Sheboygan Press April 29, 1927 PIONEERS GIVE DATE The foregoing information and that which is to follow was furnished by William P. BRYANT and (?). C. KATZBACK, both prominent residents of Sheboygan Falls. The former was born in Racine in July, 1847, and came with his parents to Sheboygan Falls in September, (????). From 1875 to 1892 he taught in the schools throughout the county, but during the last few years he made his home in Milwaukee. The first night after their arrival at the Falls, the BRYANT family obtained lodgings at a hotel then conducted by a Mrs. KNOWLES. This hotel was located near the junction of the Milwaukee road and the DYE road, and at this junction, Mr. BRYANT said, there was a guide post on which was printed "Milwaukee 54 miles - Green Bay 60 miles." In 1869 Mr. BRYANT broke his left leg in two places and his right leg in one place, both between the knees and hips, when a horse he was riding became frightened and ran away. The sulkey in which Mr. BRYANT was riding struck a bump in the road and he was thrown against a tree, sustaining the injuries which caused a permanent partial disability. W. C. KUTZBACK, who operates a custom tailoring shop on Broadway north of the railroad tracks, is a son of August F. KUTZBACK, who was a pioneer tailor of Sheboygan Falls. The father came to the Falls in the early 50's and in 1866 formed a partnership with E. ROITSCH and established a custom tailoring shop on the east side of Broadway north of the railroad tracks. Later this building was moved across the street where it stands at the present time. William C. learned his trade as a tailor in a shop other then his father's and in 1879 established a business of his own which he has continued ever since. BUILDS FIRST FOUNDRY The first foundry in Sheboygan Falls was built in 1846 by Horace TROWBRIDGE on the north side of the street at the west approach to the new wagon bridge. For many years this was the only foundry in all the region between Milwaukee and Green Bay. In 1850 a brick building replaced the former frame structure which was destroyed by fire. When the business was resumed after the fire, a new firm was organized known as TROWBRIDGE, ROGERS & Co., and the name of the foundry changed to that of the "Phoenix Iron Works." In 1856, however, ROGERS sold out his interest to Louis PIERCE and the company was then known as TROWBRIDGE & Co. PIERCE did not remain in the company long before he traded his interest for a farm and withdrew from the Phoenix Iron Works. In 1875 C. E. SANFORD bought the foundry and carried on the business under the name of Phoenix Iron Works, manufacturing principally water wheels, which were sold under the trade name "WALSH Turbine." During the recent years the building has been owned and occupied as a warehouse by BRICKNER Woolen Mills. In 1848 A. P. LYMAN, who opened a general store two years previous in the building now occupied by FESSLER's store, began operating the Rock Mills, which were located near what is known as the second dam. At that period there were three different mills located near this site with water rights to this power. A flimsy wagon bridge was constructed across the river at this dam, leading from the mills up the incline to the main traveled highway at the top of the hill. In 1857 Mr. LYMAN had this mill thoroughly repaired and greatly increased the capacity of his grist and flour grinding. FIRE DESTROYS MILLS This mill was destroyed by fire and rebuilt on several occasions. BRAY, ROBINSON & Co. operated it as a flouring mill for some time after which it was taken over by HEALD, REYSEN & Co. A. HENRY succeeded the latter firm, and during his ownership it was destroyed by fire and rebuilt by him. In 1897 R. H. THOMAS bought the property and the following year reopened the flouring-mill, which he continued to operate until 1913, when he disposed of it to W. O. DASSOW who, five years later, sold the property to E. GONZENBACH. The latter changed the name to that of Falls Roller Mills. A few years later the Wisconsin Power & Light company acquired possession of the property and recently converted the building into an automatic hydroelectric station. On March 7, 1849, Fidelity Lodge No. 34, I.O.O.F. was organized, and in 1871 was re-organized with N. P. HOTCHKISS as Noble Grand. In 1879 the lodge hall and building in which it was located on Pine street was destroyed by fire which had its origin in the rear of Dr. SHEPHERD's drug store, which occupied the ground floor. This fire spread to the building at the corner and this too, was destroyed in the conflagration. The Odd Fellows immediately rebuilt, and John NEVER, who had a tailor shop across the street on Broadway, had the two story building constructed which is now occupied by his son Henry. About 1850, Joseph RICHARDSON started a custom saw-mill west of the city limits, manufacturing cheese boxes, patent farm gates and woodwork of nearly every description. Mr. RICHARDSON came to Sheboygan Falls in 1845, and with his sons, William H. and Egbert, formed a company known for many years as J. RICHARDSON & Sons. Since 1876 the business has been carried on under the firm name of RICHARDSON Bros. In 1857 a lathmill was attached to the original building, and in 1864 a circular saw with a cutting capacity of 1,000 feet an hour was installed. Four years later a planing mill was put in place, and in 1870 the saw-mill department was entirely rebuilt. "COMMONWEALTH" STARTED HERE The first newspaper in the village was called the Free Press which was started in 1851 with J. A. SMITH proprietor and editor. About a year after it was started the plant was moved to Fond du Lac where it was later converted into a daily known as the Daily Commonwealth. In 1926 this newspaper was merged with the Fond du Lac Reporter. The Herald was started in 1868 by LITTLEFIELD & CONNOR. Soon afterward, it was purchased by Charles S. McCAUSLAND who had his office for a time in the Sheboygan Falls hotel on the east side of the river. The printing presses and equipment were later moved to the top floor of a frame building on the east side of Broadway just north of the railroad tracks. When this building was burned, the publishing of the Herald was continued at Sheboygan where, after changing ownership several times it was purchased by the late Otto GAFFRON, of Plymouth. In January, 1927, the name was amalgamated with that of the Review and Reporter and is now owned and published by H. W. QUIRT who purchased the plant from Mrs. GAFFRON in July, 1926. The Sheboygan County News was started in the city of Sheboygan in 1876 and two years later in May, was moved to Sheboygan Falls where it was published by F. J. MILLS, Sr. In September, 1878, John E. THOMAS became proprietor and he was succeeded by his son, the late William C. THOMAS, who conducted the paper in connection with the official organ of the dairy interests of the state. After the death of Mr. THOMAS, which occurred in January, 1925, L. E. and R. A. PERRY purchased the entire printing plant and now are owners and publishers of the Daily Market Reporter, and also the Sheboygan County News. In 1842, C. D. COLE started a saw-mill and grist-mill on the east side of the river south of the old STEDMAN mill. A rude set of stone had already been in operation in the STEDMAN mill, but after COLE started milling the stones in the STEDMAN mill were removed. Mr. COLE had several sons who later were identified with the development of Sheboygan Falls and also the city of Sheboygan. One son, husband of Mrs. Helen BRAINARD COLE, of Sheboygan, died during the first year of the Civil war. In 1844, A. T. LITTLEFIELD and Jonathan LEIGHTON built a double saw-mill on the west side of the river on a site now occupied by the BRICKNER Woolen Mills. The former mill was built on a wager in six weeks. Fifty hands were employed in the LITTLEFIELD & LEIGHTON mill for some time. James R. COLE, for a few years rented a portion of the old STEDMAN mill and engaged in the making of sash, doors and blinds. About the same period LITTLE & RELFE/REIFE ? manufactured wooden pumps in a building located on what, in recent years, has been known as the MEYER estate. This is situated on Maple street about one block west of the WHITE Wagon Works. The first tannery was built by J. D. GOULD in 1855. It was located on the west side of the river north of the lower dam. While GOULD operated the tannery, he also established a retail shoe store on Broadway in a building located on the site now occupied by L. F. DEAN & Son, undertakers. During the Civil war period, Mr. GOULD moved his shoe stock to the building located a the southwest corner of Broadway and Pine street. He was one of only two subscribers who received a daily newspaper at that time, and each morning residents of the village gathered in his store to hear the latest from the front. WEISSE BUYS TANNERY In 1866 Charles S. WEISSE, Sr., purchased this tannery from Mr. GOULD and the former was succeeded by his sons, Charles H. and Louis A. The former was killed on October 8, 1919, when a portion of a brick wall fell upon him after the tannery had been destroyed by fire. Charles H. WEISSE, before his death, was a prominent democrat in Wisconsin politics, and for eight years represented this district in Congress, being the only democrat from this section of the state to be elected to the sixtieth Congress. The tannery was rebuilt by Louis WEISSE, brother of Charles H., and carried on by him and his two sons until 1925 when the tannery was closed. At this time, the building is unoccupied. In 1865, the Riverside Woolen Mills were started by HILLS & CLARK. They carried on the business until 1875, when the property was taken over by the German Bank of Sheboygan, which, the year previous, had established a branch at the Falls with John C. FAIRWEATHER as cashier. A deal was then entered into whereby the firm of O. TREADWELL & Co. continued the business. For a few years the mills were carried on under this management, employing about forty hands making shawls exclusively. At the request of the late J. H. MEAD, then head of the German Bank, G. H. BRICKNER, son of the late G. H. BRICKNER, bought the interest which the bank held in the property and became the sole owner. Since it was first erected in 1865, several additions have been made to the building, which is now occupied by the WHITE Wagon Works. In 1854, William SERVIS began manufacturing carriages and wagons. He steadily enlarged the business with a brick block and several other buildings used for manufacturing purposes. The work of this factory was awarded first premiums at six consecutive state fairs and also at the world fair held at Chicago in 1893. After Mr. SERVIS died the building was idle for a few years when M. McKINNON & Son occupied it for the manufacture of curd agitators and other cheese factory equipment. After carrying on this business for about five years, McKINNON sold his patents to STOELTING Bros. of Kiel and closed the Sheboygan Falls factory. The building is now owned by the city and occupied as the city hall and the fire department. CHURCH SERVICE IN SCHOOL The Congregational church was organized with thirteen members on June 12, 1847. The first pastor was the Rev. Mr. Hiram MARSH, and the first meeting was held in the old district school house on Broadway at the foot of Pine street. The edifice was dedicated in the fall of 1854. After the congregation disbanded, the property was purchased by the Evangelical Lutheran congregation and used by it as a house of worship until the present new modern edifice was completed. When building operations started, the old Congregational church building was moved off the site and now is situated on the west side of Buffalo street north of the railroad tracks, where it is occupied by the Farmers Equity society of Sheboygan county. The building is now owned by R. H. THOMAS. In 1853, Carl OSTHELDER started a brewery on the site now occupied by the Falls Brick & Tile company. Mr. OSTHELDER died in 1863, and after the Civil war his son, Joseph, returned to the Falls and carried on the business which his father had established. He discontinued the brewery in 1874 and opened a saloon downtown, which was later carried on by his son, Louis G. OSTHELDER. During the early 60's, W. D. KIRKLAND had a cooperage on the east side of the river south of the new bridge and opposite the old Prentice woolen mill. This building still stands on its original site, the ground floor being occupied as a garage and the upper floor as living quarters. FIRST SCHOOL NOW GARAGE The first frame school house was erected on the east side of Broadway directly south of the BRICKNER Woolen Mills office. It was a two-story building in which the majority of men and women prominent in building up the community attended school. When a more commodious school house was erected this old landmark was moved on a lot now occupied by the post office, but later was removed across the street where it is now occupied by the FRICKE garage. During the earlier days, a long frame building stood on the west side of Broadway, extending from Pine street north. During the 50's this rookery was occupied by Mose and John KELLER, tinsmiths, MARSH's drug store and JOERN's flour and feed store. When the present two-story modern brick block was erected, this building was moved on Buffalo street immediately north of the railroad tracks where it is occupied by a wagon shop and also as a harness shop. This building now stands adjacent to the old Congregational church building. On the site of the present Henry NEVER clothing store, Archibald SKINNER and his son, in 1854, occupied a frame building, which burned in 1879, as a general merchandise store. Later John SULLY, a pioneer settler of Sheboygan Falls, occupied the same building; but in the spring of 185? he moved his entire stock of merchandise into what was then called COLE's store on the east side of the river. This is the three story building at the corner of Water and Monroe streets, many years ago owned and occupied by C. D. COLE, first merchant in Sheboygan county. In 1859, John BRYANT, father of William F. BRYANT and grandfather of J. L. BRYANT, photographer at Sheboygan, opened a jewelry store on the west side of Broadway directly south of the present State Bank, A few years later Mr. BRYANT retired from the business. It may be well to mention at this time that Frederick JOERNS, who occupied one section of the old rookery south of the building in which Mr. BRYANT had his jewelry store, in January, 1856, moved his entire stock of merchandise from the Falls to Winooski. At one time M. P. ROBERTS had a drug store and Nicholaus BOGK had a general store in this same building. DISASTROUS CONFLAGRATION On the east side of Broadway extending from the railroad tracks north to the present WEISSE tannery, were several frame buildings, all of which were destroyed in 1868 by one of the most disastrous fire in the history of the village. This conflagration consumed George WOOD's harness shop, MORGAN's paint shop, GOULD's shoe store, Dick DENNETT's saloon, Charles CHAMBERLAIN's billiard hall and a three-story frame building which was located near the railroad tracks. Other serious fires which occurred at the Falls, in addition to those already mentioned in this review, were: HILL & CLARK's hub & spoke factory in 1865; the SKINNER fire in the same year; Joseph OSTHELDER's brewery in 1869; Owen SPRAGUE's fanning-mill and pump factory, located on the east side of the river near the railway station, in 1875; Henry DICKE's brewery, at the north end of the village near the present ice houses, in 1877; the Odd Fellows block on Pine street in 1879; and G. H. BRICKNER's gristmill in 1880. The BRICKNER gristmill was then being operated by J. H. REYSEN, and was destroyed by fire after having been struck by lightning. The building was located on the east side of the river opposite the present BRICKNER Woolen Mills. Charles and Louis TROWBRIDGE, up to about 1862, occupied a small section of the ground floor in the GUYETTE House as a jewelry store. Soon after the Indian scare, Charles TROWBRIDGE opened a watch repairing and jewelry store in the city of Sheboygan. Before the Civil war, and before the GUYETTE House was built, John CHRISTIAN conducted a general store in an old frame building which stood on the site.