Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-20


only remained a short time. DR..
Whitney first located in Grand
Rapids, near where now stands the
sheriff's house and county jail, in 1856
and moved to Centralia about a year
or two later and remained there some
thirty years.
DR.. Witter also located in Grand
Rapids in 1858. The late L. P. Powers
had the honor of being the first
lawyer to locate in Grand Rapids, 1853
and was followed in 1858 by Honorable
ChaS. N, Webb, who remained until
the present.
Prior to 1856, what is now Wood
county belonged to and was part of
Portage; in 1856 Wood county was set
apart and separted from Portage
county and given the name of Wood,
in honor Of the Honorable Joseph
Wood, who was at the time a member
of the Wisconsin legislature.
The first election in the new county
of Wood was held in 1857, at which
time the following county officers
were elected: County judge, Joseph
Wood; sheriff, Benjamin Buck; dis
trict attorney, L. P. Powers; surveyor,
H. A. Temple; clerk of circuit court,
L. Kroner: county clerk, L. P. Powers:
treasurer, l. L. MoSher: register of
deeds, l.. Kroner. The first meeting
of the county board was held October
S, 1856, with the following named
persons present and members thereof:
II. w. Jackson and EuSebe LaVigne.
representing Grand Rapids, which
then constituted all the territory in
Wood county. The town of Rudolph
was added at this time and Centralia
was set apart January 9, 1857, and in
cluded all territory west of the river,
except Rudolph.
The first deed to be recorded in
Wood county was dated October 1,
1856 and was given by Mark A. Wilkes
to Mrs. Ann Black and was entered
for record January l, 1857.
Now that we have the town of Cen
tralia, we will cross the river on the
old ferry boat in search of the begin
ming of industries. Permit me now
to 60 back to 1912, at which time the
Rev. J. S. Hurlbut, a Methodist
minister, began his laborS in what is
now Wood county. He held meeting
and preached his first sermon here in
a building within the present limits
of the city of Centralia. In the same
year, 1912, this reverend gentleman
established the first school, with him
self as teacher and it was conducted
in log house in Centralia. l am in
formed that at that time there were
only nine children in the vicinity and
that two additional children were
imported from PlOver to make up the
number eleven and that Mrs. Kline
consented to board the imported
pupils in order to maintain this first
school for little while. The truth
fulneSS of this is vOuchSafed by Mrs.
Sampson, with whom the Rev. Hurlbut
boarded at the time.
In 1855, II. w. Jackson, o. Garrison
and r. c.. Worthington formed CO.
partnership fol mercantile purposes,
under the firm name of O. Garrison &
Co. and built the first store building
in Centralia and operated it for some
time. The same building is now used
by the 'Centralia Hardware Co., as a
store room and stands south of the
present brick structure, having been
moved there from it's first location to
make room for their present store.
This building, at that time, was con-
sidered large one and the upper story
was a sort of hall for general purposes
and the good people here made good
use of it for school purposes, social and
religious gatherings, ETC., for several
years.
1t might be proper here to say that
the first postmaster in Centralia was
III. W. Jackson and mail was distrib-
uted by him in the store building
above mentioned. The boxes and
fixtures were made by G. D. LemIey
and are now in use in Nekoosa, having
years since been replaced by the
present postoffice outfit.
The first hotel proper, was built by
one William Bowman and was known
for many years as the "Centralia
House" and was located near where
and on the same lots where L. M.
Nash's residence is now standing.
However, I think that one Louie
Menier kept small boarding house at
or near where the present Commercial
hotel stands, prior to this.
G. A. Corriveau claims to be the
pioneer in the line of wagon and
blacksmith shop, having as partner,
Alex BeZalliOn, although some others
claim that Dutton and Palmatier
were first in this enterprise and were
located on lots now owned and oc-
cupied by o. Denis as his home.
The prevailing opinion is that DR..
G. W. Whitney was first to locate
here: however, Dr. P. Hurley came at
about the same time, or soon there
after.
G. D. Lemley claims to have pur-
chased the first lot sold from the