CHAPTERS
I. Descriptive
1
II. The Indians
8
III. Early Settlement
16
IV. Growth and Foreign Immigration
32
V. Means of Communication
42
VI. Marine
55
VII. Railroads
85
VIII. Military
112
IX. Politics
133
X. Village and City Government
167
XI. Churches
183
XII. Societies and Organizations
227
XIII. Education
243
XIV. The Press
255
XV. The Professions
278
XVI. Banks and Banking
281
XVII Business and Industry
288
Errata and additions
316
Appendixes
293(A), 294(B), 300(C), 313(D)
Index
P 85 - CHAPTER VII. - RAILROADS.
Few chapters in the history of Manitowoc county present such a series of failures,
disappointments and blighted hopes as that concerning its railroads. For twenty
years a continuity of misfortunes of various natures postponed the consummation of
the desires of the people and it was not until the county seat had become an
incorporated city that the first whistle of the locomotive was heard. Fate also
remained unkind after this first success and it was only in the year 1895, the
date of the construction of the Wisconsin Central, that the city took the place
as a railroad center that it should have attained forty years before. Situated
as it is on the lake, in an almost direct line from the great wheat-growing region
of the northwest to the markets of the east, it certainly possessed from the
beginning elements of natural strength that should have told earlier for
advancement.
With the rapid development of Wisconsin in the latter forties and the early
fifties came the desire for better transportation facilities. Internal improvement
is and always has been the summum bonum, towards which all new regions strive and
the virgin Badger State was no exception. In this desire Manitowoc shared from
the first. Diverted from the earlier and more chimerical schemes of canal and
river systems the minds of the progressive turned toward the rails and the iron
horse as their hope of future advancement. Capital was
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however, scarce and schemes of great trunk lines offering hypothetical returns were
numerous, few of which saw a practical fruition. The Milwaukee and Mississippi,
later a part of the St. Paul system, was the only remarkable instance of the latter
class. In 1851, however, the legislature granted two charters that touched
Manitowoc's interests vitally. The first was that to the Chicago, Milwaukee and
Green Bay Railroad Company, granted on March 13th, of which, among other, George
Reed and K. K. Jones of Manitowoc, and E. Fox Cooke, of Sheboygan, were incorpor-
ators, the balance being Wisconsin and eastern capitalists. It was the plan of
this company to co-operate with the road also contemplated between Chicago and
Milwaukee and to extend the latter northward to Manitowoc at least. There it was
calculated that the road should connect with the Manitowoc and Mississippi Railroad,
the charter for which was granted on March 15th, two days later. The incorporators
of this project were nine in number, viz: - George Reed, H. McAllister, Peleg
Glover, Gustavus Richter and C. E. Esslinger, of Manitowoc, Charles Doty, Curtis
Reed and J. Keyes of Winnebago County and T. Conkey, J. Hanchett and Oscar Clark
of Outagamie County. The capital stock was fixed at $1,500,000 in shares of $100,
two thousand of which were required to organize. Five per cent of the shares was
required to be paid in at the time of the subscription and twenty per cent, was
fixed as the maximum call, sixty days being the length of notice and each share
carrying with it a vote. Three years was granted for the commencement of the road
and ten years for completion, ten miles to be completed before opening it to
traffic. The usual provisions as to reasonable rates, reference of disputes to
commissioners, fixing of termini, eminent domain and annual reports were also made.
Its original western terminus was designated as La Crosse but greater latitude of
choice was afforded by a charter amendment passed in 1854. This, then, was the
form of organization which for so many years engrossed the attention of Manitowoc
citizens. With the line from Milwaukee connecting with this trans-state route it
was thought that a system would be secured that would mean much to the future of
the region traversed.
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In the meantime those in favor of the two lines were co-operating, largely through
the efforts of Mr. Reed. In 1852 Congressman Doty presented a bill to Congress for
a land grant to the Manitowoc and Mississippi, which although it came to naught,
betokened the spirit of the times. George Reed throughout the year agitated the
question of improvement through the columns of the public press and laid particular
stress on the Milwaukee road. The year 1852, however, passed without definite
action. On January 1853 a grand mass-meeting was held in Milwaukee to push the
project of a northern extension, to which representatives from the northern
counties were invited. Letters were read from Manitowoc and Sheboygan promising
that each would take $75,000 in the stock of the road, besides furnishing depots
and water supplies. From Manitowoc there were present C. W. Fitch, B. F. White,
Benjamin Jones, J. Medbury and J. M. Sherwood, the last named being one of the
vice-presidents of the meeting, while Ezekiel Ricker was chosen as the county
representative to act on a steering committee in the state legislature. George
Reed was one of those who were present also and in an address he mentioned the
Manitowoc and Mississippi as a connection westward. But the lake shore region was
not alone in desiring the road. There were delegates from Fond du Lac and Oshkosh
present also, who urged their interests and, being more influential, in the end
they won. The section of the road from Chicago to Milwaukee was built during 1853
and 1854 and another element was presented in the fact that a railroad had already
been chartered under the name of the Fox River, Milwaukee & Fond du Lac Company,
which would contest the ground with the Chicago, Milwaukee & Green Bay, should the
latter take the more westerly route. The natural result was a combination of the
two schemes, which was successfully accomplished, thus forming a powerful check to
any hope for the lake shore counties.
On the other hand interest in the Manitowoc & Mississippi remained unabated. Its
charter was amended in 1853 so as to permit it to borrow money and to receive land
grants and in
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April an act was passed allowing towns and counties along its route to hold
elections to decide upon the question of granting aid to the project. The latter
was largely the result of Mr. Reed's efforts, he having suggested to the village
authorities that they ought to apply for such and act from the legislature and he
also proposed that the village issue $50,000 in coupon bonds, to be sold in sums
not less than $500, running twenty years at 7 per cent., payable semi-annually.
The first directors were chosen in October of this year, consisting of George Reed,
C. Klingholz, C. Esslinger, Curtis Reed, B. Jones, S. A. Wood, H. A. Palmer, E. D.
Smith and N. P. Clinton. But this action did not mean the actual commencement of
construction for dallying with the Chicago, Milwaukee & Green Bay continued and
other schemes arose as well. Chief among the latter projects was the charter
granted to the Michigan and Wisconsin Terminal Company on February 28, 1853.
Among the Manitowoc men figuring as stockholders of this road were P. P. Smith,
C. E. Esslinger, P. Glover and George Reed and there were besides fourteen
outsiders interested in the plan. The capital was fixed at six millions, at $100
a share, business to be commenced only when $200,000 had been subscribed and 5 per
cent. paid in, a condition precedent which of course was never met. The proposed
route was from Manitowoc to the northern part of the state, east of the Lake of
the Desert, having its terminus at Keeweenaw Point in Houghton Co., Mich., and
branches to the mouth of the Ontonagon River and Iron Bay on Lake Superior,
practically the route of the present Superior Division of the St. Paul system.
Fifteen years were given for its completion and subscription books were opened in
July at Manitowoc, Menasha and other places. Congressional aid was confidently
expected but the company never got beyond an incipient stage. Yet it was in the
charter of this road that the legislature made its first attempt to regulate rates
in Wisconsin. Another road on paper that came to nothing in that year was the Two
Rivers and Green Bay Railroad Company, to which a charter was granted on April 2nd.
Its stock was fixed at $800,000 and the applicants for the
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charter were H. H. Smith, J. Medbury, W. Aldrich, Horace Hamilton, W. B. Medbury,
Lemuel House, C. Kuehn and S. A. Alden, - all of Two Rivers, D. Smith of Mishicot,
E. Ricker of Manitowoc and H. S. Baird, T. O. Howe, later a U. S. Senator, and
J. S. Fiske of Green Bay. The incorporation shows an evident desire on the part
of Two Rivers for railroad connections independent of her southern neighbor, as it
was totally unconnected with the other plans.
In the meanwhile matters had been progressing with the other projects. In December
1853 the village of Manitowoc granted the right of way to the M. & M. on Quay,
commercial and Water Streets. On April 11th of the year following it was decided
to vote upon the question of extending village aid in the shape of $150,000 in 7
per cent. bonds. The result was 92 votes in the affirmative and only 6 in the
negative, while Menasha on May 31st voted a similar amount by 41 majority. All
then seemed bright and a ratification meeting was called at Franklin Hall in
Manitowoc, on June 3rd, at which E. Esslinger acted as chairman and S. W. Smith as
secretary, the following resolutions being passed.
Resolved, That the projected railroad connecting Manitowoc and Menasha is of the
first importance to the interests of the two places.
Resolved, That this meeting hails with pleasure the triumph of true friends of
Menasha in securing for the proposition of the M. & M. R. R. Co., a majority at
the recent election and respond to the greetings of Menasha with our warmest
congratulations.
Resolved, That the citizens of Menasha have evinced a praiseworthy regard for the
interests of the village by the endorsement of an enterprise of importance.
Resolved, That Manitowoc extends to Menasha the right hand of fellowship with the
earnest hope that the union cemented between the two places by iron bands may be
accomplished at an early day and be as lasting as the eternal hills.
Definite plans were now under way, President Reed making every effort to push
matters. It was even rumored in
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the early part of 1854 that the road would be completed in a year. On April 7th
Mr. Reed made an exhibit of his plant to the village trustees, which resulted in
a vote of confidence by that body and was one of the instrumental causes in the
favorable popular vote on the bond issue four days later. According to his
estimates the cost of the road as far as Menasha would be $924,326. an average of
$22,008 for each of the forty two miles, including an equipment consisting of five
locomotives, three baggage, eight passenger and fifty freight cars. These figures
were on the basis of estimates furnished by C. R. Alton, the consulting engineer.
Mr. Reed made his report to the directors in October 1854 in its final form, in
which he gave an extended account of the road's past and present. By this time
the survey had been completed to Lake Winnebago and, although the total distance
to the Mississippi was 284 miles, it was thought best to attempt this first portion
only. In speaking of the advantages the road had there were mentioned the Fox
River Valley Region thus made tributary, the opening of fourteen rich counties
with a population of 17,672 by means of the interesting plankroads, the connection
with the Chicago, Milwaukee and Green Bay at Manitowoc and with the Pere Marquette
line then being proposed in Michigan by means of a boat line and finally with two
proposed roads from Menasha to Newport and Ripon. The resources of the road were
stated as follows: -
Subscriptions paid in 5 per cent. installment
$100,000
Menasha and Manitowoc Village Bonds
300,000
Bonds of County to be secured by First Mortgage
420,000
Additional Stock required
120,000
_______
940,000
Entire Cost
924,000
_______
Balance
15,674
Of the $120,000 it was thought $100,000 might easily be disposed of in Germany
through Charles Klingholz, the company's agent, then in Europe. The first year's
receipts, estimated at $262,520 would also, it was expected, assist in
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making up any discrepancy. This was the roseate hue that the project assumed in
the latter part of 1854. But troubles soon commenced. As was said in January 1855:
"The basis of the road is stock subscriptions amounting to $100,000, $300,000 in
bonds not yet issued and negotiated and a first mortgage on the road amounting to
$420,000, which is yet to find a market." Confidence in President Reed was not as
great as it might have been and even as early as March 1855 he offered to vacate
the position if any one else willing to undertake the work would assume his duties.
Hopes in the extension of the Chicago, Milwaukee & Green Bay had not, however,
ceased and on March 3rd a meeting was held at which D. H. Van Valkenburgh acted as
chairman. Mr. Reed addressed the meeting, stating that its object was to complete
the road to Milwaukee and Chief Engineer Alton of the road was also present. A
committee of fifteen was appointed to push the matter, consisting of O. H. Platt,
P. P. Smith, F. Borcherdt, J. Lueps, S. A. Wood, E. D. Beardsley, H. F. Hubbard,
K. H. Van Valkenburgh, B. Jones, G. L. Lee, F. Salomon and C. Klingholz. On March
14th a county convention to discuss the building of the road was called and F.
Borcherdt was chosen chairman, H. C. Hamilton of Two Rivers acting as secretary.
Vice presidents were chosen as follows: Manitowoc, H. Rand; Rapids, G. Clawson;
Mishicott, D. Smith; Two Rivers, C. Kuehn; Kossuth, J. Edwards; Newton, William
Griebling; Maple Grove, J. Sharp. Resolutions were adopted as follows, pledging
the meeting to the support of a loan: -
Whereas, We deem the extension of the Lake Shore Railroad to some point within
the county a measure of vital importance to the agricultural and manufacturing
interests of the northern portion of the state and especially of Manitowoc County,
whereby our population is to be increased, the value of our property advanced, our
resources developed and the facilities of a cheap and easy inter-communication at
all seasons of the year with other portions of the state and the Union afforded us,
and whereas we are informed that the Lake Shore R. R. Co. proposes to extend their
road to some point
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within the county immediately, provided they receive from the county sufficient
aid and encouragement to enable them to do so, therefore
Be it Resolved, That for the purpose of enabling and inducing the Lake Shore
R. R. to complete their road to some point within the county it is expedient that
the county of Manitowoc loan its credit to said company for the sum of $300,000,
if such sum be found necessary to accomplish the work proposed, provided said
company give satisfactory security for the payment of the interest and principal
of said loan as the same may fall due. Resolved that a committee of one from each
town in the county be appointed to correspond with the Lake Shore Company and
obtain from them a definite proposition as to the amount they will need the credit
of the county for and the security they will return for the same.
The committee of correspondence was accordingly appointed but all energy was
wasted for by this time the road in question, which later became the nucleus of
the Northwestern system had already decided to extend northward through the Fox
River Valley region.
However as the summer wore on the matters of the Manitowoc & Mississippi advanced.
The contract was let to A. P. Graham & Co., an eastern firm, but they lacking
confidence in the ability of the owners to compensate them assigned it to N. P.
Moulton & Co. in July. Ground was broken by the latter firm on June 10, 1855,
but the year dragged on without any continuance of the work. New directors were
elected as usual in July, S. A. Wood and J. E. Platt representing the village
interests and George Reed being re-elected president, Jacob Lueps, treasurer and
George L. Lee, secretary. On October 8th a mass meeting was held in the village
for the purpose of raising the deficiency in the stock subscriptions. Among the
speakers were A. W. Buel, recently arrived from Detroit, President Reed and
Secretary Lee, but the only result was the appointment of a committee to secure
the subscriptions. In the succeeding March Secretary Lee resigned and A. Ten Eyck
was elected to fill the vacancy. In May the contract with N. P. Moulton & Co.,
was rescinded, since it
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was seen that they were too timid to continue the work and on the 14th of the
month Barker & Hoes secured the job, guaranteeing to complete the construction
by October of the year 1857. Time wore on and on July 7th the date for holding
the annual director's meeting arrived. Dissentions had been growing and it was
soon seen that a faction, headed by Benjamin Jones, who was a surety for the
contractors, was clearly opposed to the Reed management. This faction was at
first successful, scoring a point in having a motion passed that only full paid
stock should be represented. This permitted them to control the meeting and
Charles Cain, a Milwaukee mill owner, was chosen president, S. A. Wood, vice
president, C. Esslinger, treasurer and A. Ten Eyck, secretary; while the board
of directors comprised C. Cain, B. Jones, J. E. Platt, S. A. Wood, E. D. Beardsley,
M. Fellows, all of Manitowoc and C. Doty and J. Turner of Menasha. It was decided
to put forth a grand effort to complete the road by November as far as Branch
Mills. But the Reed partisans, consisting of George and Curtis Reed, C. Klingholz
and H. L. Palmer, who had been summarily ejected from the directorship, would not
down and bolted, forming an organization of their own with George Reed as
president.
Feeling grew high, the Manitowoc press vituperating R. Reed and his friends for
opposing the progress of the road. J. Lueps, however, with great skill secured
a vote of confidence from the village trustees in the Reed management, much to the
chagrin of many of the latter's constituents, since popular sympathy in Manitowoc
seemed to be with the Cain faction. In fact the representatives from the second
ward, I. Parrish and H. Rand, were the objects of a public remonstrance, signed
very numerously, appearing in the weekly Herald on August 9th, to which they also
replied in justification. The vote of confidence had its effect nevertheless and
a temporary compromise was effected by which the Cain directors gave way to the
Reed management.
Though work was resumed and continued throughout the fall and the following spring,
by May 1, 1857, one year after the contract had been let, Barker & Hoes had only
completed one third of the grading on the eastern end and no
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depot grounds had been fixed. It was in the spring of that year also that the
legislature chartered the Manitowoc and Fond du Lac Railroad Company, another
scheme that came to nothing. The projectors were C. Kuehn, W. H. Glover, W. Bach,
N. Wollmer, B. Jones, C. W. Fitch, T. Clark, C. H. Walker, all of Manitowoc and
several Fond du Lac parties. No steps toward further organization were taken
however. As to the Manitowoc and Mississippi, confidence began to disappear and
the Green Bay Advocate said in April: "It is our honest conviction that the
M. & M. railroad when completed to Menasha, will not pay for the oil necessary to
lubricate its car wheels." Manitowoc parties, who acted as guarantors of the
contractors, became exercised at the progress and a final coup was decided upon,
by which it was planned to grant the first allotment of shares to the contractors
in order to facilitate matters. This was done partially by giving them six
hundred $100 shares against the protest of President Reed at a meeting held on
June 17th. The contractors thereby gained a control that Mr. Reed and his friends
claimed they had not earned. The Reed partisans thus ousted, held a directors
meeting on July 1st and organization was effected as follows: President, George
Reed; Vice-President, Jacob Lueps: Secretary, R. Klingholz; Treasurer, N. Wollmer;
Stock Agent, Jacob Lueps; Directors, G. Reed, N. Wollmer, Curtis Reed, B. J. Sweet,
J. Lueps, R. Klingholz, A Baensch and C. H. Walker. The Cain organization met
five days later and, the Barker & Hoes shares being in the majority, put in C.
Cain as president, W. Bach as vice-president, and S. A. Wood as secretary,
B. Jones, J. E. Platt and S. A. Wood representing Manitowoc on the board of
directors. Thus it came about that two organizations were in existence aiming to
build the same road and at sword's point with each other. Work consequently came
to a standstill, the Cain organization hindering in every way Hewitt Co., who had
been hired by George Reed to commence the Menasha end of the road. Taunts and
recriminations flew fast through the summer of 1857 and when Jacob Lueps who was
in Germany for the purpose of selling the bonds of the road, heard of the turn
affairs had
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taken he refused to continue his agency and soon after returned home. To add to
the company's distress the panic of 1857 came on, business was at a standstill
and the road was advertised for sale for the non-payment of $3,130 interest due
on the first mortgage and Menasha bonds, the former of which had been issued to
Azariah Flagg and James Horner, New York capitalists. President Reed opposed
this sale, but his opponents had the books and refused to show them up. Suits
were commenced by the Cain organization against their opponents for the proceeds
of what bonds had been sold and also for other stock. The two Menasha members of
the organization, Messrs. Doty and Turner, became frightened and placed themselves
in the hands of D. F. Pulling, Cain's attorney, with instructions to get what
settlement could be effected. It was decided to postpone the sale finally but
this was not the end of complications.
The Menasha residents, having so much at stake, became restive and at a public
meeting called there on January 9, 1858 it was decided to appoint an investigating
committee, since certain charges were made against Reed's management. The
committee appointed reported in a few weeks, completely exonerating Reed from all
charges and expressing it as their opinion that he could prosecute the work better
than anyone else. It also censured the action of Doty and Turner as also that of
Cain supporters at Manitowoc. It was claimed that all members of the latter had
"axes to grind" in wishing the railroad project harm and that the members of the
Cain board had no confidence in each other or in their ability to build a road.
The financial condition of the project, it was reported, was good and all would
be well if dissensions could be hushed. The statement made was as follows:
ASSETS:
Cash subscriptions
$ 31,700
First Mortgage Bonds
426, 000
Manitowoc and Menasha Village Bonds
274,000
Grading, Bridging, Ties, etc
360,000
Due from Contractors Overdrawn
52,000
Farm Mortgages, Interest on Same
6,800
Lueps' Subscription conditional on Reed's Management
50,000
_________
Total
$1,200,500
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LIABILITIES.
First Mortgage Bonds in hands of Contractors
$ 89,000
Interest on Bonds
4,000
Miscellaneous
7,500
Taxes
500
Full Paid Stock
140,000
_________
Total
$241,000
At this time the road had been graded as far as Reedsville and iron had been
ordered for the first twenty miles. It was then that George Reed made the
following proposition to the committee:
"Gentlemen: -In answer to your inquiry as to what we will undertake to do
towards carrying forward the work of the M. & M. we will state that if the
authorities of the villages of Menasha and Manitowoc within thirty days will
treat with and recognize the "Reed organizations" so called in contra-distinction
to the "Cain organization" and agree to carry out in good faith the contract as
representatives of the company and if the village of Menasha and the stockholders
of Menasha will sustain Hewitt & Co. in their contract with the company in
prosecution of the work between Menasha and Spring Creek, we will agree to have
the whole line of the first division of the railroad prepared and completed, ready
for the iron rail, as early as the first of July next, and also if we can command
the securities of the company, will agree to have the iron purchased and the track
laid by the first of October, or as soon thereafter as possible."
Yours Respectfully, George Reed, J. Lueps, C. Klingholz, C. Reed."
This offer was, on the recommendation of the committee, accepted by the village
trustees of Menasha at their meeting on Jan. 29th. Finally, however, since no
progress was being made during the spring President Reed resigned and, authorized
by a special act of the legislature, the stockholders met on July 5, 1858, and
elected a new management, in which both factions were recognized as follows:
President, Jacob Lueps; vice-president, B. S. Heath, of Menasha; treasurer,
H. Rahr; secretary, S. A. Wood; chief engineer, F. Salomon;
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Directors, J. Lueps, J. M. Sherwood, R. Klingholz, Gerard Kremers, S. A. Wood,
J. E. Platte, of Manitowoc and B. S. Heath and S. M. Bronson of Menasha.
Prospects seemed bright again and steps were taken toward immediate completion,
it being hoped that the road might be in running order by the next July. The
governor appointed as a board of inspectors Dr. M. F. Davis, F. S. Lovell and
Judge Howe in order to settle all disputes, but the spirit had departed from the
enterprise and work was not resumed because of lack of funds. On April 21, 1859,
the interest on the old issue of bonds and also on another issue, made in 1858,
remaining unpaid the road was advertised for sale and bought in by Jacob Lueps and
B. Jones for $100,000. In July P. Latimer, a New York capitalist, appeared upon
the scene and made a proposition to Lueps and his associates that he would build
the road, shipping the iron within fifteen months, if the village would issue its
full amount of bonds. Besides the bonds of the two villages, still unissued
amounting to $247,000 he also asked for $450,000 in first mortgage security and
$242,000 in second mortgage bonds, a total of $977,000. A meeting of citizens
was held to discuss the proposition on August 10, S. A. Wood acting as chairman
and F. Borcherdt as secretary. While the village did not desire to go ahead and
build the road itself, it did not favor Mr. Latimer's proposition and the majority
report of the committee on resolutions was adopted as follows: - "Resolved,
That the board of trustees of this village be advised by this meeting not to issue
any of the bonds of the village to the M. and M. Railroad Co. upon the contract
signed with P. Latimer, submitted to this meeting under date of July 30 and to no
other person or company until sufficient guaranties are given by them that the
principal and interest of such bonds will be punctually paid and not until such
contract in all its bearings and provisions be submitted to the people of this
village in meeting assembled." G. L. Lee and J. D. Markham signed this report
while Temple Clark offered a minority report, favoring Latimer.
J. E. Platt went east in September to confer with capitalists and reported on his
return to the village trustees that
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they had advised the formation of a new company and an issue of bonds. Contractor
Barker at about the same time offered to build and equip the road for $874,000,
but the resolutions passed by both the Menasha and Manitowoc trustees, favoring
the issue of $75,000 in bonds by each village were not a sufficient encouragement.
During the fall and succeeding months J. Lewis, a financial agent from Toronto
looked over the road as did also a Mr. Grant, but no offer of completion resulted.
The Menasha people in the meanwhile blamed the Manitowoc stockholders for blocking
Mr. Reed's projects, he, it was claimed, being the only one capable of completing
the road. In May and June of 1860 two Canadian capitalist, Messrs. James Beachell,
of Toronto and R. Bell, of Ottawa, inspected the road, becoming favorably impressed.
They might have come to a definite proposition had it not been for an injunction,
which had been pending since March 24, secured by George and Curtis Reed and aimed
at any purchasers of the road. It seems that certain legal requirements as to the
publication of notice of the sale had not been met and Judge Whiton sustained the
restraining order. The Reeds refused to settle the matter and feeling against them
was again very high on the part of those who desired to transfer the property. It
was proposed in June that there should be an election and re-organization but the
fears then entertained on the part of the Menasha people that the destination of
the road might be changed to Appleton interfered with such an arrangement. No
officers had been elected since 1858 and in the threatening days, so full of
political excitement, in the latter part of 1860, further interest in railroad
matters seemed to lapse, although feeble attempts were made at re-organization the
succeeding spring. The Reed organization continued to hold adjourned meetings,
lacking a quorum, throughout the war, thus leading an anomalous existence, with
headquarters in Menasha.
After the issue of the war had been decided attention was again turned towards
railroad matters. A proposal was made in January 1864 that all stockholders place
their shares on a common basis to be disposed of to some eastern men with
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capital enough to construct the road. Mr. Reed also had proposals to make at
about this time, he having effected an understanding with Jacob Lueps, the
purchaser of the rights of way. Two years passed, the Reed organization still
maintaining its legal existence. Then on April 4, 1866, the charter of the
M. & M. was consolidated, the new incorporators being George Reed and Jos. Vilas
of Manitowoc; Henry Hewit, R. M. Scott and Curtis Reed of Menasha. George Reed
was chosen president and Joseph Vilas vice-president and on March 1st an act was
passed providing that whenever the company should deposit in the First National
bank $100,000 and release the village from the $37,000 in bonds then due the clerk
of the village should deposit $100,000 of the village bonds subject to exchange
for stock in the company. Two years more passed without definite action when, on
March 6, 1868, the Manitowoc and Minnesota company was organized to succeed to the
corporate rights of the old M. & M. The promoters were Henry Hewitt, Curtis Reed,
R. Klingholz, I. S. Buck and George Reed and the capital stock was fixed at then
millions. It was given the power to enforce the bonds of its predecessors and the
first directors were to be elected in May 1869. It was expected that the aid of
such capitalists as Hiram Barnard and S. J. Tilden of New York could be enlisted
and it was planned to include Appleton on the route and to reach the Mississippi.
Judge Reed thought to take advantage of an old grant of right away to Lake
Superior via Stevens Point, a distance of about three hundred miles in all, -
eventually the line of the Wisconsin Central. Eastern connections with the F. &
P. M., which had been urged as early as 1857, were again proposed also. In
September the village board put the question of advancing $100,000 in village
bonds to aid the project and the election held on the 22nd resulted as follows:
For proposition, 304; against, 80, a majority of 224. The usual delay resulted,
however, and by this time attention was turning in another direction.
It seems that a grant had been made to a company known as the Milwaukee and Lake
Superior railroad in 1856, its rights being extended ten years in 1866.
Capitalists had
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taken up this project, which had been allowed to lapse so long and on March 5,
1869 it was given permission by the legislature to build its road through
Cedarburg, Grafton, Port Washington, Sheboygan, Manitowoc and Green Bay to some
point on Lake Superior. F. W. Horn, the president of the road, visited Manitowoc
in October 1869 in its interest and a railroad meeting was held on November 13.
Captain Guyles acted as chairman, F. Borcherdt as secretary and among the speakers
were J. D. Markham, E. B. Treat, C. E. Esslinger, S. A. Wood and D. Smoke.
Committees were appointed and soon Joseph Vilas, always a master organizer, was
attracted towards the new plan as a most practicable project. Mr. Reed, however,
did not remain inactive and in December asked further aid for his road to pay the
expense of a survey and other preliminaries. A vote on the question of advancing
it was taken, resulting in 103 for and 188 against the proposition and it was thus
seen that Manitowoc was not favorable to his plans. The railroad committee,
appointed in November, went to Appleton and found the people there very
enthusiastic over the prospects of a new outlet. Another meeting was called for
January 19, 1870 at Klingholz Hall. Captain Guyles again acted as chairman and
the principal business was the receipt of a letter from Milwaukee, asking what
assistance Manitowoc would give. A second committee was accordingly appointed,
consisting of S. A. Wood, C. E. Esslinger, J. Lueps and J. D. Markham to go to
Madison and assist in securing a charter. The struggle was a hard one, the
opponents of the project being the Milwaukee & Northern and the Wisconsin Central,
the latter of which was now being built with George Reed as one of its principal
promoters. The committee representing Manitowoc worked hard and long but their
efforts at first met with disappointment for on March 2nd the assembly by a vote
of 43 to 41 voted against the charter. A few days later, however, an amendment
was assented to changing the name from that of the Milwaukee, Manitowoc,
Mississippi & Minnesota company, which had been proposed, to the Milwaukee,
Manitowoc & Green Bay and, as such articles of incorporation were granted to it
on March
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10th. The capital stock was fixed at five millions, with authority granted to
double the amount and the incorporators were Joseph Vilas, Charles Cain, I. M.
Bean, D. Taylor, F. Hilger, J. W. Vail, S. W. Cozzens, Levi Blossom, R. C.
Merrington, W. S. Chandler and Jacob Lueps, most of them outside capitalists.
Authority was given to towns, villages and counties along its route to grant aid
also. In the same month organization was effected by the election of the following
officers: - President, Charles Cain; vice-president, S. W. Cozzens; secretary
Joseph Vilas; treasurer, R. O. C. Merrington. Thus all the elements, it will be
seen, that were present in the older railroad efforts in the county were in the
new organization, minus Mr. Reed, who opposed this new project strenuously in the
legislature and outside it.
A large mass meeting was held on March 23rd at which it was decided without a
dissenting vote to submit to the citizens the question whether or not the county
should subscribe $250,000. In the meantime a meeting was held of the directors
of the old Appleton & New London Railroad company, which had existed for some years
on paper and Joseph Vilas was elected president, so that the management of the two
roads became almost identical. The charter of this latter road had been so amended
that it might connect with the other at some point on Lake Michigan and from 1870
on it and the Milwaukee, Manitowoc & Green Bay were one project. The vote in
Manitowoc county was taken on April 12th. Manitowoc city and town voted in favor
of the bond issue almost unanimously, 1,493 ballots being so cast and majorities
favorable were secured also in the towns of Rapids, Kossuth, Cato, Newton, Franklin
and Rockland, amounting to 2,544 while an aggregate majority of 1,921 against the
issue was the result in Two Rivers, Mishicot, Gibson, Meeme, Maple Grove, Liberty,
Cooperstown, Centreville, Two Creeks and Schleswig. The aid voted was divided,
$150,000 to the Appleton and New London and $100,000 to the Milwaukee, Manitowoc
& Green Bay and the result of the total vote was 597 majority for the latter and
661 for the former proposition. In the words of the local press: "Now one more
railroad com-
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pany has got all it has asked for from the county and we are waiting for them to
fulfill their part of the contract." Brown county also signified a willingness
to aid the project, if assurances would be given that the road would touch that
section.
Work began on the road north of Milwaukee in May and on June 4th Port Washington
voted to take $30,000 of stock in the Milwaukee, Manitowoc & Green Bay by 210
majority. Directors were elected in July and the following officers also chosen:
- President, Joseph Vilas; vice-president, C. Cozzens, of New York; secretary,
R. Merrington; treasurer, C. C. Barnes. During 1870 and 1871 the Milwaukee &
Northern Railroad company was also pushed and the town of Schleswig by a large
majority granted $15,000 in aid to the road. Joseph Vilas, president of the
other road, was in the meanwhile making frequent trips to New York, interesting
capital there and getting matters in final shape for the construction. It was
his persistent efforts more than anything else that brought about a successful
consummation of the plans so soon. Other projects were still considered, however,
and in January 1871 George Reed called a meeting at the courthouse in the
interests of the old Manitowoc & Minnesota, promising to build the road to Menasha
in a year, providing the city would get the right of way ready for the rails.
Another meeting was held by O. H. Waldo and other promoters of a scheme to build
a road from Milwaukee to Manitowoc via Cedarburg and Sheboygan Falls but neither
this nor the former proposition were favorably received, the Manitowoc and
Minnesota a few months later becoming consolidated with the Wisconsin Central
and George Reed being elected president of both corporations. Thereafter his
interest in Manitowoc railroad projects was at an end. For twenty years had he
been identified with them and there are those who believe that had he been allowed
to proceed unhampered at the first the Manitowoc & Mississippi might have been
built and in active operation before the Civil war.
In the meanwhile work was being pushed on the Appleton & New London, between
Appleton and Manitowoc, the
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part first to be built. President Vilas in April, 1871, purchased 1500 tons of
iron rails, a locomotive and several platform cars, the rails arriving May 30.
In the early dawn of Sunday morning, June 22, the first locomotive, named the
Benjamin Jones, after the city's founder, was brought into the harbor on board
the two-masted schooner Mediterranean, having been shipped on the craft at
Buffalo. All day a stream of visitors gazed upon this herald of a new day and
hopes for the future seemed now near realization. The lofty railroad bridge near
Branch Mills was constructed in this month and in July at a meeting of the
stockholders all was reported as prosperous. Joseph Vilas was re-elected
president, Henry Mann chosen vice-president, C. Luling, secretary, C. C. Barnes,
treasurer and eleven directors, two from Milwaukee, one from Port Washington,
three from Sheboygan, besides Jacob Lueps, J. D. Markham, M. Fellows, C. H. Walker
and Joseph Vilas, were elected. It had now been definitely settled that Appleton
was to be upon the route and upon the advice of Hiram Barnard, the New York
capitalist, that city extended considerable aid. The satisfaction expressed by
the rapidity of the work on the Appleton division was augmented, when in September
news reached the city that work north of Milwaukee would be pushed immediately.
In June the company asked for further aid, $75,000 of the city of Manitowoc and
$25,000 from Two Rivers. The latter was to be in consideration of an agreement
to build a branch to that city along the line granted the year before (on March 24,
1871) by the legislature to the Manitowoc & Big Sturgeon R. R. Co., the
incorporators of which were J. Vilas, John Schuette and C. C. Barnes of Manitowoc;
H. H. Smith of Two Rivers and W. Wyatt of Kenosha. Meetings were held to discuss
this new proposal and sentiment seemed to be so in favor of the extra aid that an
election was held on June 7th, resulting as follows in Manitowoc:
Wards For Against
I. 152 77
II. 99 17
III. 232 39
IV. 125 54
___ ___
Total 578 187
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In Two Rivers the vote was taken on the 24th of July and resulted in 299 votes
being cast in favor of the proposition as against 96 against it, a result which
met with enthusiastic acclaim. Sheboygan city also voted $50,000 and the county
$80,000 in aid of the project, the sum total of the amounts voted by the lake
shore counties to the road being $480,000. In the fall of 1872 the road from
Manitowoc to Appleton was opened for business. Work was also progressing north
of Milwaukee, being completed as far as Sheboygan by the time winter set in, under
the able management of engineer H. G. H. Reed, in charge of the construction. The
panic of 1873 did not interrupt the work, due to the efforts of President Vilas,
and on September 22nd of that year the road was formally opened to Milwaukee, the
Two Rivers branch being completed the following year. During 1872 and 1873 the
officers remained unchanged with the exception of the addition of Charles Luling,
who acquired interests in the project at about this time. The name Milwaukee Lake
Shore & Western was assumed in 1873 as the designation of the consolidated system.
Trouble soon arose, however, the road being unable to meet its obligations held
by eastern capitalists and early in 1874 it became necessary to turn it over to
the bondholders. Directors Fellows, Lueps, Markham, Elwell and Cotzhausen stepped
out and L. Wells, W. H. Guion, S. S. Sands and S. H. Knox of New York City; I. C.
Horning of Philadelphia and R. Bard of Baltimore, who had bought the bonds, filled
the places vacated. On May 6th a re-organization was effected, F. W. Rhinelander
of New York succeeding Mr. Vilas as president and Henry Mann of Milwaukee being
chosen vice-president. Old obligations were then settled, claims adjusted and the
road extended westward from Appleton from year to year until the Lake Shore system
became one of the best equipped of the smaller roads of the state. Joseph Vilas
and Charles Luling were at this time and for many succeeding years the only
Manitowoc men interested in the road, being directors.
It can scarcely be said that Manitowoc received all the benefit it had expected
from railway connections. The much
P 106
hoped for eastern lake route did not materialize and, although the division
railroad shops were located at Manitowoc at first, even these were removed to
Kaukauna in 1883 much to the chagrin and detriment of the city. In 1884 rumors
to the effect that the Two Rivers branch would be extended to Kewaunee were
rife and again in 1887 the Milwaukee and Northern contemplated an extension from
Kiel to Kewaunee, public meetings to consider the project being held in the
country towns but no action resulted from either project. In the meanwhile the
city and county were beginning to realize that the money subscribed for stock in
the railroad companies had, by the reorganization of the M. L. S. & W., become a
debt and nothing more. The county board in January, 1884 appointed a committee,
consisting of Supervisors Stoker, Schmitz and McCarty, to investigate the matter
and see if any relief was possible. At the time $216,000 of the county
subscription was still unpaid and all the money advanced by the cities of
Manitowoc and Two Rivers was owing. An attempt had been made in earlier years
to come to some agreement, notable in the efforts being John Carey, but the cities
had been backward in co-operating, wishing to ascertain what were the company's
motives. Two lawyers were consulted by the committee and gave their opinions,
Michael Kirwan holding that the county had no redress and was bound to pay the
bonds while F. W. Cotzhausen of Milwaukee maintained an exactly contrary position.
It was finally referred to Attorney Joshua Stark of Milwaukee, who upheld Judge
Kirwan's opinion. The county bonds became due on July 1, 1890, being held in New
York, Sheboygan, Manitowoc and elsewhere, selling in 1888 at a premium of five per
cent. In that year another committee, consisting of J. P. Nolan, of Maple Grove;
J. Murphy of Cato and F. Schuette of Manitowoc, was chosen by the board to
ascertain the best method of paying off the debt. Discussion continued at
intervals until the November session in 1889 when the proposition of county
Treasurer Gielow was adopted, by which the bonds were to be refunded and an
arrangement made to pay $18,000 annually for fifteen years. The town of
Schleswig was meeting with similar questions with
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regards to its Milwaukee & Northern bonds and made a settlement somewhat similar,
agreeing to pay $1000 for thirteen years. During the twenty years these bonds had
run Schleswig had paid $24,000 in interest, nearly twice the amount of the original
aid extended. The bonds of the cities of Manitowoc and Two Rivers became due in
1892 and the former refunded the $35,000 then remaining due in twenty year bonds,
Two Rivers making a similar arrangement. On several occasions talk arose of
possible connections between the M. L. S. & W. and the Wisconsin Central but
nothing definite came of it. In 1889 the former asked the city council of Manitowoc
for a franchise granting the right of way on Franklin and Quay streets from their
depot to the lake front, promising the city much benefit from proposed improvements
at the latter point. Much opposition arose, however, and General Manager Whitcomb
and Mr. Thayer representing the road were called upon to address the council upon
the matter. The right of way was finally granted after the imposition of some
conditions as to the use of the same. Damage suits were then brought by abutting
property holders, which dragged on for many years, the attorneys for the plaintiffs,
Sedgwick, Sedgwick & Schmidt, finally securing a decision in the fall of 1901. The
railroad company had bought the Hinckley and Allen property, consisting of nineteen
acres, on the lake shore for $13,000 but year after year passed without any of the
promised improvements being made with the exception of the building of a warehouse
for the transferring of freight to the F. & P. M. liners. In 1891 steps were taken
looking toward the incorporation of the M. L. S. & W. into the Chicago & North-
western system. By this time no Manitowoc capital was invested in the former road
and the change, perfected August 19, 1893, would have been immaterial had it not
injured the city's facilities by the fact that many of the through trains were
thereafter run over the Wisconsin instead of the Ashland division, as the Lake
Shore was now called. About the time of the change a depot was built, which filled
a long felt need, the new structure being a neat and commodious one, costing
$15,000. Although the C. & N. W. continued through ship-
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ments across the lake in 1892 business fell off and the panic of the next year
still further depressed trade. The Kewaunee short line, established at about the
same time was also a disturbing factor affecting local business. It was at this
unpropitious time that the Northwestern asked for the vacation of the lake front
street ends on the south side, thus raising a question that vexed the city fathers
all during the summer of 1893. Upon showing that it was purchasing the right of
way for a proposed belt line around the southern limits of the city the company
was unanimously granted the privilege after much opposition. The belt line was,
not however, completed until five years later.
And now in the time of deepest industrial depression, when Manitowoc seemed to
have little future before her there came to a head as magnificent a scheme of
transportation as the city had ever hoped for. The old desire to be located on a
through line to the east, which had been entertained as early as the fifties, was
finally obtained and that through the medium of the Wisconsin Central, by the
strange irony of Fate, the successor to the very privileges granted to the
Manitowoc & Mississippi. The earliest rumor of an extension of the Central
eastward from Menasha gained currency through the columns of the Milwaukee and
Menasha papers in January, 1894, although it later came to light that had it not
been for the panic the road would have been built in 1892. In December 1894 the
Superior & Southeastern filed articles of incorporation, of which Ex-State
Treasurer Hunner was one of the projectors, with Manitowoc or Sheboygan as its
projected terminus. The plan although it did not go beyond the stage of
incorporation preceded by a few weeks certain peculiar actions that continued to
mystify citizens for three months. Options were taken on city property just above
and north of the Main street bridge, surveyors were seen in the neighboring country
and wild rumors were afloat. Some thought that the land was being secured by the
C. & N. W., others that the Inter-Ocean Transportation company was seeking property
and still others attributed the actions to the Wisconsin Central but the result was
that the price of lots went up and
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Manitowoc experienced something of a real estate boom. Zander & Co., planning mill
proprietors, and others sold their property on what was known as the "the flats"
and condemnation proceedings were filed on March 20th by a corporation calling
itself the Manitowoc Terminal company against many of the neighboring tracts. The
true facts of the case did not come out until April 18, when in a special edition
of the Manitowoc Pilot the whole matter became public information. It seems that
the Wisconsin Central had been responsible for the activity and that as channels of
action there were two corporations, the Manitowoc Terminal company and the Milwaukee
& Lake Winnebago Railway company. The former secured quietly all of what was known
as "Shipyard Point" and Lueps' Island" while the later had been obtaining a right
of way westward to Hilbert Junction. Continuous dockage and acres of track space
were thus afforded and it was announced that the depots would be placed near the
Main street bridge. The vastness of the project was early understood; in the
language of a newspaper of the time: "It is self evident that these lines are not
to be built to secure local business but have in view eastern connections." But
most remarkable of all the company asked no bonus, merely requesting the vacation
of the streets on the "flats." Fear that it might be the C. & N. W. in disguise
was quieted by the arrival on May 8, of E. H. Abbott, president of the Central;
General Manager Whitcomb, Chief Engineer Tweedy and P. S. Abbott. The project by
this time had become widely advertised and Manitowoc received much notice.
Attorney Gill appeared before the council upon the question of the vacation of the
streets on May 13th and President Greenleaf of the Manitowoc Terminal company
communicated with that body concerning necessary co-operation by the city in
dredging the river soon after.
The contracts for the grading of the new road were let to Evans & Richards of
Minneapolis in a month and the work was completed by May 1, 1896. Sub-contractors
took the job of digging the deep cuts, one of which required the excavation of
158,000 cubic yards of earth. A commencement at the
P 110
grading of the terminals was made in November 1895 and dredging continued during
the fall and succeeding spring. Railroad officials were frequent visitors during
the spring months in order that they might keep in touch with the work being done.
At last the rails were laid and the first train crossed the new jack knife bridge,
which had been erected near the ship yards, at 3:10 p.m. on June 24, 1896, the
last spike of the road being driven by Captain Carle of the Manitowoc police force.
W. Vandegrift of Appleton was chosen local agent and the road was formally opened
on July 2nd. The train bearing the officials arrived in charge of Conductor Scott
and Engineer Nolan on the morning of that day and speeches were made upon the depot
platform by Mayor Torrison, President Abbott, Joseph Vilas and H. G. Kress. Freight
sheds were soon constructed and a passenger service of two trains daily in each
direction established. Little villages, such as Potters, Valders, Madsen and
Collins sprang up along the route forming centers of shipment for farming
communities. Extensive yards were established north of the Manitowoc river and it
was not many months before they were filled with cars enroute to the east. All
this railroad activity led to increased marine facilities, the establishment of
elevators and also of carferry routes, referred to in the preceding pages.
The energy displayed by the Central in opening terminals at Manitowoc seemed to
have an inspiring effect on the Chicago & Northwestern as well. Early in 1895
rumors were abroad that the latter would utilize the carferry system and build
slips on its lake front property. It was finally decided by that company to
improve its facilities and in May 1896 a slip 450 by 110 feet was constructed.
Coal docks with a capacity of 250,000 tons were also added, being managed and
operated by eastern firms, until sold to the Reiss Company in 1899. With all
these improvements business naturally increased at a rapid rate until in 1900
that done through the local office of the Northwestern was greater than at any
point on the system outside of Chicago and Milwaukee.
What the future has for Manitowoc in the way of railroad development it would be
difficult to tell. It is well
P 111
known that some corporation has purchased the right of way over the submerged
property from the north side of the river entrance to the mouth of the Little
Manitowoc and it may be that some day another belt line may be added or indeed
facilities may be increased in a different way. Rumors have been prevalent in
years past of the entrance of the Illinois Central, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St.
Paul and other lines, but definite results have not been forthcoming.
Nevertheless the city need have no fear of the future when it is considered how
much money is invested in terminal facilities. In truth it seems as if the dreams
of the village founders were at last approaching consummation.
Manitowoc has been somewhat tardy in securing street railway facilities. In
September 1887 a franchise was asked for by P. S. Tillson and Henry Schmidt, of
Manitowoc and H. Saemann of Sheboygan. The matter was not pushed, however, and
it was not until the summer of 1900 that it was revived. At this time Thomas
Higgins of Menasha and Henry Higgins of Marinette, both street car promoters,
asked for a franchise under the name of the Manitowoc & Northern Traction Company,
proposing to run an interurban system between Manitowoc and Two Rivers with
possible later extensions to Kewaunee and other northern points. After some
discussion and competition by other promoters the Higgins brothers were granted a
thirty-five year franchise by the city council of Manitowoc on October 13th and by
that of Two Rivers soon after. Construction was begun the following June and the
road was opened for traffic in the spring of 1902. Some activity was also
manifested throughout 1900 and 1901 by a traction company, which proposed to extend
a line northward from Sheboygan through Manitowoc county to Green Bay. Votes
favorable to the project were taken in several of the townships but no definite
action followed.