Wausau Steel Company history

1838: Robert Wakely, probably the first “white-man”, other than a French Voyageur or Jusuit Missionary, visited the Wisconsin River Valley.

1839: George Stevens came to “Big Bull Falls”, as Wausau was then called.

One of these was the result of a dam being built on the Eau Claire River some time in the 1840’s.

1841: Steven’s mill shipped its first lumber.

1843: Steven’s, at the point of bankruptcy, sold his share of the first mill to his St Louis partners and moved south.

The next year (1846) McIndoe returned to Big Bull Falls with part ownership in what had been George Stevens first mill.

1848: Wisconsin became a state, and Walter McIndoe was elected to the state Assembly.

In 1849, the year after Wisconsin was made a state, McIndoe was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly.

1850: With the formation of Marathon county, the first postal station was established in Wausau.

1853: The first actual survey and plat of the town is carried out by McIndoe, Charles Shuter and Thomas Hinton.

1854: The Episcopalians hold first church service at a local inn.

1855: The first bridging of the main channel of the river occurred just above Big Bull Falls.

1857: The first newspaper was established in Wausau.

1858: Though not the first cemetery in Wausau, due to floods, 40 acres of land where purchase for Pine Grove Cemetery.

1868: The first Marathon County Fair, today the Wisconsin Valley Fair, is held in what is now Marathon Park in the city of Wausau.

1871: A railroad line from the south was established to current day Stevens Point Wisconsin.

After the 1872 death of McIndoe, Alexander Stewart purchased this mill.

1873: About this time, Poles began appearing in Marathon County.

Located on Grand Avenue, by 1880, the plant was the was the largest brewery in northern Wisconsin.

1885: The Wausau Water Works was founded and the first well and pumping took place as a public utility.

1890: In the 1890’s the first sewer lines where installed in Wausau.

1892: The granite Marathon County Courthouse is erected in downtown Wausau.

1896: The Brode Tannery was built on the west bank of the Wisconsin River a block below the present George Stevens bridge at Thomas Street.

1899: The Marathon County Normal School began operation.

1907: The original public library building opened on the present site.

1909: The Marathon Paper Mill (in Rothschild) was organized.

Destroyed by fire in 1910 it was shortly thereafter rebuilt to the existing building.

1911: The Employer Mutual Insurance Co was established.

What is now called Clarke Island is really a mixture of Clarke and Plumber Islands plus several smaller ones that where combined when the WPS built its dam on the early 1920’s.

1921: WPS built the Hydro Plant.

1924: Hotel Wausau was erected on the site of the former Hotel Bellis.

1925: The First American State Bank building was erected on the site of the former National German American Bank.

1927: The Grand Opera House opened.

1929: The Great Depression hit Marathon County almost immediately after the stock market crash.

Additionally, the CCC was put to work on improvements to the Rib Mountain State Park in 1934/36 developing the first ski areas.

1937: Wausau’s first regularly scheduled radio station (WSAU) went on the air.

1952: The George Stevens Memorial Bridge at Thomas Street was dedicated.

Wausau Metals was established in 1956 as a small aluminum fabrication shop to manufacture glass block ventilators.

By 1959, it was clear Wausau Metals had outgrown its rented space in Schofield, as it had gone from employing 6 workers to 24 in just three years.

1963: The Highway 51, four lane, “beltline” opened.

The Wausau Country Club was organized. It then became a bus depot and in 1966 opened as the Billy Moy restaurant.

In 1968, the Straubs sold the company to the Minnesota-based Harmon Glass, which was reorganized to become Apogee.

The purchase of a non-glare glass company in 1975 led to the formation of Tru Vue to produce picture framing glass.

The building of an eight block enclosed shopping mall in downtown Wausau, which opened in August 1983, made this the largest economic gamble in the city's history thus far.

As part of the 1986 push for new business opportunities, Apogee also set up the short-lived DevTech.

The purchase of the Florida-based window manufacturer and vendor, Windax, Inc. in 1988 gave Apogee two new companies: Window Works (a well-known brand on the East Coast) and Shades Unlimited.

In the late 90's the economy prospered, Wausau saw the need to purchase and development more land for the West Industrial Park to meet the needs of expanding companies. It was designated by council in 1998, as a public open square to be improved and otherwise developed for the use and enjoyment of the citizens of our great community as part of the Redevelopment Plan.