History: Chelsea, Taylor Co., WI (1881)

Contact: Stan
Email: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

----Source: 1881 History of Northern Wisconsin, pg. 1030-31.

1881 History of Chelsea, Taylor County, Wisconsin.

CHELSEA. This place was settled in 1874. It is eleven miles north of Medford on the railroad. It has between four hundred and five hundred inhabitants. The first settlers were inclined to be enterprising, and in 1875 offered to give away every second lot in the village to actual settlers.

Among the early settlers were Abram Taylor, C. H. Gerliart, C. H. McNaughton, Daniel Shay, Ed Gerow, Roy and Leon King, C. Hibbard, Adolphus Perry, J. T. Fredan, H. C. Shearer, A. Jadoine.

The village is near the north line of the town. Mr. A. Taylor built the mill, which cuts thirty-five thousand to forty thousand a day of lumber and shingles. The lumber mill is the basis of the village prosperity.

Mr. Taylor is Postmaster, the office having been established in 1877, and the first quarter the office realized $4.58. It now sells scamps to the amount of about $60a quarter.

Railroad Business.—J. F. Crosby is station agent. Cash per month for freight at $225; forwarded, $4,000; Passengers at $200.

General Merchandise.—J. B. Anderson, Woodward <& Morris, A. Taylor, L. W. Marshall.

Hotels.—Chelsea House. C. H. Gearhart built a hotel in 1874, which he still occupies, with Mrs. Gerhart as matron. The Star Hotel started in 1877, L. A. Burley, proprietor.

Blacksmith—Y. H. Haight.

Boots and Shoes.—Schriner & Co. Two saloons. Large quantities of ties, telegraph poles and hemlock bark are shipped here in addition to the lumber and shingles. The village is laid out east of the track with three blocks and six streets. Front, Second, up and down the railroad, and North, Pine, Hemlock and Taylor for cross streets.

There are good schools, but, as yet, no churches, the town still being a missionary field for the home department.

Within a radius of six miles of Chelsea there are 50,000 acres of heavily timbered hemlock lands, which will yield at least four cords of bark per acre, which would be 200,000 cords of tanning material.