USA > Wisconsin > Winnebago County > History of Winnebago County, Wisconsin, and early history of the Northwest > Part 46
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Shade trees have been largely planted, and add much to the attractiveness of the streets.
SUMMER RESORT.
This place, in common with Neenah, has great natural advantages as a place of summer resort, and attracts many visitors from abroad. Lake Winnebago and its delightful surround- ings possess great natural attractions; and Menasha has the advantage of being on the navigable channel of the outlet. The canal and locks connecting the navigation of the lake and river are on this channel, and the frequent passage of steamers enlivens the scene. The
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HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
1856.79.1
facilities for pleasant steamboat excursions, for fishing and pleasure sailing to the various places of resort on the lakeshore, are unex- celled.
NATIONAL HOTEL.
The fine hotel, the National, is a handsome, commodious structure, and an architectural ornament to the city. It possesses all the modern comforts and conveniences for the accommodation of fastidious guests, and keeps an extensive boat-house and a number of boats, for the use of summer visitors.
WATER-POWER, AND WATER COMMUNI-
CATION.
The situation of the place, on the line of the water communication, connecting the interior of the State with Lake Michigan, gives it, in connection with its fine water- power, a combination of commercial, and manufacturing advantages that are seldom equalled.
It is at the beginning of that series of mag- nificent water-powers of the Lower Fox val- ley, which make that region the great manu- facturing district of the State, and one of its greatest business thoroughfares.
The two cities of Neenah and Menasha are practically but divisions of one place, and are frequently called the Island City. The center of a street on the Island is the dividing line; so that a single step takes one from one city to the other. The houses on one side of the street are in Menasha, and those of the other in Neenah. The places, though rivals from their infancy, have really a community of interest, as is well shown in the location of the Northwestern Railroad depot; and col . lectively they form one of the greatest manu- facturing centers of the State. The water- power of both places is estimated at ten thousand horse-power, and the resources for manufacturing are ample and enduring.
MANUFACTORIES.
The railroad penetrating the pine and hard- wood forests of Northern Wisconsin, and the iron mines of Lake Superior, gives ready accessibility to those regions, for the procure- ment of raw material. The hardwood timber in a large extent of adjoining country, also furnishes an abundance of material for manu- factures of hardwood.
The water-power, from the dam along its entire length, is one continuous line of manu- facturing establishments, among which are the mammoth works of Webster & Lawson, and those of the Menasha Wooden-ware Com- pany.
MENASHA HUB AND SPOKE FACTORY.
The Menasha hub, spoke, bending and gen- eral wagon and carriage stock factory of Web- ster & Lawson, was established in 1856, by A. J. Webster, the senior member of the firm, in a small way. The original factory was a small building located on the dam, on the present site of the Coral Mills.
Early in May of that year the high water carried away a portion of the dam, and also a part of the canal bank, leaving the embryo spoke factory cut off from the mainland, and without power to do anything; thus necessitat- ing a removal to some other locality. There being no available building in Menasha, it was decided to remove to Neenah. The con- tents of the factory were, therefore, loaded on a small scow and towed to Neenah, where it remained but one year, doing a small and unsatisfactory business. At the expiration of one year the machinery was moved from Nee- nah back to Menasha, into the Bowman Build- ing, where it remained one year, when another break in the canal caused a suspension for the season. It was then moved into the large Wil- liams building, in the fall of 1858. Here it remained until the year 1861, when Mr. P. V. Lawson, who had been engaged in the manu- facture of sash, doors and blinds, for some time, selling out his business, entered into a partnership with Mr. Webster, under the firm name of Webster & Lawson.
During that year, the firm built, on the site now occupied by their extensive works, a small factory, which was found to be inade- quate to the wants of their increasing business, when additions were made to the buildings, and steam power added. The business con- tinued to grow and extend, requiring enlarged manufacturing facilities. More land was, there- fore, purchased, buildings erected, and new machinery put in the same. The works have since then been enlarged, from time to time, until they now occupy some ten acres of ground, with extensive shipping-docks, store- rooms, and railroad side-tracks. This mam- moth factory now employs throughout the year one hundred and seventy-five men, and manufactures 2,500,000 spokes, 120,000 hubs, 520,000 sawed felloes, 15,000 sets of bent fel- loes, and large quantities of shafts, poles, bows, sleigh and cutter material, and hard and soft wood lumber, aggregating a value of $175,000.
The manufactures of the firm are widely known, being shipped over a wide extent of country, from New York to Oregon. The material used is oak, hickory, ash, elm and maple, of which 6,000,000 feet are required per annum to supply their works. Their network
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HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
[1879.
of railroad side-tracks and shipping docks give every facility for shipment, both by land and water, and the business of the concern is conducted on the most systematic principles, by thoroughgoing and energetic business men. A view of the works will be found in these pages.
FLOURING MILLS.
There are three flouring mills, viz: The Eagle Mills, a fine stone structure, with six runs of stones, and three sets of patent crush- ers; the Coral Mills and the Star Mills. They manufacture in the aggregate four hundred and fifty barrels a day, or 135,000 barrels in a year, aggregating a value, at $6.00 per barrel, of $810,000
MENASHA WOODEN-WARE FACTORV.
This is an immense establishment, giv- ing employment to two hundred and fifty hands, and manufacturing daily 2400 pails, 600 tubs and 1000 butter tubs, fish kits, churns, etc. Their yearly product is 720,000 pails, 180,000 tubs and 300,000 pieces of other ware; aggregating a value of $200,000. See history of the works.
MENASHA WOOLEN MILLS.
Chapman & Hewitt's woolen mills, employ forty-five hands, and manufacture, per year. one hundred and sixty thousand yards of cloths and flannels, and about twelve thousand pounds of yarn, aggregating a value of about seventy thousand dollars, and consuming about one hundred thousand pounds of wool.
MENASHA PAPER MILLS.
These mills employ twenty hands, and have a capacity for making five tons of wrapping paper per day. The works have just started up. The yearly capacity is 1500 tons, which at present prices would aggregate a value of $37,500.
SASH, DOOR AND BLIND FACTORIES.
Leonard Rohrer & Co., and Mitchell & Co .; number of hands employed, twenty. Aggre- «gate value of yearly manufactures, $25,000.
EXCELSIOR WORKS.
Manufactures filling and packing material. Five hands employed.
FOUNDRY AND MACHINE SHOPS.
Fox River Iron Works, James Little & Sons; manufacture the Globe Feed Cutter; also, cast- ings and general machine work.
Menasha Iron Works, Howard & Jennings; manufacture castings, steam engines, spoke and hub machinery and general machine work.
Number of hands in both concerns, thirty.
Aggregate value of their yearly manufactures, $32,000.
SAW-MILL
Of Menasha Wooden-ware Company cuts eight million feet of logs per annum, of which six million is cut into wooden-ware stock and two million into lumber.
BROOM HANDLE FACTORY.
Charles R. Smith employs fifteen hands, and manufactures yearly two million handles; value of same, $20,000.
BARREL FACTORY.
This concern. employs some thirty-five hands, in the manufacture of barrels.
BRICK-YARDS.
There are two brick-yards, which manu- facture a very superior quality of brick, and employ, in good seasons, about twenty hands. This is an industry that might be developed into large proportions, as brick clay of the finest quality is here found in exhaustless quantities.
MISCELLANEOUS.
There are also a plow manufactory, a furni- ture factory, two breweries and machine shops, marble works, and the various mechanic shops.
BUSINESS HOUSES.
Bank -- The Bank of Menasha.
Dry Goods - There are seven establishments dealing in dry goods and mixed merchandise. Some of them include clothing, hats, caps, boots and shoes, and they are generally well- stocked and doing a good business.
Hardware - There are two stores dealing exclusively in hardware, tin and iron ware, stoves, etc., etc., carrying good stocks in large variety.
Clothing - There is one store dealing prin- cipally in this class of goods.
Drugs - Three drug stores,
Groceries-Six grocery stores, some of them well stocked.
Jewelry - One jewelry store.
Flour and Feed - Two concerns dealing in flour and feed.
Boots and Shoes - One boot and shoe store.
Harness and Saddlery Hardware-Two concerns in this line.
Furniture Wareroom - One well-stocked establishment.
In addition to the above are the usual num- bery of milliners, confectioneries, tobacconists, bakers, meat markets, etc .. etc.
NOTICES OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
On a previous page, in History of Menasha,
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HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
1848-79.]
will be found a full description of Webster & Lawson's hub, spoke, and general carriage stock factory, a view of which will be found among the illustrations of Menasha.
A. J. WEBSTER.
A view of the fine residence and grounds of A. J. Websteris given in these pages.
Mr. Webster came to Menasha at an early day, and established the hub and spoke fac- tory, which has since grown into such large proportions, and a history of the progress of which is given under the head of Menasha man- ufactories.
In this enterprise, which originated in a fee- ble beginning, he has achieved the greatest success, and can now enjoy the credit of origi- nating and pushing to the highest limit of suc- cess one of the leading manufactories of this part of the State, and an institution of the greatest benefit to Menasha.
As a business man of capacity and integrity, Mr. Webster stands high in the estimation of his townsmen, and now occupies the responsi- ble position of mayor of the city, which he fills efficiently. His elegant residence is one of the finest in the city, and an ornament to that part of the city.
R. M. SCOTT.
R. M. Scott migrated from Vermont to Menasha in the fall of 1852, and purchased a tract of land in the now Town of Menasha. From this land he had all the cordwood cut, which supplied the Fitzgerald & Moore line of steamers, at this point on the route, for three years. His first contract was for a thousand cords. The proceeds and profits from the tran- saction furnished the means which started Mr. Scott in his continuously successful business career; and from that time he has been engaged in real estate transactions, contracting, lumber- ing and milling; in all of which he has been uniformly successful. In the work of building up the city and opening up its public and pri- vate enterprises, Mr. Scott has taken a leading part, having erected a large number of dwell- ings and business buildings; among others, the Star Flouring Mill, his fine brick residence, of which a view is here given, and the National Hotel, the finest building in the city. In 1871, he built, on contract, the first sixty-four miles of the Wisconsin Central Railroad in one hun- dred and twenty-one working days, a feat in railroad building which surpasses anything heretofore done in the State. In 1872, he built the part of the Milwaukee & Northern Railroad from Menasha to Hilbert Junction - seventeen miles - and in the same season, six
miles of railroad for the Wisconsin Central, to connect Menasha with the Milwaukee & Lake Shore Railroad at Appleton. In 1873, he built all the side-tracks in this city for the Mil- waukee Northern and the Central.
E. L. MATHEWSON.
One of the handsomest illustrations in this work, is that of E. L. Mathewson's place, on . Doty Island, showing a view of the mouth of the river and Lake Winnebago, and the dis- tant shore. This place was formerly the resi- dence of Captain Mckinnon, of the English navy, who settled here at an early day, and imported a lot of choice blooded stock, of which full mention is made on previous pages.
Mr. Mathewson came to Menasha at an early day; and shortly after attaining his majority, engaged in active business pursuits, among others that of the manufacture of flour, in which he was eminently successful. After selling out his milling interest, he embarked in the business of dealing in live-stock, which he has since conducted on a large scale, shipping by the car-load to Lake Superior and other points, and is now known as one of the lead- ing dealers in this part of the State
Mr. Mathewson's business capacity is shown in his business management; and but few are more highly esteemed. in a wide circle of acquaintances, tor integrity of character and genial qualities of heart and mind.
ELBRIDGE SMITH.
Among the illustrations in this work, will be found that of the handsome residence and grounds, of Elbridge Smith. This fine place occupies a delightful site, and commands a fine view of the lake and river.
Mr. Smith is one of the very earliest settlers of Menasha, and commenced his residence there in less than six months after the advent of the first settler; having moved there in October, 1848. · Immediately after his arrival, he commenced the erection of the first frame building, in which he opened a law office, and commenced the practice of his profession, which he has followed uninterruptedly to the present time. Mr. Smith has taken a very conspicuous part in the history of Menasha, and has been regarded from the time of his advent, as one of its representative men, and closely identified with its interests, of which he has always been an untiring advocate. He has held many public positions, and among them, that of representative of his district in the State Legislature; a position which he filled to the satisfaction of his constituency.
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HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN
[1849-53.
TOWN OF MENASHA.
[ COMPILED FOR THIS WORK BY WM. N. WEBSTER . ]
CHAPTER LIX.
Soil, Face of Country - Timber, Water and Productions - Little Buttes des Morts- Organization of the Town - First Births - First Marriage - First Death - First Settlers.
HE Town of Menasha, including the city of the same name, being the northern half of Township Twenty, north, Range Seventeen, east, is situated in the north-east corner of the County, and is bounded, north by the Town of Grand Chute, in Outagamie County, east by Lake Winnebago, and the Town of Harrison, in Cal- umet County, south by Neenah and the lake, west by Clayton, comprising, after deducting for Little Buttes des Morts Lake, some sixteen sections, which, lying above the lakes. is gen- erally level, with slight undulations.
Its surface, originally covered with a dense growth of timber, principally sugar-maple, white and swamp oak, beach, hickory, ash and basswood, interspersed in the northwest por- tion of the town, with groves of pine, has been, to a large extent, cleared of timber and con- verted into excellent farming lands.
The soil is a rich vegetable mold, with deep clay sub-soil, and a lime-stone base, producing a fine growth of wheat, oats, rye, or barley, and is particularly adapted to grazing. Nat- ural meadows are abundant, and, in fact, all varieties of grasses seem natural.
Little Buttes des Morts Lake and Fox River running north, through the town, divide it nearly equally, and with several small streams, afford an abundance of water.
Along the shores of Buttes des Morts, an unlimited amount of clay, of the finest quality, for brick-making, is found, and this branch of industry is extensively followed, producing annually, immense quantities of brick, which are now used extensively in the vicinity and shipped abroad. Good lime-stone is also abundant.
In 1849, Mr. James Ladd constructed a lime-kiln on his present farm (west side of Lake Buttes des Morts), from which he supplied this entire section of country, including that used at Lawrence University, which he deliv- ered on the ground, at fifteen cents per bushel.
The stone being generally located below the surface it was found much less expensive to obtain the raw material from the immense
range on the east shore of Lake Winnebago, which is much lighter in color and has almost entirely taken the place of stone from local quarries.
Buttes des Morts, literally "Hills of the Dead,"-this name designates two points within the county of great historical interest.
The Grand Buttes des Morts is situated nine miles above Oshkosh, upon a delightful eleva- tion, where the village of the same name now stands.
Commanding an extensive view, including the junction of the Fox and Wulf Rivers, which, mingling their waters at its foot, spread over a surface some two miles in width and about seven in length, called, Big Buttes des Morts Lake.
The other, Little Buttes des Morts, below Lake Winnebago, and directly west of the City of Menasha, across a smaller expansion of Fox River, called Little Buttes des Morts Lake. The ground here, rising high above the lake, was surmounted by several large mounds, which, within the past few years, have been almost entirely removed, and on the same spot we now find the tracks, depot and crossing of the Chicago & Northwestern and Wisconsin Cen- tral railroads. In excavating for these tracks, quantities of human bones, implements of iron and copper were unearthed.
Some two hundred years ago, these two points were the headquarters of powerful Indian tribes, the location of their principal villages, their theatre of action, the scene of desperate conflicts between different tribes, their final destruction by the French, and finally their last resting-place.
The Town of Neenah, of which this was once a part, was divided January 6, 1855, by order of the County Board of Supervisors, and the Town of Menasha organized.
Previous to this division, a rivalry had sprung up, very naturally, between the two sides of the river.
The place of holding town elections had, long prior to this date, been established, by act of the Legislature, at Ncenah.
The Village of Menasha had for some time agitated the subject and claimed that the elec- tion should be held alternately at that place, and, until April 5, 1853, the question was to be contested at the polls, but Neenah out-voted the Town of Menasha. The question being upon the place of holding the next election, and of dividing the town, one hundred and eighty-two votes were cast for holding the next election at the Winnebago Exchange, in Nee- nah, and the same number against a division,
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HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
1846-79.]
and one hundred and sixty votes for the other side.
April 2, 1854, at the next annual town meet- ing, a vote was again taken to decide where the general election of 1854 and the annual town meeting of 1855, should be held. Two hundred and thirty-nine votes were cast for the Decker House, in Menasha, and one hun- dred and forty-seven votes for R. C. Weeden's brick hotel, in Neenah.
Neenah, expecting no mercy from the other side, made application to the County Board for a division and Menasha as strongly opposed it, but the town was divided conformable to the application.
On the 3rd of April, 1853, Menasha held an organic election at the Decker House. Cornelius Northrup was elected moderator; Elias Bates and George W. Fay, inspectors; L. S. Fisher, clerk. The first business before the meeting, seems to have been the adoption of a preamble and resolution, setting forth the illegality of the division of the Town of Neenah, and organization of the Town of Menasha, contrary to the expressed wishes of three-fourths of the voters of the old town and of every voter in the new town, and protesting against such division. They then proceeded to the election of town officers, resulting in the election of Jeremiah Hunt, chairman; Isaac Hough, and Wells E. Blair. supervisors; Elbridge Smith, clerk; Geo. W. Fay, treasurer+ Charles Whipple, superintendent of schools; A. K. Sperry, Samuel Neff and Edmon Free- man, assessors; Elias Bates, Israel Naricong and George Watson, justices.
Wells E. Blair, failing to qualify as super- visor, the board met on May 5th, and appointed Cleveland Bachelder to fill the vacancy.
The first birth occurring within the present limits of the Town of Menasha, was that of Delos Haight, son of Moses Haight, in the spring of 1847.
The first marriage was that of Mr. L. S. Wheatley and Miss Caroline Northrup, Octo- ber 27, 1848. Miss Northrup was a daughter of Mr. Cornelius Northrup, a pioneer in both Neenah and Menasha.
The first death was that of one Jenson, a Dane, who died September 5, 1846, in one of the Government block-houses, on the west side of Lake Buttes des Morts, and was buried near the mounds. The funeral services were conducted by Elder O. P. Clinton.
The first permanent settler with the present limits of the town, was Mr. James Ladd, who, with his family, located near his present resi- dence in the fall of 1846, occupying one of the block-houses erected by the Government.
Born at Sudbury, Vermont, the 16th of May, 1799, he, with his parents, removed to the State of New York, at an early age, where he resided until 1845, when he emigrated with his family to Beaver Dam, in Wisconsin.
In March, 1846, Mr. Ladd made a claim of lis present possessions, and leaving his son Christopher to hold the claim, returned to his family at Beaver Dam, and in the fall moved his family to one of the Government block- houses, near his present residence.
Mr. Ladd relates that in the spring of 1847, one of his family was taken sick, and it became necessary to send across Lake Winne- bago to Stockbridge, for a physician. The only way to get there was in a skiff. Mr. Cory- don Northrup made the trip, and returned with Dr. Marsh. .
Thomas Jourdain was born at Green Bay in 1823, the youngest of a family of eight. In 1837, his father was employed by the Gov- ernment, as blacksmith for the Indians, at Winnebago Rapids, and Thomas was appointed assistant; here he worked six years. In 1848, he purchased a farm on the west shore of Lake Butte des Morts, which, in 1855, became a part of the Town of Menasha, where he resided until 1871, and is now a resident of the City of Menasha.
Mary H. Jourdain, his sister, became the wife of Rev. Eleazer Williams, in 1823.
Asahel Jenkins and family settled within the town, in 1846.
Wells E. Blair came to Neenah in the fall of 1845, but only remained some two weeks, and returned again, in 1848. In 1850, he pur- chased a farm on the west side of Lake Buttes des Morts, within the present limits of the Town of Menasha, where he has since resided.
TOWN OFFICERS.
Chairman, P. Verbeck; Supervisors, A. D. Page, Michael Lockbaum; Clerk, George H. Keyes; Treasurer, M. J. Creedon; Assessor, John Fitzgibbon; Justices, Waldo Kittel, Lewis Neff.
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HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
[1839-43.
TOWN OF OSHKOSH.
[COMPILED FOR THIS WORK BY WM. N. WEBSTER. ]
CHAPTER LX.
Situation, Soil and Face of Country - Productions - Organi- zation and First Election of Town and County Officers - Early Settlers - First Roads in the County - Incidents in the Early Settlement - Changes in Boundaries - Northern Hospital for the Insane - County Poor Farm.
HE Town of Oshkosh is bounded north by the Town of Vinland, east by Lake Winnebago, south by the City of Osh- kosh and Lake Buttes des Morts, and west by Lake Buttes des Morts, and comprises about six sections in the northern portion of Township 18, north, of Range 16, east, a fraction of Town 18, Range 17, of about one section, a fraction of Town 19, Range 17, of about three sections, and some five sections of the southern portion of Town 19, Range 16, making a total of not far from twenty sections.
The surface is well elevated above the lakes, and, in the southern part, quite level, slightly undulating through the middle, and more rolling and broken in the north; but no promi- nent elevation.
The soil is also varied; in the south-east is a deep clay, generally covered with a rich vege- table mold; in the south and west, clay and loam predominate with small areas of loam and sand. Ridges and knolls of gravel are frequent, as indicated by a thorough system of hard gravel roads in all parts of the town.
The crops are, wheat, oats, corn, barley, some rye, potatoes, and the various grasses, all of which are successfully raised.
Horses, cattle and sheep are also important items in the list of productions.
Many large farms are devoted to dairying, and the cheese factories annually produce great quantities of cheese of the best quality.
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