History: Unity (14 March 1902)

Contact:  Lani Barllet
Email: prolixiam@sbcglobal.net

Surnames: Creed, Darling, Spaulding, Rosenfield, Fritz, Groelle

----Sources: Unity Register (Unity, Clark County, Wis.) March 14, 1902

Unity

A Little of its Past, Some-More of its Present and Just a Peep into its Future

To the few people in the state who are not Acquainted with or heard of this prosperous Village we will say that Unity is a thriving Village on the Wisconsin Central Railroad Forty-eight miles north of Stevens Point And sixty-one miles east of Chippewa Falls. It has a population of over 400+. The railway which runs along the county line at this place, divides the village into East and West Unity, the east side being in the town of Brighton, Marathon County, and the west side in the town of Unity, Clark County.

It has excellent school facilities, graded school with three year High School course. The churches are the Methodist and Scandinavian Lutheran.

Unity was originally a booming mill town there having been thousands and thousands of dollars worth of pine and hardwood lumber, manufactured and shipped from here.

The first settlers to settle where the village now is were our respected fellow townsmen and wife: Mr. & Mrs. E. Creed, who came here from Stevens Point in 1872 and homesteaded the S ½ of the SW ¼ of section 6, the greater part of which has since been platted and added to the village.

Shortly after Mr. Creed, came Mr. & Mrs. F.H. Darling who located on the North half of the same ¼ section, a Great part of which he also platted and added to the Village.

Mr. Darling is now one of the substantial farmers of the Town of Unity. Almost immediately after these settlers came the late D. J. Spaulding, who bought up immense Tracts of pine and hardwood timbered lands, erected a Large sawmill and during the twenty years the mill was in operation millions of feet of lumber were manufactured And shipped from here (and the money likewise).

In a few years another mill was located here by Robert Rosenfield, another four miles east by Butler Bros. and one a few miles west. The lumber from these mills was hauled and shipped from here, considerable of the money paid out incident to the manufacture of the lumber was spent here and those days Unity was ranked as one of the most prosperous towns in the state, but as soon as then came a lull in the lumber business its effects upon the general business of Unity were plainly visible and after the removal of the two largest mills some years back, the village gradually sunk into what Washington Irving would call a comatose state, into which it remained from about 1890 to 1897, but with the general revival of business throughout the country which began during the summer of ’97. Unity emerged from under the influences of that lethargic spell with all the vim and energy of yore and with a ten-fold better excuse for its existence, for during the panicky times of ’93 to ’96, between central and northern Wisconsin and Unity, with its fine farming lands both wild and improved in its immediate vicinity drew a considerable number here, who are now enjoying the wisdom of their choices, and the migration of settlers to this vicinity has developed into practically a steady stream of settlers, who are making fine farms and buildings comfortable homes which contribute to make Unity one of the most stable business villages in the state.

The new saw and planning mill which is in the course of Erection will be in operation by the 15th of April, and will materially assist in the advancement of the village, the mill is owned and will be operated by Peter Fritz and his locating here is a result of the concerted action of the businessmen. It is Mr. Fritz’s intention to put in a stave and heading mill In connection with the saw mill and to have that in operation by next season. This will utilize hundreds of cords of elm and Basswood bolts that under present conditions would be shipped or hauled from here annually.

A move is now being made to secure the location of a broom handle factory at this place. The abundance of birch and maple timer which could be secured at small cost, shipping facilities ought certainly be incentive enough to bring a factory here.

The site for the new grain and produce warehouse has been staked out and work on the same will be commenced as soon as the condition of the ground will permit. This also will be a great advantage to the village and a help to the farmers, as it will afford a cash market for all of their produce.

The coal - kilns of G. Groelle has been source of revenue to the Farmers for the past eight years and has greatly assisted them in clearing their land.

Unity is fairly well supplied with public buildings, but is decidedly short on private dwellings. We understand there will be several. Erected next summer, which will certainly be a good investment.

Among the building erected last season that will figure in the welfare and business of the village were - The Scandinavian Lutheran Church, the Petits Opera Hall, Crosby and Meyers Chesses factory, Nelsons Restaurant and bakery, Vogts sale Stable and machinery warehouse and Groeles flour and feed Store.

To the businessmen of the village, its future is a pleasant Contemplation, they see in the vast area of unimproved farm Lands with its timber and fine soil, the basis of a large and prosperous Farming and manufacturing town.

The farmers are each day finding a better excuse for making Unity their trading center, and with the opening of the grain and produce warehouse which will be erected next summer. Unity will not only hold the trade of the vicinity but will draw considerably from other fields. Here is to the future of Unity.