Waupaca Granite Stone Company01

WAUPACA REPUBLICAN

January 27, 1899

OPENING UP

The Waupaca Granite Stone Company at Work

Monday the syndicate which has recently bought fourteen acres of granite land north of the railroad track in this city, commenced with men, teams and tools stripping and scraping the surface dirt from the south side of the ledge in order to get ready for the work of quarrying granite blocks for paving and building purposes and crushed stone for the best macadam road surfacing. The three principal men at the head of the enterprise are John O’Laughlin and Leo Pehl, who are operating a big limestone quarry and crushing plant in Racine, and W.B. Baker of this city. We vistited the field where the work is being started in its crude state Wednesday and found Peter Terry, the superintendent, directing the men who were digging and scraping at a lively rate.

The tract is quite picturesque being masses of granite hillocks, rising gradually from the foot of the railroad grade northward, there being several pretty pine groves scattered here and there nearly all of which will soon be "blown up" in the process of converting the field into a stone quarry.

Mr. Terry says the railroad company will soon put in a side track and another track will be run out along the base of the ledge northeastward. A building 50 x 100 will be erected as soon as the plans come, which will contain two large Gates’ stone crushers and the power to run them. They will crush the stone and screen it into five sizes and it will be elevated into bits handy to load direct to the cars on the side track. They will be able to ship several carloads daily. They expect to give steady employment to form sixty to eighty men the year round. This will be only a starter. Mr. Terry says the great demand for crushed granite surfacing to all modern crushed stone road building means lots of work for all such quarries as lie in Waupaca and vicinity for all time to come.

In 1884 the REPUBLICAN predicted that the time would come when there would be a use for our granite ledges in this city and that there would yet be a demand upon capital and men to convert it into some useful shape. We are glad that prediction is being fulfilled and that our people can see today the beginning of what promises to be a worthy and lasting industry here in our little city.

Mr. Terry says he will be engaged during the winter at both Waupaca and Racine, but expects to permanently locate in Waupaca in the spring and move his family to our city.

The city will lay a water main from the depot to the plant. The cost will be considerable but as the company will pay meter rates for the water the rentals will amply pa interest on the cost of putting in the main.