Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-07-10

postpone until 1895 their plan of settle
ment, when, under the protection OF an
armed force, they succeeded in estab-
fishing a colony on the present site of
Erie, with an organized local govern
ment and well-matured plans for the
development of a city, including sur
veys that embraced several miles OF
streets and blocks. But it was
not until after General Anthony
Wayne, in 1924, had thoroughly
cowed and intimidated the Indians.
and, in conjunction with Commodore
Perry, swept their English allies from
the south shores of the lake, that any
thing better than an armed truce was
afforded the first settlers Of Erie cOun-
ty.
Today Erie harbor ranks as the
finest natural harbor on the lakes,
and Presque Isle bay, aside from its
material advantage to commerce, is a
very handsome body of water, and is
favorite resort of pleasure seekers, af-
fording fine yachting and excellent
fishing. At the head of the bay is
located lovely Massassauga point, with
it's beautiful wooded parks, one OF the
most popular pleasure resorts in the
state. 1t is yearly visited by thous-
ands Of pleasure seekers from all parts
of the country Just east Of Massas-
sauga point is Tracy point, and lit
tie further east, on wooded bluff.
overlooking the bay and lake, are
Kahkwa, Eaglehurst and other attrac-
tive outing places.
But it is of her business interests
that Erie is most proud. The lake
shipping has been important from the
earliest days of the lake trade, but the
palmiest period was during the active
business life of the late Rufus S. Reed,
who conducted the most extensive in
dividual shipping interests on the
lakes, and in addition to owning and
operating a large number OF sailing
vessels, established line of splendid
passenger steamers that in the thirties
we're rated as the swiftest and best
equipped boats on the lakes. The year
1910 marked an epoch in the history
of the port trade, when the Erie canal
was opened, and the immense fields of
coal in the interior of the state found
cheap outlet for the western markets
by way Of Erie harbor In the wild
dreams of those times a fever of spec
ulation developed. Erie was destined
to become a great commercial mart
and improvements and projects were
planned on a metropolitan scale. The
most extensive dock improvements
were projected and many of them car
ried out. Land values in the city were
advanced rapidly, and there is no tell
ing what would have been the outcome
of it all if a money panic had not at
this time seized the country and
brought disaster to all those engaged
in the speculation. Later, when the
Erie canal was abandoned, serious
blow was dealt to the shipping inter
| ests of Erie, and it's vicissitudes since
that time have not been often on the
side of fortune, until they were con-
solidated.
In the manufacture of stoves and
hollow ware the Erie product finds a
market all over the world, and five
plants, employing 700 TO 1000 men,
| have grown up from small beginnings
in the past quarter of a century. They
represent a capital Of 100000, and
have an annual product of from
100000 to $1,000,000 Fries brewing
and mailing interests represent cap
ital of $85O,O00 and an annual product
of over 81 900 0OO Two extensive piano
factories employ 300 men and had an
output in 1894 of over S750,000.
Erie has the only factory in the
United States for the production Of a
chemical bleach extensively used in
this country, but which was all i'm
ported prior to the establishment OF
these works, which are on a very ex-
tensive scale.
There is great diversity in Local
manufactures. They represent a to-