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History Page 2 |
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History Page 3 |
Contributions to our archive of photos is
welcome. We will copy your image and add it to
the historical images we keep on file.
We are
always on the lookout for images that fill in
the historical gaps.
Images of
older buildings and the stories behind them are
always welcome. |
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Wausaukee Village
History Page 1
Touch any picture
for an expanded view.
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John S. Munroe's Log
Cabin |
Built in 1883 by John S. Munroe, the
log cabin was one of three original
buildings that made up the community
of loggers that started what would
later become the Village of
Wausaukee. Monroe shipped timber,
cedar posts, pilings and railroad
ties from this tiny community. The
Log cabin served as a boarding
house, hotel, post office and the
only eatery north of Green Bay for
many years .
In 1885 John Monroe was appointed
postmaster and the log cabin became
the first post office which gave the
community some validation. As the
lumber boom brought more men to the
north woods, the cabin became an Inn
and eating place to lodge the
many travelers to the area. The
Monroe cabin was originally built on
the site where Smith's Hwy 141
grocery is currently located.
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Bird & Wells Saw
Mill |
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Logging camps were
established throughout
the area to supply the
timber needed for the
mills.
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John S. Monroe died on
March 25, 1900 at the
age of 77 years. Bird &
Wells sawmill was shut
down for the funeral so
that all could attend.
The funeral was held at
their residence and was
the largest attended
funeral ever held. Jane
Belton Monroe followed
her husband in death May
14, 1901.
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The Monroe's had five
children, Sarah, who died in
infancy; John Wallace; Helen
Elizabeth, often known as
"Libby"; Eliza Mae;
and Harry. Libby and Eliza
ran the Monroe establishment
until about 1935, but
declined selling it to
interested parties for fear
liquor would be served on
the premises. Ray Gustaveson
purchased the property in
1942 to make way for his
hardware and implement
business.

Growth at the Turn of
the Century
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Logging Train |

1900 Village
Main St. |

Wausaukee
Overlook |
Carts
and buggies filled the
streets and churned up
the mud or dust,
depending on the season,
while pedestrians clung
to the safety of the
wooden sidewalks. Eight
passenger trains arrived
daily and freight trains
swept through the
village every 20
minutes. The town
boasted numerous stores,
barbershops, an
undertaking parlor,
distillery, three livery
stables and a meat
market, not to mention
twelve saloons. Adams &
Ruggles Distillery was
built on May 19,1900 .
The main building was
22x28 feet and was used
as a fermenting and
mashing room. The daily
capacity was 14 gallons
of corn and rye whiskey.
Two vats totaling 130
gallons capacity took
approximately 72 hours
to make corn whiskey and
96 hours for rye. The
building was destroyed
by fire 2 years later.

Booming Hotels
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Munroe Log Cabin |

1887 Hotel
Wausaukee |

Exchange Hotel |

Shepard Hotel |
At one
time there were five
hotels in the Wausaukee
community. The original
Monroe log cabin, the
Hotel Wausaukee,
Exchange Hotel, and the
Shepard Hotel are
depicted above. No
images are available for
the Atlas Hotel . The
log cabin was torn down
to build another
building which currently
holds Smith Grocery, the
Hotel Wausaukee houses
Graphic Impressions
Photography Studio, the
Exchange Hotel Burned
and was demolished,
and the
Shepard Hotel has been
modified as an apartment
house and is located
west of the highway.
The 1887
the Hotel Wausaukee was a
boarding house with 12
sleeping rooms, saloon,
apartment for the owners
and served dinner for
its guests continuously
from 1887 until 1978 by
the owners and various
managers. An addition
was added to the north
side soon after it was built
completing the floor space of over
4500 square feet.
It was then sold to the
current owners and
reopened as a Bed &
Breakfast for five
years. It has been
renovated and is
continually upgraded to
accommodate current
needs. It functions as a
residence for the owners
and
is the current
location of Graphic
Impressions
Photography Studio.

Views of the Streetscape
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1908 Main St looking
south |

1907 View looking to
West |

Wausaukee Booster |
Dirt roads
were the main thoroughfare
with horses and wagons
hauling logs, equipment and
people. Logs were piled next
to the tracks for pick up by
train. Wausaukee's
population in its logging
heyday was measured at 1,700
inhabitants.
The Bust of
1910 Continued on History
Page 2
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