Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-03-12
LARGE PULP LPsPAPER MILL
To be Erected at Port Edwards
This Season.
A NEW COTPANY FORMED.

ton Of new enterprise there ever
since the John Edwards Mfg. Co. closed
down their saw mill permanently. We
rejoice with others that this property is
to be improved upon large scale.
| The present site of The John Edwards
! Manufacturing Company has been used
for the manufacture of lumber and has
manufactured something in the lumber
line every year for practically fifty years
at Port Edwards. Mill was operated
previous to that. John Edwards Sr
commenced to take hold of the busi-
ness as early as 1912, and after running
under the name of Edwards & Clinton
for time changed the style Of firm to
j. Edwards & Co. in 1852, by which it
was known until October 18th, $780, at
which time it was merged into The
John Edwards Manufacturing Company
| for continuing the same business.
John Edwards Jr. came into manage
ment of the business on a return of six
years absence in the gold mines of
California in 1856, and retained the
management of the business until his
death, while a member of the Wiscon-
sin Legislature, in March 1891. During
all these years the logs for manufac-
turing were driven down the Wisconsin
River until the year 1890, when Mr..
John Edwards with others incorporated
and built the Port Edwards, Centralia
& Northern Railway into and beyond
the remaining standing timber over
which the balance was hauled until
all of the timber owned by the company
was manufactured except about four or
five millions in the extreme Northern
end of the County. In 1889, Mr.. L. NJ
Alexander made his first visit to this
part of Wisconsin and later, on the
death of Mr.. John Edwards, became
the President and General Manager of
the John Edwards Manufacturing
Company which position he holds to the
matical as to what the real value of the
property put in and capitalized by the
old firm Of j. Edwards & Co. under the
present management was, there has
been realized by the stockholders par
value for all the company was capitalized
for. The holdings of the company after
the timber was disposed of consisted of
the large and valuable water power
plant at Port Edwards and about fifteen
thousand acres of land. This property
after nearly six months of negotiations
has been divided into two parts consist
ing of the water power interests and
about twelve hundred acres of river
frontage lands and the town site of Po1t
Edwards and all the buildings and
improvements there as one part, which
Mr.. Lewis NJ. Alexander has bought
and became possessed of with his wife
and her mother, Mrs. John Edwards,
and the other part is transferred to a
corporation now forming called the
Port Edwards Land & Investment
Company, which will carry on and
handle the large tract of land which has
on it several large and valuable de-
veloped farms and a logging railway and
locomotive, and the capital stock is
$4,000. This latter company will sell
to actual settlers and will be factor in
opening up much of the agricultural
part of the lands. The water power
interests at Port Edwards have been
taken in hand by Mr.. Alexander and
he has formed company with $500, 900
capital to erect mammoth paper and
| pulp mill which will be so carefully
adjusted as to utilize the actual power
at that point and not overload it as
many mills do in building plants Of that
character. In this enterprise he has
associated with him two of the most
prominent paper makers in Wisconsin
being Mr.. Frank Garrison of Centralia,
and Mr.. John McNaughton of Appleton,
both now actively engaged in paper
making.
Mr.. Lewis NJ. Alexander who will be
and is President and General Manager
of the new or rather continued COM
pany has associated himself with
numerous of the enterprises Of Wood
County all Of which are in prosperous
condition. He is Vice President of the
Wood County National Bank, Secretary
of the Centralia Pulp 4 Water Power
Company, Secretary and Treasurer OF
The Nekoosa Paper Company besides
beng interested in several other com
panies and private enterprises. He
first came to Wisconsin and Wood
County to reside in 1890, marrying Miss
Ida Edwards of Port Edwards.
Mr.. John McNaughton who is to be
the Vice President Of the John Edwards
Manufacturing Company, is well
known citizen of Appleton and occupies
many positions of honor and trust, be-
ing the Secretary and Treasurer of all
the paper mills owned by the A. w
Patten Paper Company and Vice
President Of the Commercial National
Bank of Appleton. He first became
interested in Wool County with his
father-in-law, Mr.. \. w. Patten, also OF
. Appleton, in becoming stockholders Of
the Wood County National Bank and
afterward at the solicitation of Mr.. l.
NJ. Alexander become with Mr.. Patter
amongst the heaviest owners of the
Nekoosa Paper Company stock and is {
| i g IL,