The Phoenix Manufacturing Company, later the Phoenix Steel Company, was one of Eau Claire, Wisconsin's oldest manufacturing firms. It manufactured equipment predominantly for the sawmill and logging equipment industries, which were vital to the establishment and growth of Eau Claire.
The company began in 1861 when Robert Tolles and his brother-in-law, Hiram P. Graham, formed a partnership for the manufacture of sashes, doors, blinds, and general wood work. [1] At that time, the company was located on the north bank of the Eau Claire River, west of North Dewey Street. [2] In 1865, more partners were added for capital, and merged into the firm of Graham, White & Co., with the addition of a machinery and foundry business specializing in building and repairing sawmill machinery. [3]
The Dewey Street location burned down in 1875, and in order to add further capital, the business was incorporated as the Phoenix Manufacturing Company (named so for its re-establishment following the fire). [1] That same year, the company constructed a foundry and machine shop at its permanent location on the west bank of the Chippewa River, at Forest and Wisconsin streets.
In 1892, a separate division, the Phoenix Furniture Company, was organized and located near Half Moon Lake at 9th and Broadway. [4]
Phoenix found particular success in 1903, manufacturing a steam log hauler under patent rights from Orlando Lombard. [5] This, along with logging sleighs, snow plows and machinery for making logging roads, necessitated an expansion in 1907, adding a larger machine shop and boiler room. [1]
As the 20th century progressed, the depletion of the timber industry took a toll on the company. While somewhat diversified in the agricultural industry, Phoenix also suffered from patent disputes, where their un-patented designs were copied and patented by competitors, leaving Phoenix subject to claims of infringement. [6]
In 1925 the Phoenix Manufacturing Company filed for bankruptcy. That same year it was purchased by the W. H. Hobbs Supply Company, for the manufacture of steel beams, reinforcing wire, sheet metal, and ornamental steel. [7]
In 1951, Eau Claire businessman Louis L. Phillips expanded his metal scrapyard business, buying control of Phoenix and forming it into the Phoenix Steel Corporation, [8] which remained operational until 1976.
The Phoenix Manufacturing Company produced a number of new products for the lumber milling industry. In 1887, Phoenix introduced a new band-type mill saw, known as the Esplin mill. This was followed by the Emerson bandmill, and later the Phoenix light bandmill, known for producing the "largest cut of perfect sawed lumber for the least outlay". [2] The firm also furnished building parts such as arches, plates, and columns. Many structures in the Eau Claire still feature slim support columns marked with the Phoenix name. [1] The company's largest success was with the Phoenix Log Hauler, a licensed version of a Lombard Steam Log Hauler. Over a hundred of these log haulers were produced. [1] [5] Due to greater competition from gasoline tractors, particularly the Holt tractor, Phoenix began manufacturing the Phoenix Centipede Truck for agricultural and construction use. [6]
Eau Claire County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 98,736. Its county seat is Eau Claire. The county took its name from the Eau Claire River.
Continuous track is a system of vehicle propulsion used in tracked vehicles, running on a continuous band of treads or track plates driven by two or more wheels. The large surface area of the tracks distributes the weight of the vehicle better than steel or rubber tyres on an equivalent vehicle, enabling continuous tracked vehicles to traverse soft ground with less likelihood of becoming stuck due to sinking.
Stanley is a city in Chippewa and Clark counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 3,608 at the 2010 census. Of this, 3,602 were in Chippewa County, and 6 in Clark County.
Eau Claire is a city in Eau Claire and Chippewa counties in the west-central part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located almost entirely in Eau Claire County, for which it is the county seat, the city had an estimated population of 68,802 in 2019, making it the state's eighth-largest city. Eau Claire is the principal city of the Eau Claire, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a part of the Eau Claire-Menomonie Combined Statistical Area.
Log driving is a means of moving logs from a forest to sawmills and pulp mills downstream using the current of a river. It was the main transportation method of the early logging industry in Europe and North America.
The Chippewa River in Wisconsin flows approximately 183 miles (294 km) through west-central and northwestern Wisconsin. It was once navigable for approximately 50 miles (80 km) of its length, from the Mississippi River, by Durand, northeast to Eau Claire. Its catchment defines a portion of the northern boundary of the Driftless Area. The river is easily accessible for bikers and pleasure seekers via the Chippewa River State Trail which follows the river from Eau Claire to Durand.
The Best Manufacturing Company of San Leandro, California was a manufacturer of farm machinery, known for its steam tractors.
The Holt Manufacturing Company began with the 1883 founding of Stockton Wheel Service in Stockton, California, United States. Benjamin Holt, later credited with patenting the first workable crawler ("caterpillar") tractor design, incorporated the Holt Manufacturing Company in 1892. Holt Manufacturing Company was the first company to successfully manufacture a continuous track tractor By the early 20th century, Holt Manufacturing Company was the leading manufacturer of combine harvesters in the US, and the leading California-based manufacturer of steam traction engines.
The McCann brothers were three Irishmen who migrated from Ohio to Wisconsin in the mid-nineteenth century. They played an important role in the early phases of Wisconsin's lumber industry, and in the political and social organization of Chippewa County.
The Lombard Steam Log Hauler, patented 21 May 1901, was the first successful commercial application of a continuous track for vehicle propulsion. The concept was later used for military tanks during World War I and for agricultural tractors and construction equipment following the war.
Hannibal is an unincorporated community located in Taylor County, Wisconsin, United States. Hannibal is located on Wisconsin Highway 73 and County Highway M north of Gilman, in the town of Cleveland. Today Hannibal is quiet, but once it was a bustling little economic hub at the junction of two logging railroads.
Phoenix Park is a public space in downtown Eau Claire, Wisconsin, located on a former brownfield site at the confluence of the Chippewa River and the Eau Claire River. It covers approximately 9 acres with approximately 1/2 mile of riverbank frontage. The park serves as the trailhead for the Chippewa River State Trail. The park also offers a walking labyrinth, a natural amphitheater, and is home to Eau Claire's year-round farmer's market. These amenities make Phoenix Park a major gathering spot, especially during the summer months when the park plays hosts to concerts. The park is owned and operated by the City of Eau Claire.
Alvin Orlando Lombard was the American inventor of the track-wheeled vehicle. First patented in 1901, the Lombard Steam Log Hauler revolutionized the movement of harvested logs through the woods and set the stage for every snowmobile, tank and bulldozer ever built.
Porter's Mills, also called Porterville, was a logging boomtown in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, United States, between Brunswick and Eau Claire, at 44° 46' 15" N 091° 34' 01" W. at an elevation of 771 feet.
The W. H. Hobbs Supply Company was a wholesale and retail supplier located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Founded by William H. Hobbs, it began operation with other partners in 1885, then operated continuously under the Hobbs name from 1907 to 1993. The company's services varied greatly over the years, but largely focused on lumber mill supplies, hardware, sporting goods, industrial and creamery supplies, electrical supplies and appliances, and plumbing, heating, water systems and air conditioning materials. The company slogan was "Busy since 1885".
Adin Randall was a philanthropist, businessman, and politician in the Chippewa Valley of Wisconsin, who served as a first Treasurer of Eau Claire County, Wisconsin. He ran a ferry across the Chippewa, a planing mill, a sash and door factory, and invented the sheer boom to efficiently shunt logs into Half Moon Lake. He is regarded as one of the founders of the city. He donated the land for Randall Park, Lakeview Cemetery and the Eau Claire Area School District.
Peter Truax was a philanthropist, businessman, farmer, and third-party politician in the Chippewa Valley of Wisconsin. Truax was a prominent figure in the Chippewa Valley and one of the richest men in the county. His acquisition of wealth was due to the many business ventures he took part in. Truax was one of the leaders of the Prohibitionist movement in the state and was nominated for state and federal office by organizations of that party on several occasions. He owned large stocks in the Bank of Eau Claire and the New Bank of Eau Claire.
George Augustus Buffington was a philanthropist, businessman, farmer, and politician in the Chippewa Valley of Wisconsin. Buffington was a prominent figure in the area and one of the wealthiest men in the city of Eau Claire.
Orrin Henry Ingram was an American lumber baron and philanthropist from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Orphaned at age 11, he established sawmills in Ontario, Canada, and the Chippewa Valley of Wisconsin. He was a banker and philanthropist in Eau Claire.
The Cornell Pulpwood Stacker is located at Millyard Park in Cornell, Wisconsin, United States. It was utilized to move pulpwood logs into large piles so they could be sent through waterways to paper mills. The stacker operated at the Cornell Wood Products Mill from 1912 until its obsolescence in 1971. It is listed both on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as on the Wisconsin State Historical Society's listing of Cornell Millyard Park.
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