The purpose of this work is to preserve in a permanent record, the history of the immediate locality of Wisconsin Rapids, by pictures and text.
Its claim to one hundred years is based on the arrival of Ahira B. Sampson in the year 1834, at "Whitney Rapids" saw mill. As Whitney Rapids, Frenchtown, Hurleytown and Grand Rapids were inter-dependent, it is treated as one community, all through this record.
The larger volume has been titled "ALBUM" and the text as "2nd. Vol."
In the Album, the pictures are consecutively numbered from 1 to 370. Beside the title of each individual picture is placed a further number. This number has reference to the page in the "2nd. Vol." where the subject is discussed. For instance: one page 14 of the Album, "Old Lincoln" School, P. 85, means that on page 85 of the "2nd. Vol." will be found the account of this school.
In the "2nd. Vol." on the pages devoted to the "Chronological Sketch", will be found page number references. For example the year "1889" Centralia Pulp & Water Power Co. Page 6. In these items the page number refers to the pictures in the Album.
RECEIVED AND OPENED TO THE PUBLIC
Monday August 19, 1935
Barbara Daly, Librarian
1935
MAYOR
W.T. Nobles
CLERK
Nels M. Justeson
TREASURER
Joe Norton
CITY ATTORNEY
Herbert A. Bunde
| MEMBERS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL | |
|
FIRST WARD SECOND WARD THIRD WARD FOURTH WARD |
EIGHTH WARD |
This work of the Pictorial & Descriptive History, was presented to the Common Council at their September meeting in 1934, by a committee of aldermen appointed by the Honorable Mayor, W.T. Nobles. Peter Love was chairman with associated members of W.F. Beadle, J.H. Jackson and Herman Ristow.
The personnel of the Common Council was changed by the death of F.H. Jackson, and the spring election of 1935.
The new committee on the Historical work was, Peter Love, chairman, associated members with him were W.F. Beadle, Herman Ristow, Y.F. Carlson, Fred Whitrock.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Proper acknowledgement to all who have contributed to this work is to be attempted here.
Mrs. Clara Rablin Nelson, grand-daughter of John Rablin, kindly donated the original map "Bird's Eye View of Grand Rapids 1874" from which the map on page 30 of the Album was copied. This original map was so old that even if mounted on cloth did not appear to be strong enough to wear long, so a photostat copy was made and mounted on strong linen backing before being placed in the record. Mrs. Nelson also assisted in obtaining photographs of some rare old situations, otherwise unobtainable.
Mrs. John E. Daly also assisted by contributing the old time pictures on pages 113 and 114 of the Album.
Mrs. Mildred McKinnon Jenkins also assisted by the loan of her father's collections, from which I made two copies. Mr. F. Mackinnon had the picture of his own church, the Episcopal church, west side, and the old Centralia High School, which would otherwise have been unobtainable.
Mrs. F.J. Wood contributed pictures of the Roach House, the Howe High School when first built, and family portraits which greatly assisted.
The public generally has been prompt in response, and helpful, and a generous list of names from the directory would be necessary to mention each one personally.
The many sources of information can not all be traced, for a great deal of the data has been the matter of years of accumulation, whenever an occasion presented itself.
The old files of the "Wood County Reporter" have been a real source of history and access to these was most cheerfully accorded the author by Mr. A.L. Fontain, the owner of these bound copies.
Mr. and Mrs. E.C. Rossier, assisted by the loan of files for several years of the "Enterprise", a weekly newspaper, edited by Mr. E.B. Rossier.
Clippings from time to time have been made from the daily issues of the "Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune."
From the Library, two volumes have been borrowed. One, the "History of Northern Wisconsin 1881" and the other, "History of Wood County 1932".
A permanent historical committee is suggested here, appointed by the Mayor, of which the Mayor and the Librarian should be a part, so that the work of adding essential pictures and selecting such "copy" as shall prove of historical value and not trivial and unimportant information that is soon useless.
Palmquist Studio is entitled to great credit for the fine photographic work in this book.
T. A. Taylor
[The original text included an Index to Pictures by Title. The editor has replaced this with a Subject Index to Volume One .]