety was appointed, and women and children assembled in Marston's Hall, which was chosen as a fort of defense on the east side, while the home of J. H. Ingram served the same purpose on the west side of the river. W. P. Bartlett bore the rank of major, having received his commission from the governor previously, but he agreed with the citizens in the choice of a tried soldier as leader. This proved to be E. R. Hantzsch, a gallant follower of Walker in his expedi- tion against Nicaragua in 1855. He organized and drilled his forees, armed them with rifles, pitehforks, seythes and spades, sent out patrols to guard the streets and seouting parties to watch for the foe, and did all that valor, experience and zeal could put forth against the real and imminent danger.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.