Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-03-19
Booms ON the Wisconsin River.

tive to our city, we clip from the
Milwaukee Sentinel. We are glad
that Polintus. Jr. has become a corr
respondent Of the Sentinel, and we
hope to read his very readable letters
frequently in that Journal. The
writer evidently made his estimate
of our population before the scarlet
fever had ragged so fearfuliy.
GRAND RAPIDS, March 3, Crcun-
stances of a comparatively recent
date have conspired to render this
city one of the most promising, ia
many respects, of any of the fas5
growing towns in the state. And
though its natural advantages and
facilities for manufacturing, and for
/ transportation in all directions, are
as yet but little known; yet its gen
feral reputation as a promising and
fast growing city is daily becoming
more wide spread and notorious-so
much SO as to be not only an excuse,
but demand for public statement
of its advantages.
/ Grand Rapids is the county seat of
Wood. County, and is situated upon
the Wisconsin River, very near to
! THE GE0GRAPHICAf CENTER OF THE
STATE,
containing, with its sister city of
Centrafa,, on the. opposite side of
the river, in all a population of about
5000 people. The two towns are,
IN reality, one and the same place,
the out-growth of the same capital
and labor, and are jointly interested
each in tie other to such an extent
as to obviate all strife between them.
1t is now OILY little more than
one year since
| THE WHISTLE OF THE LOCOMOTIVES
first startled tie old numbering town
into the busy tumult and ambition of
a prosperous city. Since then the
Green Bay & Minnesota Railroad,
which crosses the river at this point,
has been completed through to Wi
mona, and is now running regular
trains between that point and Green
Bay, making connections with other
roads at both places, and opening
new markets for the lumber, shingles,
lath, pickets, stavebolts, etc., which
this city is manufacturing, and for
years can yet manufacture in unlim-
tied quantities.
The lumberman can now put the
product of his mills upon the cars
here, and receive the cash therefor
over his own counters and upon de-
livery, without any of the uncertain
ties, dangers, delays and losses at
tending its transportation by river,
with much better market and the
Immediate use of his money.
Another railroad, the Wisconsin
Valley Road, is already. completed,
and daily trains running thereon
from Tomah, on the Milwaukee & St.
Paul Railroad, through our sister
city of Centralia, crossing the Green
Bay s. Minnesota Railroad at this
place, and now completed and trains
running as far north as the Wisconsin
Central Railroad, which it crosses at
a town called Junction City, IL miles
west of Stevens Point; With a. daily
line of stages running north to Wau-
sau, and a large force of laborers at
work pushing the road through with
the view of completing it to Wausad
on or before July 4, of the present
year.
These two railroads, with the GER
tainty of another, if not others, to-
gether with the natural advantages
of the place, have all combined to
make the wilderness to blossom as
a rose.
NEW INDUSTRIES
are fast springing up; new and strange
faces are daily appearing upon our
streets; new manufactures have
arisen and others are in process of
construction; old wooden buildings
are fast giving way to new and sub
stantial brick and stone Blocks; new
streets have been laid out and open
ed, and old ones widened and straight
ened; a schoolhouse costing $4,000
is building; and new and beautiful
churches, whose sparkling spires
touch the blue of heaven, have ari-
sen as if by, magic. In fact, like the
famous Pit-hole, metropolis with
all the whirl and daze Of busy life
has sprung up in night: The will
derness has given birth to a city, and
! been itself transformed into a gar
den.
The prosperity which has so sud-
denly befalIen this city seems perma-
nent and lasting, having none of the
elements of excitement or specula-
ton about it, farther than the facts
in the case will warrant. And there
| is no good reason to doubt that the
next five years viii see here, in the
place Of our present stirring town,
4 SOLID CITY
of at least Is, 900 inhabitants. What
better place in the West for the
manufacture of agricultural imple:-
: ments, blessed with all the necessary
kinds of timber for that or any other
purpose. with railroads, whose close
: connections bring US to the very
t doors of the great prairies of Mime
sofa and Iowa, with ten miles of