website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Sugar Beet Factory
1891
01 30 REQUEST FOR
SUGAR BEET SEEDS
Quite a large
number of farmers hereabouts have petitioned Secretary of Agriculture Rusk to
forward them from Washington in time for spring planting seeds of several or
the best varieties of sugar beets, with a view of testing the merits of the
soil hereabouts for raising that sugar-producing vegetable. This is an industry that is creating interest
throughout the country, and the indications now are that southern Wisconsin
soil is just the right kind for growing sugar beets. A factory in Watertown for production of
sugar from beets would be just the proper thing. Next fall considerable sugar beets will be on
the market here, and the farmers hereabouts should be encouraged to raise them
by some of our citizens erecting a factory to put them to use. WG
03 27 ORGANIZE
FOR A BEET SUGAR FACTORY
Interested parties have been talking for
some time past of taking steps to organize a company to build a factory for the
purpose of manufacturing beet sugar in this city, and as a preliminary move in
the matter, have interested quite a number of farmers hereabouts who have
agreed to devote a portion of their farm the coming summer to the cultivation
of sugar beets. Beet seed has arrived here from Washington and is now in the hands of
Postmaster Moak.
Julius Schoechert,
a gentleman well posted on this industry, informs us that before another year
rolls round he believes we will have a good-paying beet sugar factory
here. He wishes us to inform our readers
that on Thursday afternoon, April 2d, at 2 o'clock p. m. a meeting will be held
in Temperance hall over Mike Began's store on the
west side. WG
1899
03 01 CHANCE OF
A BEET SUGAR PLANT
There seems to be excellent
ground for believing that Watertown stands a good chance of having a beet sugar
plant. W. H. Wheeler, of Beloit, who
addressed a meeting held here in that interest a couple of weeks ago, was in
the city again Monday. He feels certain
that if $100,000 is subscribed here he can get outside parties to invest
$100,000, and thus practically make it an assured success. Several gentlemen of this city are-anxious to
invest their capital in this enterprise, and if a few more will only come
forward and put their shoulders to the wheel there is no possibility of
failure. WR
03 08 QUESTION
OF A BEET SUGAR PLANT
The question of a beet sugar
plant having become one of engrossing interest to our citizens, we deemed it
advisable to interview the gentlemen of the Watertown delegation, headed by out
energetic and enterprising young mayor, Henry Mulberger,
who left here last Thursday morning for Bay City, Mich., to inspect the beet
sugar at this point, and are enabled to lay before our readers a most
comprehensive and interesting statement of what they saw. WR
03 22 BEET SUGAR
FEVER PROVEN CONTAGIOUS
The beet sugar fever has proven
to be very contagious. All our citizens
are taking the liveliest interest in the matter, and there does not seem to be any
good reason to anticipate a failure of the project. Farmers coming to town are on the alert for
information in regard to it, and we judge from their expressions in its favor
that the least trouble to apprehend will be in securing sufficient
acreage. WR
11 07 JULIUS
SCHOECHERT, BEET FARMER
Samples of sugar beets grown by
Julius Schoechert, a well-known farmer on the Plank
Road who has been experimenting with this product for several years, was sent
to the Wisconsin Experimental station at Madison and tested by the government
chemist, F.W. Woll.
The result is given as follows: Weight of beets, 1.22 pounds; sugar in
the juice, per cent, 16.31; coefficient of purity (meaning the percentage of
sugar in the solid matter in solution in the juice), 85.2 . . . The chemist
says the samples are excellent in quality, the tests being very high. Mr. Schoechert is
very confident that this section can produce sugar beets profitably and hopes
to see a beet sugar factory established here.
WR
1900
10 19 BEET SUGAR
PLANT ADVANTAGES
Fred. Brunsterman,
of Boston, has been in the city during the past week looking over the
advantages of this city as a place to locate a beet sugar factory, and the
outlook for getting enough farmers to agree to plant enough beets to make the
factory a success, 60,000 acres being required.
The beets raised hereabouts for such purposes by tests at the state
experimental station at Madison average higher than any produce elsewhere, and
the other advantages are such that Watertown is considered one of the best
places in the world for such a factory.
Mr. Brunsterman has been travelling through
Iowa, Indiana, and Wisconsin looking for the best site obtainable and will
shortly make his report to Boston capitalists who are desirous of going into the
manufacture of beet sugar. They do not
ask financial aid from the community where they locate all they want is a
guarantee from the farmers that they will plant the necessary acres of beets. WG
1901
03 22 CHANCE OF
A BEET SUGAR PLANT
The sugar consumed by the
people of out state comes almost to $6,000,000
annually. This means that for each
working day in the year there must be gathered into our banks not less than
$20,000 in cash to be sent elsewhere to pay Wisconsin’s sugar bill . . . The
Watertown farmers’ and other people, citizens of Watertown and vicinity, have
for some time past been endeavoring to secure a beet sugar factory. It is that the possible that the opportunity
for such a factory is now close at hand . . . It now remains for Watertown to
take the first real step towards securing a beet sugar factory. Let the farmers in the vicinity grow three or
four hundred acres of sugar beets this year and ship them to the Menomonee
Falls factory for manufacture into sugar.
This experiment will test the question of whether or not the farmers
desire to grow beets in the future, and further yield definite information as
in the adaptation of the soil to that crop.
WG
04 03 MEETING TO
ESTABLISH A BEET FACTORY
The meeting held in this city
last week Thursday for the purpose of taking steps to establish a beet sugar
factory here was presided over by H. Flinn, and Frank M. Eaton acted as
secretary. There was a large crowd of
interested farmers present, all of whom took considerable interest in the
matter, and many of them expressed themselves as being willing to take stock in
an institution of that kind, as well as to raise a certain number of acres of
beets every year to help supply it. . . .
Arrangements are being made to have Prof. Henry of the state
experimental station deliver a lecture here on the subject of beet culture, and
when he visits our city, he should have a large audience of farmers, as this is
a subject that is of special interest to them. He will positively be here on Saturday, April
18th, and speak at the city hall at 2 o'clock p.m.
10 25 NO BETTER
SUGAR BEETS CAN BE GROWN
The harvest of the sugar beets grown by the Watertown
business men on 100 acres of the Howard farm west of this city has been going
on for a week past, and though the yield will not be as great as it would have
been had we had more favorable weather the past summer, those interested in the
enterprise say they are well satisfied that as good, if not better sugar beets
can be grown, hereabouts and in any other section of the country. The C.M.&St.P.
Ry. Co. has built a sidetrack on the Madison branch of its railway system, a
short distance south of the beet field, where the beets are loaded into cars
and shipped to Menomonee Falls, where they will be manufactured into
sugar. A large number of men, women and
boys are engaged in the harvest, and the beet- field presents a very busy
appearance. An industry of this kind,
rightly started hereabouts, is very evident [that it] would be of great value
to not only the farmers, but labor and business men as well, and we hope
everyone will do all in his power to encourage it.
Julius Schoechert has also a
large tract of land devoted to beet culture on his farm west of this city, and
he is harvesting a choice crop this week.
The beet crop of Sam Kussel in the northeastern part of the city is in
excellent condition and Sam is expecting big results. WG
Cross Reference Re. SAM KUSSEL: 10 09 1908.
BIG REAL ESTATE DEALS. The
Riverside Land Co. is putting in a fine driveway between Fourth Street bridge
and county line bridge [new “driveway” is assumed to be the upgrading or
rebuilding of Labaree St., a portion of
which had existed as early as 1855; county line bridge is
Division/Boughton St bridge]. They have recently sold 420 lots
in Beloit in one day, 232 lots in Janesville, 145 lots at Monroe and 173 lots
in Stoughton. If you are in line for an investment don't fail to
purchase lots in the Riverside addition, known as the Sam Kussel property, in the 6th ward [Samuel Kussell home was at 924 Labaree]. Watertown
is on the boom and these lots are bound to advance in price.
DON'T PUT IT OFF. Start now and buy a lot
in the Riverside addition to Watertown, for these lots will not last long at
these terms and prices.
DON'T FORGET. Sale of lots in Riverside addition,
opens Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 7 a. m. Come
early. WG
Cross Reference: Riverside Addition [Kussel Farm]
- Labaree St. Labaree St
12 12 BEET SUGAR
PULP
A number of farmers were in the
city taking home loads of beet sugar pulp received here from the Menomonee beet
sugar factory. The price asked is $1.60
a t on which covers the cost of delivery.
Pulp will be received daily during the winter season and farmers may
secure the fodder at any time.
1962
03 22 INTERESTED
IN GROWTH OF SUGAR BEETS
Enthusiasm ran high yesterday
at a Watertown meeting of farmers interested in the growth of sugar beets, in
this area, putting a bit of “silver lining” in the cloud which has hung over
the industry. A film was shown to
acquaint those attending with the operations of the Great Western Sugar Company
in other states. Great Western is the
company interested in taking over the Green Bay plant. Representatives of Great Western answered
questions and discussed briefly the result of research which has brought about
better seed, to raise sugar content and improved methods of cultivation to
increase the tons produced per acre. WDT
History of Watertown, Wisconsin