The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1874-12-17
A REAL WISCONSIN RAILROAD.
How the Wisconsin Central Railroad is
Developing theResouroes of
the State.
The Utilization of our Inexhaustible Forests
Manufactures of Soft and Hard Timber side
By Side---Agricultural Resources OF
Northern Wisoonsin---The
Mineral Products Made
Accessible by this
Enterprise.
From the Wisconsin Lumberman.

Enterprise.
From the Wisconsin Lumberman.
By act of Congress of May 5, 1874, a
grant of public lands was made to the
state of Wisconsin to aid in the construc-
ton of railroad from Portage City,
Berlin, Doty's Island, or Fond du Lac
to Bayfield, and Superior City. The
legislature in 1866 defined the line OF
road and chartered companies to con-
strr1ct it. AS a result we have the Wis
consin Central railroad. The Wisconsin
Central railroad now operates $40 miles
of road of character Ill construction
and equipment unsurpassed by and road
in the northwest No one who thought
fully considers the condition of north
ern Wisconsin previous to the construc
ton of this road, the development OF
that country consequent on and rapidly
following, or rather keeping pace with
it's construction, the new farming lands
opened up to the settler and the pine
and other timber made available to the
lumberman, not to speak Of the mineral
wealth hitherto locked up III the forests
of northern Wisconsin, and who going
over the road sees and realizes the labor
involvred in it's construction and the
general excellence of the work done,
will hesitate to say that here at least is a
grant of lands well bestowed and fully
earned. No poor settler was robbed,
for the land was inaccessible previous to
the building of the road and now that 1t
is accessible alternate sections are left
him for homestead settlement.
It is to be further considered (and this
| fact needs no demonstration, a glance at
the map shows it, that this is emphati-
cally Wisconsin railroad-Wisconsln
and especially Milwaukee are receiving
and Will receive the benefits Of 1t. 1t
builds up our state and our city as no
other railroad will or can.
Northern Wisconsin comprising most
of the country north oftownshlp
26, contained by the census Of
1870 about $4,000 Inhabitants Or one
thirtieth of the population Of the state,
it's area being nearly one-half the state.
Nor was this population scattered gen
orally over this vast area. It was nearly
all contained in the lumber cities and
villages. It comprised very few farm
ers When work commenced at Menasha
on the Wisconsin Central railroad IN
1871 there was not settler on the pro-
posed lire of the railroad between
Stevens Point and Ashland on Lake
Superior, nor except within few miles
of Stevens Point had stick Of timber
been cut. There were thousands Of
acres of good farming lands but the
necessary settlers supplies could reach
them only by the ''packer" totlng his
burden on the back over some trail, Tor
roads there were none. The farming
land was nearly all vacant United States
land. It had not even tempted the
speculator.
So much for the past. Now what do
we see? At Stevens Point the Wlscon-
sin Central railroad left civilization and
plunged into the forest. Stevens Point
in 1870 had by the census 1910 lnhablt-
ants. It had two saw mills of small ca
pacity. Gts business was and IS lumb-
err. Now it has population OF about
5000, seven saw mills with total capa-
city of 6O,OOO,000 feet of lumber per
wear besides other manufactures giving
employment to a large number Of men.
The growth is due to the building OF the
| Wisconsin Central railroad.
From Stevens Point the railroad runs
40 miles in q northwesterly direction,
and thence north over the line between
ranges l and 2 east 81 miles. The first
| five or six miles out from Stevens Point
the soil is sandy, thence through to
Lake Superior the soil is clay loan. At
! Mill Creek, IA miles from Stevens Point,
| in town 25, range east, and Marshfield
i 80 miles in town %, range B east, are
stations surrounded by good farming
lands which are being settled and I'M
proved At Spencer, one saw mill is In
operation, another viii be built this
year and village is rapidly growing up
an excellent point for hard wood man
ufactures. At Uuity C'46'') is a large
saw mill on the Eau Plaine river and a
village of Is to 20 houses. At C'o0O is
another mill with its attendant houses.
| At Colby there are about 40 houses, a
clothes-pin and broom-handle manufac-
| tory, Single mill and other manufac-
tories, eight or ten stores (for the sup
ply of the large number of settlers In the
vicinity, a good hotel, blacksmith
shop, Photograph gallery, etc. 1t has a
school of about fifty scholars. New
buildings are constantly gong up. Two
years ago there were two shanties In
Colby and no settlers in the vicinity.
At Dorchester 81 miles from Stevens
Point, saw rlill is in operation and a
village is rapidly springing up. At ''62''
mill is nearly ready for operation. AT
Medford, ''67," large saw mill, planning
mill and sash, door and blind factory
are in operation. And there is village
of 15 to 20 houses at 49, $685." and at
other points where the railroad crosses
drivable streams, parties are preparing
to put in saw mills. At the crossing OF
one of these streams it is estimated that
700 to 500 million feet of lumber will
be manufactured, that being the estimat-
ed amount of pine on the stream above
the crossing. This amount of pine will
warrant and ensure several mills at this
point. These mills draw around them
settlers and villages spring up.
AS to the character of the pine, it will