Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1912-11-15
BOOM IN CHIPPEWA VALLEY
Settlement Close to Cities Is char
acteristic Of Territory
(By A. d. Campbell. J

The undeveloped portion of the
Chippewa valley-with which We will
include the Flambeau-starts at
Chippewa Falls, and comprises the
counties of Chippewa, Rusk, Sawyer,
Price and parts of Ashland, Iron and
Taylor. With the exception of part
of Chippewa county, these are all
new sections agriculturally.
The soil on the west side of the
Chippewa river is mainly loan con-
sisting of approximately equal parts
of clay and sand until near the 500
line in Rusk county, where it changes
to clay loan through Sawyer and
the part of Iron county which this
river traverses. The east side of the
Chippewa has practically the reverse
soils, being clay loan nOrthward un-
til near the junction with the Flam-
beau, when it changes to sandy
loan. The Flambeau traverses an
area OF clay loan soils practically
ltS Coul tHe oi
the west side extending to the sandy
loans within a few miles Of the Chip
pewa river The surface on the west
side Of the Chippewa is more broken
than that of the east side, yet very
well suited TO farming purposes. The
lakes are nearly all on the west side,
many of them being well patronized
by summerers.,
Developing Water Powers
All the soils in this area are very
productive of the ordinary farm
crops, while considerable area is
planted to tobacco, sugar beets, gar
den produce and clover seed. There
is a large sugar factory at Chippewa
Falls and several canning factories
within the area.
1t is only within the last ten or
twelve years that there has been any
considerable agriculture within this
entire area but within that time the
country has been fairly well settled
as far north as the middle OF Rusk
county. from which point the settle
ment of the Chippewa valley is linn
tied until Radisson is reached, and
north of that point there is little or
no settlement. The Flambeau is set
tied a short distance north of Lady
smith. Northward the country is in
it's primitive state until near the 10
calities of Phillips and Park Falls.
The principal cities are Chippewa
Falls. with population OF S.S93, un-
| der the 1910 census; Ladysmith with
l2.352. Bruce and adjoining villages
with about 1900, Phillips with 1,94S
and Park Falls with 1872. All OF
these towns have grown considerably
since. especially Ladysmith, which
| in 1900 had only about 100 people,
| The Chippewa and Flambeau are
among the best water power rivers
of the state, which means OF the
United States. Many OF these nave
been "harnessed" in the last ten
years and more are in the process OF
development. These rivers can cas-
! ily be reservoired SO as to double
the capacity of the powers at 10"
water and this work is already be
ing done.
Dairying the Foundation
Dairying is, and always VIII be, ths
foundation of farming operations II
both parts of the valley. Sugar beets
peas, for canneries and the seed mar
ket, clover seed, tobacco in some
lparts. onions and other specla
crops have been considerably grown
t and with a profit suggesting tha
these specialties will be produced
more extensively in the future.
A characteristic feature OF devel
iopment in upper Wisconsin, which