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History: Frankfort Twp., Marathon Co., Wis. (1913)

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----Source: History of Marathon County Wisconsin and Representative Citizens, by Louis Marchetti, 1913, pg. 573 - 574.

----Township of Frankfort, Marathon Co., Wisconsin 1913 History

THE TOWN OF FRANKFORT.

Frankfort was set off from the town of Wien in 1889 and organized as a separate political entity in the year 1890. The first chainman was Edw. Protze. The settlement did not begin until 1877 and was slow, owing to the fact that from the west boundary line it is thirty miles from Wausau and twelve miles to Colby, from where settlers had to go into that town.

Fred. Michler and Fred Eggebrecht and Boehn became the first settlers in- 1877, locating with their families. They were followed in 1878 by Edw. Protze, John Simpson, and Henry Von Osten. The road from Wausau to the town of Wien was then fairly good, but from Colby there the road was impassable nearly all year around except in the winter. Of course the territory was heavily timbered. There was yet no sale for any other than pine timber, and the great distance to any mill left no profit in logging it and hauling it to market. The hardwood timber had to be burned. There was no market for it nor for many years to come. Nevertheless the newcomers were Germans, who came with an intention to make a farm, and they succeeded admirably ; every year came some succor until the town is now well settled, especially in the northern part. The pioneer farmers have become wealthy and independent citizens. There were two saw mills in the town until lately when the saw mill of Eggebrecht & Hamann burned down and was not rebuilt; the saw mill of Swan is now owned by George Ellenbecker and is running, doing custom sawing.

There are three cheese factories, each having a large output, being supplied with milk from the town settlement only.

There are no churches yet in this town, the people attending the churches in the town of Wien, which are within one mile from the boundary line of the town.

The town is divided in six school districts, each with a good schoolhouse. The town is named "Frankfort," after the city of Frankfurt, in Germany, the former home of Edw. Protze.