Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-07-31
Che factories
Interesting facts Concerning
the Grand Rapids Milling Co.


Greater Grand Rapids can today
boast of many large industries, which
AID IN pushing forward our claim of
being commercial as we'll as rail
road center. There are those in the
city who well remember the time
when neither Centralia nor Grand
RapldSha factory or railroad. In
the sixties the combined Industries of
the two hamletS were the SawmillS of
George A. Neeves aud John Rablin,
and the flour mill of Charles Weller.
These mills may, in a measure, be
called the nucleus about which later
industries gathered, for men, even at
that early period, recognized the
grand possibilities of growth and
prosperity for our city and from them
comes largely the spirit of enterprise
which dominates the present day in
duStrieS.
The Neeves and Rablin mills have
ceased to exist, but the old Weller
mill stands yet ON the west bank OF
the riyer-an historic monument of
usefulness. The mill has gone through
many hands since the early dav it was
established. Mr. Weller sold the mill
to Mr.. TrOWe. who later went into
partnership with j. w. Coleman.
Some years after that @. j. jackson
and J. d. Witter bought shares in the
milling property and it became then.
known as the Coleman, Jackson & Co.
This company enlarged the business
by extending their milling operations
to Stevens Point. Amhers and Wau-
Sau. The title of the firm was again
changed when Mr. Coleman sold out,
it being designated as the Jackson
Milling Company. In March, 1901,
the Jackson Milling Company sold a
| portion of it's interests to the Grand
! Rapids Milling Company and the
| Grand Rapids mill is today operated
by this company. At a meeting of
| the stockholders July s, it was re-
ported that the company was doing
good business, and that the outlook
for continued progress during the
coming year was excellent. The
| following officers were elected:
| PreSident-I. P. Witter.
Secretary and Treasurer-Guy Nash.
| DirectorS-I. P. Witter, Geo. w.
Mead, John P. Horton, T.. e. Nash
and Guy Nash.
| The company now has branch ship
ping stations at WauSau, Tomah,
Sparta and New Lisbon. These
stations are managed by the following
men: WauSau, L. Lambert; Tomah,
+. Kern; Sparta, G.. Manel: New Lis
bon, VIM. ROcken. The stations,
besides selling flour and feed, buy
| large quantities of grain from the
farmers. The Grand Rapids mill uses
exclusively wheat from Minnesota
and the DakOtaS.
The visitor to the mill will find in
the basement some of the cleaning
machines, line Shafts and elevator
| boots. On the first floor are situated
the rollers, roller mills, packers, feed
mill and receiving machines. The
plain-sifterS, reels, purifiers and gar
ners for different grains are found On
the second and third floors. The mill
is run by water power and lighted by
electricity furnished by the company
own dynamos. Near the mill is a
large elevator having a capacity of
| 1900 bushels.
When run at full force the wheat
mill can grind 120 barrels of floor in
tWenty-four hours, and the rye mill,
forty barrels in the same length of
time. The mill also grindS about 600
bushels of chop feed daily.
| Albert White is head miller. He
has been working for the company
about~eight years and he is thus we'll
acquainted with his trade. VIM.
Otto and John Severance, second
millerS, have each half day and half
night shifts and are in every respect
competent to hold their positions.
Clarence Dagan gives excellent salts
| faction as feed-grinder. Emil
Kunt superintendS the flour-packing,
Getfery Trudell looks after the loading
of wagons and cars. The unloading
of grain and all products is in charge
of VIM. Eberhardt. VIM. Palmer and
Albert BuSs, the transfers, have all
they can do to transfer the companys
grains, flour and feed. L. E. Taft has
charge of the bookkeeping and helps
to give harmony to the many COM
pleXitieS of milling concern.