Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-08-13
We HAD 1 DREAM.
It 70aS Unusual, in a0Aich a0e ReaG
tile Signs Of tile Time.

tile Signs Of tile Time.
We are not believer in dreams, but
the one we experienced the past week
contained so many pleasant thoughts
and such bright future for the twin
cities that we will publish it so that
those of our readers who are believers
in dreams, and through them can learn
or read of coming events, we will give
it for what it is worth.
AS we recall it, it seems that we had
been absent from the cities for several
wears and returned to find the following
changes:
Cities of 80, 900 inhabitants throughout
the boundaries of which were elegant
business blocks of four to twelve stories
III height. Residences that were
erected at great cost with all the
modern appliances and conveniences.
Marble fronts and becoming trimmings,
with all the layishness of expense in
architecture Factories lined the banks
of the beautiful Wisconsin and water
power was plenty Beautiful church
edifices of every denomination dotted
the residence portion of the Twins. An
immense stone dam, massive piece of
masonry, spanning the river opposite
the COng'l Church was the means Of
making a water power equal to that of
st. Anthony Folls at Minneapolis. On
either side of the river were fumes
extending as far down as the present
bridge. The Grand Rapids side, where
the business portion is now located, was
moved back on the hill and the ground
vacated given up to manufacturing,
lumber yards, &c. The streets were
paved and the sidewalks were laid with
a material that combined both beauty
and durability. The cities enjoved q
water and drainage system that sur
passed anything in the state, brought
about by sinking large reservoirs along
the bank Of the bluff or hill. The Arc
electric lights gave the pedestrian an
opportunity to find his way about the
IL
lantern or lightning bug.
An electric street railway was a
convenience greatly enjoyed by the
travelling public between the Green Bay
and St. Paul depots and on the princi
pal streets of both cities. Three
additional iron bridges spanned the
river, one at South Centralia; one
opposite the Cong'l Church; and the
third in connection with the Green Bay
railroad bridge. One additional rail
road system, the Chicago & Northwest
ern, passed through the cities, an
extension Of their line from Berlin, this
state.
Among the manufacturing industries
we noticed numerous Furniture facto-
ries, Cotton and Woolen mills, large
Iron works, PIow works, Paper mills,
FIGURING mills, Railroad shops, Wagon
works, Sash, Door and Blind factory,
Pulp mills, Breweries, &c.
The most pleasant feature of our
dream was to find the different young
business men so prosperous. So many
of them owned brick blocks and real
estate which made them wealthy. F.
j. Wood, who owns large tract of land
in the first and second ward was made
a millionaire by it, and all that territory
was settled with beautiful homes costing
from one to five thousand dollars. The
swamp back of High street owned by
j. d. Witter was all built up and we
thought it impossible for such changes
to be made.
On the Centralia side it was built up
all along the river between South
Centralia and the city proper. Electric
cars were plying their way between
these two points and they were
constantly crowded.
Church ed1fces and school buildings
were models in architecture and convin-
Ced the stranger that while the cities
were booming the religious and
educational features were not being
overlooked.
On waking we found that what we
had been passing through was simply
dream and our immediate surroundings
were Just the same.
May we not hope, with the present
favorable outlook for actual future
growth in the twin cities, that within
the next five years portion of our
dream might vet come to pass As we
read the signs Of the time we sincerely
believe that the future prospects for the
twin cities are bright. Time will tell.
Geo. n. Wood,
Il