Time Capsule, Week One: September 16, 2017 - Union Lumbering Company

"Union Lumbering Cos Mills & Water Power - Chippewa Falls, Chippewa Co. Wis., Thad. C. Pound - Pres't, T.C. Rogers - Sec'y”.

Printed in the 1878 Historical Atlas of Wisconsin, this sketch shows a view of the lumbering mill that was located where the Chippewa River and Duncan Creek meet in Chippewa Falls. It was originally organized as the Chippewa Falls Lumber Company in 1857, with Hiram S. Allen as President. In 1864 it became the Pound, Halbert & Company. 1869 saw it renamed the Union Lumbering Company, with Thaddeus Coleman Pound as President. The mill grew to become the largest lumber mill under one roof in the world. William Wallace purchased it in 1878 and the property exchanged hands again in 1879, becoming the Chippewa Lumber & Boom Company, with Stanton Barnard as President. In 1881 it was sold to Frederick Weyerhaeuser for $1,275,000 with William Irvine as secretary and manager. Production continued until August 2, 1911 when it was shut down forever.

.

To learn more about the lumbering industry and many other historical topics in Chippewa County, visit the Chippewa County Historical Society and the Chippewa County Genealogical Society located at 123 Allen Street in Chippewa Falls. There you can tour the multi-roomed museum and discover your family history in the research library. Hours of operation are Tuesdays from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

For online information, visit www.ChippewaAreaHistoryCenter.org. There you can find more information on both societies, and learn about the capital campaign to build a new Chippewa Area History Center, which will allow the two groups to better serve Chippewa County with improved accessibility, increased space, improved climate for artifact storage, auditorium and classroom space for education, and expanded hours.