Attractions and Enterprises
Waupaca Record
ATTRACTIONS OF WAUPACA AND
ITS MANY ENTERPRISES
PEN PICTURES OF THE FEATURES
THAT CONSPIRE TO IT’S SOCIAL
AND ITS
BUSINESS LIFE
Unrivaled Scenic
Enchantments and Commercial Allurements Which
Make It The
Gem of
Amid the sylvan shades of northern
Any
stranger with an eye for beauty who visits Waupaca will fall in love with the
place. I saw it the first time at
night. A full moon made objects stand
out bold and distinct against dense, black shadows, while numerous orange
flames imprisoned in their tiny bulbs gave an artificial splendor to this
There
are no towering peaks in this region.
There is no lofty eminence from which to view the panoramic glories from
below. If there were the senses would be regaled with a succession of scenic
enchantments that stretch away into tinted mists and shadowy distances. Glowing with life amide the verdant splendor
is the gem of
Through
leafy arches and deepening vistas, one gets a glimpse of drifting
sunshine. Fields, hills and meadows are
flanked with a riot of shrubbery and foliage.
Catbird, bobolink and robin break the quiet with their harmonious notes
but there is no other sound. The smoke, the harsh, grating noises of the city, the insane rush of
the maddening throng, are not part of Waupaca. They belong to another world, to a world that
the cars have left far behind.
Entering
Waupaca on the Wisconsin Central from either direction, there is no suspicion
from the car windows of the scenic witcheries, the business possibilities and
the architectural attractions of this city.
These are hidden by banks of foliage that shut out the view. The beautiful business blocks and beautiful homes
are not seen. But Waupaca is rich in
many things that give it not only a citified appearance but make it an ideal
place in which to live. The city boasts
of a population of about 5,000 with a prosperous surrounding agricultural
country that is the backbone of its business life.
Well
Equipped City
There
are about thirty-five elegant business places, including two department
stores. Fire and enterprise have much to
beautify Waupaca’s business blocks. Eye
sores have long ago been swept away. The
streets are marvels of smoothness. They
are macadamized, clean and well kept and the walks are broad and largely of
cement. And you are always on the
walk. They reach to the city
limits. Two banks, three newspapers,
four hotels, and a variety of fine stores, two starch factories, two lumber
mills, a woolen mill, a cigar factory, a marble shop and a horticultural
nursery are among the business attractions. While wheat was once extensively
raised the chief product of the farm is now potatoes, which this
summer have not brought the customary price, owing to the enormous crop
last fall throughout the country. The
business life of the place is in the hands of young men, a head of gray being
seldom seen behind the counter.
Waupaca
boasts of many beautiful homes and the enterprise and patriotism of the
community can be traced even to the well-kept lawns and beautiful
properties. There seems to be a rivalry
to see who can keep his place looking nicest.
Two
modern school buildings and seven churches testify to the intellectual standard
of the community. Among the churches are
a Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, Catholic, Danish Methodist and two Danish Lutheran.
Among the public edifices is the Masonic building, the Danish Society
building and the court house, which occupies a square surrounded by lawn and
shade. The Odd Fellows expect to put up
a handsome building and have the matter under consideration. There are two lodges in flourishing
condition, while the Masons are represented by a wealthy blue lodge and the
Royal Arch degree. Water is secured from
a reservoir, which is supplied by the pumps of the water works from one of the
streams. A well-equipped fire department
which has, among other apparatus, a hook and ladder drawn by horses, and a
well-drilled hose company that occupies the city hall building in the heart of
the city, is always ready for any emergency.
The water pressure is equal to all demands for protection from fire, but
it is the intention eventually to feed the mains for domestic purposes from a
series of wells.
The
Chief Attractions
Most
of the residences are heavily shaded, and beautified by smooth lawns and
shrubbery. The streets are well graded,
and the macadam roads have a bluish tinge that contrasts beautifully with the
bordering green. The interior
arrangement of the homes is artistic.
Some of them deserve special mention, yet if this were done it would be
difficult to know just where and when to draw the line.
The
city has an excellent water works system. Waupaca made the mistake some years
ago of not purchasing its mains low enough.
The result was disastrous and with other errors about the plant
interfered seriously with the operation of the system. Eleven months ago the city secured the
services of C.H. Phillips, who was appointed superintendent. Pipes were relaid and other improvements were
made under his direction which resulted in perfecting the system. The engine
has a pumping average of 65,000 gallons of water, and a pressure of sixty-five
pounds is maintained, which can be increased in an emergency. It is now the intention to put in a system of
wells to be used for domestic purposes.
VARIETY A FEATURE OF LOCAL ENTERPRIZES
Business Concerns Who Occupy a Field
Practically Their Own
In
reviewing the business places and the men who have assisted to the commercial
success of Waupaca it becomes necessary to take under consideration the large
enterprise of which S.P. Godfrey is at the head. In fact the implement establishment which he
has built up has assumed such propositions that the owner has yet found no one
roof large enough to shelter the entire plant.
Mr. Godfrey has made it a business principle to deal only in the best
farm tools. He has also added in
response to popular demand organs and the famous
Stone
Front Shoe Store
Among
other city airs that Waupaca has arrogated to itself in recent years is a store
devoted exclusively to the sale and repair of ladies’ and gentlemen’s boots and
shoes. The business, which was opened up
last October by T. Nelson, occupies a handsome, new, brick building on
O.G.
Anderson Land Co.
Perhaps
no business firm in Waupaca offers more alluring bargains than the one of which
O.G. Anderson is at the head. The
propositions are in the shape of rich farm and timber lands and it is necessary
only to mention the fact that many of these properties are located in Price and
Gates counties, to establish the value of the realty in the mind of the
reader. From the viewpoint of location
they are unsurpassable and the wonder is that these bargains have not been
already snapped up by outsiders. A
specialty is made of exchanges.
No
other county in the state offers finer opportunities to the agriculturist or
speculator and for this reason alone it is safe to assert they will not go
begging.
In
the way of city properties some splendid bargains have been handled by the
firm. The land company has just sold the
roof from over its own head, so to speak, having disposed of the fine brick
building on
Brooks
& Root
Probably
no man in the county is better known than T.B. Root of the firm of Brooks &
Root. And what is said of Mr. Root also
applies, in a measure, to the firm which is well and favorably known for long
distances in every direction from Waupaca.
Mr. Root, who is a practical miller, was one of the first men to put in
rollers when they first came into use in this section. The firm which does a large business in feed
and flour, has the exclusive agency in this county for
Pillsbury’s Best, Gold Mine, Big Joe,
W.D.
Miller
A business in which every merchant in the city is more or less
interested but which makes little or no display is the one under the management
of W.D. Miller on
Located
in the same building with the National and in fact sharing the same office is
the
Albert
Breit
A
city the size of Waupaca that can boast of a store devoted exclusively to the
sale of sporting goods is not often encountered. Albert Breit, who conducts the store on
Chris.
J. Pommer
A
business man who is well known throughout the country, yet who has a business
that does not attract as much attention as some other lines is Chris. J. Pommer
whose establishment is located at the corner of Water and Division
streets. Mr. Pommer has been in his
present location only about two years, although it is by no means his first
venture in Waupaca, but his business dealings, owing to the important character
of building material, extend beyond the boundaries of the state. He handles, among other things, coal, cement,
plaster, brick and lime in large quantities, and the business is constantly
growing and spreading. Mr. Pommer, who
has made his home here for years, is respected by a large circle of business
and social friends.
In
the realm of business life there is no trade more honored than that of the
marble cutter. It is a business linked
with the earliest history of civilization and carries the educated mind back to
the classical days of
Chris.
Hansen, the Photographer
There
is not in this section of the state another photograph gallery, which can make
the display of artistic work to be found at Chr. H. Hansen’s portrait
parlors. Mr. Hansen, who has been in
Waupaca for twelve years, was formerly in partnership with J.F. Knudsen. His
gallery on
Mrs.
Burns’ Dressmaking Shop
Waupaca
has a variety of business enterprises, but to the feminine mind most important
of them all is the dressmaker. In fact,
without a first-class artist in this line the local list of business
enterprises would be incomplete. Mrs. C.
Burns of
Lars
Larson, the Ice Man
Waupaca
is not as large as
The
plant also has made it possible to enjoy cooling summer drinks and morning
headaches in Waupaca as comfortably as the city man who has to lock his little
chunk of trust ice in his safe so that the office boy and relic hunter won’t
run off with it. Mr. Larsen cuts the ice
from the lake in the rear of his residence.
It is clear as crystal, eighteen inches thick, and the plant is the only
one within a radius of ten miles. Mr.
Larsen also cuts ice for the Soldiers’ Home and fills the ice houses for the
lake hotels.
Waupaca
Record
To
avoid a mention of Waupaca county’s favorite paper, The Record, would be to
ignore a prominent factor, in the upbuilding of the social, business and
intellectual life of Waupaca, which ahs been one of the most effective
influences in it. Conservative, in its opinions and complete yet concise,
graceful and accurate in its news columns, the paper has ingratiated itself
into the hearts of the reading community in a manner that has made its weekly
appearance eagerly sought. It is safe to venture that The Record is the
favorite paper of a majority of the intelligent portion of this community. Its news pages are a reflection of the
happenings of the entire week and its items are edited with painstaking care,
assuring the reader all the news in a bright, crisp, concise form. “If it
happens it’s in The Record,” and nothing is omitted that is fit to print. It is a paper that the parent can put in the
hands of the child with perfect safety and in its preparation the editor is
governed by the loftiest motives.
The
equipment of the office is complete and includes besides a fine job printing
plant, a typesetting machine, a convenience rarely
found in printing offices in cities the size of Waupaca.
Star
Bakery
No
one can pass the bakery of R.P. Hansen without being regaled by the appetizing
odors which sweep through the screen doors.
Everything that can be found in a first class bakery is found at
Hansen’s. Tempting cakes, pies and
breadstuffs made from the best material fill the shelves and the bakery is
always busy. A lunch room and ice cream
parlor is also one of the features of the store. The store, which has been occupied by Mr.
Hansen about two years, was fixed over especially for this bakery and is
admirably adopted for such a business.
Business is drawn from the entire county, and Mr. Hansen, who is a
prominent Odd Fellow, ships a large amount of goods outside of the city.
Mayor
Lea’s Store
In
the list of attractive business places which dot the main street of Waupaca is
Lea’s elegant furnishing store. For several reasons the store is one of those
to receive particular attention in moving through the village whether you are
on foot, driving or passing in one of the up-to-date hotel buses. A complete and elegant and high grade line of
furnishing goods, hats, shoes and clothing, is kept
and this is attractively and alluringly displayed in the windows and upon the
shelves. Mr. Lea’s prices and excellent
judgment in the selection of goods are factors which have brought the store to
the front and made it a favorite place for finical dressers. Mr. Lea enjoys the distinction of being mayor
of the city and he has filled the office in a manner which reflects luster upon
his regime.
Matthews Tailoring
There
is perhaps not a store in Waupaca that has a more metropolitan appearance than
the one conducted by the Matthews Tailoring Co., on
Bergfors,
the Tailor.
Attracted
by the beauty of Waupaca and the enterprise of its citizens, H. Bergfors left
Ripon five years ago and opened a tailoring establishment in this city. His first impressions of the place have never
been disappointed. The business,
although slow at first, has increased until today customers are drawn from a
large territory outside the city. Mr.
Bergfors’ shop is constantly filled with work as he has found it profitable to
make a specialty of fine repair work.
Pleased customers have been his strongest drawing card and a customer
who has sent a suit to the shop to be pressed or repaired has been ready to
patronize the place a second time.
Chady’s
Millinery Store
In
the millinery world of Waupaca there is no name better known that that of Mrs.
M.E. Chady. She has been in business
here for a period of sixteen years and during that time an extensive business
has been established, customers coming from as far as Wild Rose and other
distant points to do business with her.
Mrs. Chady’s attractive store, years ago, came to be recognized as the
emporium for fashionable and artistic headgear and the rich and beautiful
shelves on which her attractive stock is displayed testify to the accuracy of
the assertion. Each fall and spring Mrs.
Chady makes a special visit to the large cities to ascertain what there is new
and lovely in fashionable headgear with the result that her customers always
look as if they had been served by a city milliner of unerring judgment and
artistic taste.
Holly’s
Furniture Store.
Twenty-two
years of residence in Waupaca has been one of the factors which with honest
dealing has conspired to build up a large trade for
A.J. Holly the furniture dealer. His
stock not only comprises the best goods but his prices have been an attractive
factor in putting the business on its present high plane. Mr. Holly has occupied the present location
about fifteen years and the stock includes everything carried by a first-class
store of this kind, including iron bedsteads, dining room, bed room and parlor
suites, lounge chairs and other pieces.
The firm also does an extensive undertaking business, which is one of
the features of the trade, a fine line of caskets being carried. Roy and Robert Holly were recently taken into
partnership by their father.
Fonss’
Restaurant
An
eating house that is growing in popularity is the one in the handsome building
occupied by the Danish Home society at the corner of
Blue
Front Restaurant
One
of the most popular eating resorts of the city is the Blue Front Restaurant on
A.F.
Larsen, Barber
Of
the young men who are established in business for themselves in Waupaca none
perhaps have a larger acquaintance than A.F. Larsen, the barber. Mr. Larsen, who has been in business here for
a period of ten years, has a pleasant shop in the basement on
Barber
Shop of F.E. Paronto
Of
the desirable barber shops of which Waupaca boasts is the tonsorial parlor
conducted by F.E. Paronto, on
Kustuck
Bros.
Neatness
is one of the striking characteristics of he barber
shop on
Hickey’s
Barber Shop
Waupaca
has several good barber shops. One of
the youngest, yet one of the best is conducted by James Hickey on
WAUPACA FORTUNATE
IN ITS SOLID BANKS
Fine
Institutions That Form the Backbone of the Community
When
future writers attempt a review of the business attractions of Waupaca, who
among them will undertake to deny to the banking institutions of the community
a fair measure of credit for the influence it exerts in the city’s commercial
worth and municipal splendor? No writer
would have the daring to withhold the full measure of praise for at least the influence
the bank has played in the prosperity and up-building of the business
community.
Recognize
it or not as one may feel inclined, without at least one institution of this
kind the community is like a ship without a compass, it may keep afloat but its
best energies will be in a measure wasted, and its commercial safety and
prosperity will be questioned.
Among
the banking institutions of the community the National Bank of Waupaca must
take a foremost place as a sound, and conservative business proposition. It was started as a private bank in 1880 by
Maj. R.N. Roberts. Since then its
business interests have expanded to their present proportions.
There
is not a safer institution in the state.
The bank, which is capitalized at $50,000, has a surplus of $20,718.33
and the president, H.E. Miles, a native of Waupaca and estimated worth over a
million. The total liabilities of
$361,803.33 are offset by gilt-edged resources of equal value as the last
official report will show. Absolute
safety is one of the best things the bank has to offer. The officers are sound business men and well
known in the community, the directors being H.E. Miles, E.E. Browne, Alfred
Johnson, George W. Ghoca, F.W. Rosche, William Dressen and C.A. Spencer.
Mr.
Drerssen, the cashier, formerly held the position of teller and four years ago
was elected to his present responsible office.
In
the matter of its banking institutions Waupaca is more fortunate than many
places of the same size in this and other states. Waupaca has two banks, the Waupaca county
national bank, being really the First National bank of the city, although it
does not assume that title. At the close of its business on
The
vice president of the bank is L.H. Pelton and the cashier is M.F. Skinner. These men, with Ole O. Hole and H.M. Lea,
compose the board of directors. Governed
by men of this caliber it is small wonder that the institution has come to be
recognized as one of the leading and most conservative banking houses of the
state.
Mr.
Skinner, the cashier, is a man who enjoys the entire confidence and esteem of
not only the officers of the institution but of the community, in which he has
a host of staunch friends. He has filled
the position since the bank was organized and with a natural but methodical
occuracy he combines a frank, unchanging and courteous temperament that has
gained both confidence and patrons.
Mr.
Churchill, the president, is one of those larger calibered men who have the
rare faculty of making others feel at ease, although he may tower head and
shoulders above those around him. It is
that element in human nature that makes men great. He is a man of broad ideas, of unerring
judgment and of quiet and far-seeing discernment. Magnetic of personality, as an attorney he is
admittedly one of the most successful men in the county. His ripe experience and well rounded opinions
are eagerly sought by his colleagues, who frequently find it convenient to
consult him upon matters where riper wisdom is needed. Of late years Mr. Churchill’s practice has
been confined to office work.
STREET
CAR SERVICE ONE OF THE FINEST
Waupaca
Boasts of an Electric System That Wins Commendation
SOME
FINE HOTELS THAT ADD PRESTIGE
Local
Hostelries Assure Visitors With the Best of
Entertainment
Provided as Waupaca is with every thing to make it an ideal city,
it is natural to presume that it will not be backward in that most important of
all acquisitions – hotels. About
the first subject and the most natural one to encourage the attention and
interest of the stranger is the place where he is to be entertained during his
stay. All his arrangements necessarily
revolve about this subject for the hotel can make his visit pleasant or the
reverse.
But
of its hotels Waupaca may justly feel proud.
This is not idle boast, not an idle encomium uttered with no deeper
motive than to bestow praise. It is a
truth that every traveler, who has the good fortune to visit Waupaca, must
acknowledge. The building do not,
perhaps, betray the imposing architectural splendor of a pretentious city
hostelry, but there is a hospitality, a wholesome geniality, a genuine, open
hearted, friendliness that forces itself upon the stranger and makes him feel
at ease and at home. The leading
hostelries are the Gordinier and the Park Hotel.
The
Gordinier is at he corner of
Mr.
Gordinier has been in charge of the present hotel over three years, 1902, when
he sold out the Park hotel, which he had conducted about three years. The hotel, which has thirty commercial rooms,
is equipped with every modern convenience, including baths, electric lights, steam heat and telephone service. The location is admirable, being in the heart
of the business section, within a block of the street cars. Mr. Gordinier came here in 1856 from
Park Hotel
All
that has been said in the fore-going lines about hostelries applies with
particular force to the Park hotel.
People who are fortunate to stop at this delightful hostelry may rest
assured they will be well entertained.
To refer to the accommodations, more than to say they are first-class, is almost a waste of space. It is not really the purpose of this
article. I desire, however, to call
particular attention to its surroundings, to its picturesque location, its
home-like appearance and to the peace, rest and contentment that one finds
under its hospitable roof.
The
spot seems by nature to have been designed for a place where man and beast may
rest. There are sixty-four clean, airy,
well furnished rooms lighted by electricity and heated by steam in winter, but
the most charming place in the hotel is the dining room. Looking out of he
window the eye meets visions of blue sky, foliage and refreshing lawns. The vista is enclosed by a riot of shrubbery,
cool shade and green grass. In the sun-washed
branches of the trees birdsongs break the quiet by day and the chirp of insects
is the only sound at night. The place is
but a step from the business heart of the city, but in that step worry, care
and noise can be left behind. A bus
takes guests to and from the depots, which are also reached by the cars in
their trips to and from the lakes, the great attraction of Waupaca. Everything the season affords is found pure,
sweet and clean upon the table. One is
impressed with the neatness and wholesomeness of everything. There are good bath rooms and telephone
service also for the convenience of the guests.
L.L. Jenks, the present proprietor, has a genial welcome for everybody. He bought the place about one year ago,
coming here from
Hotel
Wagner
Among
the new comers to Waupaca is Fred Wegner, who last Christmas bought the Granite
hotel, a popular hostelry just south of the Danes’ handsome society
building. The hotel, which is very
conveniently located for transient or local guests, has sixteen single rooms,
besides several large double ones. These
are exclusive of the apartments occupied by Mr. Wegner and his family and they
are nearly always full. The hotel, which
has been a popular one for years was formerly
conducted by Fred Peterson, but under the genial direction of the present owner
the popularity of the hotel is rapidly increasing. Mr. and Mrs. Wegner, who came here from
UP0\-TO-DATE
MERCHANTS ADD TO CITIES WEALTH
Mercantile Fields Largely in the Hands of
Younger Men
One
of the most attractive business establishments in this section, and one of the
first to catch the eye of the stranger, is the large
department store of J.E. Cristy. The
store, which occupies a conspicuous and commanding corner in the business
center of the town, is a monument to the energy and enterprise of its backer
and shows what push and determination will accomplish when combined with
business ability and a liberal though judicious use of printer’s ink. Mr. Cristy saw his opportunity here and he grasped
it.
Mr.
Cristy, who came from
The
upper floor is devoted to ladies’ furnishings, ready made suits, laces,
curtains, draperies, and dressmaking parlors.
The basement is really the bargain department. Here one may find almost everything from a
croquet set and flour sifter to a rug or a cake of soap. Tinware, earthen ware, china ware, umbrellas,
books, carpets, oil cloths, mattings and even phonographs are to be found here
while the bargain counter, which resembles in its variety the counter of a
ten-cent store, has everything form a hammer to a complete shaving outfit.
The
store, which employs an average force of seventeen clerks, is a living denial
to the statement that “there is no use in advertising.” It proves that liberal advertising,
judiciously placed, always pays largely for by advertising the store has reached
its present proportions from a modest beginning. The commercial value of such stores to a
community is illustrated by the fact that people come twenty miles and more to
do their trading. Such a store is worth
more to a community as a business proposition than a small factory that is in operation
only half the time. It brings the
people.
The
Fair Store
Waupaca
boasts a department store that is one of the most complete if not the largest
outside of a city. This is The
Fair. The store started from a modest
beginning scarcely eight years ago, yet there is hardly an article in the field
of domestic economy that is not carried by the firm. The growth of the store has been almost
phenomenal. Its development has been so
rapid that in the eight yeas the firm was compelled to move three times in the
endeavor to secure adequate quarters. In
January the firm moved to its present location, which was formerly occupied by
the Union Store. The place was fixed
over and remodeled until now the store is convenient for all purposes and
presents an up-to-date attractiveness, very pleasing to the shopping eye. Over 2,700 square feet of space are occupied
by this emporium, which extends from basement to second story and has a
frontage equal to three ordinary stores.
Very
few metropolitan stores carry a greater variety. Forty people are usually employed and the
firm draws trade for distances of over twenty-five miles. The interior arrangement shows order and
system. A feature not ordinarily seen
even in department stores is a complete harness shop in the basement. The glassware, tinware, crockery ware,
hardware, grocery and toy departments are all in the basement after the style
of the city department store. Lampson’s
electric cash system is used while an elevator in the rear adds to the
convenience of the establishment.
On
the ground floor are the dry goods, notions, jewelry, music, furnishing goods, shoe and clothing departments. The departments for men and women’s shoes are
separated.
One
must go to the second floor for the millinery, ladies’ and children’s ready
wear, the rich laces and draperies, the bargain section, straw goods, carpets,
rugs, vehicles, trunks and this class of goods.
A
novel feature on this floor is a nursery.
Here parents can care for their children in absolute privacy or let the
little one sleep in one of the beautiful cots while they do their
shopping. It is a feature rarely found
excepting in the very modern metropolitan stores and The Fair deserves credit
for the innovation. The dress-making
department is also located on this floor in the rear. Back of the main store are two stores 60 x 60
feet, used for ware rooms.
Although
the firm, which consists of three brothers, has three other stores, one each in
H.M.
Lea
When
the business history of Waupaca is probed it cannot be probed far without
coming in contact with the store of H.M. Lea. The store has been one of the
leading enterprises of Waupaca since 1865.
Mr. Lea, the present owner, succeeding his father in the business,
although he has sold goods behind the counter for thirty-eight years. The store carries a general stock, including
dry goods, notions, hats, shoes, furnishing goods and a complete line of fancy
groceries. The elder Mr. Lea built up a
reputation for fine goods and honest prices which has been maintained by his successor, who has
had the place since 1883.
Although
the store still draws trade from enormous distances, in the early days it stood
alone in its line and reached out still farther. Since 1870, however, general stores have
sprung up, particularly north of here, curtailing the field once held
alone. The present handsome building
occupied by the store was erected in 170 and twenty-five years ago an addition
had to be added, forming a sort of L in the rear. While the store carries “a little of
everything”, as Mr. Lea expressed it, a personal inspection of the windows and
shelves will show that it is a little “of the best” of everything.
John
Yorkson
Upon
entering the store of J. Yorkson one is impressed with the pleasing variety of
good that are spread before the eye. Dry
goods, ribbons, and notions as well as plain and fancy crockery ware,
glassware, shoes, groceries and other goods carried by a general store are
found upon the shelves and counters in attractive profusion. Mr. Yorkson who is a member of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, has been in the city council for two years
and is open of the most honored of that body of municipal legislators. He has
been in business twenty years in his present location, which is one of the best
in the city.
ELEGANT
DRUG STORES FOUND IN WAUPACA
Local Establishments Which Deal in
Drugs and Medicines
Of
the mercantile firms familiar to residents of Waupaca, perhaps, none stand out
more prominently than that of C.A. Spencer, the pharmacist. The store has been familiar to the trading
public of this community over forty years, although the present location, on
The
present store has an appearance of great depth but it gives no idea of the real
amount of floor space as another large room is occupied in the rear of the
bank. All the purchases are delivered
and opened in this room, which is also used for storing paints, oil and other
heavy goods carried by the firm.
The
store is one of the best in the northwest and it is also one of the largest
retail drug stores in the state. Some
idea of the amount of business done may be gained when it is stated that as
high as 28,000 pounds of Paris green have been disposed of in one year
alone. Few jobbing houses in the state
handle as much.
Mr.
Spencer served in the civil war with some of the greatest men of our time. He was retirf form the army at the age of
nineteen as a captain and entered the drug business in 1865. Subsequently he went on the road as salesman
but in 1873 he again entered mercantile pursuits, although during his travels
he had retained an interest in the retail drug business. He is also president of two of the most
flourishing starch factories in the west, and is a large stockholder in the
National Bank of Waupaca. Mr. Spencer’s
hobby, however, is the drug store. He is
recognized as one of the most public spirited men in the community and is
always ready to lead in any enterprise that will rebound to the advantage of
Waupaca. The accompanying cut is an
excellent reproduction of the Spencer home.
W.J.
Hocking
If
there is in the state a busier, more active, more painstaking or more courteous
merchant, than W.J. Hocking, I must confess I am unable to name the man or
where he is located. There is a pleasing
atmosphere of energy and industry about his store that impresses one upon first
entering the place and this impression is not dissipated by subsequent
visits. The store which was purchased by
the Hocking Bros. some ten years ago, includes a full
stock o drugs and medicines, trusses, stationary, wall paper, painters’
materials, school books and supplies, legal blanks, musical goods and
kodaks. If Mr. Hocking is a busy man, he
is also an enterprising one and a public spirited citizen. A moment’s
conversation such as I had the other day will convince you of this fact. He is a business man to his finger tips, but
he is also shrewd enough to see that there can be no business without a town
and that anything which helps the town helps business. For this reason he is a valuable man in the
community. He has the welfare of the
city at heart and a city can never slip very far backward where such men are
behind it. They are not satisfied unless
the town is plunging ahead and they will see that it goes forward.
C.H.
Truesdell
Upon
no class of business men rests a heavier responsibility than upon the man who
dispenses the medicines and compounds the prescriptions which often must
decided the struggle between life and death.
Standing as he often does between doctor and patient, the druggist must
be reliable, unerring, painstaking and careful while the quality of drugs must
be beyond question.
C.H.
Truesdell’s pharmacy has a reputation built upon the foregoing standards that
extend not only throughout the county but beyond to Mr. Truesdell who was
formerly in business in
His
store is centrally located and in the matter of stock and equipment is one of
the best in this section.
A
fine soda fountain in front with all the up-to-date drinks has won a high
reputation. The stock is the usual one carried
in a first-class drug store. Mr.
Truesdell also has a very complete news stand where all the periodicals of the
day, as well as all the leading newspapers are to be found. Prompt and courteous
dealings has built up the large trade enjoyed at this store.
LOCAL
STARCH FACTORIES ARE FLOURISHING
A Business Which Has Taken the Surplus Stock
of Potatoes
One
industry possessed by Waupaca has advertised the city through the length and
breadth of the land. It has two
flourishing starch factories and probably there is not a corner of the globe
where the goods are not found. If a
suggestion of humor may be indulged it is safe to assume that “biled shirts”
stiffened with Waupaca starch have been unconsciously introducing the product
into quarters of the earth where the community was unsuspicious of the
far-reaching possibility of Waupaca’s manufactured products. Levity aside, however, the industry is a
particularly desirable one for a potato country. It has opened an outlet for a surplus farm
product which must have gone to waste if the factories were not here. Growers have not realized a profit on
potatoes this spring, but the abundance of the crop has partly made up, in some
cases, the loss occasioned by an over-rated and over-stocked market. The factories also, have taken advantage of
the market and put in a surplus in anticipation of a stiffer price when
conditions are different. Potatoes won’t
keep but starch will and the surplus tuber has therefore been converted into
shirt polish.
The
first starch factor was established in 1890.
The plant was equipped with the best machinery and the first year’s
output was very satisfactory for an infant industry. Since then the plant has turned out from
seven to eight tons of starch per day and steady employment has been given to a
number of men. The officers, who are
numbered among the substantial business men of Waupaca, are J.H. Woodnorth,
president; J.H. Evans, secretary, and Amy Roberts, treasurer.
The
Union Starch factory was erected in 1899.
The venture proved successful and the business has been encouraging to
its promoters. Some idea of the business
may be gained from the fact that 100,000 bushels of potatoes were consumed the
first year. This is the largest amount
of tubers converted into starch at this factory, with the exception of the
present season, when the promoters of the plant took advantage of he market and again increased the consumption to 100,000
bushels. With these two exceptions,
however, the average consumption of potatoes has been from 25,000 to 50,000
bushels. The officers whose business
sagacity has been tested in other successful local ventures are: A.M Penney, president; P.M. Olfson, vice
president; Charles Sawyer, secretary; and Charles Churchill, treasurer.
FALLGATTER
GRIST MILL
Another
strong link in the backbone of Waupaca industries is the grist mill of
Fallgatter Bros. The plant has been
under this management about three years but F.R. Fisher entered the firm this
spring. The territory supplied by the
mill with flour, feed and grain extends for a distance of about thirty milesin
nearly every direction. Little idea can
be gained from the building of the business done by the firm annually but it is
estimated that about 100,000 bushels of grain is handled yearly. Two other mills are operated by the firm in
PROFESSIONAL FIELDS HONOR WAUPACA
Lawyers,
Doctors and Clergy Who Make Up Local Business Life
Waupaca’s
professional life is honored by no name which is held in greater respect than
that of E.L. Browne, who established the law office now continued by his son,
E.E. Browne. The elder Browne began the
practice of law here in 1852 and through the succeeding years established the
reputation which placed the business in the front rank of the legal profession
in this state. He has retired from
active practice, leaving the affairs of his office in the hands of his son.
Of
late years E.L. Browne has spent his winters in the south. Under the care of the son the scope of the
business has been enlarged and the office continues to be one of the busiest
and most prominent in
Two
years ago W.E. Fisher also became connected with the office. He was admitted to the bar in this state and
is a graduate of the law school at
John C. Hart
Distinguished
in the professional walks of Waupaca’s busy public life is J.C. hart, one of he leading attorneys of the place who came here from
Scott
& Son
In
the list of distinguished names associated with Waupaca’s history is that of
Winfield Scott, who began fifty-five years ago the fire insurance and abstract
business in which he has so long been interested. Mr. Scott,
who is now in his eighty-third year, retired from active business life about
two years ago, leaving the affairs of his well-managed office in charge of his
son, M.B. Scott.
The
fact that the business has continued to increase shows how well the affairs of
the office have been conducted by the son, who has retained the old clientage
and made new friends. The firm has made a
specialty of the abstract business, although insurance has received a fair
share of attention. Mr. Scott, who holds
the office of police justice of the town, has ruled with a fair and just hand
and is a member of the Masonic order in which he has held office.
W.M.
Emmons
Waupaca
may well boast of the men who fill its professional fields. In fact it is peculiarly fortunate in this
respect, its legal ranks particularly being filled by men who are an honor to
their calling. Prominent in the professional life of WM. Emmons, who has
practiced in the state and county courts for a number of years. Mr. Emmons has been successful in a number of
cases that have won him clientage. Mr.
Emmons has practiced law in Waupaca for a period of six years. Previous to coming here he was for three
years in Clintonville. Waupaca appeared
to offer a more promising field and he made it his permanent home.
Mr. Emmons, who is also the representative of some of the leading
insurance companies, is now serving his third term as a justice of the peace of
Waupaca county.
Loans on real estate is also a successful
feature of the business conducted by Mr. Emmons.
Changes
in Dentistry
Perhaps
no profession has taken such long and rapid strides in the march of progress as
dentistry. In former years the science
of dentistry consisted of filling spotted teeth and pulling those that did not
appear to be worth saving. Today a poor
tooth is figuratively unknown and a root is all that is necessary. The modern dentist will do the rest. In fact he will build a fine set of teeth
upon a few roots and obviate entirely the need of artificial molars. Machinery is being improved continually but
dentistry itself is practically a perfect science. The dentist of today is practically a face
surgeon and his knowledge of anatomical structure must be as perfect as that of
the physician. One of the more recent
additions to the local ranks of the profession is C.M. Olsen, who has built up
an elegant and profitable practice since his residence here. Dr. Olsen, who is a graduate of the medical
and dental
J.T.
Bristow
If
it be true that in the march of medical science no branch of surgery betrays
evidence of greater progress than dentistry, then it is also true that Dr. J.T.
Bristow has during the years he has been in business, kept pace with the
ever-widening scope of dental work. Dr.
Bristow, who has practiced in Waupaca for about fifteen years, is a graduate of
the Ohio Dental
H.L.
Cormican
Fifteen
years ago the professional field of Waupaca’s business life was entered by H.L.
Cormican, then a graduate fresh from the dental college at
Dr.
Trimble
Honored
and respected among the additions in recent years to the social and
professional life of Waupaca, is Dr. T.W. Trimble. Dr. Trimble, who is at present comfortably and
conveniently located in the Stetson building, came here in 1894. He is a graduate of the Columbus, O., college of physicians and surgeons and in 1878 after
receiving his diploma, located in
Alfred
Johnson
An
office that is well known throughout the county is the office on
In
realty he has some flattering properties in the way of farm and timber
lands. While many of these properties
are located in this county he has choice holdings in Price and other
surrounding counties that will be a bargain for the right man. Mr. Johnson who came from
Mrs.
Emma Woodward
Waupaca
has one distinction possessed by no other city of the state. This is a lady optician. Mrs. Emma Woodward is not only a
refractionist but an expert in her line.
At the last meeting of the State Optical society at
SOME
HARDWARE STORES THAT ARE WELL KNOWN
No City in the State Has a Finer
While
the hardware store of E.C. Williams is one of the largest in this section, it
is also one of the oldest. Mr. Williams
has been in his present location about eighteen (illegible) business was
(illegible) the handsome brick block now occupied by the store was (illegible)
the site of the old one. Mr. Williams
took a partner in 1892, but this business alliance was discontinued in 1895 and
since that time he has conducted the business alone. He has held the office of alderman and is at he present a member of the school board.
Everything
is found at the store usually carried by a first class hardware
establishment. The stock includes an
immense stock of tinware, cutlery, steel ranges, gasoline stoves, jackscrews,
carpenters’, farmers’ and plumbers’ tools and supplies, paints, oils and
varnishes, steam fittings, belting, furnaces, pumps, guns, pistols, ammunition
and a variety of other goods of this character.
The store is always filled with customers, showing that the trade is
extensive and far-reaching.
Pope
Hardware Company
In
the front rank of progressive hardware dealers of Waupaca is the attractive
store on
E.W.
Czeskleba
Located
almost in the center of the town is the hardware store of E.W. Czeskleba. The stock carried is complete, while the
store itself is not only attractive but the goods are of the finest
quality. The stock includes a full line
of cutlery, pocket knives, shears, lawn mowers, gasoline and oil stoves, steel
ranges, and tinware, besides Simmons’ beautiful delft ware, firearms and
ammunition, paints, oils, varnishes and window glass. A specialty is made of the celebrated Keen
Kutters tools. A large stock of farm and carpenters’ tools is also carried.
OLSEN’S
RESTAURANT
A
popular resort, particularly for the young people, is the restaurant and ice
cream parlor of W.J. Olsen on
BEAUTIFUL
GOODS ON JEWELRY SHELVES
Gorgeous Effects in Gold, Silver
and Precious Stones
Prominent in the list of
enterprising merchants who have added to the general wealth of the city through
their own business sagacity;, is C.M. Hall, the
jeweler and optician. The store is one
of he handsomest in Waupaca. Shelves and show cases reflect the rays of
flashing gold and silverware, while tiny jewel cases gleam and sparkle with
their precious contents. The stock
includes, besides a fine line of rings, emblems, charms and ornaments, watches,
fancy clocks, cut glassware, gold chains, bracelets, gold and silver tableware
and other rich effects suitable for birthday and wedding gifts. Mr. Hall is a competent optician and has made
a specialty of this class of work. In
general appearance the store is one of the richest in the state of
Chas. R. Hoffmann
It has been said that the
love of ornament is a relic of barbarism.
Whether this be true or not the fact remains
that civilization has quickened man’s natural love for the ornate. Among the local stores which appeal to man’s
taste for the artistic is the jewelry establishment of Charles R. Hoffman on
BUSY
INDUSTRIES IN THE LOCAL FIELD
At
the southeastern boundaries of the city is an industry which doubtless is known
farther than any other business in Waupaca.
This is the Waupaca Arctic Nursery, owned by A.D. “Appletree”
Barnes. A personal visit to this
interesting plantation quickly explains the sobriquet which has become part of
Mr. Barnes’ name. Of the 240 acres under
cultivation, a large percent of this ideal farm land is devoted to the
cultivation of hardy varieties of apple trees.
Here great raising of young trees and they are
found in every stage of growth. In one
block I saw 28,000 two year old trees, another had 60,000 ready to market this
fall, while in still another block thousands of grafted shoots were barely
showing above the ground. From a
commanding eminence I had a chance in one sweeping view to survey the entire
farm, and these apple forests from the shoot to the ----ing tree were visible
on every side, and shut off the vista with impenetrable shade.
This
farm has not sprung up in a night. It
has taken eighteen years of toil, study and observation to bring it to its
present high state of cultivation. And
it is probable that few men in the country have a more thorough knowledge of
horticulture. Appletree Barnes, who is
recognized as an expert and authority in this science, has for two years
supplied the Wisconsin Agricultural college with model nursery trees for
students’ work, while he will furnish stock for 1905-’06.
At
the great world shows of
His
success as an horticulturalist has been remarkable,
and he has the distinction of having sold more young trees than any man in the
northwest. His nursery goods are shipped
as far west as
Born’s
Cigar Factory
Waupaca
today has within its unconscious grasp the nucleus of what could be made a good
sized factory employing a score or more high salaried people. This is the cigar shop of J.E. Born. The factory, which has been in operation
nearly four years, has done well but it can do better.
It
could be enlarged and made to employ a large number of hands. But it is a matter that rests with the
citizens of Waupaca. Will they do
it? All that is necessary to produce the
result is encouragement that comes from moral and financial support. Waupaca ought to give preference to the
products of its home industries, particularly if those products are equal or
superior to those brought in from the outside.
In truth Waupaca should ship out cigars as well as ship them in. And it is a fact easily established by
competent judges that the goods put out by the home factory average superior to
the foreign product. If there is
manufactured for the same price a cigar superior to the “Little Queen” or “The
Princess” I defy any one to name the brand and place of manufacture. In the ten-cent goods Mr. Born has a cigar,
“The Fragrant”, which will also hold its own with other ten-cent brands. Care is exercised in the selection of the
stock and the customer is certain of an easy, fragrant, satisfying smoke
whether he buys the five or the ten-cent stock.
If
Waupaca citizens should demand home goods the factory would be compelled to
keep a force of men at work to supply the home trade and there is no class of
workmen who make better salaries and spend more money in proportion to what
they earn than the cigar maker. This is
a nefarious fact. The Born cigars, even
now, have a good sale throughout the county but every one of them ought to be
sold in Waupaca. Mr. Born puts out an
honest cigar. He does not establish
brands every new moon and run them in the ground by putting out an inferior
cigar when a demand is created. His
yesterday, today and tomorrow, and it will continue to be the same. The thing now is for citizens to stand pat
for the home cigars and get a big factory established here. It can be done if Waupaca smokers say
so. In other words, it’s up to Waupaca.
Central
Lumber Company
Conspicuous
in the list of extensive industries which play their part in maintaining the
commercial prestige of Waupaca is the planing mill of the Central Lumber
Company. The plant is among the most
important of the community and has a high rating with builders throughout the
state. Its officers are numbered among
the most substantial men of
A.G.
Nelson Lumber Company
Most
prominent among the business firms of Waupaca and extensive in the scope of its
business dealings is the Nelson Lumber Company on
Connected
with the lumber mill and drawing its power from practically the same source,
the dam nearby, is the grist mill of the company which also does a large
business in this section of the state.
The plant is one of the oldest in
Woolen
Mills
One
of the most promising industries of Waupaca at the present time is the woolen
mill owned by J.W. Evans. Owing to the
fact that Mr. Evans desires to escape the care and responsibility of the work
the mill is at present on the market and the opportunity is a splendid one for
a young man with money, business enterprise and reasonable amount of energy.
The
mill, which gets power from
Bruley’s
Livery
It
is natural to presume that a city like Waupaca, with good roads, beautiful
drives and a promising business country surrounding, will create a demand for
rigs. Everyone cannot afford to won a
horse yet nearly everybody has more or less occasion to use one if it is merely
for purposes of pleasure. It is this
situation that creates a demand for the livery.
In this field as in others Waupaca is not behind other cities of the
same size. A survey of the livery
business will prove that it leads. The
oldest establishment of the kind in this section is owned by W. Bruley and the
livery is also the largest. Mr. Bruley
has been located here twenty-four years (illegible)
years ago his livery stand upon the present site of the Park Hotel. Sixteen good horses are kept on hand and the (illegible) ment includes nearly everything from a
hotel bus and baggage wagon to a swell pleasure rig. Mr. Bruley still does an enormous business,
trade being drawn largely from Waupaca although he has a big commercial trade. Mr. Bruley has a 240-acrew farm near the city
which is considerable of a hobby for the genial livery man.
I
understand the livery is in the market.
It is a fine money-making opportunity for some one.
Johnson’s
Tannery
Just
at the corner road where the (illegible) turns
into
F.E.
Lund
A
business almost exclusive in its (illegible) and
character is the harness establishment of F.E. Lund. Mr. Lund, who has been in
business since 1876, does a thriving and prosperous business in this line and
keeps several (illegible) workmen busy. He carries a large stock of single and double
harness of the finest workmanship, while the stock is of the very best selected
stock is a specialty and he has filled orders that have come from a long
distance. Some of the finest sets of
harness seen in the county have been turned out of this shop, which also
carries a large supply of saddles, fly nets, collars, bridles, blankets and
other horse and wagon supplies.
Photo list:
The Narrows; Grand View Hotel Annex; Lake Park, the Fair Store, Main
Street, collage of photo of National Bank exterior and interior with name, M.E.
church, Danes’ Home hall, portrait of AD Appletree Barnes, The Gordinier,
Twenty-First Wisconsin Regiment Building of the Wisconsin Veterans’ Home,
Spencer’s Residence, Scene of the Mead Murder, Waupaca High School, Shearer
Home, A. Larsen & Son’s Grocery Store (interior), Peterson Grocery Company
(interior)
WAUPACA
AS A SUMMER RESORT IS WITHOUT EQUAL IN THE STATE
FAVORED BY NATURE WITH ENVIRONMENTS THAT MAKE IT PARTICULARLY DESIRABLE FOR THOSE WHO SEEK PEACE AND REST.
Pen Pictures of the Lakes,
the Soldiers’ Home, Public Buildings, Private Home, Business Places, Men,
Events and Scenes That Make Up the Attractive Town Where Thousands Visit.
The principal attractions of Waupaca are the Soldiers’ Home and the lakes. The government buildings front the water and many cottages have been added to this beautiful home of the veterans of our wars. Here amid scenes, strikingly favored by nature, under the shade of towering trees, on the sun-drenched stretches of green, where birds sing and nature is forever at peace or producing matchless combinations of sky, land and water, the veterans spend their declining days, many of them with their wives.
The
chief charms are, however, the lakes, with their magnificent contrasts, and
picturesque combinations of scenery.
There are three hotels. Boating,
dancing, golfing, fishing, tennis and other pleasures while away the pleasant
hours. It is a favored region, artistic
in its beauty, its quiet and its invigorating enchantment. A chain of thirteen lakes and numerous
picturesque islands and nooks can be visited in one of the little steamers or
in the private row boats and launches which dot the shadowed water’s edge. It is an ideal spot and thousands of people
are entertained at the hotels here during the summer. The lakes are about five miles from the city
and the ride is a beautiful one whether made in a street car or a private
conveyance.
When,
however, Waupaca’s present and future is considered, when its ambitions are
weighed and the enterprise of its citizens measured, when its hopes and
aspirations are taken into account and its possibilities viewed, when all these
features are inventoried whether from a commercial or an artistic standpoint,
one must first take up its business men for upon these men, whether acting as
merchants or officials of the city, depends the welfare and success of
Waupaca. They are the ones who are
shaping Waupaca’s history and they are the ones who must guide the ship of
commercial and municipal activity, for upon them rests the responsibilities of
the future.
(accompanying photo of Grand View Dock not included with
transcription)