History of northern Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development, and resources; an extensive sketch of its counties, cities, towns and villages, their improvements, industries, manufactories; biographical sketches, portraits of prominent men and early settlers; views of county seats, etc., Part 34

Author: Western historical co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1052

USA > Wisconsin > History of northern Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development, and resources; an extensive sketch of its counties, cities, towns and villages, their improvements, industries, manufactories; biographical sketches, portraits of prominent men and early settlers; views of county seats, etc. > Part 34

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).

West Depere Agricultural Works, successors to the De- pere Iron Works, was organized as a joint stock company, November 23, 1875. The original company, also a joint stock company, was incorporated in 1870, and did business as manufacturers of mill work and rail cars until 1874 when the works stopped. The following October, Messrs. Blan- chard and Arnold bought the outstanding obligations of the old concern, and the present company was formed the next month by D. W. Blanchard, S. D. Arnold and William Work- man. The property embraces a tract of about two acres fronting on Fox River and running nearly to the tracks of the Northwestern Railway, which corporation has about 300 feet of switch track upon the premises of the Agricultural Works. The buildings now standing upon these grounds number eleven, viz., one brick machine shop, 40x100 feet ; foundry, 40x60 ; wood shop, 40x60; erecting shop, 30x90 ; paint and car shop, 40x150; two blacksmith shops-one 40x120, and one 30x40; store-house, 35x90 ; brick dry kiln, 12×36 ; upholsterer's shop, 20x30 ; office, 16x24. The work in these shops, from 1875 to commencement of season of 1881, was exclusively upon agricultural implements, since which time considerable attention has been given to the building of box cars for charcoal. The other work done, besides general jobbing, is the manufacture of the Boss threshing machine, the Workman seeder and reversible har- row, invented and patented by William Workman, the super- intendent of the works. The force employed ranges from forty-five to sixty, and the market for agricultural imple- ments is general throughout the Northwest. William Work - man, superintendent, is a native of Scotland, from which country he came to America in 1842, settling in Wisconsin the following year. He was engaged in the manufacture of

agricultural implements at Ripon, Wis., until 1873, when he came to Depere as superintendent of the Depere Iron Works.

Fox River Iron Company was organized in 1868 by D. W. Blanchard and S. D. Arnold, and became a joint stock company in 1872, under the following management : D. W. Blanchard, president; S. I) Arnold, vice-president and business manager ; D. D. Kellogg, secretary and treasurer ; C. H. Lovelace, superintendent and founder. . The land upon which the furnaces are built consists of a tract of about five acres on the west side of Fox River, just below the dam, fully one-third of which is made land, reclaimed from the river by filling in with furnace refuse. The first stack was built in 1868, and fires kindled February 1, 1869. Dimension of this stack is 35 feet square at the base, 29 feet square at the top, height 39 feet, and has a capacity of 10,- ooo tons annually, with an average product of about four- fifths that amount. Stack No. 2 was built in 1872, of same dimensions and capacity as stack No. 1, and so enlarged and raised in 1881 that its capacity was increased one half. The old hot blast stoves had each a heating surface of 1,200 square feet, the enlarged stack a heating surface of double that area. The first charcoal kilns, eleven in number, were built on the furnace premises in 1868, and had a daily capacity of 1,000 bushels. In 1869 and again in 1870 addi- tional kilns were constructed in the timber country adjacent to Depere, having a capacity of 1,400 bushels daily. A careful estimate shows that the wood from not less than one and one-half acres of timber land is consumed by each stack daily, leaving the land available for agricultural pur- poses. This rapid consumption of timber has so reduced the area of available woodlands that the kilns in the yard and their immediate vicinity have been practically discon- tinued, the charcoal supply being now principally drawn from kilns located along the lines of the Chicago & North- western and the Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul railways, at a distance of from twenty to eighty miles from the furnaces. Both water-power and steam are employed as motors, the former being used for elevating stock and crushing ore, and the latter for blowing. The grounds are well adapted for receiving and discharging freight, having about 400 feet of available dock which can be largely increased at will, 2,500 feet of siding track from the Chicago & Northwestern Rail- way, and 500 feet of trestle track for dumping ore. There are now standing upon the premises the main building, 50x 100 feet, 14 feet posts, containing the engine of 80 horse- power and pumps for supplying water and air; two brick casting houses with iron roofs, each 35x65 feet ; an ore shed and crushing house, 60x130, and a brick boiler house with iron roof, 18x40 feet ; wood and iron repair shops : coal sheds, etc. The office and store of the company, built in 1872, and which was partially destroyed by fire in 1877 and again in 1880, as now enlarged, is a fine two story brick, 45x85, with iron roof, the upper story used for tenement purposes, and the offices well supplied with fire-proof vaults and safes. The operations of the company give constant employment to a force of forty furnace hands, and the production of charcoal to an additional force estimated at 175, to which may be added an extra force of twenty men for the season of 1881, employed in rebuilding stack and repairs. D. W. Blanchard and S. D. Arnold are both natives of Massachu- setts, and practical mechanics. They came to Milwaukee in 1856, built the Excelsior Car Works that same year, and conducted business in that manufactory until they sold out in 1875. They have been engaged in iron manufacturing in some form or another for the past twenty-five years, and are in addition to these furnace operations the principal owners of the stock in the agricultural works in this city.

Arndt Bros. & Co., merchant millers. The mill of this

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HISTORY OF BROWN COUNTY.

company is located on the basin east side of Fox River, and is known as the stone mill. It is a solid stone structure, 40x50 feet, walls 38 feet high, with an addition 16x24 feet, and was built in 1857 by Randall Wilcox, grandfather of the Arndt brothers, and was run as a domestic mill until 1872, since which time it has done a merchant business ex- clusively. In 1880 the mill was entirely remodeled at a cost of $12,000 and converted into a roller mill, having a daily capacity of 200 barrels. Its average product is 150 barrels, in the manufacture and shipment of which a force of twelve hands and three teams is constantly employed. Their wheat supply is principally drawn from this State, and their market, after supply of local demand which is large, is general throughout the Northwest. The members of the firm are E. W. Arndt, B. J. Van Valkenburg and R. W. Arndt. E. W. Arndt is a grandson of the old pioneer, J. W. Arndt, who came to Green Bay in 1824, and the following year located on the old Langton property, which was his home until 1860. He was born at Green Bay in 1845, and at six- teen years of age enlisted in the Twelfth Wisconsin Infantry with which he served eighteen months, when he was dis- charged on surgeon's certificate of disability. Recover- ing his health he re-enlisted in 1865 and served until mustered out after the close of the war. In 1867 he removed to Depere and engaged in milling under the firm name of Wilcox & Tyler, which became Tyler & Arndt in 1872, and Arndt Bros. & Co. in 1880.

Novelty Manufacturing Company was organized as a joint stock concern in 1879, with a capital stock of $25,000. The officers of the company are C. A. Lawton, president ; E. W. Arndt, secretary and treasurer. The company are doing a general machine shop business, but give special attention to line shafting, hangings, pulleys and mill work, and have now in hand the flouring mill of A. W. Lawrence, at Sturgeon's Bay-Kellogg's mill at Wrightstown. Their manufactory is in the old frame building, 35x50 feet, for- merly occupied by the wooden-ware establishment of E. E. Bowles & Co., at the east end of the bridge, and their average force about eight hands. They are also sole man ufacturers of Mr. Dunham's foundation machines, now in general use among apiarists every-where. C. A. Lawton, president and general manager of the company, son of J. G. Lawton, one of Depere's pioneers, was born in Pennsyl- vania, and came to Brown County with his parents thirty years since. He was educated in the schools of this county, enlisted in the Forty-seventh Wisconsin Regiment during the late war, served until it was mustered out, and previous to engaging in his present industry was in the sash, door and blind business. He is also proprietor of the C. A. Lawton lime kilns at Greenleaf, which give employment to a force of twelve men and have a capacity of 1,000 barrels of lime each week, market for which is found in the western part of the State.

John Hockers, brick manufacturer, Dutchman's Creek, is a native of Holland. Came to Green Bay in 1868 and engaged in the manufacture of brick, which he has carried on since. He employs thirty men, one large engine, and averages 2,000,000 brick per annum. He makes all kinds of red and white brick, and the manufactory covers about five acres of ground. He has a large trade in Michigan, and a good one in Wisconsin.

General Notes .- The sash, door and blind factory of E. W. Persons, at the end of the bridge, combined with his general store, do much to keep up West Depere as a thriv- ing place. Alexander P. Schmidt is the proprietor of a brewery near the Chicago & Northwestern depot.

In 1871, the St. Joseph Catholic Church was erected by Father Wermare. It is quite a tasty church, on Grant

street, Rev. Leonard Gouche, pastor. Attached to it is the priest's house. The congregation is flourishing.

The Baptist Church has for its pastor L. G. Carr, who officiates partly in Green Bay and partly in West Depere. It is growing.

There is also a Norwegian Methodist Episcopal Church (A. H. Nelson, pastor) and a Lutheran Society.

The West Depere Public School has seven departments. George Clithero is Principal of the High School. There are no private schools. The attendance is over 350. The schools were graded in 1872.

The West Depere Union Company was formed seven years ago, Andrew Reid, Jr., foreman. An engine-house was erected at a cost of $2,500, and the company is in good shape.

The Fox River Driving Park Association has a park of twenty-two acres, on the river a quarter of a mile north of West Depere. It has a half mile track, and the improve- ments have cost $3,000. The association was formed two years ago, and now has the following officers : E. E. Bolles, president ; M. P. Person, secretary ; H. R. Jones, treasurer ; E. E. Bolles, C. A. Willard, H. R. Jones, W. A. Bingham and J. M. Smith, directors.

Thomas Jackson, blacksmith, founder and plow maker, West Depere, on Main street, near bridge. Mr. Jackson is a native of Scotland, where he learned his trade as a black- smith, and from whence he came direct to Depere in 1853, and started business. He built his blacksmith shop about fifteen years since, his foundry and machine shop some five years later, which he operated about nine years and then sold out. In 1863, in connection with William Gow, he built a hub and spoke factory, which they operated two years, and then leased. It has since burned down. Mr. Jackson has been principally engaged the past season in the manufacture of plows, and operates a force of from three to four hands. He has served several terms as a member of the village Board of Trustees.

William Gow & Company, pump manufacturers, on dam, West Depere. This business was established in 1878, and now gives employment to a force of four men and two teams, turning out about 1,000 pumps annually, with a capacity for fully four times that amount. The building is 40x50 feet, two stories, and well equipped for the manufac- ture of all kinds of wooden suction pumps, for which a good outside demand is being rapidly made and shipments to jobbers are steadily increasing. The members of the firm are William Gow, Charles Machilis and Fritz Stan- field. William Gow is a native of Fifeshire, Scotland, where he learned and followed his trade as a wagon maker until his coming to America in 1848. Three years later, in 1851, he came to Depere and was engaged in wagon making until he commenced the manufacture of pumps three years since. He has been a member of the village Board of Trustees two or three terms, and was for three years Assessor of Depere.

E. W. Persons, sash, doors, blinds, mouldings and dressed lumber, east side Fox River. This business was established in 1869 by Andrew Reid who conducted opera- tions until he was burned out in July, 1874. Rebuilding was immediately commenced, but before the structures were completed the whole property was sold to E. W. Persons, Mr. Reid agreeing to finish the buildings which he com- pleted in October of that year, when operations were begun by the present proprietor. The real property appertaining to the manufactory consists of tract of nine lots fronting on Fox River, just above the dam, comprising a little more than one acre of ground, and provided with about 200 feet of available dock. Upon this property are the following

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HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN

structures : A two-story brick manufactory, 60x120 feet, iron roof, studding stayed, steam-heated, supplied with 150 feet of attached hose, and as nearly fire-proof as is possible ; a brick boiler, engine and shavings house, 26x40, iron roof and rafters ; two brick dry kilns, iron roofs, each 22x25 feet, with an aggregate capacity of 35,000 feet of lumber; a two- story brick warehouse, 30x72 feet, with iron roof, the upper story devoted to the storage of glazed sash, the lower con- taining the office (14x30 feet) and the store-room for doors and blinds. These, with a small structure in the rear of the warehouse for storing mouldings, constitute the buildings of the manufactory, which are all fitted up with special refer- ence to safety from fire, and economy in the distribution of labor. The engine is rated at seventy-five horse-power. The machinery was all new and of the latest and most approved patterns when operations were resumed, and the working force is about forty hands. Shipments are made as far southwest as Kansas. Orders are received from as far southeast as Pittsburgh, and one Chicago contract for twelve car loads was filled last year, but the bulk of sales is made north and northwest, as affording the most favorable tuarket. E. W. Persons is a native of New York. Coming to Wis- consin in 1859, he settled in Albany, Green Co., and was engaged in mercantile business there prior to his removal to Brown County in 1817. He was then engaged in lumbering at the Eureka mill, seven miles east of this city, until 1863, when he removed to Brodhead, remained one year, and then came to Depere to engage in his present business.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

CONSTANT DEJONGHE, bakery, groceries, crockery, etc., etc., West Depere, is a native of Belgium, came to this country in 1856 at the age of twenty-two, and settled in Green Bay. In 1867 he opened a busi- ness for himself, which he conducted until 1874, when he came to De- pere and opened his present grocery trade, which he enlarged in 1878 by adding the baking business.

H. A. HAMMOND, agent of the C. & N. W. R. R., West Depere, was born in New York State where he lived till he was nine years of age. In 1848 his people came from Elgin, Ill., to Oshkosh, where he was edu- cated. In 1869 he engaged with the C. & N. W. R. R. as baggageman, from which he was appointed to the charge of a station. He finally came here in 1874, where he has remained since. Mr. Hammond has been in the municipal office for the last five years, having held the posi- tion of city alderman and clerk of the board during that time. Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton have a family of four children, one son being book-keeper of the wooden-ware manufactory here, and one is engaged on the C. & N. W. R. R. as baggageman. The youngest son is still at home.

DAVID HARKNESS, West Depere, was born, reared and edu- cated in the State of New York. In 1840, at the age of twenty-one, he went to Ohio, when, after a stay of six years, he went to Illinois and remained two years. From there he came to Wisconsin, and, after a short stay in Milwaukee, he came here in 1849 and began the life of a pioneer. He had previously followed carpentering, but now he shoul- dered his ax and cut, cleared and brought into cultivation the present beautiful farm upon which he lives. He has also been connected with the lumbering interests here most of the time. In 1846 he was married to Miss Mary Jane Stephenson, who was born in New York State. They have two sons and two danghters.

GODFREY MILLER, millwright and farmer, West Depere, was born in 1814 in Warren Co., N. J., where he was reared and educated. He followed the business of farming till fourteen years of age, then went to Eastern Pennsylvania where he engaged in millwrighting till twenty- one. He then came by way of the lakes to Wisconsin in 1837 to build a mill-the first in Fond du lac County, there being then but one house in Oshkosh, one in Neenah and one in Fond du Lac. In the Fall he came to Depere where he remained till 1841, when he removed to his present beautifully-located farm on the banks of Fox River, which he cleared up and developed, showing much energy in the performance of the work. He now has a fine farm and a comfortable residence and all the improved machinery for the successful pursuit of his business. He is withall an intelligent man and has many a reminiscence of the early settlement of different parts of the State. He built nearly all of the first manufacturing institutions of Depere, and continued to take part in the construction of those of a later date. In 1840 he married Miss Car- oline Stewart. They had three daughters. The eldest was married to J. D. Tyler, the second to G. R. Woodward, the third to llon. C. G. Wilcox.

REUBEN MUNGER, farmer and stock-raiser, West Depere is a native of New York State and came to this State and county 1866, and has followed the business of farming since. In May, 1881 he was elected a member of the Board of Trustees of the village of West Depere, which position he still occupies. In 1855, Jan. I, he was married to Miss Mary Hammond. She was born in Lewis Co., N. Y. Mr. and Mrs. Munger have four children, one son the oldest, and three daugh- . ters at home, and one daughter married, Mrs. Alexander Turiffe, of Menasha.

F. J. NEWBAUER & CO., meat market and stock dealers, West Depere. The business was established in 1876 and gives employment to five men. They carry in stock about sixty head of cattle, twenty-five head of hogs and seventy head of sheep. In the Winter the firm do a large packing business. Mr. Newbauer is a native of Austria, and came to this country in 1870; after having stopped in New York a short time he came to Green Bay, where he engaged at his trade until he started the present business. Mr. Franz, the Co., is a native of Austria and en- gaged with Mr. Newbaner, forming the present firm, about two years since.

JULIUS NOTH, saloon, West Depere, is a native of Germany, and came to this country in 1855, at the age of thirteen years ; lived in She- boygan until 1873, when he came here and opened his present business which he has carried on successfully since. He followed the trade of carpentering and traveled through the Western States for several years working at his trade the principal part of the time. He was married to Miss Rosa Neller, in 1874. She is a native of Milwaukee. They have four children.

LOUIS SCHEURING, Notary Public, West Depere ; was born and reared in Stralsund, Prussia, and was educated in Berlin. He took up the profession of ornamentive and decorative painting, in which pro- fession he held important positions in his native country. In 1849, be felt induced, in consequence of the revolution there, to come to this country, and in course of a rather adventurous journey he arrived in Green Bay, when, after a short stay, he came to Depere and took up the profession of farming which he has very successfully carried on, en- dearing himself to the people who followed him by his many unbounded acts of charity and fellow-feeling. He has lived to see his adopted land beautifully developed and his family grown up and situated comfortably in their several businesses, the pride of his old age. In 1836, he was married to Miss Matilda Schmolcke, of Berlin. They have two sons and one daughter, all married.

MAX SCHEURING, livery stable, West Depere. The stable has a capacity of fifteen horses, twenty-four carriages, a hack and barouche. Mr. Schenring is prepared to furnish all styles of good carriages and buggies, and has No. I horses. Established 1871. He is a native of Germany, born in Berlin ; came to this country with his parents who located here in 1848. In connection with his livery business he carries on farming quite extensively and is a wide-awake business man and citizen. He was married to Miss Carrie Wright, a native of this coun- try ; they have one son, Lewis, aged four years.

JOHN SHURAN, West Depere, is a native of Kings Co., Ireland, and came to Racine in 1848, and engaged in the lumbering business for the first few years, after which he came here and engaged in the pur- suit of farming which he has carried on until recently, when he retired from the business. In 1852, he married Miss Eliza Jane Bird, from the County Harlow, Ireland.

H. WATERMOLEN, Notary Public, West Depere, is a native of Holland, who came to this country in 1855 and settled here in 1864. After having been engaged with different firms in Illinois, he engaged in the grocery business which he carried on for several years. He has been, and is at present, in the official harness, for several years having been Assessor of West Depere, Member of the Board of Supervisors. County Court Commissioner, Clerk of Lawrence Township, Member of the Board of Village Trustees; in all a pretty well tried official and enjoying the confidence of the people. He has been Notary Public for the last twelve years.

MRS. M. WHITESIDES, millinery, West Depere, is a native of Glasgow, Scotland, where she was reared and educated. In 1865, she came to this country. In 1866. she was married to Mr. Samuel White- sides, her maiden name being Miss Maggie Miller. Mr. Whitesides is a native of England and came to this country in 1835; after having fol- lowed the carpentering business for a space of fifteen years, he came to Depere and engaged in milling and manufacturing, which he has carried on continuously since. During his career of carpentering he assisted in the erection of the most notable hotels at Niagara Falls and also of the very early buildings of Milwaukee. Mr. and Mrs. White- sides have three children-Alfred Edward, Cora Celia, and Amber Electra. Mrs. W. carries on a millinery and notion store.

WORKMAN, WELSH & CO., druggists, corner Main and Fourth streets, West Depere. This firm is of recent establishment, having acquired their present property by purchase Jan. 1, 1881, prior to which time the business had passed through several recent changes. Their

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HISTORY OF BROWN COUNTY.

facilities for business are good ; their sales-room 24×100 feet is one of the finest in the village, and in it they carry a good stock of drugs, medicines, oils, paints and fancy goods.

Michael Welsh is a native of St. Louis ; has been a resident of De- pere fourteen years, and was a drug clerk in the town four years previ- ous to purchasing an interest in the business which he now conducts.

WRIGHTSTOWN.

Hoel S. Wright came from Vermont in 1833, and settled on the present site of Wrightstown. He first gave it the name of Bridgeport. Wrightstown is beautifully situated on the Fox River, twelve miles south of Green Bay. The river divides it, and is spanned by a substantial bridge. In 1864 C. G. Mueller bought 160 acres of land from Mr. Field, of New York, and when the village was platted two years later, it formed one-half of its territory. F. N. Wright & Co. built the first steam saw-mill, burned in 1865. The next year May & Simms erected a steam stave factory, burned in 1867 and rebuilt. Otto Gutbier erected a brewery in 1868, which was burned in 1870 and rebuilt.

Wrightstown is now quite a center for the shipment of wood. J. W. McKessel is proprietor of a stirring barrel and stave factory. The general store-keepers are: C. G. Mueller, J. R. Neil, L. C. Burnette and George Kellogg. Frank Hentscher deals in live stock, with a branch store at Escanaba. Anton Vanderheiden & Co. also keep a gen- eral store and deal in ties, posts, cord-wood, etc. There are a number of other stores and several good hotels, the lead- ing one being the American House, kept by Otto Gutbier, an old settler and President of the Town Board. The Turners have a good society and a fine hall. There is also an Odd Fellows lodge (No. 237) and a Good Templars' society. The churches in existence are: Dutch Catholic, Rev. Elzear De Wilt; German Lutheran, Rev. Christopher Poppe ; Methodist Episcopal, Rev. P. Miller; Free Will Baptist, Rev. Augustus Phillips.

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Author: Western historical co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company Number of Pages: 1052

Author: Western historical co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1052