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 85

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 85

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).

It is estimated that one-half of the pine lumber of Wis- consin is in the Chippewa Valley.

Various calculations have been made as to the amount of lumber now standing. These estimates vary from eight to twenty thousand million.

Lumber cut in 1878, in Eau Claire : lumber, 99,876,120 ; lath, 24,274,100 ; shingle, 28,125,500 ; pickets, 482,000.

Logs scaled in 1879 : Dist. No. 3, 101,422,299 ; Dist. No. 6, 37,000,980.

Log crop of 1878-9, of the Chippewa Valley : lumber, 165,683,216 ; shingles, 51,777,000 ; lath, 43,343,550 ; pickets, 1,150,880.

Crop of 1877-8 : lumber, 99,871,120 ; shingles, 28,122,- 500; lath, 24,270, 100 ; pickets, 482, 194.

Logging in 1880 : amount banked on the Elk, north and south forks of the Flambeau : 147,500,000.

Lumber cut in the Winter of 1878, on Little Falls Dam and Taylor's Creek : 8,000,000.

Drive for the season of 1881, on the Chippewa, was : Little Falls Dam, 75,000,000; Paint Creek, 40,000,000; Dells Dam and Half Moon Lake, 75,000,000; Upper tribu- taries of the Chippewa, 60,000,000; Lower Chippewa, Beef Slough, 250,000,000.

The Valley Lumber Company, at Eaa Claire, in one day, with two rotary and one gang saw, cut, 311,610 feet of lumber in less than eleven hours.

Since the first lumbering operations were commenced in this region, when a saw-mill was run by a flutter wheel, connected directly with the same frame by a crank, at an

enormous waste of power, there has been a radical change. Labor-saving and expediting machinery is now used, which seems to possess human intelligence, as it handles the logs and rapidly converts them into timber, boards, shingles, lath, or pickets.

The dam has sixteen feet fall, and has an immense power, which will one day be utilized, perhaps by trans- mitting the power by means of condensed air, to all parts of the city.

Lumber piled in the Eau Claire Lumber Company's yards during the season of 1880: lumber, 28,260,339; shingles, 12,112,500 ; lath, 6,693,000.

The Lumbermen's Association .- A National convention of lumbermen was formed in Williamsport in the Spring of 1874 ; nearly every point in the lumbering interest was rep- resented. Our distinguished townsman, J. G. Thorp, was elected president.

On the 19th of September, 1876, the convention met in Eau Claire. Hon. J. G. Thorp, presided, and presented the annual address. The report of G. E. Stockbridge, the sec- retary, showed that the amount of lumber on hand in the States was, January 1, 1875, 3,256,889,689 feet. January 1, 1876, 3,069,595,472. The convention adjourned after a profitable session, having received every attention from the citizens.

Assorting Logs on the Chippewa .- This assorting and log- running business is not well understood by non-residents. It will here be briefly explained. On account of the numerous falls, many rapids and the consequently swift cur- rent, no logs can be rafted, as is done in more placid streams, but the logs, after being marked with the owner's registered marks, are dumped promiscuously into the river, and they all flow on together to be caught in the several booms on the river.

These booms are floating dams, kept in place by sub- merged wings, and project into the river in such a manner that logs floating with the current will be caught or turned aside into an expansion of the river to be there held until men, with suitable corks on their boots, can assort them out, subject to the owner's order. Formerly, when a suffi- cient quantity of one firm's mark had accumulated to make two cribs, the mill took one for sawing, and gave the other to the owner.

This was when any mill on the river hauled up logs as they came, regardless of the ownership, and men seldom or never got the lumber from the very logs they cut, and as there is a very great difference in the quality of lumber cut in different camps, much injustice was done by the old methods. Now, however, an assorting boom obviates many of the old troubles, as the logs can be promptly delivered to the owners.

Sawing Lumber .- As time rolls on, in the distant future, when the prediction that " Old things shall pass away and all things become new " may have been wellnigh fulfilled, when the exhaustion of the lumber shall have necessitated new material for building purposes, and lumber mills may have gone the way of the distaff and spinning-wheel, it may not be uninteresting to read even a brief account of a mill in operation.

As you stand inside, you see the ends of four huge logs just hovering over the angle on the log-slip. They are dripping with water and bear, besides the owner's mark, the scars and scratches of a long drive; another instant, and the dogs that gripped and hauled them up are removed, the outside logs are rolled by cant-hooks right and left to carriages traveling back and forth like a huge piston of a steam-engine, carrying usually two men and a boy to adjust and set the log, which is driven through a circular saw, re- volving with lightning rapidity, to strip off the outside or

305

HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY.

slab, the log is tumbled over automatically, and rapidly squared; it then is carried by a set of rollers, and becomes an easy victim of the great family gang, that, with its recip- rocating motion, beckons it on to unhesitating mastication, and the huge logs, that a few moments before were quietly reposing in the placid water above the mill, are falling down into the sheds or upon a car, finished boards. More logs crawling up; more tumbling over ; more buzzing; more maunching, and more finished lumber, for eleven hours a day, realizes the prosperity and wealth of the lumber region. The slabs are rapidly worked up into pickets and lath.

The Eau Claire Lumber Company .- The most extensive lumbering corporation on the river, and one of the largest in the world. The nucleus of the immense property was purchased by Chapman & Thorp, of Gage & Reed, in 1856. It included the mill, pine-lands, and one-half the village plat. The financial crash of 1857, with its com- mercial convulsions, was a crushing blow to this struggling firm, and notwithstanding these young men had brought a quarter of a million dollars into the business, the firm was in desperate circumstances, and only the prompt aid of powerful friends in the East saved it from impending de- struction. The company was reorganized in 1866, as the Eau Claire Lumber Company, and has always been closely identified with the city and its interests. Although subject to the vicissitudes incident to such' extensive operations it has gone on from a beginning with $500,000 capital until now it employs $3,000,000 in its business. It has machine shops, flouring mills, and large lumber mills, in Eau Claire, Meriden and Alma, with a combined capacity of roo,ooo,- ooo feet a year, and last year actually cut 80,000,000 feet of lumber, and this year will cut 90,000,000 feet. In 1874, the company erected a large brick store for the retail of general merchandise, costing $30,000. At one time the business of the store amounted to $350,000 a year, that part of the business, however, is now closing up. The losses of the firmn by fire and flood at various times would aggregate a large sum. In November, 1877, their extensive flouring mill was destroyed by fire. The loss was $50,000 ; insured for $27,000. December 19, 1878, their machine shop was also destroyed by fire. In December, 1879, the boiler of the planing mill exploded, killing J. Wright Hos- kins, the engineer, Anthony Gallagher and Michael Help- ing. Thomas Hall was also injured. The mill was badly shattered. The company has extensive yards in St. Louis, where a large part of their lumber is shipped. Fifteen hun- dred men are regularly employed in all departments of the business. In the Winter of 1880-1 1,800 men and the necessary teams were in the lumbering camps. In addition to their own manufacture, 20,000,000 feet were bought and disposed of. The present officers and members of the com- pany are : J. G. Thorp, president; Richard Schulenburg, vice-president ; N. C. Chapman, treasurer; W. A. Riist, secretary. These gentlemen with J. T. Gilbert, George Y. Gilbert and J. G. Chapman constitute the board of direc- tors.

THE LUMBER YARDS.

These extensive yards for piling lumber were laid out by George C. Davis, the present superintendent, on the 14th of June, 1879. There are twenty-five acres with nineteen cross alleys. Mr. Davis employs seventy men and twenty- one teams, and ships by rail 2,5000,000 feet of lumber a month. A good idea of how much 1,000,000 feet of lumber is may be realized when it is stated that if piled twenty feet high an acre holds 1,000,000 feet, so the capacity of these yards is 25,000,000 feet.

Empire Lumber Company .- On March 26, 1881, the firms of Ingram, Kennedy & Co., Eau Claire, Wis., Charles Hor- ton Lumber Company, Winona, Minn., and Dulany & Mc-

Veigh, Hannibal, Mo., became incorporated under the laws of Wisconsin under the name and style of Empire Lumber Company, succeeding to the business of above-mentioned firms, receiving all assets and assuming all liabilities. Offi- cers : O. H. Ingram, president, Eau Claire, Wis .; D. M. Dulany, vice-president, Hannibal, Mo .; W. H. Dulany, treasurer, Hannibal, Mo .; Charles Horton, secretary, Wi- nona, Minn .; C. A. Chamberlin, assistant secretary, Eau Claire, Wis. Directors : O. H. Ingram, W. P. Tearse, Eau Claire, Wis .; Charles Horton, Roscoe Horton, Winona, Minn .; D. M. Dulany, J. H. Mcveigh, G. W. Dulany, Hannibal, Mo. This company has three mills, the "big mill," the "little mill " in the Fourth Ward, and the " Eddy Mill," in the First. The combined capacity of these mills is 250,000 feet in eleven hours. The actual cut for 1881 will be about 50,000,000. Two hundred men on an aver- age are employed. The company also operate and stock the Dells Lumber Company's mills, and have a general merchandise store on Water street, under the management of H. B. McMaster.

The Valley Lumber Company succeeded Smith & Buff- ington. It was incorporated March 5, 1872, with a capital of $250,000, but was not organized until July 10, 1874. The present officers are: William Carson, president and treasurer ; G. A. Buffington, vice-president ; W. H. Smith, of Eau Galle, secretary. E. D. Rand, of Burlington, and C. M. Smith, of Chicago, are also directors.

Daniel Shawo Lumber Company .- This company was in- corporated in 1874, and succeeded Daniel Shaw & Co. On the site of the present establishment, Daniel Shaw and Charles A. Bullen erccted a mill in 1857, beginning opera- tions in the Fall. In August, 1867, the mill was burned, but was rebuilt, enlarged and improved the same year. The present capacity of the mill is 150,000,000 a year ; shingles, 40,000,000 ; lath, the same. Employ 200 men as an aver- age. The capital is $500,000. Officers : D. Shaw, presi- dent ; C. A. Bullen, vice-president; C. S. Newell, treasu- rer. G. B. Shaw, secretary. In 1881, will cut 25,000,000 lumber. The company also owns and operates the Crescent Mill, a roller flouring mill, with a capacity of 125 barrels a day.

Badger State Lumber Company .- This company has a nominal capital of $180,000, but actually employs more than $300,000. The stockholders are: W. A. Woodward, Orange County, N. Y .; F. W. Woodward, W. A. Rust, Eau Claire ; S. W. Chinn, Badger Mills; Alfred Toll, John Aire and Joseph Rowe, Hannibal, Mo .; G. T. Hoagland, St. Jo- seph, Mo. The mill cuts about 12,000,000 a year, and pur- chases as much more. About 150 men are employed in the business. The company owns and operates what was formerly called the Blue Mill, which is spoken of in the early history of the valley. Mill. It is now the Badger State

The Beef Slough Manufacturing, Boom, Log-driving and Transportation Company. - This company was organized under the general laws of Wisconsin. The stockholders are Moses M. Davis, Appleton, Wis .; James H. Bacon, Ypsi- lanti, Mich .; Elijah Swift, Falmouth, Mass .; C. Moser, Jr., John Hunner, Jr., Frederick Lane, Alma, Wis. Capital $100,000, limited. $300,000, however, are used in the busi- ness. From 600 to 700 men are employed in the running season. The disbursements are between $150,000 and Sico,- ooo a year. It handles $300,000,000 logs a year ; has never manufactured lumber, as their charter authorizes.

The Chippewa River Improvement and Log-driving Com- pany .- This company was organized February 1, 1876. The patent from the State is dated July 8, 1876. The incorpo- rators were F. Weyerhauser, of Rock Island, Ill .; Chancy Lamb, Clinton, Iowa; William J. Young, Clinton, Iowa ;

306

HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN.

Earle S. Yeomans, Winona, Minn. The capital stock of the company has been reduced to $125,000, all paid in. The company has built a dam on the east fork of the Chip- pewa, a large dam on the main river at little south fork of the Flambeau, two dams on Elk River, and have deepened the main channel at various points, and on the east and west forks of the same on Elk River, and north and south forks of the Flambeau. The company disburses $100,000 a year. The present directors and officers of the company are M. J. Young, president ; Art. Lamb, vice-president ; F. Weyer- hauser, D). R. Moon, O. H. Ingram ; Th. Erwin, secretary and treasurer ; D. P. Simons, manager and assistant treas- urer.

C. L. Coleman's Mill .- The saw-mill of Mr. Coleman was destroyed by fire in 1875, and rebuilt and in operation in January, 1876. The main building is 155x60 feet, con- sisting of two stories. Fifty-five cords of stone were used in the construction of the foundation for the gang saw. There are six boilers. The cylinder of the engine is thirty inches by thirty. The smoke-stack is 100 feet high. There are two double circular saws, and one 154-inch gang. The logs are handled automatically by appropriate machinery. The shingle mill is 36x36. The establishment is complete in every respect.

Northwestern Lumber Company, successors to Porter, Moon & Co. and S. T. McKnight & Co., incorporated June 26, 1873, with a capital of $300,000, since increased to $443,900. The original proprietors were G. E. Porter, D. R. Moon, S. T. McKnight ; present officers, D. R. Moon, president ; G. B. Chapman, vice-president ; S. T. McKnight, secretary and treasurer. Mr. McKnight resides in Hannibal, Mo., the distributing point of the company. The company has a mill in Wheaton, Chippewa Co., and two in Porters- ville, town of Brunswick. Their united capacity is 175,000 lumber. 150,000 shingles, 60,000 lath and 1,000 pickets per day of twelve hours. The mills are run from the first of May until some time in November, each year. The com- pany employs 200 men in Wisconsin and 100 in Missouri. The average yearly product is 30,000,000 lumber, 25,000,000 shingles, 10,000,000 lath, and 500,000 pickets. At Porters- ville there is also a planing and a feed mill, and the compa- ny has several general merchandising stores.

Eau Claire Manufacturing Company, instituted in 1880, with a capital of $25,000, A. E. Swift, president, E. N. Wil- son, secretary and treasurer, capital now $85,000, will cut 14,000,000 this year, and employ fifty men.

Sherman & Brother .- Arthur M. and John Sherman were among the 1856-57 settlers. They owned the Eddy mill from 1863 to 1866, when it was sold to Ingram, Ken- nedy & Co .. They then engaged in logging. They then bought into the Boyd mill, which went out with the flood of 1885, landing in a completely demolished condition seven miles down the river. In the Fall of 1880, they began the Sherman mill on Half-moon Lake, which was completed in July, 1881. It is a complete mill, with a 275 Corliss engine and the latest mill machinery. The cut will be 100,000 a day.

In 1880, the amount of lumber cut in the several mills foots up as follows : Lumber, 200, 161,650 ; lath, 50,- 258,000 ; shingles, 62,000,000 ; pickets, 1,358,000. Total, 313.777,650.

THE SAWDUST WAR.

On Monday, the 11th of July, 1881, with little or no warn- ing as to their purpose, the several hundred men employed by the Eau Claire Lumber Company, after the mills were in operation, at about six o'clock in the morning, suddenly at a given signal quit work, demanding a reduction of the time of labor to ten hours a day. They formed a proces- cession and went the " grand rounds " of the several mills,

compelling them all to stop and the men to join the ranks, with the single exception of Sherman's mill.

Here they were met by the gallant and urbane captain, who commanded a halt, and, on learning the nature of the business of the crowd, informed them that he was running on the ten hour system, and supplying them with beer from the contiguous brewery, they moved on.

At some of the mills the fires were put out and consid- erable physical persuasion used to carry their point. In the evening, and for several days, there were processions and public speeches in the park, their banner bearing the device, "Ten hours, or no sawdust."

There was considerable excitement. A good many threats were made, and, later in the week, Gov. William E. Smith was informed of affairs, and he came in person and looked over the situation. and finally acted on the advice of the mill-owners and others, and ordered the State militia upon the scene. Just before their arrival, on Saturday, several arrests were made of the more boisterous among the strikers.

The following companies promptly responded to the Governor's call, arriving on Saturday, the 23d of July : First battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Britton - Company A, Janesville Guards ; company B, Bower City Rifles.

Fourth battalion, Lieutenant Colonel, C. P. Chapman -Company A, Governor's Guards; company B, Guppy Guards; company C, Lake City Guards; company D, Watertown Rifles, embracing about 375 men.

They encamped on the west side park and in the Court- house, and remained until the 29th and 30th, having been entertained with a dance by the strikers and a supper by the ladies, and triumphantly carrying home the strikers' flag-the result of a peaceable negotiation instead of a sanguinary conflict.

OTHER INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES.

In addition to the great staple business of lumber, the city is rapidly developing, and already has quite a number of manufacturing industries which must continue to in- crease and multiply for a long time. Some of the most important of these will now be alluded to.

Phoenix Manufacturing Company, incorporated October 13, 1875 ; proprietors, Hiram C. Graham, Samuel White, Robert Toller, Conway B. Daniels ; capital $50,000. This firm builds mill machinery, grist-mills and iron work gen- erally. It also has a planing mill, etc. The present capital is $100,000, and a business of a like amount is done an- nually. The pay roll is about $4,500 a month.

The Eau Claire Dells Gas Light and Coke Company .- W. S. Easton, president ; A. E. Swift, vice-president and man- aging director. Incorporated in July, 1877. The works are located on the west side. It has twelve and one-half of mains, which are constantly being added to

Badger State Economist Threshing Machine .- This ma- chine, the invention of Robert H. Monteith, is manufactured by a company consisting of Messrs. Thorp, Gilbert, Chap- man and Rust. Preparations are making to manufacture the machine on a large scale.

The Telephone .- This valuable invention is extensively used in the city.

The Telegraph .- The Western Union has an office here. Express .- The American Express runs on the various railroad lines and does a heavy business.

Eau Claire Woolen Mill .- This mill is located in Sec. 27, town of Washington; employs ten hands ; manufactures cassimeres, flannels and yarns, and do a large amount of custom carding. There is a home market for all the pro- ducts of the mill.

Eau Claire Chilled Plow Company .- Incorporated May

307

HISTORY OF EAU CLAIRE COUNTY.

30, 1881; capital, $ro,ooo; F. W. Woodward, president ; Noah Shaw, vice-president; George B. Shaw, secretary and treasurer ; James P. McIntyre, superintendent. The firm began work July 18, 1881, and will turn out 500 or 600 plows this year, from Mr. McIntyre's designs. It is claimed that the shape and material give these plows light draught, easy handling and good work, and that they clean equal to steel plates. They are made of soft iron, which is crystal- lized by a new process, the invention of Mr. McIntyre.

Noah Shaw Foundry and Machine Shop .- It was built in 1860. The firm name was Shaw, Fisk & Co., the personnel being Noah Shaw, J. D. Fisk, D. H. Ferguson and N. B. Greer. These men did all the work in the shop. Greer retired in 1863. Dr. W. T. Galloway became a member of the firm in 1864, Mr. Fisk retiring. In 1867, Mr. Ferguson sold to Dr. Galloway, and several years later Mr. Shaw be- came sole proprietor, and has managed the concern since then, most of the time alone. At first there was but a sin- gle lathe, no drill or planer. The business gradually in- creased, until now fifty men are employed. In 1860, the stone part of the present shop was erected. The shop turns out steam engines, rotary saw-mills, double and single block shingle mills, grub pin lathes, and other saw and planing mill machinery. About $75,000 worth of work is done each year.

Carriage Manufacturers and Blacksmiths-Bonell Broth- ers.

Boiler Maker-P. Lally.

Dells Brewery-Henry Sommereyer, proprietor; E. M. Hautzsch, Trase & Leissaik.

Broom Manufacturer-D. F. Crabbe. Does exception- ally good work.

Cabinet Makers-Norway Furniture Company.

Coopers-Eau Claire Lumber Company, Fabion Schis- mer.

Feed Mill-Mayhew & Co.

Flour Mills-P. W. Daniels, Eau Claire Lumber Com- pany, Daniel Shaw Lumber Company.

Marble Works-W. F. Cook.

Sash, Door and Blind Manufacturers-Bangs & Fish, Blashfield & Duffield.

Soap Manufacturers-National Soap Works.

A plan is maturing to establish a manufactory of the " Monteith Thresher."

The planing mill business was commenced here by Ste- phen Marston, in 1860, in the mill built by Adin Randall. This mill was sold to Ingram & Kennedy, in 1872. Mr. Marston's present mill was built in 1867. He manufactures doors, sash, blinds, etc., in an enlarged and improved es- tablishment.

The Dells Company began the construction of the canal on the thirtieth day of October, 1879. The first officers of the company were elected November 11, 1879-F. W. Wood- ward, president ; J. M. Brackett, vice-president ; George B. Shaw, secretary; V. W. Balies, treasurer.

Board of Trade .- The first meeting to organize this in- stitution was held Friday, October 17, 1879. F. W. Wood- ward was the first president, and George B. Shaw, secretary. F. McDonough is now president; W. L. Kepler, vice-presi- dent ; V. W. Bayless, treasurer, and George B. Shaw, sec- retary. Regular meetings first Monday in each month.

Eau Claire Savings, Loan and Building Association. - This institution was organized August 7,.1877. The pur- pose and business of the association is to afford to its mem- bers a safe means of accumulating and investing money, as a savings bank, and to loan its money to its stockholders upon properly approved securities ; to aid and encourage its members to build or purchase homes for themselves. This association has been a material aid in building up the

city. The transactions for the year ending August 2, 1880, amounted to $66,336.89. The first officers of the associa- tion were : President, George H. Webster ; Treasurer, F. W. Woodward; Secretary, John Hunner. The officers for 1880-1 are: G. H. Webster, president ; H. C. Howland, vice-president; F. W. Woodward, Treasurer; George T. Thompson, secretary ; George C. Teall, attorney.

Elevators .-- G. B. Chapman & Co. This firm has a cylin- drical elevator, with a capacity of 25,000 bushels. It has been in operation one season, and handled about 75,000 bushels. The personnel of the firm is G. B. Chapman, Nel- son Wilcox and B. J. Churchill. The elevator is on the north side, near the C., St. P. & M. R. R. track. This com- pany, besides their grain business, handles about 15,000 tons of hard and soft coal.

The Eau Claire Lumber Company also have an elevator, and are an extensive buyer of wheat.

T. E. Randall & Son also have an elevator, near the C., St. P. & M. depot, and do a large business.

The wheat shipped from Eau Claire has been steadily increasing, until now it amounts to at least 350,000 bushels annually.

Hotels .- There are about twenty hotels in town. One of the oldest, and a first-class house, is the Eau Claire, on the site of the first hotel, built by Adin Randall, in 1878, and for some time it was kept by Levi Slinghlupp & Son. It was rebuilt in 1879. The proprietor is William Newton, who has occupied it seventeen years, except two years when he had charge of the Galloway House. The hotel started withi nine rooms; now has forty-eight sleeping rooms, and eighteen more are in process of construction. The house was re-opened November 28, 1878, by William Newton. C. B. Newton is clerk, and Charley Foster night clerk.

The Galloway House is a first-class hotel. This house was built by Dr. William T. Galloway. It was re-opened May 1, 1874, by William Newton. Its construction was commenced in 1872, but it was not finished until the fol- lowing year, when it was opened by William Newton. Mr. Andrew Burlap succeeded him. Mr. De La Verd was pro- prietor. Mr. Fred Hanson, the present proprietor, took the house July 28, 1879. There are fifty-four sleeping rooms and a first-class Turkish bath in the house. Charles McDonald is clerk, J. H. Woodbury, night clerk ; William H. Douglass, steward.

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.

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