Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-08-09
Richland Democrat, W G Barry editor.


Richland Democrat, W Barry editor.
A THRIFTY MANUFACTURING CITY.
The valley of the Wisconsin river,
recently traversed by the members OF
the Wisconsin Press association, has
numerous thrifty, growing cities, but
probably not one along its entire length
Of about $50 miles offers more advant-
ages as residence place to the home.
seeker than does the city of Grand
Rapids.
In casually glancing over the timer
ary of the trip we noticed the first
stop to be made above the beautiful
DellS was at Grand Rapids, which
place we had associated in our minds
as little town situated in a waste Of
Wisconsin river sand country, the
principal attraction of which would
prove to be the falls from which the
town derived the name, and the great
est industry that picked from the
large cranberry marsh interests, which
we remembered to have attracted
some people from this vicinity in
years gone by.
Arriving there one finds a manufac-
turing city of nearly 5000 people,
with every advantage, natural and
acquired, that is necessary to the
growth of a pretentious and wealthy
inland city. A city that turns out
more print paper than probably any
place in Wisconsin, with it's electric
lights, sewerage, waterWOrkS and
telephone exchange: macadamized
streets extending we'll into the resi-
dence districts, unsurpassed shipping
facilities as furnished by three differ
ent railroad lines and prospects of
another in the very near future. good
public buildings and best of all class
of citizens with wealth. push and
energy, ever ready to cooperate upon
any plan that promises the better
ment of their city.
Grand Rapids is the comfy seat of
Wood county, county that some
years since was looked upon as one of
the poorest in the state, but which
has made rapid strides of late years in
wealth and development. The soil is
a rich, sandy loan, and with the re-
moval of the timber and proper drain
age, has dairying future before it
probably unsurpassed by any county
in that part of the state.
The city of Grand Rapids, as it now
stands. is consolidation of the old
town of Grand Rapids and the little
city of Centralia, which cities were
only divided by the Wisconsin river.
Realizing their destinieS to be closely
woven, they combined interests, in
corporated under one charter and now
have city which is growing rapidly
and bids fair to Outrank in few years
many older and more pretentiOuS
municipalities in our state.
The commercial interests of the
place are linked to great extent with
the development of the water power
of the Wisconsin river. That power
is now being utilized to turn the
wheels OF numerous manufactures
and as yet is in its infancy of develop
ment, it being estimated that there
remains to be harnesSed and placed in
use something like 10000 horse power.
The principal industry of which the
city may boast is it's paper and pulp
manfuactOrieS. of which there are five,
turning out total of It's tons of print
paper and $50 tons of wood pulp each
month and with monthly pay roll of
So, 800, besides the enormous amount
of money expended during the year
for hemlOck and poplar wood, which
is distributed throughout the adjoin-
ing country. At the head of this list
of mills is the NekOoSa Paper company
which has one of the largest print
paper plants in the United States and
has alone pay roll of $4,000 per
month.
Added to the paper and pulp indus
try of the city we find d furniture fac
tory employing 100 hands, a hub
factory employing 20 hands and ex-
pending 1000 annually for timber,
the Grand Rapids Lumber Co. with
100 hands and monthly payroll Of
81, 500, foundry, the payroll of which
averages $500 per month, Pressed
Brick Co. with a capacity of 5000, 900
and monthly payroll of 81, 800, a
Table Co. making speciality of one
particular grade of tables, d Touring
mill company, doing general milling
business with a payroll of some $500
monthly, besides the Centralia Lun-
Der Co. who represent large wholesale
and retail lumber interests.
The telephone and electric plants
are both owned by home capital, the
former being a cooperative organiza-
tion which was organized three years
since and now has 26O phones in use
The Electric Co. organized in 80 with
a capitalization of $4,000. is now
operating 1,5OO incandescent lights
and so arc lights, with an average cost
to business houses of 45 cents per light
and an average monthly profit to stock
holders of 1865.
The city has three banks. with a
total capital of 125, 900 aud deposits of
$3.50 900. A public library with VOL
umeS in excess of 5000. and public
schools both east and west side. each
of which are on the accredited list.