Bios transcribed by Kay R. & History by Jan Cortez
Menasha as a City
On March 5, 1874, Menasha was incorporated as a city. According to the last census, her population was 3,144. Her streets present the same appearance of activity as Neenah, and her pride also is with her manufactories. The advantages of her location, both as a city in which to reside and do business are oatent to all. Her high school building in the First Ward, is a two-story brick edifice, a credit to the city, as is also the Principal, E.A. Williams. There are four other buildings for the accommodation of the 500 pupils who attend school. About as many more are in attendance at the denominational schools. C.R. Smith is City Superintendent of schools. In the first frame building erected by Elbridge Smith in 1848, as a law office, Miss Hattie Frost also taught the first school within the present limits of the village of Menasha. In 1849, Mrs. Alden took charge of the first public school. A.J. Webster, one of the leading and early business men of Menasha, is its Mayor.
Menasha and Neenah depend upon the Wisconsin Central, and the Chicago and Northwestern Railroads for railroad facilities. The depot of the former is in the northern part of the former city, of the latter, on the island between the two cities. The location of the depots and grounds was a matter of almost as much dispute, as the old question of which place should have the State canal. The opening of these roads and the construction of side tracks all along the water-power at Menasha, has been a constant impetus to her business, and especially her manufactures. Two of her most important establishments are the great Wooden Ware Company's Manufactory, and the hub and spoke factory operated by the Webster Manufacturing Company. It is a noteworthy fact that the gentelmen now at the head of these immense establishments have been virtually their proprietors for over a quarter of a century, and by their energy and business talent, have pushed them on from nothing to their present standing. In 1852, E.D. Smith, President of the Wooden Ware Company, purchased the little tub and pail factory which had been operated about a year by Keyes & Price. The shanty - dubbed factory - was located on the canal, in the woods. Mr. Smith at once commenced to improve the machinery which had been made by the original proprietors, made several additions to the building, and then waited for the product of the factory to reimburse him. This was not a period of long waiting, and that little factory in the woods has gone on growing, with the improvement of its surroundings, until now it is an immense establishment - a small village of buildings, with its saw-mills, its dry kilns, its paint and cooper shops. Employing 250 hands, it consumes about 7,000,000 feet of lumber in the manufacture of tubs and pials, fish kits, churns, buckets, etc., in fact, all kinds of wooden ware. It loads its own ware upon its own cars upon its own tracks, and the shipments extend over the country. At the head of the Webster Manufacturing Company which operates the immense hub and spoke factory, is A.J. Webster, who established it himself in 1856, upon the site of the Coral Flour Mills. For the first five years he was unfortunate. The dam was carried away he removed his factory to Neenah, where he did not prosper, returned, another break in the dam, removal from one place to another, and finally in 1861, the formation of a partnership with P.V. Lawson seemed to end his business uncertainties and disasters. The latter has been engaged in the manufacture of sash, doors and blinds. During that year, they erected a small factory upon the present site of the immense one, which occupies, with its shipping docks, side tracts, etc., over ten acres of ground, and employs nearly two hundred men. Hubs and spoes, sleigh and cutter material, hard and soft lumber, with all the etcetras, are turned out to the amount of $200,000 per annum. The firm of Webster and Lawson now run a saw-mill on the water-poe\wer, which was built by Joseph Keyes, in 1850. Since writing the foregoing, there has been a change in the above firm - a change occasioned by the inevitable. Mr. Lawson's death occurred in NOvember, and Neenah lost one of her most intelligent and influential citizens.
In the fall of 1847, Daniel Priest put a carding machine in operation on the Neenah side. This he ran until he came to Menasha to live, several years thereafter, carrying his machine with him, and laying the foundation of the Menasha Woolen Mills, one of her prominent manufactories. This is operated by Messrs. Chapman & Hewitt.
Of the three flouring mills, the Eagle and Coral are operated by Alex Symes, and the Star (erected in 1855) by JOhn Cloves.
The paper and pulp mill on the water-power is run by Hewitt & Scott (Henry Hewitt and R.M. Scott), the latter having been a resident of Menash for thirty years. He erected the National Hotel in 1870, and is its proprietor. This is considered one of the finest buildings in the city.
James Little & Sons and Havard & Jennings' iron works are the only establishments of the kind in the city. Besides the manufactories mentioned above, there are several planing mills, broom-handle and bedstead facotries, brick yards, a limekiln, the "Excelsior Works" (which manufactures packing paper), one brewery and a large one in course of erection by Mueller & Habermehl.
In the above account given, both of the manufactories of Neenah and Menasha, an attempt has merely been made to give a general outline of thier development, and a brief outline of some of the leading establishments. For more detailed information the reader will look elsewhere.
The National Bank of Menasha was established in November, 1870, with Robert Shiells (Cashier of the National Bank of Neenah), President, and H. Hewitt, Jr., son of the President of that institution, Cashier. This is the only bank in the city, and is conducted with ability.
The Press. - As previously stated, the Winnebago County Press was removed to Menasha in 1871, and its name changed to the Menasha Press. This journal was conducted by T.B. Reid for six years, George B. Pratt then coming into possession of it. He continued its publication until June, 1881, when Arthur J. Dodge assumed the management.
The Beobachter (German) was established in 1873, by JOhn Klinker. The paper is controlled by H.W. Meyer, proprietor of the Volksfreund, Appleton.
The Twin City News, a product of the friendly feeling and present close union of Neenah and Menasha, has been published by Messrs. Bowron & Potter, since the summer of 1881. Their place of publication is on the Island.
