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First industrial park fades

By GENE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
When the old SNE plant on Wood Street in Stevens Point closes down in February, the city's major industrial park area of the 1900s will be empty except for Stora Enso's Stevens Point Mill.

While the area on Stevens Point's historic south side from Water Street to the Wisconsin River wasn't technically an industrial park, many of the early manufacturers located there because of its proximity to the Wisconsin River and the railroad, the major form of transportation in those days.

Now that highways have become more important to manufacturers, industrial parks have located closer to the major highway in Portage County, Interstate 39 (Highway 51).

In 1922, the Sanborn Map Co. of New York completed an insurance map of Stevens Point that is now housed in the city's Community Development office, showing the uses for various lots in the city.

At that time, the city limits ended a block or two south of the railroad tracks on the south side, on Sixth and Fourth avenues on the north and Michigan Avenue on the east. The west side boundaries went about to the Highway 10 curve and two or three blocks north and south of Clark Street.

While some manufacturers were scattered around the city, most were concentrated in the area considered the industrial park.

Consolidated Papers had a tissue paper mill there, along with a powerhouse along the Wisconsin River. But the facility was considerably smaller than the present mill, which is now owned by Stora Enso. A railroad siding, considered the P-Line to Plover, ran along the east side of the building, limiting expansion in that direction.

At the southwest corner of Wisconsin and Wood streets stood the Bake-Rite Bakery building, site of a commercial baking company that went out of existence in the 1980s after moving to a new building in Plover. The building was razed in 1994.

To the southwest of Bake-Rite was Joerns Bros. Mfg. Co., making bedroom and dining room furniture and fronting on Tamarack Street. That factory was also torn down in the early 1980s as Joerns moved to the city's east side industrial park and eventually became Joerns Sunrise Medical, 5001 Joerns Drive.

South of Bake-Rite, and south of Shaurette Street, was Vetter Mfg. Co., consisting of two buildings built in 1912 and 1915. Those buildings, or portions of them, make up the southern portion of the Vetters complex, which became SNE and is now part of the Peachtree Companies of Medford.

In 1977, the northern part of the complex was constructed after Shaurette Street was vacated to allow for the expansion.

To the south of Vetter Mfg. and south of the railroad tracks, was Vetter Lumber Co., more recently owned by Stock Lumber Co. and now St. Croix Valley Hardwoods Inc., Forest Products Division. The 1922 maps says the average amount of lumber on hand at Vetter Lumber was 500,000 feet.

To the northeast of Bake-Rite, at the corner of Wisconsin and Prairie, was another Joerns Bros. Mfg. Co., this one for making kitchen furniture.

Arlington Place west of Water Street was the site of two mills and was called Mill Street.

On the north side of Arlington was Pagel (misspelled Pagle on the map) Milling, built about 1911, and on the south side, farther to the west was Jackson Milling Co., which had been built about 1900. Both were flour and feed mills. The Pagel mill is now a city parking lot, while the Jackson mill is part of the Stora Enso parking lot.

The industrial park also extended east from Wood Street toward Water along the railroad tracks, including the bulk oil facility now housing Cooper Oil and the former Normington Cleaners building on Prairie Street that was destroyed in a fire on Sept. 12, 1999.

The railroad line, the P-Line, went between the Pagel and Jackson mills, extending north of Clark Street along the route known today as the Green Circle Trail to the Pfiffner Building in Pfiffner Pioneer Park.

The park was the site of two lumber yards and planing mills in 1922, the E.J. Pfiffner Co. at the north end and the John Weeks Saw & Planing Mills on the majority of the park land. The Weeks mills, which were built about 1882, had an average of five million feet of lumber on hand.

In 1922, the slough, which basically followed an extension of Briggs Street westward, still existed, with a bridge across Second Street providing access to the north side west of Union Street.

The Wisconsin Valley Electric Co. was operating a power plant along the slough and what is today known as Crosby Avenue. Back then, Crosby was called Sawdust Street, becoming Crosby at Portage to Franklin Street.

When the map was made, the nation was in the midst of Prohibition and some locations reflect the change. Stevens Point Brewing Co. was called a "soft drink manufacturer," as was Plover Springs Co. on Francis Street (then called Brewery Street west of Water) where Gamber-Johnson used to be located.

When Sanborn completed another map in September 1934, most of those businesses were still present, although the Joerns plant for kitchen furniture was gone, replaced by a junk yard.

The Jackson mill was also gone, and the John Weeks Lumber property was part of Kellogg Bros. Lumber Co., which also had the site where Robert J. Soik Plumbing, Heating & Well Drilling is located now at 1512 Water St.



	First industrial park fades By GENE KEMMETER of The Gazette When the old SNE plant on Wood Street in Stevens Point closes down in February, the city's major industrial park area of the 1900s will be empty except for Stora Enso's Stevens Point Mill. While the area on Stevens Point's historic south side from Water Street to the Wisconsin River wasn't technically an industrial park, many of the early manufacturers located there because of its proximity to the Wisconsin River and the railroad, the major form of transportation in those days. Now that highways have become more important to manufacturers, industrial parks have located closer to the major highway in Portage County, Interstate 39 (Highway 51). In 1922, the Sanborn Map Co. of New York completed an insurance map of Stevens Point that is now housed in the city's Community Development office, showing the uses for various lots in the city. At that time, the city limits ended a block or two south of the railroad tracks on the south side, on Sixth and Fourth avenues on the north and Michigan Avenue on the east. The west side boundaries went about to the Highway 10 curve and two or three blocks north and south of Clark Street. While some manufacturers were scattered around the city, most were concentrated in the area considered the industrial park. Consolidated Papers had a tissue paper mill there, along with a powerhouse along the Wisconsin River. But the facility was considerably smaller than the present mill, which is now owned by Stora Enso. A railroad siding, considered the P-Line to Plover, ran along the east side of the building, limiting expansion in that direction. At the southwest corner of Wisconsin and Wood streets stood the Bake-Rite Bakery building, site of a commercial baking company that went out of existence in the 1980s after moving to a new building in Plover. The building was razed in 1994. To the southwest of Bake-Rite was Joerns Bros. Mfg. Co., making bedroom and dining room furniture and fronting on Tamarack Street. That factory was also torn down in the early 1980s as Joerns moved to the city's east side industrial park and eventually became Joerns Sunrise Medical, 5001 Joerns Drive. South of Bake-Rite, and south of Shaurette Street, was Vetter Mfg. Co., consisting of two buildings built in 1912 and 1915. Those buildings, or portions of them, make up the southern portion of the Vetters complex, which became SNE and is now part of the Peachtree Companies of Medford. In 1977, the northern part of the complex was constructed after Shaurette Street was vacated to allow for the expansion. To the south of Vetter Mfg. and south of the railroad tracks, was Vetter Lumber Co., more recently owned by Stock Lumber Co. and now St. Croix Valley Hardwoods Inc., Forest Products Division. The 1922 maps says the average amount of lumber on hand at Vetter Lumber was 500,000 feet. To the northeast of Bake-Rite, at the corner of Wisconsin and Prairie, was another Joerns Bros. Mfg. Co., this one for making kitchen furniture. Arlington Place west of Water Street was the site of two mills and was called Mill Street. On the north side of Arlington was Pagel (misspelled Pagle on the map) Milling, built about 1911, and on the south side, farther to the west was Jackson Milling Co., which had been built about 1900. Both were flour and feed mills. The Pagel mill is now a city parking lot, while the Jackson mill is part of the Stora Enso parking lot. The industrial park also extended east from Wood Street toward Water along the railroad tracks, including the bulk oil facility now housing Cooper Oil and the former Normington Cleaners building on Prairie Street that was destroyed in a fire on Sept. 12, 1999. The railroad line, the P-Line, went between the Pagel and Jackson mills, extending north of Clark Street along the route known today as the Green Circle Trail to the Pfiffner Building in Pfiffner Pioneer Park. The park was the site of two lumber yards and planing mills in 1922, the E.J. Pfiffner Co. at the north end and the John Weeks Saw & Planing Mills on the majority of the park land. The Weeks mills, which were built about 1882, had an average of five million feet of lumber on hand. In 1922, the slough, which basically followed an extension of Briggs Street westward, still existed, with a bridge across Second Street providing access to the north side west of Union Street. The Wisconsin Valley Electric Co. was operating a power plant along the slough and what is today known as Crosby Avenue. Back then, Crosby was called Sawdust Street, becoming Crosby at Portage to Franklin Street. When the map was made, the nation was in the midst of Prohibition and some locations reflect the change. Stevens Point Brewing Co. was called a "soft drink manufacturer," as was Plover Springs Co. on Francis Street (then called Brewery Street west of Water) where Gamber-Johnson used to be located. When Sanborn completed another map in September 1934, most of those businesses were still present, although the Joerns plant for kitchen furniture was gone, replaced by a junk yard. The Jackson mill was also gone, and the John Weeks Lumber property was part of Kellogg Bros. Lumber Co., which also had the site where Robert J. Soik Plumbing, Heating & Well Drilling is located now at 1512 Water St.