Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1871-06-01
GRAND aapiDs.

which paper Mr.. Farnum is general
can,asser:
GRAND fsaPiDs.
Our stay in the stirring city OF
Grand Rapids'~as brief, more so than
we would have it, had it been posi-
Bile forus to have prolonged it What
little time we did spend with the Cit
Gems of the Rapids was well improved,
and through the courtesy of its bnsi
ness men we were enabled To obtain
many items ,bat viii undoubtedly
prove interesting to your readers.
y =
Tho excellent agricultural lands OF
Wood county have heretofore attract,
ed but very little attention from parties
outside Of the county, and but very
ly'le effort has, as yet, been made by
parties residing here TO get these
lands se,t'ed aud improved. The i'm
por1ance of accomplishing this is now
beginning 10 be more generally and
Thoroughly appreciated by those re.
siding at the business centres, espcc-
iallv at the Rapids.
Wood county is one Of the best
timbered counties in the State. All
kinds Of timbti- abound il large oman
titles, consisting Of maple, hickory,
elm, oak, basswood, beach and bnt
ternnt, all Of which IL pronounced by
competent judges to be Of the very
best qualities for manufacturing pnr,
poses. 1t would give MS pleasure TO
give You thorough history Of Wood
county aud its resources, but as our
stay was short, aud our time precions,
We viii defer that and glance at the
city Of Grand Rapids, which is the
leading point Of interest in the county.
The Rapids is the county seat If
Wood county, where the greater por.
tlon Of the mills aud factories Of the
river in Wood county are located.
The fall of the liver, within the city
limits, is nearly thirty feet, and in The
city proper, and at Cen'raIia, situated
on the Other side Of the river, there
are six saw mills, three shin4le mills,
two iuundrles, one Of which was re,
Gently consumed by FIRE, which has
been rebuilt, aud is now nearly ready
for business, one planning mill, and
large number Of wagon shops, besides
sores Of various kinds, t':at will com
pare iavorably in style aud ,aagnih
cence with those of any interior to ,"n
in the west. There are two good sub
stanial banks fexchange and deposit
here, one operated by j ID. Witter
and the other ny Il G. Worthingtou
Both Of these banks are doing good
business, and are conducted by stir.
mo business men. The nearest rail
road approach to Grand Rapids is at
New Lisbon, on the La Crosse divi
sion OF the Milwaukee and ST. Paul
Railroad, some forty miles distant.
The citizens OF Grand Rapids are
highly elated over the prospects of
railroad communication, which viii
connect them with the outside world
and develop their rich and fertile
country. They have worked with
commendahle, zeal, aud are wide
awake to al interests pertaining to the
welfare OF their beautiful city. Al
railroad they must and wW have even
It they are obliged To bnild an indie.
pendent line. The Madison and por
tagr Railroad, which will probably be-
built to Stevens Point, touches this
place, and after its completion these
parties of one own State will realize
That rich and fertile district the
road has tapped. Then they will see
her soil, hen tlmhct, her ineXhauStable
watcr.power, her agricultural resour
eos, her building material, and in
fact all the elements Of wealth that
hut few counties can boast of-which
are comparatively unknown outside of
the county The citizens have voted
100000 aid to the Green Bay and
Lake Pcpin Railroad, provided it is
built before January next, and 800, !
900 aid to the Madison and Portage
City road. The breaking OF ground
the past two years on the North Pa
c,hc Railroad has led railroad cap
itaiSts and railroad men generally in
the west to lock for the most feasible
connection with this great northern
artery of commerce. That the valley
of the Upper Wisconsin is destined
IL become the great railroad transit
route between the railroads OF the
East and the Northern Pacific no ono
who is posted in the geography of the
country can for moment doubt
And that the city OF Grand Rapids is
destalned to become one OF ,hc lead
ing cities Of Central Wisconsin IL as
plainly visible to all who are &C.
qu:,lnted with the natural resources
that abound horcahouts,
The schools Of tue city are a source
of much prid@ on the pat of the cit,
izcuS, and their pride is not without
foundation, a> they have one Of the
finest schools in Central Wisconsin.
The teachers rank among the first in
the State, to whom they are paying
$4,000 for their services the present
Year They are now contemplating the
erection OF a fine school huildinu. rs
their present one * not sutricnt SIZE to
Accommodate all the pupils. The
building is not to cost less than sl5,O00