Big Bull Falls · Birthplace of Wausau

Big Bull Falls · Birthplace of Wausau (HMTRA)

Location: Wausau, WI 54403 Marathon County
Buy Wisconsin State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 44° 57.675', W 89° 38.03'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 656 views
Inscription
In the early 1800s, timber supplies were coming to an end in the eastern United States. The Westward Expansion—the settlement of the prairies and mountainous regions west of the Mississippi—was driving the hunger for more timber with which to build homes, barns, towns and railroads.

Stories spread quickly of mammoth-sized pines at a place called Big Bull Falls in the Wisconsin Territory.

[photo captions]
The first American to build a sawmill at Big Bull Falls in 1839 was George Stevens, a lumberman from New York.
Courtesy of the Marathon County Historical Society, Wausau, Wisconsin.

← Virgin pines, such as these photographed in Marathon County in 1865, drew lumbermen here, just as gold lured miners to California during the Gold Rush.
Courtesy of Marathon County Historical Society, Wausau, Wisconsin.

George Stevens was ecstatic about Big Bull Falls. He wrote to his partners in St. Louis, "It is decidedly the best Mill Site I ever Saw or heard of in the Union & being the head of navigation & the timber much better above than below & 30 miles of handsome river to float loggs down & the timber in many places standing on the bank can be felled and rolled in without a team."
Joshua Hathaway's survey map of Big Bull Falls, 1839.
Courtesy of Marathon County Historical Society, Wausau, Wisconsin.


In this letter to his partners in St. Louis, Stevens describes the difficulties in getting to Big Bull Falls, the hardships in trying to live and build a mill here, as well as his joy in the fabulous rivers and pines.
Courtesy of Marathon County Historical Society, Wausau, Wisconsin.

[logos of] River Edge Parkway · Welcome Home Wausau
Details
HM NumberHMTRA
Tags
Placed ByRiver Edge Parkway, Welcome Home Wausau
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Tuesday, October 7th, 2014 at 8:50am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)16T E 292273 N 4982020
Decimal Degrees44.96125000, -89.63383333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 44° 57.675', W 89° 38.03'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds44° 57' 40.50" N, 89° 38' 1.80" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)715
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 4 Scott St, Wausau WI 54403, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. This marker needs at least one picture.
  10. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  11. Is the marker in the median?