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A Historical Geography of the Paper Industry in the Wisconsin River Valley

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A Historical Geography of the Paper Industry in the Wisconsin River Valley A HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE PAPER INDUSTRY IN THE WISCONSIN RIVER VALLEY By [Copyright 2016] Katie L. Weichelt Submitted to the graduate degree program in Geography& Atmospheric Science and the Graduate Faculty of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. ________________________________ Chairperson Dr. James R. Shortridge ________________________________ Dr. Jay T. Johnson ________________________________ Dr. Stephen Egbert ________________________________ Dr. Kim Warren ________________________________ Dr. Phillip J. Englehart Date Defended: April 18, 2016 The Dissertation Committee for Katie L. Weichelt certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: A HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE PAPER INDUSTRY IN THE WISCONSIN RIVER VALLEY ________________________________ Chairperson Dr. James R. Shortridge Date approved: April 18, 2016 ii Abstract The paper industry, which has played a vital social, economic, and cultural role throughout the Wisconsin River valley, has been under pressure in recent decades. Technology has lowered demand for paper and Asian producers are now competing with North American mills. As a result, many mills throughout the valley have been closed or purchased by nonlocal corporations. Such economic disruption is not new to this region. Indeed, paper manufacture itself emerged when local businessmen diversified their investments following the decline of the timber industry. New technology in the late nineteenth century enabled paper to be made from wood pulp, rather than rags. The area’s scrub trees, bypassed by earlier loggers, produced quality pulp, and the river provided a reliable power source for new factories. By the early decades of the twentieth century, a chain of paper mills dotted the banks of the Wisconsin River. The paper industry helped to revive struggling sawmill communities in the region and, in some cases, created completely new settlements. Paper company executives, in fact, served as both employers and civic leaders. Operating under the principles of “welfare capitalism,” these leaders provided employees good wages and made generous gifts to local communities. This culture persisted for decades, but ended abruptly when local mills were sold. Using a variety of sources including, newspapers, maps, business records, and interviews, this dissertation examines the paper industry’s impact on three communities in the Wisconsin River valley: Nekoosa, Port Edwards, and Wisconsin Rapids. It examines iii factors that made the region attractive to paper manufacturers and discusses the entrepreneurial decisions that led to the creation of successful mills in each city. Later chapters investigate the industry’s impact on the material landscape of the three communities and how these places are coping with paper’s recent decline. iv Acknowledgements Anyone who has ever read an acknowledgements page knows, dissertations are not created by just one person. This one is no different and, because I have spent nearly five years researching and writing, I have even more individuals to thank. First and foremost, I wish to thank my advisor, James R. Shortridge for sticking with me through this long process. He put a great deal of effort into each draft I submitted. No doubt this project would not be nearly as good without his guidance. It is not easy to be a doctoral student living several states away from your institution, but his immediate feedback made me feel as if I was just as important as the graduate students in-residence. I must also thank Bev Koerner who helped navigate me through several administrative processes during my long journey. A special thanks goes to my committee members: Jay Johnson, Steve Egbert, Kim Warren, and Phil Englehart. Through Dr. Englehart’s courses I discovered a strong interest in urban history. His comments on this dissertation have also improved the content and gave me much to consider in taking the research forward. Dr. Warren and Egbert provided thoughtful commentary that helped guide the project and I also learned a great deal from both as a student. Finally, Jay Johnson has been a supportive figure throughout my entire graduate career and I am grateful that he has been willing to serve on my thesis committee, but my dissertation committee as well. I wish to also thank the many people I have met in central Wisconsin who have aided me in this research process, including J. Marshall Beuhler and the Alexander House in Port Edwards, Wisconsin and Susan Fife and the staff at the Wisconsin River Papermaking v Museum in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin who directed me to sources. I also wish to thank those I had the privilege of interviewing for sharing their time and knowledge with me. I want to especially thank my fellow graduate students and friends John Biersack, William Price, Zane Price, Austen Thelen, John Oakes, Andy Allen, and many others for support and at times administrative assistance while I was living in Wisconsin. My colleagues throughout my time at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire also offered their support and encouragement in many ways. For this, I wish to thank Louisa Rice, Peter Rejto, Ezra Zeitler, Garry Running, Harry Jol, Jennifer Muehlenkamp, Laura Middlesworth, Jeff DeGrave, Cyril Wilson, and Ari Arnand, just to name a few. I must also thank my parents for encouraging me to persist through the project when I was overwhelmed with many other responsibilities and for your encouragement throughout my life. I wish to also recognize my son Graham, who’s arrival delayed the project, but has greatly enriched my life and offered moments of much needed stress relief and distraction. Finally, I want to show my appreciation for my husband Ryan who not only offered love and encouragement during the process, but also commented on drafts, helped with the cartography, and was a great person to talk to when trying to flesh out the structure of the dissertation. I couldn’t have asked for a better life partner. Thank you and I love you. vi Table of Contents Page ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................v LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................1 Literature Review.....................................................................................................5 Statement of Purpose ...............................................................................................8 Geographical Focus ...............................................................................................10 Wisconsin and the Industrialization of the American Midwest .............................14 Entrepreneurialism, Clusters, and Welfare Capitalism ..........................................17 Approaches, Sources, and Methods .......................................................................19 Dissertation Outline ..............................................................................................22 CHAPTER TWO: BACKGROUND .................................................................................24 Mechanization and Paper Production ....................................................................24 Raw Materials: The Shift from Linen and Cotton to Wood ..................................30 The Paper Industry in the United States ................................................................37 The Emergence of Paper Production in Wisconsin ...............................................40 Early Beginnings ........................................................................................46 Kimberly & Clark and Company and the Creation of a Paper Region .....47 Growth Along the River.............................................................................48 The Fox River as Geographic Cluster ........................................................51 Paper Mills and the Creating and Changing of Place ................................52 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................54 vii CHAPTER THREE: FROM LUMBER BARONS TO PAPER KINGS IN THE WISCONSIN RIVER VALLEY .......................................................................................56 The Emergence of the Lumber Industry in Wisconsin ..........................................56 The U.S. Government Secures the Land ....................................................59 The Industry Expands ................................................................................62 Lumber on the Move ..................................................................................64 Logging Camps and Sawmill Towns .........................................................69 The Origins of Nekoosa, Port Edwards, and Wisconsin Rapids ...........................71 Point Basse (Nekoosa) ...............................................................................72 Port Edwards ..............................................................................................74 Grand Rapids and Centralia (Wisconsin Rapids) ......................................76 A New Industry is Born .........................................................................................79
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