The Wisconsin magazine of history: Volume 25, number 2, December 1941

              lumber rafting on the wisconsin river w h glover part one the rough lumber industry pioneered the valley of the wisconsin river in central wisconsin the first mill in what was to be known as the pinery was established at a rapids below point bas the site of the town of nekoosa in 1831 or 1832 by daniel whitney of green bay several more appeared farther north on the wisconsin and its tribu taries during the 1830's and during the years 1841-44 many more were added to meet the demand created by the west ward movement as it began to penetrate the treeless great plains.1 the river and the stone outcroppings over which it fell were the center of all activities river boats brought in the invaders and supplied them the falls furnished the power to saw lumber and the current took the rough-sawed boards to the booming markets running rafts of lumber down the wisconsin and mississippi rivers necessarily began with the first sawing no body of consumers was close enough to pay for hauling rough pine lumber through the sand tracks of central wisconsin the river was the solution and it is recorded that lumber in rafts was floated down river from wausau over the many rapids south of there as early as 1841 or 1842.2 doubtless it had begun earlier farther down the river 1 hand-book of stevens point and the upper wisconsin . . . ellis tracy and swayze stevens point 1857 8-9 stevens point journal july 29 1876 edgar e ladu early and late mosinee wausau c1907 7 2s p jour august 5 1876 history of northern wisconsin . . . western historical company chicago 1881 543