Sheboygan County, Wisconsin - Chapter 8: Transportation, 1912

Chapter 8: Transportation

MICHIGAN - Sheboygan's beautiful harbor - ^receipts and shipments OF merchandise by water and number of vessels entering and departing the past calendar year.

The first work usually performed by the pioneer of a new country was to lyake roads for the transportation of his products to the nearest markets and until this had been accomplished he used the primitive trails of the aborigines or cut crude paths through the forests. In this region the making of roads was imperative to many settlers before they were able to reach their claims and in more than one instance several days were consumed in cutting a path to the desired locality. -

Wagon roads were cut through along the lake to Milwaukee and also to Green Bay during the winter of 1836-7, to obtain provisions, but the first public acts to establish highways were passed by the territorial legislation of 1838-9, when two roads were established. One of them was made to run from Sheboygan by way of Hustis Rapids on Rock river, near Horicon, to Madison and the other was laid out from Sheboygan to Rochester (now Sheboygan Falls), and thence to Fond du Lac. The commissioners for the former were B. L. Gibbs, of Sheboygan, James L. Thayer, of Manitowoc, and John Hustis, of Milwaukee; and for the latter, Charles D. Cole and David Giddings, of Sheboygan, and John Bannister, of Fond du Lac. The necessity of having good roads into the interior and the benefits to be derived from the same soon induced private capital to be invested in the building of roads and a large number of corporations were formed for the purpose of building plank or gravel toll roads, but, as with railroads, there were many more projected than built.

In 1850 the Sheboygan & Mayville Plank- Road Company was incorporated. The road was to extend from some point in the town of Sheboygan, or Sheboygan Falls, through the village of Cascade to Mayville, in Dodge county.

sioners. There was no work done on the road until 1851, when the charter was amended. The following officers were elected: H. H. Conklin, president ; B. Williams, secretary ; and A. L. McCrea, treasurer. Operations on the road were commenced immediately, and by July, 1852, the road was complete from Sheboygan to' Fond du Lac.

In 1852 the Plymouth & Saukville Plank and Turnpike Road Company was incorporated. W. R. Ellis, F. W. Horn, A. Lamberson, Oran Rogers, E. M. Mcintosh, John W. Taylor, William D. Lisse, LaFayette Eastman, William Payne, J. Feischbein, George C. Daniels and William Hudson were appointed commissioners. The road was to be built from Plymouth, in Sheboygan county, to Saukville, in Washington county.

In 1 85 1 the Sheboygan & Calumet Plank-Road Company was incorporated. The road was built as far as Howards Grove, in 1856, and to Kiel, in Manitowoc county, in 1859.

The Sheboygan River Plank-Road Company was organized in September, 1852. J. F. Seeley, president; S. B. Ormsbee, secretary; and John Keller, treasurer.

In 1854 the Plymouth & West Bend Plank-Road Company was incorporated. R. H. Hotchkiss, M. M. Flint, H. N. Smith, Henry Averill, James Preston and R. C. Brazelton were appointed commissioners. The road was to have been built from Plymouth to West Bend.

In 1855 the Sheboygan Lake Turnpike & Bridge Company was incorporated. E. Keach, S. Wade and others were appointed commissioners. They proposed to build a bridge and road on section line between sections 14 and 15, 26 and 2"], 34 and 35, in township 16 north, range 20 east.

The idea of building a railroad out of Sheboygan seems to have engaged the minds of the people as early as that of building plank roads. The Sheboygan & Fond du Lac Railroad Company was incorporated as early as 1847. But the company seems to have been unable to raise the necessary funds to build the road. The following communication appearing in the Milwaukee Sentinel and Gazette of January 6, 1848, illustrates the general feeling of the people in Wisconsin toward railroads at that time :

**Mr. Editor: I have seen much in your city papers on the subject of roads; many are advocating railroads; that is well; but have you capital to build them, and can you for a great number of years to come, induce foreigners to invest in so new a country as yours? If not, why do you not advocate plank roads, ten miles of which can be built for the cost of one railroad, and in my opinion they would enhance the value of farming interests, as well as the general prosperity of your city more than railroads. Each farmer could take a small interest in the stock, and pay for it in materials for building, and do much of the labor, thus building up your own prosperity instead of waiting for *dead men's shoes.' It is a subject that the present state of roads admonishes, one that should be agitated."

By a provision in the charter of the Sheboygan & Fond du Lac Railroad Company construction of the railroad was to begin within five years ; so at the expiration of that time, in 1852, a new company was incorporated under the name of Sheboygan & Mississippi Railroad Company. A. P. Lyman, H. H. Conklin, W. W. King, C. D. Cole, H. N. Smith, John Bannister, A. B.

The company was organized at Sheboygan, Tuesday, April 8, 1853, by the choice of J. F. Kirkland as president, M. J. Thomas, secretary. Hon. Robert J. Walker and Harrison C. Hobart were the leading financiers in this enterprise, but before any work had been accomplished a disagreement arose with a result that these gentlemen severed their connection with the company.

The People Jollify

After weeks and months and years of disappointments and heart burnings, the time had actually arrived for substantial and real operations. Dirt was about to be thrown from its resting place and grades made for railroad beds and tracks. Hence, the people of Sheboygan took on a spirit of hopefulness and gaiety, when the word came that work was to be started on the first railroad to be built in the county. In the spring of 1856, a contract had been made with Edward Appleton & Company, for building the road to the present village of Glenbeulah, but many obstacles were encountered and the road was not completed to Glenbeulah until the spring of i860. However, when the work did commence, no thought of its being interrupted was entertained and on the 4th day of June, 1856, the citizens of Sheboygan indulged in a little glorification by way of celebrating the breaking of ground on the Sheboygan and Mississippi railroad, an event which had long been talked of and labored for. About ten o'clock A. M. the German Rifle Company, the Turners, Fire Engine Company and Hook and Ladder Company formed in procession, George Throup acting as marshal and, followed by a large nimiber of citizens on foot and in carriages, marched to the spot where the contractor intended to commence grading, a short distance west of the Seeley hill in the town of Sheboygan. Here the gathering was addressed by Messrs. David Taylor, Bille Williams, A. P. Lyman and A. Marschner in German. Ground was then broken by three of the oldest residents, William Famsworth assuming the pick, Stephen Wolverton the shovel, and Henry Otten engineering the barrow, amid the repeated cheers of the assembly.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, refreshments were served in a grove near by. A ball at the National Hotel in the evening concluded the celebration.

The following year the company was reorganized under the name of the Sheboygan & Fond du Lac Railroad Company, by the choice of S. P. Benson as president, and J. O. Thayer, secretary and treasurer.

There seems to have been a large number of people anxious to build a railroad. during the '50s. In 1852 the Cascade & Lake Michigan Railroad Company was incorporated, E. F. Cook being the promoter. The road was to be built from Sheboygan to the village of Cascade, a distance of aboat sixteen miles.

In 1853 the Sheboygan & Appleton Railroad Company was incorporated; A. P. Lyman, D. Taylor, A. L. McCrea, P. H. Smith and others as commissioners. The road was to be built from Sheboygan to Alppleton and thence to some point on Lake Superior.

In 1857 the Sheboygan & Horicon Railroad Company was incorporated. D. Taylor, C. Mercer, P. Ernst, C. T. Moore, D. Giddings and others were appointed commissioners. The road was to be built from Sheboygan through the village of Sheboygan Falls, and then to Horicon, in Dodge county.

The Milwaukee & Superior Railroad Company was incorporated in 1856. The road was to be built from Milwaukee north, through the city of Sheboygan, Manitowoc and Green Bay to Superior. A preliminary survey was made over a part of the route and some grading done.

The Milwaukee & Northern Railroad Company, which was incorporated in 1870, immediately organized and let contracts for building the road. The road was built from Milwaukee north to Green Bay, entering Sheboygan county near the west shore of Random Lake, in the town of Sherman, it extended thence north through the towns of Sherman, Lyndon, Plymouth and Rhine. They utilized part of the grading, done by the Milwaukee & Superior Railroad Company. Trains were run to Rymouth in February, 1872.

In 1874 the road was leased to the Wisconsin Central Railroad Company and operated by them for a number of years. Later the road became a part of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Company's system.

The Milwaukee, Manitowoc & Green Bay Railroad Company was incorporated in 1870. They were empowered to build and operate a railroad from Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, running thence northerly through the counties of Ozaukee (to Port Washington, within three quarters of a mile of said village) and Sheboygan, to the cities of Sheboygan, Manitowoc, and northerly to Green Bay. An organization was effected immediately and the work of building begun, but interruption occurred, and it was in November, 1872, when the first train was run to Sheboygan. The road was afterward united with the Appleton & New London Railroad Company and reorganized under the name of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad Company. In 1891 the road became a part of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company's system.

The 1889 the necessity of better railroad facilities for the city of Sheboygan began to attract the attention of the business men of that city and a company was formed and preliminary surveys made from Sheboygan to Waldo.

With the transfer of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad, to the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company, the necessity of better railway facilities became more evident and in 1893 J- Donohue, in company with others, offered to build a railroad from Sheboygan to connect with the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, then the Milwaukee Nortliern, at some point near Waldo, providing the city of Sheboygan would donate $40,000 to aid in the construction of the same. About this time Mr. Cameron appeared and organized a company under the name of Sheboygan, St. Paul

& Central Railway Company, and offered to build a railroad connecting Sheboygan with the Milwaukee & Northern Railway at some point near Waldo, providing the city of Sheboygan would donate to them $35,000. The city accepted the latter offer.

The Sheboygan, St. Paul & Central Railway Company surveyed a line from Sheboygan southwesterly through the villages of Ourtown and Hingham, to a point on the Milwaukee & Northern Railway, about one mile north of Random Lake. Considerable grading was done on this line, but as the company had no financial standing, and could probably not make any arrangements with the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company, the plan was abandoned.

Street Railways And Interurban

On September 22, 1885, a franchise was granted for a street railway. The cars were drawn by horses and mules and covered but a small territory. In 1895 H. G. Northrup was granted a franchise for a trolley system of street railways, but before he had completed the innovation he transferred his interests to the Sheboygan Light, Power and Railway Company. The tracks were extended to other streets and for some time past the city has had excellent service. In 1901 the city granted a franchise to John M. Saemann and P. P. Brickbauer for an electric interurban railway, to connect the city with Plymouth, Crystal Lake and Elkhart Lake and in the fall of that year cars were running to the towns mentioned, with the exception of Elkhart Lake. A branch was built from Plymouth and operated to Elkhart Lake in 1909, the first car reaching that popular summer resort on June I2th of the year mentioned. Previous to this, however, an electric line had been built from Sheboygan to Milwaukee. These interurbans are very generously patronized, thus showing the great appreciation of the people of the county.

Marine

Sheboygan's lake traffic is one of the significant features of the city as a business mark and manufacturing center. The mouth of the Sheboygan river was early recognized as a splendid natural harbor and was given especial attention by congress in 1836, when government officers prosecuted surveys and soundings, from which a chart was made of the river's mouth and the bay. A report was subsequently made by Colonel Albert to the war department, and the chart was submitted, but no material action was taken by the Federal authorities until 1840, when a lighthouse was built on north Sheboygan point, which was kept by a Mr. Wolverton. This building stood for twenty years and was replaced by a more modem one in i860 and some years thereafter was placed in charge of Mrs. E. Pape, wife of Louis Pape, a Civil war veteran, who had sustained a serious accident by the bursting of a cannon upon the occasion of a Fourth of July celebration. This lighthouse remained in commission until the present one was built, opposite Pennsylvania avenue. The first pier, a crude affair, was built and owned by Wil-

Ham Farnsworth. The structure ran out from Center street, north of the mouth of the Sheboygan river. In 1845, ^o^r years later, the pier was extended to a total length of 800 feet. The next improvement for water traffic was the Kirkland pier, built south of the river in 1848, but in the spring of 1852 a terrific gale of wind swept both the piers into the lake. They were almost immediately rebuilt, however, and were ready for the business that was constantly increasing. They answered the purpose expected of them until the building of a harbor in the river.

It was after many attempts of the citizens had been made and yards and yards of red tape had been spun by national legislators before anything definite and tangible had been secured toward harbor building at Sheboygan. In the winter session of congress in 1844-5, ^^ appropriation of $25,000 had been made for the improvement of navigation over the bar at the mouth of the Sheboygan river, but President John Tyler failed to sign the measure and, consequently, it died "abomin."

In 1849, the need of financial assistance from the government had become so imperative that a committee of Sheboygan business men prepared a memorial to congress, setting forth various reasons why a harbor should be constructed at this port. Among other things the memorial detailed the astounding fact that every vessel owned at this port had been stranded or wrecked, entailing a loss to the shipping interests approximating the cost of improvements sought. A list of nine vessels was given which were wrecked while lying at anchor in the bay and the further fact was shown that several lives were lost in the disasters enimierated. As showing that the shipping business had assumed sufficient importance to demand better facilities, it was demonstrated that in 1847 the arrivals and departures of steamers alone, without taking note of sailing vessels, was 443, and in 1848 the number had increased to 525. The arrival of immigrants at the port of Sheboygan was 1,417 in 1845, 4,380 in 1846, 4,228 in 1847, and 6,200 in 1848, the year of the great exodus from Germany to the United States. The imports of merchandise in 1848 to Sheboygan amounted to the no inconsiderable amount of 2,859, the estimated value of which was $571,800. The exports included 986 barrels of pork, 5,015 bushels of wheat, besides vast quantities of lumber, shingles, cord wood, wool, etc.

On the 5th day of January, 1852, a mass meeting of citizens was held, W. R. Gorsline presiding and Edward Gilman acting as secretary. The object of the meeting was to discuss what measures should be adopted to secure the construction of an adequate harbor at Sheboygan and it was there and then decided to call a delegate convention. In pursuance thereof, a convention was held on the 22d day of January, following, wherein one hundred and thirty-one delegates responded to their names upon roll call. Silas B. Stedman had been placed in the chair and vice presidents selected from the various towns represented. The result of the deliberations of this body were as follows: Congress being then in session, a request was presented before the House of Representatives, in which the government was asked to appropriate $30,000 for the construction of a harbor at Sheboygan. This the congress acceded to. Another result was the petitioning of the county to appropriate $20,000 for a like purpose and also the city was asked to give $io,ocx). The legislature passed an act empowering the county and city to raise the amounts desired, and A. P. Lyman, Henry Stock, Charles D. Cole, Jonathan Seeley, A. G. Dye, Reed C. Brazelton and John Gore were appointed harbor commissioners. February 20, 1852, the first contract was let for work on Sheboygan's harbor and since that time, at certain periods, appropriations have been made for harbor improvements, which total at this time the sum of $6oo,(XX). On December I, 1873, a lighthouse was built on the north pier of the harbor, which was burned March 17, 1880. A new building took its place June 20th following, and J. L. Mallory was placed in charge. The present lighthouse keeper is G. M. S. Hansen.

The first vessel built in Sheboygan was the small schooner, "Pilot." It was put on the ways by Captain Powell and launched in 1845. This was the beginning of a large and profitable industry in Sheboygan and boat building was long continued here. In 1855 ^ steam dredge was built for the city, which was kept in commission and ran two years. However, some years since the shipyards were removed and the construction of vessels has ceased at this port.

Many vessels touch at this port and a niunber of them, including tugs, are owned here. The John P. Reiss, one of the largest steel clad propellers on the great lakes, was launched at Loraine, Ohio, January 29, 1910, Mrs. John P. Reiss performing the time-honored ceremony of its christening. The John P. Reiss is one of the leviathans of the inland waters of this country, its measurements being 524 feet long, 56 feet in width and 30 feet in depth ; capacity, 10,000 tons. The vessel is owned by the Wisconsin Transportation Company, of which John P. Reiss, of Sheboygan, is secretary and treasurer.

Through the kindness of George Lebermann, deputy customs collector, the following data is here presented, which shows the commodities received and shipped by lake, during the calendar year 191 1, at the port of Sheboygan:

Life Saving Station

The United States Life Saving Station was established at Sheboygan in 1876, and a fair sized station house erected on the south side of the Sheboygan river at a spot now occupied by docks No. i of the C. Reiss Coal Company. The building contained the life saving apparatus and served as a meeting place of the crew. The apparatus consisted of a self-raising boat, two surf boats, a mortar, used to shoot a line to vessels in distress, and such other paraphernalia as life preservers, ropes, etc., which necessity required. The crew, commanded by Captain Oley Groh, consisted of eight volunteers, mostly fishermen. This little band of heroes who, without expectation of reward, risked their lives in order to save the lives and property of others had the following membership: Captain Oley Groh; Henry Groh, Harry Hine, Charles Lamphere, John Gass, Charles West, Oley Ellison, Erich Nelson and Hans Hansen. In fair weather the men attended to. their private affairs but as soon as a storm loomed up they hastened to the station, to be in readiness when their services were required. In 1880, however, the station was placed upon a "paid basis" and with that innovation came the establishment of the "kx)k-out" and the "shore patrol." From that time on, the members of the crew gave their entire time to the duties of their positions and spent night and day at the station house. Besides the general duties connected with the care of the house, each life saver took his place at the look-out and at the patrol, which extended two and a half miles south and two miles north along the beach. The membership of the first paid crew was: Henry Groh, William Groh, Charles Lamphere, Oley Ellison, Garette Mmitinga, Martin Coin, Albert Heabing and Erich Nelson.

A distinctive miiform, designed by Captain Groh and worn first by the members of the Sheboygan crew, met with such general favor that it was adopted by all the stations along the lake and is still in use. Thousands of dollars worth of property and scores of lives have been saved by the United States Life Saving crew at this port, since the location of the station here. The present captain of the crew is Joseph Dionne.