Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1909-07-22

equipment from the superintendent,
/ H. S. 4ouker, will be found in
another column.
Not long did Grand Rapids remain
in depressed condition, though,
through the dying out of the lum-
Der interests. Her citizens bestirred
themselves, made the most possible
out OF what remained, kept up
heart and labored strenuously to Sc
cure manufacturing enterprises of
other characters. The result is, that
now in this city there are manufac-
tured large quantities of furniture,
machinery, wagon hubs, box shocks
and flour, besides pulp and paper. In
the manufacturing of the two last
named commodities this section now
almost leads the state. A conserva-
/ tive estimate received from the
/ freight agents of the various roads
places the amount of paper shipped
annually from Grand Rapids at 1920
cars, while the pulp shipments they
place at 3,120 cars. All the factories
are large and prosperous, while some
of them may be truthfully said to
be enormous. A good idea of their
magnitude may be gathered from the
cuts which appear in these columns.
Mention has been made of the soil
! o61 ny1t 10
more detailed statement is necessary
to give the reader a correct view of
this asset, which is of such value as
to be a prime factor in causing this
city to wear that "smile which won't
come off. To the northwest the
soil is heavy clay loan, adapted to
the raising of grain and grasses. Here
farmers raise considerable stock and
ship it to southern and eastern mar
kets. To the east and southeast
light sandy soil abounds. admirably
adapted to the raising of potatoes,
and because of this Grand Rapids
has become one of the leading ship
ping points for potatoes in this
state. To the southwest lie the
vast cranberry marshes, which,
though but partly under cultivation
up to the present time, have never
theless caused this section to be
known around the globe as the great
est cranberry producing region on
the continent. The body of marsh
land of which this is section is
the largest in Wisconsin. 1t was
classed as swamp land by the gov
eminent and was considered valueles'
and unstable up to the year 1870.
Over this whole tract wild cram
berries grew. Some places they were
to be found in considerable guam
titles, in others only in scattered
patches. In 1870 cranberries brought
a high price and many pickers made
considerable money. Parties living
near Berlin, Wisconsin, saw the pos
sibility along this line of industry,
and in order to control it purchased
considerable of the land, paying
therefore rs cents per acre. At that
time, of course, they relied wholly
upon the wild berries growing upon
natural and unculitvated vines, and
continued to do so up to 1887. In
the late eighties a series of crop
failures was experienced and this
caused many to give up the bust
ness. AS a result the marshes be-
came neglected In 1893 or 1894 a
fire swept over this entire area, de-
strOying 50 per cent of the vines,
and as a result of this conflagation
business. In some places, though,
the experiment was tried Of planting
vines and cultivating them. This
proved success from the start, and
now it has been adopted all over
the section, or wherever people rely
upon the raising of cranberries as
source of revenue. In the vicinity
of Grand Rapids there are over one
thousand acres of cultivated cram
berry marsh, which in fair season
yield 10000 barrels, commanding from
$5.25 to $1,000 per barrel. Less than
one-fifth, though, of the available
land for the raising of cranberries
has been planted. All the remainder
could be easily developed, and it
can be purchased for the nominal
price Of from $500 to $1,000 per
acre. An acre Of planted cranberry
marsh, when the vines have become
three years old, is worth about $500
1t will be seen, therefore, that back
of Grand Rapids and all about it lie
vast undeveloped resources which in
time must pour immense volumes of
wealth into her treasury.
Some expensive elements which en-
| ter into the cost of living in the
majority of cities are evaded here