Langlade County, Wisconsin - Chapter 31, 1922

Chapter 31

Merchants of 1879 - Fifth Avenue a Wilderness - First Store - First Real Estate Office - Business Conditions - The Old Opera House - Difficult Access to Trading Points - The Approach cf a New Era.

The first mercantile firm in Antigo was that of Niels Anderson, who came from Mills Center, near Green Bay, to the Antigo settlement in 1878. He opened a store on Superior Street, facing east towards Spring River, known now as Springbrook. It was a log store with scooped roof, and while very crude, was the beginning of what has since developed into the business district of Antigo. The Anderson store was a success and for years was the nucleus of all activity in the village and surrounding territory. It was through the efforts of F. A. Deleglise that Mr. Anderson was influenced to locate here.

The first real estate office of Antigo was located across from Niels Anderson's store in the log building owned by F. A. Deleglise. Many settlers can still recall negotiations of land affairs with the founder of Antigo.

In the year of 1879, L. D. Moses of Ogdensburg, Waupaca County, settled in Antigo, and opened the second store. The building was constructed of rough lumber and was located on the east side of Superior Street, south of the UUman B'ock. Mr. Moses conducted this store for five years, and then engaged in the banking business. The store was then taken over by Irvin Gray, who assumed complete charge by 1886. When the first stores were opened, there were less than fifty settlers here.

Between the years of 1878 and 18S0 there was not a house east of "Spring River." There were only two farm houses between the village of Antigo and Aniwa and the journey was long and treacherous between the two points.

Dr. D. S. Olmsted came to Antigo in 1879 from Embarrass, Waupaca County, and erected two crude buildings on the east side of Superior Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. "Doc" Olmsted was described as "cute and bright." He was Justice of the Peace, and Clerk of Court, and was one of the picturesque characters of early Antigo.

In 1879 Louis Mendlik of Manitowoc setded here. He built a two story frame building. This was located between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, across from the present site of the Antigo Public Library. He engaged in the book and stationery business.

In 1880 Antigo possessed two other buildirgs, a log school house on the present site of the P. F. Kelly Implement Store, Third Avenue and Superior Street, and the Old Twin Valley Inn, erected on the southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and Superior Street.

the present location of the Market Square Hotel. They provided headquarters for the logging teams and lumbermen who went ir.to the Wolf River country during the historic log drives.

This is a complete description of the pioneer district between 1877 and 1880, and is worthy of permanent record to preserve for posterity the names, locations and character of the early merchants and their business establishments.

During the first years business was limited. The Milwaukee Lake Shore and Western Railroad had been nothing but a dream. Our neighbors at Shawano had "scoffed" at its coming into Antigo and declared that it would go "up in smoke." Forty-five miles of wilderness separated Antigo from Wausau, from which place many an early settler laboriously hauled a sack of flour on his back the entire distance to his home in the woods. Shipments of produce necessitated expensive hauling by oxen or horse.

It was a tedious journey from Aniwa to Antigo, and goods and food products were hauled over a trail that had not emerged from "totedom." There were few farmers in Langlade County in 1880 and as the government census indicates permanent settlers numbering 685. Those fortunate to have a surplus of produce such as potatoes, corn, hay or clover had difficult times to get in contact with the merchant. Roads were few, yet the merchants were busy. Produce was exchanged by homesteaders for needed household goods, and Antigo, in its embryo stages, was prosperous. We shall learn that through this period of mutual helpfulness and cooperation and through the gradual approach of the railroad, the wonder of the new north took on unheard of proportions and the dream of F. A. Deleglise to found a city unfolded in reality before his eyes.

The New Era Period Of 1882-1886

The growth of Antigo from March, 1878 to the end of the period of 1881 was slow and at times discouraging to the first vanguard of mortals, who showed the way of those who followed. Antigo did not increase rapidly in population between 1878 and 1882. Nevertheless the hardy pioneers, strong of character, unswervedly kept faith in an ideal village, and by the summer of 1882, less than a year after the firsi. rails were spiked, a new era of heretofore unsurpassed prosperity and expansion was witnessed. By 1886, Antigo was a city of 2,500 inhabitants. From eight business establishments it had grown to be an incorporated city. During this period of development the following were the chief business firms: Opera House; J. H. Weed Saw Mill; Antigo Planing Mill; City Planing Mill; Herman & Becklinger Sawmill; Fred Herman Planing Mill; Novotny's Sawmill, later Kellogg & Kellogg Sawmill; R. M. Goodwin & Co. Broom Handle Factory; W. D. Badger Hub and Spoke Factory; Ed Neff B'acksmith Shop; Johns & Kerlings Pioneer Iron Works; J. E. Clancy Building Factory; Milwaukee Lake Shore and Western Railroad engine house and depot; Bacon, ToUefson & Company; Irvin Gray Mercantile Store; Hessel & Leykom Hardware; Langlade County Bank; J. C. Lewis & Co.; W. W. Hutchinson, Real Estate; F. C. Meyers Meat Market; H. L. Ferguson; Antigo House; Teipner House; Spencer House; G. W. Hill Meat Market; Jacob Wavrunek Store; Sherman & Dawley Real Estate; G. C. Williams Meat Market; Luetsker & Wilterding Drug Store; H. Smith Drug Store; Morgan Art Studio; C. Censky Shoe Store; O'Connor & McDonald Livery; Shove & Baily Store; Captain William Stone, Blacksmith; Bridgeman Variety Store; W. H. Blinn, Jewelry; Janes Billiard Hall; Vantassel & Daugherty; Charles Jaekel Store; Smolk Barber Shop; Lillian Horton, Dressmaker; C. R. Morehouse, Blacksmith; Crocker and McHale, Contractors; Kropf & Zuehle Market; Lind & Sipes; Zahl & Robinson; Bowman Gun Shop; Henry Berner, General Store; Silbar & Goldberg; Clithero & Strong Lbr. Co.; Peter Fishback, Clothing Store; Bailey & Shaver; S. Buerger News Depot; S. Neuman Store, and C. G. Adkins, Store.

H. A. Mills was the first merchant police in Antigo. He was employed by the merchants on Central Avenue (Fifth Avenue) in February, 1885. Peter Johnson is the merchant police officer of Antigo in 1922.

T. H. Robbins and Frank Sherman opened the first roller skating rink in Antigo in 1885. Roller skating was the leading means of recreation and diversion for the people of Antigo then. It was then popular all over Wisconsin.

In 1885, the merchants of Ar.tigo began a campaign for the construction of board sidewalks on Fifth Avenue. Considerable discussion was made at th2 time over the width of the walks. No sidewalks were constructed without authority of the common cour.cil of the city, after its incorporation in 1885.

Road improvements was advocated by Antigo merchants in 1885, with the result that the road from Antigo west into Ackley township (now highway No. 64) was turnpiked and greatly improved. Settlers in that vicinity had complained to Artigo merc'ients that it was then difficult for them to get their produce into Ar.tigo to the markets.