Fun Facts – Willow River

1. The land that would eventually become Willow River was homesteaded in the 1880s by Albert Kinney, Peter Jarvis, Edward Clough, Joseph Nebula, and Richard Abbott. In 1886, Mr. Abbott sold his land to John Wisdom and Warren D. Fox for $150. Two years later, Mr. Jarvis also sold his land to Wisdom and Fox, who then established the Fox-Wisdom Lumber Company. 

2. The Fox-Wisdom Lumber Company sawmill opened in the spring of 1890. Some of the mill's first employees were the Daigle brothers, John Schocks, Henry Akin, John Brickwell, Anton Kalm, Frank Ehr, D.H. Driscol, and John Wadley. The company quickly platted a village and sold lots to its employees. 

3. Willow River was incorporated on November 3, 1891. Thirty-two men signed the petition for incorporation, and a few days later, the village held its first election. J.C. Bowden became village president; Anton Kalm, treasurer; Henry Akin, recorder; John Schocks, A.C. Bram, and Ed Hoen, trustees; George Bram, constable; and Dennis Driscoll and F.A. Blowquist, justices of the peace. 

4. The Fox-Wisdom Lumber company employed about 125 men and could cut 125,000 feet of lumber each day during its busy season. The lumber was set out to dry in a lumberyard just to the east of the mill. Fire was always a danger, so barrels of salt water were strategically placed around the mill and lumberyard. W.A. Doe was one of the mill's first supervisors while Frank B. Millard worked as office manager and Peter Rookey as engineer. Gus Klatt was in charge of welding broken machinery...since he was the only one in town who could. 

5. Employees of the Fox-Wisdom company were paid in gold and silver once a month. Between paydays, they received coupon books with coupons from one cent to one dollar that could be redeemed at the company store. The used coupons were deducted from the next month's pay. Hans Sandwick was the store's manager and kept the store open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays. 

6. Company doctors, O.S. Watkins, Dr. Smoltz, and Dr. Graham, treated Fox-Wisdom employees and their families. Each employee's medical expenses were covered by monthly deductions from his paycheck, $.50 for a single man and $1.00 for a family. 

7. John Wisdom received approval from the Pine County board to establish the Willow River School District #21 on July 14, 1890. Teacher May Wood taught grades one through eight in a one-room frame building. 

8. Early Willow River businesses included the Akin store (with a post office), the Stekl store (that later became the Willow River Mercantile), the Daigle hotel, the Pine hotel, and the Willow River House (a men's boarding house). 

9. After a series of revival meetings, Willow River's Presbyterian church was organized in 1891 with thirteen charter members. The church's building was erected the following year. 

10. In 1893, the Willow River council purchased two boats for villagers to use to cross the river. A bridge was finally built in 1894, but it (and several of its successors) was carried away by spring floods. 

Sources: Pine County...and Its Memories by Jim Cordes; One Hundred Years in Pine County; Willow River: Flowing Through the Century edited by Coral Popowitz

The Fox-Wisdom Lumber Company, Willow River