Reedsburg Woolen Mill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Reedsburg Woolen Mill
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Reedsburg Woolen Mill as of 1921
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| Location | 26 Main St., Reedsburg, Wisconsin |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1891 |
| MPS | Reedsburg MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 84000664 |
| Added to NRHP | December 26, 1984 |
The Reedsburg Woolen Mill was a very important factory in Reedsburg, Wisconsin. It was located right next to the Baraboo River. This mill made woolen fabrics and was the biggest employer in Reedsburg for a long time. Over 200 people worked there!
The mill was built in 1891. It operated for many years until most of it burned down in 1968. Only the office building was left. This office building was later added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. This means it is recognized as a special historic place.
Today, the old office building is used by different groups like DJ Dietz Designs and the Wormfarm Institute. There is also a cool painting, called a mural, of the mill on the side of the office building. It faces the Baraboo River. Where the main mill building used to be, there is now a grocery store.
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The History of Reedsburg Woolen Mill
The Reedsburg Woolen Mill has a long and interesting history. It started with a sawmill and grew into a large factory.
How the Mill Site Started
The story of this location began in 1842. A man named James Babb built a sawmill and a dam there. He chose this spot because the river was shallow, which was perfect for building a dam.
Five years later, in 1847, David Reed bought the dam and sawmill. He rebuilt them to make them better. Then, in 1853, Joseph Mackey bought the dam. His purchase brought new businesses to the area.
Over time, people in Reedsburg became interested in having a woolen mill. Local business owners decided to create the Reedsburg Woolen Mills company in 1879. They raised $50,000 to start it.
Building and Growing the Mill
By 1882, the Reedsburg Woolen Mill was built and ready. The factory grew bigger over the next few years. By 1899, it was a large four-story building. It had space to store wool and 32 special machines called broad looms. These looms made "fancy cassimeres," which were types of woolen cloth, mostly for markets in Chicago.
In 1902, a company called Appleton Woolen Mills bought the Reedsburg mill. After this, a new dam was built. By 1910, the factory was updated to use electricity. In 1954, the mill changed its focus to making "novelty fabrics," which are unique or new types of cloth. When this change happened, people in Reedsburg worried that the mill might close down.
The Mill's Final Years
To save the mill, the employees worked with local business people to buy the building back. The woolen mill continued to be the biggest employer in Reedsburg. However, it finally closed down in 1967 when the company went out of business.
Sadly, the main mill building burned down in 1968. In 1973, the dam that once powered the mill was removed. This changed the height of the Baraboo River in Reedsburg quite a bit.
Today, only the old office building of the woolen mill remains. It was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. A special machine called a "picker," which was used in the mill, was found in the remains. You can now see it on display where the old mill building once stood.
Images for kids
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The Reedsburg Woolen Mill seen from the Baraboo River in 1921.
