Historic Structure Tour
The City of Washburn has three buildings that are on the National Register of Historic Places. This national designation is for buildings or sites that are deemed a cultural resource worthy of preservation and are considered significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering or culture.
The three local buildings are the Washburn Public Library, the Bayfield County Courthouse, and the Washburn Cultural Center.
In addition, Washburn is rich with examples of the region's ornate brown sandstore architecture.
The three local buildings are the Washburn Public Library, the Bayfield County Courthouse, and the Washburn Cultural Center.
In addition, Washburn is rich with examples of the region's ornate brown sandstore architecture.
Washburn Through The Years
Named after Cadwallader C. Washburn, Civil War general, congressman, founder of the Washburn Crosby Milling Company (forerunner to General Mills) and governor of Wisconsin from 1873-1874, the largest community in Bayfield County lies on a hillside overlooking Lake Superior's Chequamegon Bay. Founded in 1883 because of its protected harbor, abundant forests and availability of sandstone building materials known as Brownstone, the community became a prosperous commercial and industrial center.
As reported in the 1983 Centennial Celebration publication of the Washburn's Women's Civic Club, Washburn Memories, "There is no romance of Indian lore in the history of the foundation of Washburn - no poetical inspirations can be derived from its early history. When founded in 1883, it was strictly a business consideration and has remained so ever since."
As reported in the 1983 Centennial Celebration publication of the Washburn's Women's Civic Club, Washburn Memories, "There is no romance of Indian lore in the history of the foundation of Washburn - no poetical inspirations can be derived from its early history. When founded in 1883, it was strictly a business consideration and has remained so ever since."
Present day Washburn owes its existence to the need of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railroad for a lake port. In the spring of 1883, the Bay Land Improvement Company, the land investment arm of the railroad, staked out the town site and began selling lots. The town site was named in honor of Washburn, who incidentally was also a stockholder of the railroad. Having died in 1882, Washburn never set foot in the City. The Company named the town site as a memorial to Washburn. The original plat of the city was completed in August of that year and was comprised of 1,230 lots over 366 acres. Over 150 lots sold in 1883. The price for a business lot at the time of platting ranged from $150 to $250. On October 1st of that year, the community's post office opened.
In April, 1885, the first of the three major mills opened at the foot of 8th Avenue West along the lakefront by the Northern Pine Land Company. Under various operators, the 8th Avenue mill operated for 39 years until 1924. The following year Rood & Maxwell opened a mill on the lakefront at the foot of 10th Avenue West. Sawing operations ended at this site in 1917. The last major mill was alleged to have been the 2nd largest mill in Wisconsin by Anson A. Bigelow. Whether or not the mill was the second largest in Wisconsin may be debatable, but it was the largest sawmill in Washburn. The Bigelow mill was also opened in 1886 and was on the lakefront at the foot of 6th Avenue West just east of the Northern Pine Land Company property. The mill closed in 1905 and burned shortly thereafter. The City also contained auxiliary industries to the lumber mills including lath and shingle mills, an excelsior company, and a box factory. Finished lumber products were shipped from Washburn via the Omaha and the community's growing maritime industry.
In April, 1885, the first of the three major mills opened at the foot of 8th Avenue West along the lakefront by the Northern Pine Land Company. Under various operators, the 8th Avenue mill operated for 39 years until 1924. The following year Rood & Maxwell opened a mill on the lakefront at the foot of 10th Avenue West. Sawing operations ended at this site in 1917. The last major mill was alleged to have been the 2nd largest mill in Wisconsin by Anson A. Bigelow. Whether or not the mill was the second largest in Wisconsin may be debatable, but it was the largest sawmill in Washburn. The Bigelow mill was also opened in 1886 and was on the lakefront at the foot of 6th Avenue West just east of the Northern Pine Land Company property. The mill closed in 1905 and burned shortly thereafter. The City also contained auxiliary industries to the lumber mills including lath and shingle mills, an excelsior company, and a box factory. Finished lumber products were shipped from Washburn via the Omaha and the community's growing maritime industry.
Eventually, logging railroads radiated from the community bringing raw materials from the hinterlands to the community's saw mills. One such line, the home grown Washburn, Bayfield and Iron River Railroad was purchased by the Northern Pacific Railroad to gain access to the City's lucrative traffic base. The City's source of raw materials was augmented by the rafting of logs across the bay from surrounding lands as well.
The quarrying of brownstone became an important local industry in the late 1800's with several quarries operating between Washburn and Bayfield along the sandstone outcrops. At the height of the industry, seven quarries were operating in Bayfield County. The first brownstone was quarried on Basswood Island in 1869. By 1871 brownstone was being shipped down the lakes to Chicago to rebuild that city after its devastating fire. The first of quarry in Bayfield County reportedly was opened by R.D. Pike between the Salmon and Onion Rivers in 1883. In 1892 the famous brownstone monolith, a 115' obelisk was cut at Houghton Point quarry operated by Frederick Prentice for the Chicago World's Fair. The industry all but died by 1903, having been replaced by concrete and other building materials
The railroad constructed yards, water tower, roundhouse, and a depot in 1883 that reportedly remained until 1967. The depot was the site of the first trial in Washburn in 1884. The depot was unfinished at the time of the trial having a roof and walls but lacking windows and doors. The present county courthouse was erected in 1894.
The first town hall was constructed on the corner of Bayfield and 2nd Avenue East in 1887 as well as the Washburn Iron Works.
The quarrying of brownstone became an important local industry in the late 1800's with several quarries operating between Washburn and Bayfield along the sandstone outcrops. At the height of the industry, seven quarries were operating in Bayfield County. The first brownstone was quarried on Basswood Island in 1869. By 1871 brownstone was being shipped down the lakes to Chicago to rebuild that city after its devastating fire. The first of quarry in Bayfield County reportedly was opened by R.D. Pike between the Salmon and Onion Rivers in 1883. In 1892 the famous brownstone monolith, a 115' obelisk was cut at Houghton Point quarry operated by Frederick Prentice for the Chicago World's Fair. The industry all but died by 1903, having been replaced by concrete and other building materials
The railroad constructed yards, water tower, roundhouse, and a depot in 1883 that reportedly remained until 1967. The depot was the site of the first trial in Washburn in 1884. The depot was unfinished at the time of the trial having a roof and walls but lacking windows and doors. The present county courthouse was erected in 1894.
The first town hall was constructed on the corner of Bayfield and 2nd Avenue East in 1887 as well as the Washburn Iron Works.
The Great Fire And Beyond
Fire was always a danger to early frontier communities and occasionally one or another of the community's structures burned. Virtually every sawmill in the City burned at least once during the life of the industry. In September of 1888, the residents of Ashland received quite a start when a large brush fire west of town convinced our neighbors across the bay that the City was burning. A week later fire did devastate portions of the business community destroying 35 businesses within 2 hours of its origin and caused $120,000 in damage. Fortunately, the disaster did not result in the loss of life. Like the famous Chicago fire, the Washburn fire was alleged to have started as the result of an animal kicking over a lantern in a shed.
By 1888 the A. A. Bigelow Lumber Company operated the second largest mill had in Wisconsin and contained the largest refuse burner in the world.
The "Great Forest Fire of 1894" once again endangered the community. Every able bodied man was recruited to fight the blaze. A fortunate wind change eventually saved the city.
By 1896, the community boasted a population of 6,000, contained 3 weekly newspapers, 9 churches, 15 saloons, 3 banks, 21 boarding houses, an opera house, brewery, four blacksmith shops, two liveries, and a veterinarian.
By 1888 the A. A. Bigelow Lumber Company operated the second largest mill had in Wisconsin and contained the largest refuse burner in the world.
The "Great Forest Fire of 1894" once again endangered the community. Every able bodied man was recruited to fight the blaze. A fortunate wind change eventually saved the city.
By 1896, the community boasted a population of 6,000, contained 3 weekly newspapers, 9 churches, 15 saloons, 3 banks, 21 boarding houses, an opera house, brewery, four blacksmith shops, two liveries, and a veterinarian.
The city's waterworks was constructed in 1889 and the Walker High School, a Lake Superior Brownstone castle was constructed in 1893 for a cost of $62,000. Named after an official of the A. A. Bigelow Lumber Company, the new structure was dedicated on May 28, 1894.
In 1899, the Washburn Elevator loaded the steamer W. H. Oliver with the largest cargo floated on the lakes up to that time - 152,000 bushels of barley; 40,000 bushels of rye; and 149 bushels of oats equaling a cargo of 7,149 tons destined for Buffalo, New York.
In 1904 the community was incorporated as a City, a creamery began business, its residents were provided with electric lights, and a Carnegie Library was constructed. Despite the ongoing decline of the City's foundation industry, forest products, the Dupont Company purchased some 2,000 acres of land outside the community and established the largest dynamite plant in the northwest. The Barksdale Works manufactured a complete line of dynamite and gelatin dynamites for mining, forestry, agricultural applications. Washburn became a boom town by World War I with more then 9,000 residents. The Barksdale plant alone employed 6,000 area residents during the World War.
In 1910, the first automobile entered the City having traveled from Redwood Falls, Minnesota. The two day trip was hampered by the lack of travelable roads between Drummond and Washburn.
Following the trends of the national temperance movement, the City voted to go dry in 1914 causing its brewery to close.
In 1899, the Washburn Elevator loaded the steamer W. H. Oliver with the largest cargo floated on the lakes up to that time - 152,000 bushels of barley; 40,000 bushels of rye; and 149 bushels of oats equaling a cargo of 7,149 tons destined for Buffalo, New York.
In 1904 the community was incorporated as a City, a creamery began business, its residents were provided with electric lights, and a Carnegie Library was constructed. Despite the ongoing decline of the City's foundation industry, forest products, the Dupont Company purchased some 2,000 acres of land outside the community and established the largest dynamite plant in the northwest. The Barksdale Works manufactured a complete line of dynamite and gelatin dynamites for mining, forestry, agricultural applications. Washburn became a boom town by World War I with more then 9,000 residents. The Barksdale plant alone employed 6,000 area residents during the World War.
In 1910, the first automobile entered the City having traveled from Redwood Falls, Minnesota. The two day trip was hampered by the lack of travelable roads between Drummond and Washburn.
Following the trends of the national temperance movement, the City voted to go dry in 1914 causing its brewery to close.
Boom times returned to the community during the World War. The Barksdale Works of the Dupont Company employed upwards of 6,000 men and women in support of the war effort. Washburn's population allegedly peaked at 10,000 during the war and the community was hard pressed to provide housing and educational opportunities for the influx of new families. Dupont arranged for the construction of a significant amount housing in the community to alleviate the shortage of housing endured by its employees. While many remain on the City's East 3rd Street in what is called "Dupont Row" today, many were sold to the expanding Marshall -Wells Hardware Company and moved to Duluth, Minnesota after the war.
The City added to its industrial base in 1921 when Anchor Shipbuilding opened a ship yard in Washburn. Unfortunately, the company only constructed one vessel during its existence, a steel double ended ferry that transported traffic across the Hudson river in New York state. The vessel, the Hudson-Athens, was launched on June 25, 1921.
The City became the home of the district headquarters of the Chequamegon National Forest in the 1930's and remains so today. Thousands of acres of national and county forest lands surround the community providing endless recreational opportunities and a managed timber source for Wisconsin's forest products industry.
The City's water system was purchased in the 1930's and updated forty years latter with the conversion from lake water to artesian water and the construction of a storage reservoir. A primary sewage treatment plant was constructed in 1958, upgraded in 1973 and replaced in 1998. Portions of both the water and sanitary sewer saw major reconstruction in 2004. The sewage treatment plant was upgraded again in 2016.
The Walker School was razed by fire on February 5, 1947. Ground was broken on the new Washburn High School in 1949.
The Barksdale Works of the Dupont Company closed in 1971.
With the decline of the areas industrial base, rail service, the reason for the founding of the community, was discontinued between Washburn and Bayfield in 1977 and abandoned into the community several years later.
Sources:
The City added to its industrial base in 1921 when Anchor Shipbuilding opened a ship yard in Washburn. Unfortunately, the company only constructed one vessel during its existence, a steel double ended ferry that transported traffic across the Hudson river in New York state. The vessel, the Hudson-Athens, was launched on June 25, 1921.
The City became the home of the district headquarters of the Chequamegon National Forest in the 1930's and remains so today. Thousands of acres of national and county forest lands surround the community providing endless recreational opportunities and a managed timber source for Wisconsin's forest products industry.
The City's water system was purchased in the 1930's and updated forty years latter with the conversion from lake water to artesian water and the construction of a storage reservoir. A primary sewage treatment plant was constructed in 1958, upgraded in 1973 and replaced in 1998. Portions of both the water and sanitary sewer saw major reconstruction in 2004. The sewage treatment plant was upgraded again in 2016.
The Walker School was razed by fire on February 5, 1947. Ground was broken on the new Washburn High School in 1949.
The Barksdale Works of the Dupont Company closed in 1971.
With the decline of the areas industrial base, rail service, the reason for the founding of the community, was discontinued between Washburn and Bayfield in 1977 and abandoned into the community several years later.
Sources:
- Washburn Memories, Washburn Women's Civic Club; 1982?; Edith Merila, editor. Printed by White Birch Printing, Inc., Shell Lake, Wisconsin.
- "The Mills of Washburn," by Kurt Larson. Tall Timbers Shortlines; Fall, 2000.
- Washburn Comprehensive Plan, Northwest Regional Planning Commission, 1992 Update.
- Small Town USA II, Washburn Wisconsin by A.H. Woiak; publication date unknown.
- The Wisconsin Blue Book; The Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library; 1960.
