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THE WAUPACA REPUBLICAN May 9, 1884 WAUPACA Its location – A nice little
City with bright prospects before it. On
sections 19, 20, 29, and 30, in the Town of Waupaca and county of the same
name, is nestled among the hills, on the banks of the north and south branches
of the Waupaca river, the city of Waupaca.
Right in the city limits are two lakes with bold shores, fringed with
natural shade trees, planted by nature’s own hand. The lakes are named Mirror
and Shadow, and an outlet leads to the river on the south which flows eastward
and converges with the north branch at the brick yard about a mile below the
city. The wonderful Chain o’ Lakes commences at Taylor’s landing about two
miles west of the city limits and after leading from one beautiful lake into
another for four or five miles, a little stream branches out from the last lake
and after doing duty for the mills in the suburban villages of Rural,
Parfreyville and Crystal River, it comes into Waupaca and is the same stream
before mentioned. Here it turns the
wheels of the woolen mill. It is one of
the finest of water powers and has the Chain of Lakes and our own lakes in the
city for reservoirs and feeders. The
natural resources of the town are numerous.
A ledge of solid granite from 40 to 80 rods wide passes through the city
on a ridge that looks as though it might have been heaved up from the earth’s
crust by volcanic action in an early day.
The stone serves good purposes for foundations for buildings, and it is
strange a company is not formed for working it up into paving blocks for
shipment. One
of the most extensive beds of clay in the state is owned by a company, and the
manufacture of the “Waupaca Red Brick” is carried on quite extensively about a
mile east of the center of town. Waupaca
county being accessible to the navigable Wolf river, received settlers long
before a railroad ever penetrated the state, consequently for the most part it
can be classed as one of the old counties.
However in the northern portion there is much woodland and but little
settlement. The county is diversified
as to soils and timber. Several towns
abound in what would be termed light sandy loam and oak openings with
scattering pines. Other towns will
abound in maple, ash, elm, etc., with heavy clay loam. The light sandy soils produce the finest
potatoes and clover seed, corn, hops and sorghum, and since the farmer has
commenced to understand the wants of the soil in the way of turning under
clover sod, keeping more stock, using salt, plaster, etc., the wheat product
has exceeded that raised on the new land years ago. The heavy clay soils are good grain and grass producing soils but
take them one years with another the sandy soils with right treatment excel
them in fertility. The
principle places in Waupaca county are New London, a thriving city on the east
side of the county, on the Lake Shore and Western, and the Green Bay and
Minnesota Railroad. The villages of the
county range in the order named: On or near the Central line,
Weyauwega, Fremont, Baldwin’s Mills, Rural, Crystal River, Parfreyville, and
Sheridan. On or near the Green Bay Road
running east and west through the county:
New London city, Northport, Ostranders, Royalton, Manawa, Symco, Little
Wolf, Ogdensburg, Scandinavia, and Iola.
On or near the Lake Shore and Western, north of New London: Bear Creek, Clintonville, Embarrass, Buckbee
and Marion. Many
of the villages above mentioned are large and thriving, but we have not space
at this time to particularize. The
principal manufactures are lumber, staves, headings, handles, furniture, ties,
posts, etc. Flour and feed has
attention largely in most of the towns, and finds ready sale at good prices, at
home and up the line. Waupaca
city has good schools, churches and societies, the Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights
of Pythias, United Workmen all being represented by flourishing lodges. The population embraces American, Danes and
Norwegians, and a few Irish and German.
As the foreign population are mostly old residents with the Americans,
and all the children and families attend the same school a good social and
business feeling predominates. It
is remarked by everybody visiting or living in the city that a more “social”
place does not exist in the state. The
possibilities for the future of this city in a commercial and manufacturing
point of view are on the side of a permanent and wonderful growth, if the
resources at hand are taken advantage of.
Our water power, nearness of timber, the clay and granite beds, the good
agricultural and stock lands about us, the beautiful lakes, the healthy
locality, should be a guide board to men of means to strike this place with
their wealth and help develop the possibilities. Already several have sounded the key note. For example, see the substantial buildings
that have been and are being erected.
Witness the building and improvements going on our milling industries;
see the taste displayed in improving our streets and lawns. Manufactures will surely command attention
in the future if the spirit already begun is not permitted to wane. In the line of manufactures Waupaca has
quite a variety, such as mills, woolen mil, brick making, tannery, wagon shops,
foundry, machine shops, harness shops, etc., but there is room for enlargement. The city has quite a number of first-class
dwellings and buildings. The court
house, built of red brick in the Queen Anne style of architecture, on a good
granite foundation, stands majestically on a beautiful square, shaded with the
native elms right in the heart of the city.
The building is finished and furnished in good taste and is supplied
with steam heating apparatus. The whole
cost of the building including fire proof vaults, furniture, etc., was about
$27,000. |