Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-07-02

until in so only three million were
cut. This decrease was cue to the
fact that nearly all the timber in this
part of the country had been cut, and
the logs had to come from up north
then and it was expensive to get them;
so Mr.. BenSley decided to turn his
mill into a pulp mill. In 1861 the
old Saw-mill was torn out and a pulr
mill erected with six grinders, the
race being also enlarged and deepened.
When the mill was completed it
ranked among the first of the state,
and was run successfully until 1885
when it burned and has never been
rebuilt.
The third mill to be built was
erected at Grignon Rapids by Messrs.
Merrill & GrignOn in 1886: they
having obtained a permit from the
War department similar to Mr..
Whitney's. 1t was built near the
head Of the island where the present
guardlock of the Port EdwardS's mill
now is.
In 1853 it was purchased by J. L.
COtey. 1t was then known as the
Merrill mill for Mr.. GrignOn had
severed his connections with the mill
by this time. The place was known
as FrenchtOwn for so many French
people lived there. Great freshets
washed out the dam and the logs for
two years in succession, so he sold the
mill in 1855 to Henry Clinton and
John Edwards Sr. Mr.. Clinton was
the manager of the mill until his
death in 1864 when John Edwards
became sole owner Of the mill having
bought the Wisconsin House for Mrs.
Clinton. After this the place became
known as Port Edwards. Mr.
Edwards owned large lumber yards at
Galena and Dubuque and the lumber
manufactured at the mill was sent to
these yards. Mr.. Edwards died in
1868 and JnO. Edwards Jr. became the
pOSSeSSOr of the mill. The location of
the mill was changed and new mill
built on the present site. A 81 inch
rotary was put in the mill and 5000
feet was the average cut OF the day.
The mill was considered the finest in
Wood County and the most superior
and convenient in the Pinery. The
mill was run successfully until in 1873,
when Mr.. Edwards sold half interest
to ThOS. B. Scott. The name Of the
firm was then changed to JnO.
Edwards & Co. A new mill was built
which was used until it was torn down
this year. Mr. Edwards was the
manager of the mill until his death in
81 when his SOn-in-law, L. NJ. Alex
ander took charge of it.
In 1897 Nelson Strong built a saw
mill which stood where the Pioneer
Wood & Pulp Co.'S mill now stands.
Mrs. Strong was the first white woman
in Grand Rapids and it is remarked
that she often said that for three years
she saw no white WOman's face except
her own when she washed it and looked
in the glass. Wh;ln a.. Strong was
building his mill Robert BloOmer came
through here and thinking it a good
place to invest he became Mr.. StrOng's
partner. The first lumber manu-
factured at the mill was used by Mr..
Strong to build a house for himself.
This was in 1888. and was the first
frame house in the county and the
second of any description in Grand
Rapids. In 1889 or 40 Strong sold his
share in the mill to Nixon. In 1874
the above gentlemen sold the mill to
Henry Clinton and John Edwards Sr.
This company operated the mill for
eleven years when they in turn sold it
to Lyman Howe and Henry Rablin, the
latter dying in 1856, at which time JnO.
Rablin came into possession OF his
brothers interest. The firm cOntin-
ued under the name of Howe & Rablin
uD to 1868 when Howe died. j. Rablin
then purchased the rights or interests
of HOWe'S heirs. He continued the
business until 1879 when H. H. Hop
kinS of Milwaukee took possession of it.
1t was then sold to Hyde s Co. who
turned it into a pulp mill, and after
wards sold it to the Pioneer Wood &
Pulp Co., the present owners.
The BirOn mill was built in 1888 by
Fay & Draper. Draper was the first
man to run lumber over the Grand
Rapids. The mill was operated by the
above firm for two years when they sold
it to JnO. T. Kingston, Jess Helden and
Tom Western. All three men are
still living: Mr. Holden resides on a
| farm between Portage and Madison
and MessrS. Kingston and Western
both reside at Necedah. In 1916 the
mill was again sold to Francis X
BirOn. During the tifties there were
| two up and down saws in the mill, anC
about 5000 feet were sawed daily. Ir
1862 the first rotary was PIT in the
mill. The mill was run by Mr.. BirOr
until his death in 1877. His two sons
Francis and Severe operated the mil
after this until 1894 when it was sole
to the Grand Rapids Pulp and Paper
Co.
There are a great many more things
! | should like to say in connection with
my mills but which | will have to leave
| fI, FOn i 0n
| long. | should like to give the history
of the Neeyes mill which was built ir
| 1850. also the mill that was built il
1S49at South Centralia by Messrs. r
| S. Lyons and \. B. Sampson. | should
like in particular to give the history OF
! the old NekOOSa Lumber Co. which
was organized in 1856, for people seen
| to think NekOOSa and all its cOnnec
! tiOnS are of recent date.
The old Saw-millS are being fast
abandoned and giving place to newer
| industries. They are becOminga a past
phase of our history and | think that
the Histories of the old mills should bt
gathered and kept in some permanent
form for the use of the public.
HISTORY OF THE SCHOOLS OF GRAM
RAPIDS.
by Emmett Carey.l
In the history of Grand Rapids
from the earliest time to the present
nothing bears a more important par
than the history of the schools. The
subject of education is one of prime
Importance to every community, anC
the degree i'll which it is fostered anC
promoted is always sure index t
the intelligence and liberality of TIT
people. 1t is of interest to the gen