The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-08-19
EDUCATIONAL.
HISTORY OF MANITOWOC COUNTY
BY JOHN NAGLE

BY JOHN NAGLE
In April, 1887, Jones, Clark & Co
sent 40 laborers, beside carpenters, to
Mantowoc to erect buildings and to
continue the work Of clearing off the
forest which was begun the year prev-
ous. Among these men were Moses and
Oliver Hubbard and ID. S. Munger.
Those were the only ones who had fam
lilies A warehouse was built this spring
noo.. .he river. between Sixth and Sew
enth streets. 4OX60, the lumber being OBJ.
tanned from Conroe's mill. They also
erected q frame house for the family Of
Ben Jones, at the N. E. corner of York
and Seventh streets. Shanties were
erected for the accommodations Of the
workmen, aud considerable tract Of
land was cleared A large quantity Of
steamboat wood was chopped and the
following year sold to steamboats, which
anchored outside the mouth of the river
while scows brought the wood out.
Those laborers received from $50 TO $40
per month, and the carpenters were paid
from $2.75 to $500 per day. In July,
Reujamin Jones and family, with =. p.
Smith, arrived on the schooner Oregon.
They occupied the frame house built a
short time prior to their coming. Mr.,
Jones was the only member Of the firm
n lnnAl 4 no in,
Manitowoc. Since his arrival in 1897,
he has never resided elsewhere, and has
been identified with every movement
calculated to advance the interests of
the county. Mr.. Smith was boy of IA
when he came to Mauitowoc. He has
been quite a prominent business man,
and held important positions of trust in
the county. To his retentive memory,
| am indebted for the larger part of the
material of which this sketch is com
posed, Benjamin Jones, rs agent for
the company, opened a store in one end
of the warehouse at Manitowoc.
A large tract of land at Two Rivers,
had been entered by Judge Lave, of
Green Bay. In the spring of 1897, Rob.
ert NJ. Eberts and family, and John p.
Arndt, with number of workmen, ar,
rived at Two Rivers and proceeded to
erect steam saw mill. The mill was
completed during that summer and was
in operation in the fall. A large log
house was built the same year. This
summer Jos. Edwards constructed IA
seine, and with the assistance of his
sons and F. =. Smith, landed the first
seine of white fish near Two River point.
The same summer. j. p. Clark, of De
troit, entered several fishing sites in the
vicinity of Two Rivers, and at the point
south of ManitOwoc. In the spring of
1888, he came with crew of 80 men, n
complete outfit of fishing apparatus,
and the schnooner Gazelle, and com.
menced the business of fishing on a large
scale. Fish were very pentifal those
years, and they frequently caught as
many "o obV dlNl nv bhlltlS
at u haul. Clark continued this business
for fifteen years with unfailing success,
by which he amassed considerable
wealth. The fish caught was shipped
to Detroit, principally.
In the early part of 1897, n saw mill
was built for Theyer Rouse q Thomp-
son, on the Manitowoc river, near the
present line between the towns of Man
itowoc Rapids and Cato. The old fash.
ioned hutter wheel and two upright
saws were used H. Nc Allister and =.
Pierce were carpenters engaged on the
mill, both having come to the county
that year. A road was cut from the
Rapids to the MILL on which to draw
supplies to the workmen, of whom TWEEN
ty were employed. The lumber manu-.
factured was RATED down the river.
Supplies for the workmen came by
schooner from Chicago On one occas
ion the supplies were delayed and the
workmen's bill of fare was limited to
potatoes ana few fish caught in the
river. Work was discontinued at this
mill after the panic, and it soon passed
into the hands of j. w Conroe. 1t il
now known as the Murphy Mill. A
mill was built the same year at Neshoto
by man named Stringham The old
mill stood until Il few years ago when it
was torn down, though long before that
its occupation was gone.
During the first half Of the year 1887
business was quite brisk in all the set
Elements, The fever of speculation had
reached its eliminating point. The
value OF property was very much in
flated and some lots in Manitowoc were
sold as high AZ 81 POO each. The popu
lation OF the county was about lSO dis.
tributed among the settlements M fol.
lows Manitowoc, CO. Two Rivers and
Manitowoc Rapids, 40 each, and about
90 ut Theyer's mill. Land was cleared
at Manitowoc and some oats and pota,
toes planted, The oat crop was very
light but the potatoes yielded well la
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