Marathon County, Wisconsin - Chapter 24, 1913

Chapter 24

Commercial Wausau includes the wholesale grocery stores, one wholesale liquor store, department stores and more than a hundred retail dealers, carrying stock from as high as sixty thousand dollars to three thousand dollars. The largest stocks of merchandise are carried in stores located on Third, Scott and Washington streets, but there are large stores carrying family groceries and goods in all parts of the city. On the west side of the river, Clinton, Stewart avenue and Third avenue are the principal business streets, with large stores and a fine assortment of merchandise. Silks and velvets, furs, dry goods, ladies' tailor-made cloaks and all sorts of novelties for ladies' wear are carried in stock by the larger business houses, and with accommodating clerks willingly showing goods, makes shopping in \\"ausau stores a pleasure and invites visitors from neighboring counties to make trips to the city to replenish wardrobes and household goods.

The central location of the city, with its two railroads and aided by the street cars, makes this place a trading point for over fifty thousand people. The most fastidious taste can be satisfied and purchases in a well supplied store with the goods before the buyer from which he can select, bring more contentment than any ordering by sample or catalogue can bring.

The building trade furnishes even>'thing needful for building of every kind, from the small frame dwelling to the largest fireproof or concrete building for warehouse or office use.

That with two wholesale grocery houses not only all staple groceries can be had, but also the best of delicacies, is apparent. California and southern fruits are coming regularly and are distributed by a wholesale fruit house, by which the fruit is always fresh and waste is prevented. Jewelry stores carry a stock of luxurious tableware of sterling silver and genuine articles of adornment of artistic workmanship set with precious stones.

The value of merchandise of all kinds carried in stocks of goods, as estimated from the assessment rolls, which rather under than over estimate the value, easily foots up to half a million dollars and more.

The merchants of W'ausau are as progressive as the city in which they live; they are in fact a part of its motive power. They own, as a rule, the buildings wherein their stocks are kept.

In the following pages under this head is given the list of men and firms engaged in commercial pursuits in 1912-13, and the particular branch they axe engaged in, but this list includes only such whose stock is assessed at $2,000 and more. Some of the retail stocks carried in Wausau by merchants are easily worth $60,000 at a conservative estimate. From a perusal of these pages the reader can form a fairly accurate estimate of the large amount of business done in this city at the present time.

The A. Kickbusch Grocery Company

is the older of the two wholesale houses. It was incorporated in March, 1899, but had been conducted as a partnership for ten years prior thereto, under the firm name of August Kickbusch & Son. Its store is located at the foot of Washington street and has a sidetrack on Shingle street, along its warehouses and store, enabling it to load and unload directly to and from the cars into the warehouses. Its trade extends to all parts north, west and east of ]\Iarathon count3^ partially into Michigan and southern Wisconsin.

The founder, August Kickbusch, has been frequently mentioned as one of the pioneers of Marathon county. He died at Wausau in the spring of 1 90 1. The business is conducted by his son, Robert Kickbusch, who was already the manager under the copartnership, the head of the firm having put his son in charge thereof, reserving to himself only the right to be consulted in matters of heavy business importance, and the success of the business fully justified his confidence. The incorporated capital is $50,000; the officers are: Robert Kickbusch, president; ]\Irs. Lena Kickbusch, vice-president; August Kickbusch, treasurer, and Nina Kickbusch, secretary.

The Wilson Mercantile Company

wholesale grocers, was organized in January, 1909, and in the short time of its existence not only acquired an enviable reputation, but a large trade, rapidly growing.

It is located at the east end of Jefferson street, with their sidetrack on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, in its own building, 80 x no, four stories, equipped with electric elevator, automatic sprinkler and cold storage. It has on its pay-roll an average of twenty employees, and its busi- ness extends from the peninsula north of the state hne to as far south as Tomah, and about the same distance east to west from Wausau. It is capitalized for $75,000, all paid up. Every one of its officers is a well and favorably known Wausau man namely: B. F. Wilson, president; F. W. Genrich, vicepresident; Oscar Weik, secretary; J. W. Laut, treasurer and manager. The company does not manufacture any of its goods, but are jobbers only.

Charles A. Barwig

keeps a wholesale wine and liquor store on comer of Second and Washington streets. It is the only wholesale house in the central and northern part of the state, and consequently has a large territory to supply the retail trade. Charles A. Barwig embarked in the business in WauSau in 1902, coming from Mayville, Wisconsin, where his father was one of the first pioneers in Dodge county. Charles A. Barwig was one of the founders of the Citizen's State Bank, and is interested also in other business pursuits.

Department Stores Nathan Heinemann

The store of Nathan Heinemann is now the oldest established mercantile house of that kind. This great establishment is the growth of years of close attention to business, coupled with a keen judgment of the wants and desires of the population in fashionable goods of all kinds, furs, silks, carpets, household linen and all goods needed and desirable in the cottage as well as in the mansion. It carries an immense stock, intended and selected to supply family and camp, workman's cloth and furnishings and ladies' tailor made creations and everything for man and woman. The brothers, N. and B. Heinemann, opened a small clothing store at Wausau in 1873, and in a few years were among the leading merchants in Wausau, dealing in general merchandise, sewing machines, musical instruments and provisions. After twenty-one years of a successful business career, B. Heinemann desired to withdraw from mercantile life in order to engage in industrial pursuits and real estate. The partnership was dissolved by mutual consent in 1905, and then N. Heinemann started anew and has since carried on the business alone in the same line, occupying the immense large McCrossen store on corner of Third and Scott streets.

The Leader

is another of the popular department stores, conducted over twenty years by John L. Komers on Scott street. Besides a large stock of dry goods, points and laces, it carries a large stock of fancy groceries, and porcelain, and all sorts of children's goods, school supplies and playthings for boys and girls.

Charles C. Wegner

calls himself a dealer in general merchandise, but his stock of goods is as large as any in the city and his trade is not confined alone to this city or county, but he has an immense supply trade for the lumber camps. The business was founded by F. W. Kickbusch, who a short time before his appointment of consul to Stettin in 1893 sold his thriving business to the present owner, his son-in-law. The store is situated on corner of Main and Scott streets.

The Winkelman Department Store

is the successor to Livingston Brothers, who sold out to Samuel Winkelman in 191 1. The building was erected expressly by Livingston Brothers for their mammoth department store in 1902-03, and is the finest finished store building in Wausau. Livingstone Brothers retired to rest from business cares and the whole stock having been purchased by S. Winkelman, he conducts it along the same lines with similar success. The store is situated on northwest corner of Third and Washington streets.

Dry Goods Stores

making a specialty of dry goods, not carrying other goods to any extent, but having a very large selected stock of goods to choose from, are kept by

Neuling & Beyer

This concern, situated on the southwest corner of Third and McClellan streets, is a long-established business house. Mr. Neuling being brought up to the business, has been engaged in it from early youth, and is thoroughly familiar with all the products of the loom. A residence in this city of over thirty years gave him an intimate knowledge of the taste and demands of the people in that line of merchandise.

on Third street, in the Mercer Building, carries the same kind of goods, he being engaged for over twelve years in the same business, his stock running largely to the higher-priced dress goods, such as silks and velvets.

Bentz Brothers

are located on the northeast corner of Third and Jackson streets, where in addition to a stock of dry goods they have added ladies' and children's clothing and hosiery.

Furniture Dealers

The furniture trade is carried on by four firms, each being the owner of the building in which the business is carried on, and each has a very large stock to select from, to wit :

Hardware

The pioneer hardware man in Wausau is Richard Baumann, who came to Wausau in 1864 and opened a tinsmith shop and hardware store; he has been in the same business in the same place during the whole of this time, industrious and diligent, but his work has not been in vain. His stock is the largest by far, but he, like others who have behind them a long life of labor and business cares, has incorporated his business under the name of R. Baumann Hardware Company, unloading part of the business care upon his son-in-law, Henry J. Seim. The incorporated capital of this concern is $25,000. Its officers are Richard Baumann, president and treasurer; Mrs. Anna Dobrinz, vice-president ; Henry J. Seim, secretary and manager. It is located at 210-212 Third street.

Kiefer Produce Company

has a creamery in the city of Wausau, on the corner of Sixth and Hamilton streets, where it makes the butter, ice cream and other cream products; and has a large cold storage warehouse on the main line of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company, from where it ships the farm products of Marathon county to eastern markets, which are coming more and more in demand. Its capital stock is $60,000. The officers of the corporation are: John Kiefer, president; R. N. Lamer, \ice-president, and John Kiefer, Jr., secretary and treasurer.

Places Of Amusements And Entertainments

The Opera House takes first rank in that respect. It was finished at the close of 1899 at an expense of $25,000. The stage is very large, giving room for grand stage setting and efifect, being 70 feet wide by 40 feet deep. It has a scenery to answer any of the demands which can be made upon a mod- em playhouse. It seats 1,200 comfortably on the parquet and balcony. It has room for a fairly large orchestra, where C. S. Cohn swings the baton or plays first violin as occasion may demand. It is owned by H. Peters, with C. S. Cohn as manager.

The Bijou Public Halls

Three large, finely finished halls are for public meetings and dances, namely: The Elks, the hall of the Knights of Pythias, and Kroenings Hall.