Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-08-14
GIVES PRAISE
TO THE CITY
Gil Vandercook Visits the City
and Makes Good Write
un.
FINE WATER POWER AND
RAILROAD FACILITIES
Speaks Highly Of the Schools
=-Appeared in Tuesdays
Sentinel.

Physical conditions, such as dividing
town by stream, frequently exercise
a retarding influence upon the growth
and development of cities and villages.
For over a half century two fairly
good towns were located on the banks
of the old Wisconsin with a factional
business, social, and political rivalry
existing which resulted in both Grand
Rapids and Centralia being outstripped
in industrial lines and in the process
of city building by less favora bly,
located towns up the river.
This factiona1 spirit obtained for so
long and grew so intense that the in
fluence permeated the children of the
two towns. When the boys of Grand
Rapids attempted to cross the river
they were stoned back to their own
side, and Centra1ia urchins were
treated in the same way, the parents
sharing in the feeling which provoked
and engendered jealousy.
Towns United Three Years Ago.
About three years ago a broader
public spirit had it's birth and the citi-
zens commenced to realize that there
should be no division of civic interest;
that the welfare of both towns was
in interdependent and that there was a
business, social and municipal re1a-
tionship existing which, in the future,
should be the bond between them.
The estrangement and factionalism of
years was forgotten, and the towns of
Grand Rapids and Centra1ia became
one under new charter and organiza-
ton and, under the name of Grand
Rapids, a united, thrifty and enter
prising city in the achievement.
While the consolidation affecting
the two municipalities no doubt had
something to do with the change in
conditions to be noted, Grand Rapids
awoke to the fact that her advan-
tageous location entitled her to some
thing better than she had experienced
in all the years of the past In the
industrial evolution spreading over
Wisconsin, the magic like influence
which transforms sleepy, slow going
towns and cities into energetic manu-
featuring centers, is nowhere more to
be witnessed than in Grand Rapids.
This transformation has come within
the last two or three years and the
results already accomplished indicate
the creation of a new and important
manufacturing city in Wisconsin,
which, in the process of development
and building, will rival many of the
manufacturing centers of the state.
Rapids to Be Turned to Wealth.
The basis for what has already been
done and what is now being executed
III the way of building up manufac-
tories is the extensive water power
furnished at this point by the Wiscon-
sin river. During the old days of log
driving and before the advent of the
railways to transport the lumber to
market, when the old Wisconse was
lined with 1un1 Der raft, there was no
spot on the river more feared by the
raftsnen than the rapids from which
the town takes its name. Here hum
dreds of hardy men disappeared be-
meath the churning water, until it be-
came a matter of river distinction to
be able to say that a river man had
safely run Grand Rapids. This i'm
1nense power, for SO many years
unused, is at last to be utilized to turn
the wheels of the industries of this
city, and, unless plans fail, the sur
plus power will be transmitted cleo
trically to other towns and cities in
this section,
The immense work of dam and mill
building is now going on, conducted
by hundreds of men and backed by
an aggregate of capital which insures
question of doubt. Some time since
this water power and the riparian
rights became the property of the
Consolidated Water Power and Paper
company, the rights of other holders
being purchased. To show the capi-
talists back of one of the largest in
dustrial movements in Wisconsin, it
can be stated that the principal stock
holders in the company are the Witter
estate, owning POI shares, the Johnson
estate with sixty shares, F. MacKin-
non, thirty shares, W. D. Connor,
twenty-five shares, the balance of the
stock being distributed among local
holders,
Will Create Over 5000 Horsepower
AT the present time the work on the
dam and immense paper mill is being
rushed as rapidly as the labor supply
will permit, and the plans have been
made to have the plant in operation
during this fall. The claim is made
that this dam now in process of build
ing will create over 5000 horse power
sufficient to supply motive power to
the mills, and, in addition, furnish
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