Winnebago County, Wisconsin - Chapter 54, 1880

Chapter 54

Description of Neenah - .Scenery, Location aud Historical Associations - Summer Resort - Water and Railroad Com munications - Manufactories - Business Houses - Illustrations and Personal Notices.

^^^^NE of the most charming localities in the West is the outlet of Lake Winne- ^^^^ bago, which, in addition to its picfturesque scenery, can claim the most interesting historic associations, with the very earliest events in the civilized occupancy of the continent. At this point, over two hundred years ago, was made the first treaty with the Indians of the West, and that, at so early a date, that the English settlers on the sea coast had not penetrated the interior beyond the ranges of the Alleghanies. Here Nicollet met the Winnebagoes and other tribes in council, in the year 1634 - nearly a hundred and fifty years before the American Revolution. Through this outlet Marquette and Joliet paddled their canoe in their famous voyage in 1673, which resulted in the discovery of the Upper Mississippi; and here, on the banks of the Little Buttes des- Morts, was fought the decisive battle between the French and the Foxes and Sauks - one of the most sanguinary encounters in Indian warfare, and which resulted in the expulsion of those tribes from the Fo.x valley and the occupancy of this tract by the Menominees.*

The head of the outlet is divided into two channels by Doty's Island, which is something over a square mile in extent. This Island and the shores of the mainland rise in a gentle elevation, and were originally covered with a luxuriant growth of native trees, including oak, maple, elm, linden and hickory. A large portion of those have been preserved and the leafy verdure of grand oaks and elms on the shores of the lake and river form a charming contrast with the sparkling waters of Lake Winnebago. The view of this outlet expanding into the broad open lake, with its handsome wooded points, and the distant shores of Calumet is lovely beyond the power of description.

Its main business street presents a very handsome appearance, and is largely built up with fine substantial brick structures, as the view of the same in this work exhibits. Its larger mercantile establishments do a heavy business and carry large stocks of goods.

The residence streets are very handsome, and there are a large number of elegant residences, with tastcfull)-laid-out grounds. One of the attractive features of the place is the original forest trees, embowering the houses and grounds in luxuriant foliage. Shade and ornamental trees have been largely planted to give additional adornment, and it is rare that a place can be found with so large a proportion of palatial residences and which give

*NoTE - See Pages 10 and II of " Early History of the Northwest, " in this work, for Nicollet's voyage to the Winnebago Country. Pages 32, ^:^, etc., for Discovery of the Mississippi. Page 48, for the Fo.x River Country, and Page 53, for the Battle of Little Buttes des Morts.

Facilities For A Summer Resort

River Side Park, a view of which will be found in this work, is one of the loveliest spots in the West, and affords a delightful retreat in the summer months. This locality is now one of the most popular summer resorts, and attracts many visitors from abroad. The lake affords the finest yachting facilities and good fishing. The air is salubrious and exhilirating, and the adjoining country, and especially the lake shore, furnish most delightful carriage drives.

John Robert's summer resort on the Island, the old home of Governor Doty, is famous as one of the most popular watering-places, and is well patronized.

The Russell House, a fine commodious structure, and one of the best kept hotels in the country, affords comforts and conveniences to satisfy the most fastidious guests. Views of both these places will be found in this work.

Water And Railroad Communications

The situation of the place on the line of water communication, so fully described in these pages, gives it steamboat communication with Lake Michigan to the East, and with the tributary waters of Lake Winnebago, in western and northern directions. Its railroad and shipping facilities are unexcelled, through the medium of the Chicago and Northwestern and Wisconsin Central.

The crowning glory of Neenah is its fine water power, with Lake Winnebago for an exhaustless reservoir and feeder. There are no freshets, the flow of water being gradual and regular, and its volume so large that no formation of ice ever interrupts the working of its machinery.

This city is now one of the chief manufacturing centers of the State; its river shore is one continuous line of mammoth manufactories, and its manufactures of flour and paper are industries of immense magnitude, as the following list of mills and statistics of manufactures will show.

Flouring Mills

Krueger & Davis, Smith & Proctor, D. L. Kimberly, J. A. Kimberly & Co., Clement & Stevens, C. W. Howard, Wolf, Walker & Co. These seven mills manufacture on an average per day, an aggregate of 1,425 barrels of flour.

Their actual yearly manufacture reaches the immense amount of 427,500 barrels, with an average value of six dollars per barrel - amounting to the sum of $2,565,000. At the present prices, the yearly product of the Neenah flouring mills would aggregate over three million of dollars.

These mills are chiefly large, substantial structures with all the modern improvements in flouring mill machinery, to which within the last two years, has been added the new patent machinery for the manufacture of patent flour. Patent flour now constitutes about eighty per cent, of their product.

In connection with the mills, are a number of large cooper shops, in which are employed about 150 hands, and with the product of the barrel factory, turning out about 1,500 barrels per day - in itself an industry of large proportions. About ninety hands are employed in the flouring mills, which with the number engaged in cooperage, make about 240 hands in connection with that industry.

Paper Mills

PAPER MILLS. Another branch of vast importance is the manufacture of paper. There are four large paper mills, viz: The Winnebago Paper Mills, (a stock company); A. W. Patten's mill, the Globe Mill and the Neenah Mills. These employ some fifty hands each, making two hundred in all, and produce in the aggregate, twenty-two thousand pounds of print and book paper per day, amounting to 6,600,000 pounds per year, and aggregating a value of $495,000. The receipts of paper rags per day are over twenty tons.

FOUNDRIES There are two foundries, those of Wm. Aylward and Bergstrom Bros. & Co.'s Stove Works; the latter an extensive concern, employing about twenty moulders, and about fifty hands in all.

Stave And Barrel Stock Factory

STAVE AND BARREL STOCK FACTORY Of Theodore Brown, is another large establishment, turning out twenty thousand dressed staves per day, and employing forty-five hands. He also employs about twenty hands in making flour barrels.

Planing Mills, And Sash And Door

PLANING MILLS, AND SASH AND DOOR FACTORIES. E. F. Weickert, J. A. Sanford. The aggregate yearly value of the manufactures of these two factories, is about $20,000.

Miscellaneous Mercantile Houses Of Neenah

Dry Goods - The number of dry goods ' houses is eight. Some of these deal exclusively in dry goods and others in mixed merchandise, and several of them are spacious, well stocked establishments, doing a very large business.

On another page will be found a view of the fine residence of Hon. A. H. F. Kruegcr. Mr. Krueger emigrated from Crivitz, Mecklenburgh-Schwerin, to the State of New York in 1848, and resided there until the fall of 1850, when he moved to the town of Clayton, in this county, where he settled on a tract of new land, which he cleared and converted into a fine farm, and on which he resided eighteen years. In the fall of 1868, he moved to Neenah, and in partnership with Mr. Stridde erected the Island City Flouring Mill, and has since that time been cngaijed in the millinsj

Mr. Krueger is regarded as one of the most prominent and public-spirited citizens of Neenah, and among the foremost in promoting public enterprises. He has served in several public capacities; first, as a school commissioner, which position he held for nine years; next, as one of the village trustees, then as alderman, under the city organization, during the years 1874 and 1875. In 1876, he was elected Mayor of the city, and again elected Mayor in 1878, and is now the nominee of his party for Member of Assembly.

He was chiefly instrumental in securing the erection of the Schuetzen Hall, which gives Neenah a fine and capacious hall for public entertainments. He was also one of the most zealous and persistent of those who advocated the construction of the New High School building, which is a credit to the city. Mr. Krueger is also noted for his generous benefactions to the poor and unfortunate, and for his readiness to aid all who merit assistance.

It is such men who leave enduring monuments of their existence, and who, when they have passed away from the scenes of their earthly labors, linger in thememory as a pleasant recollection.

Mention has already been made of the Russell House, which is illustrated in this work. Mr. J. B. Russell, the enterprising proprietor, came from St. Lawrence County, New York, his native place, to the town of Clayton, in this county, in the spring of 1851, where he settled on a new farm, which he improved and on which he lived till 1868, when he moved to the village of Neenah, where he has since resided.

In Neenah he first engaged in the mercantile business, which he followed for si.x years. At the end of that time he purchased the Dolsen House, a brick hotel on the present site of the Russell House, which he had taken down brick by brick, and in 1875, built the present elegant hotel, the Russell House. Mr. Russell is one of Neenah 's most enterprising citizens, and a very popular landlord. He has frequently served in capacities of public trust, and is now City Superintendent of Schools, and the nominee of his partj- for Member of Assembly.

Among the illustrations in this work is that of John Roberts' Summer Resort. This delightful place has been mentioned in the general description of Neenah. It is the Governor Doty place, which Mr. Roberts purchased, and on which he erected, in 1877, the present fine hotel. It is now one of tJie most popular resorts in the country. The facilities for boat-

Mr. Roberts has represented his Ward in the County Board of Supervisors to the fullest satisfaction of his constituents, and is now serving his third term as alderman.

Among the early settlers of this county is Doctor I. H. Wright, now of the City of Neenah. Doctor Wright moved from Ohio to Oshkosh, in August, 1847. There was at the time no passable road from Fond du Lac to Oshkosh, and he came from the former to the latter place in a row-boat. Shortly after his arrival in Oshkosh, he commenced the practice of his profession, which he followed for over twenty-five years in that place, and then went on a tour through the southwest, passing about two years in traveling and sojourning in that section, and during which time he opened up a farm near Salina, Kansas. He traveled extensively in Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and otherscctions, but found no locality so attractive and desirable as a place of residence, as his much-loved Wisconsin, and he returned to his old home with an enlarged appreciation of its delightful and healthful climate, its picturesque scenery and material advantages.

His family having resided in Oshkosh during his travels, he remained in that place about a year after his return, and in 1875 removed to Neenah, where he he has since resided, following the practice of his profession. There are few men more widely known in this county than Doctor Wright, who is highly esteemed by a host of friends who have known him for jnore than a quarter of a century.