Lumberman's Son Ended His Days Saving a Forest
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A4 SUNDAY, December 16, 2012 HISTORY The Dunn County News Lee Smith, Chicago Lumberman’s son ended Cub, to keynote 2013 Baseball Hall his days saving a forest of Fame banquet Knapp, Stout and other lumber operations were the main sources of For THE NEWS the white pine lumber that, back in A 6-foot-6, 265-pound the mid-1800s, was vital in supply- Former Chicago Cub relief pitcher, Smith ing building material to be shipped Lee Smith, a seven-time to the virtually tree-less states west Major League All-Star retired with 478 saves, of the Mississippi for the building of and candidate for most in baseball history JOHN RUSSELL homes and business. National Baseball Hall of Scenes of Yesteryear True, most of the white pine in Fame, will be the guest at the time. He still ranks Wisconsin was burned off by wild speaker at the 2013 Eau third all-time in saves In November 1919, Menomonie fires such as the one that began at Claire Baseball Hall of native Louis Smith Tainter, son of Peshtigo, but logging had cleared Fame banquet. and had a career earned Dunn County Menomonie pioneer almost as much land. Tainter knew Smith played 18 sea- run average of 3.03. Andrew Tainter, underwent an that and was very conscious of the sons in the majors, operation in a futile attempt to cure devastation that logging could leave including his first eight two of those teams. his cancer. There was no recovery, behind. So unlike most of his oppo- with the Cubs, 1980-87. Players and coaches from and he died on Jan. 25, 1920. Days sition also harvesting timber in the In 1991, playing for St. the 2002 Eau Claire Regis before, in his Boston home, he had hardwood forests of New Louis, he set a National and 2011 Eau Claire North prepared his will, stating: Hampshire, he listened when there League record with 47 teams that won WIAA “I direct that my body be cremat- Louis Smith Tainter, a man with the lum- was a move to establish a White saves and finished second state titles will be intro- ed, and it is my desire, if the consent ber business in his blood, ironically Mountain National Forest. in Cy Young voting. duced. of the department officials can be fought to establish a national preserve A 6-foot-6, 265- The plaque lists 39 Eau obtained, that the ashes be enclosed for trees in New Hampshire. Preserving the forest pound relief pitcher, he Claire teams that have in an indestructible container of retired with 478 saves, won championships, from copper or other appropriate materi- Originally there was much oppo- most in baseball history at high school to minor al, and securely deposited in a suit- dealing in the purchase of white pine sition in Congress to establishing the time. He still ranks league professional able excavation hollowed out of the stands for the mills of Knapp, Stout, the proposed White Mountain third all-time in saves and teams, dating to 1910. solid rock upon the ledges on a position held by his father. He was National Forest, so it took John had a career earned run The banquet is a Whiteface Mountain, which are sit- his father’s assistant and eventually Wingate Weeks, a Massachusetts average of 3.03. fundraiser for the non- uated ... together with other lands was given the position of logging Republican in Congress, to success- The banquet will be profit Eau Claire Baseball formerly owned by the Publishers operations in the pine lands on the fully “untangle snarled forest legis- held Monday, Jan. 28, History Committee, Paper Company, having been Hay River flowage. lation.”On March 1, 1911, 2013, at Florian Gardens. which oversees the hall of acquired by the United States of When operations on the Hay Republican President Taft signed The event begins with a fame in Henry Aaron America through its forest service as River ended, he replaced his father into law the Weeks Act, empowering social hour, silent auction Plaza outside Carson Park part of the White Mountain forest in the logging operations in the the government to buy private land and baseball memorabilia baseball stadium. Half the reserve.” headwaters of the Red Cedar River for the creation of a national forest. display at 5 p.m., dinner cost of each ticket is tax- as well as in the operation of the Less than three months after the at 6:30 p.m. and the pro- deductible. About Louis Smith Tainter land office where he was in charge of bill had passed, on May 21, 1911, gram at 7 p.m. The hall of fame selling surplus property of the com- “save the forest promoter Kate Tickets are $50. To includes plaques for indi- Virtually every reader of The pany. The younger Tainter, however, Walden, the government, and Louis purchase tickets go to the viduals, a tribute to city Dunn County News knows about was not so busy that he could not Smith Tainter tendered to the Forest Eau Claire Parks and Little League founders Mabel Tainter, the middle daughter take the time to marry Effie, who he Service an option to purchase 2835 Recreation office, 915 and a list of city natives of three girls born to Capt. Andrew met on one of his many business acres in the watershed of the Menomonie St., Eau who played professionally. and Bertha Tainter, and of her tragic trips. Wonalacet Brook for $50,000” — far Claire. Cash and checks The Henry Aaron stat- death that prompted the building of In 1898, he became the company less than Tainter could have profit- are accepted. Call the ue in the plaza, in honor of the Mabel Tainter Memorial secretary, a post he held until 1899, ed if he and his company continued Parks and Recreation the home run king who Building in Menomonie. when he became the vice president to cut timber on those acres. office at 715-839-5032 began his pro career in But hardly anyone knows much of Knapp, Stout, replacing his Eventually Tainter and his two com- with any questions. The Eau Claire in 1952, was about her brother, Louis Smith father, Andrew Tainter, in that posi- panies sold 204,000 acres to the deadline for ticket sales is dedicated in 1994. Tainter, the only boy born to the tion. Louis held that position up White Mountain National Forest. Jan. 21, 2013. Previous hall of fame family and the recipient of the beau- until the company closed its opera- Other lumber barons in the area sold The banquet also will banquet speakers have tiful Richardson Romanesque home tions in 1901. some land, but “no two of them include the unveiling of included Jack Morris, Bert that stands on the corner of delivered as much land to the public the Team Champions Blyleven and umpire Broadway and West Crescent Street New opportunities as did Tainter.” plaque and will feature Bruce Froemming. in Menomonie that was under con- Tainter even gave the government struction at the same time as the Now he was 40 years old and free an extension when it could not Tainter Memorial building. to find new business opportunities, respond immediately to the offer. This building was very likely so off he went to Chicago, then on to Recently, Douglas McVicar, a leader that surveys will be regarded as a “wedding present” to New York. Eventually he found a in the Wonalancet Hiking Club, SCHOOL accepted as late as Jan. 6. 26-year-old Louis, who had married position with the Magnesite Dock & wrote, “It has become impossible to If not completed online, Miss Effie Crouch, a California girl, Land Co. of Oakland, Calif., in 1906. know for sure just how far Louis From A1 the forms can be mailed in 1888. To Effie, marrying the Unfortunately, a devastating earth- Tainter went out of his way to help to or dropped off at the handsome Louis was a wise choice. quake destroyed the entire compa- the little hiking club in Wonalancet. rates are still low. A build- district administrative He was born in Menomonie and ny’s plant and location — and Ironically, it is now the club that ing referendum will likely center. after attending public school, he Tainter was out of a job. serves the lumberman, as we are the come in April. Feedback is being continued his studies at the state Two year later, in 1908, he found custodians of the trails that lead to sought about remodel- Normal School at River Falls. After a position he liked with two related his memorial. In a broader sense, it Community surveys ing, additions, interest completing his studies there, he companies in Boston — the may now be said that we have rates, updates, mainte- went on to attend the Eastman Publisher Paper Co. and the Conway become custodians not only of the The community sur- nance and repairs — and Business College in Poughkeepsie, Lumber Co., both active in the log- memorial — but of the memory veys regarding the dis- the possible closing of N.Y. Tainter returned to Menomonie ging and lumber business in New itself.” trict’s facilities were Downsville Elementary. to study law in offices of Samuel Hampshire. His experiences in the mailed on Monday. Survey questions also Hunt and Charles Freeman, the law business in Wisconsin soon elevated John Russell, a local photographer Taxpayers and parents aim at getting a sense of firm for the Knapp, Stout & Co. him into the owner/management of and Dunn County resident, writes a are encouraged to fill community support for Company.