3:29
During his lifetime, Nelson P. Hulst was known as “America’s Greatest Iron Hunter.” Born in New York in 1842, in 1870 he accepted a position as chemist for the Milwaukee Iron Company and began hunting for iron ore deposits. He found nothing in the southern part of Wisconsin, so in 1872 he headed north and almost immediately discovered what became the Vulcan mine in the Menominee Range.
As general superintendent for the Menominee Mining Company, Hulst developed mines at Norway, Quinnesec, Iron Mountain, and Florence. The latter was named for his wife, Florence Terry Hulst. In 1882, when the county was organized from parts of Marinette and Oconoto Counties, the name of the mine became the name of the new county and county seat.
3:27
The accumulation of garbage has been a problem since human civilization began, and almost every society dealt with it by creating a communal dump somewhere outside of town. But a dump is only a partial solution because it is dependent on individuals taking the initiative to haul their own trash to the site. Many people find that it is much easier simply to toss garbage into the nearest ditch, street, or wooded area. This is how it used to be in the Northwoods.
In the earliest days of the logging and mining camps, most trash was burned. If it was not combustible, it was tossed aside to rust. As communities formed in the Northwoods, most established a town dump quickly, but many people continued burning trash or discarding it along a street or in the woods. In the winter things were worse as garbage collected behind houses only to have the mess exposed during the spring thaw.
3:33
Samuel Shaw was born in 1842 near the village of Kirkpatrick just outside of Dumfries in the lowlands of Scotland. Samuel’s mother, Mary Bennet, immigrated to the United States when he was an infant, so Samuel’s earliest years were spent with his grandparents in Scotland. In 1852, before he turned ten, Samuel’s aunt, Janet Shaw, brought the boy to the United States. They moved in with Samuel’s mother, who was living in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Samuel Shaw attended school in Oshkosh. However, by the age of sixteen he had proven himself to be such an exceptional scholar that he was asked to take charge of teaching an overflow group of younger boys and girls. Shaw completed his own studies while teaching high school students in Oshkosh. When he turned twenty, he journeyed briefly to Great Britain, but returned in 1863 and began teaching at the town of Omro, where he met Louise Webb, whom he soon married. In 1867 he won election as Superintendent of Schools for Wi
Modern telecommunication systems provide the means to contact friends, relatives, and businesses whenever and wherever we want, but historically this is a
3:25
In the early twentieth century, Gilligan’s Hall was a popular place to go in Rhinelander for entertainment and social activities. Located on the corner of Anderson and Pelham Streets, Gilligan’s Hall at that time was the city’s oldest amusement house. Originally built in 1888 by Mose Broulette, it was sold in 1902 to lumberman William Gilligan. Under both proprietors, the building was used for shows, dances, and public meetings. It became a popular location for union gatherings, and when Gilligan sold the building it became Rhinelander’s Labor Temple. In the year 1909, however, Gilligan was still the owner, and a much-anticipated dance was scheduled to take place in the hall on October 14.