Historical and Biographical Album of the Chippewa Valley, Wisconsin including a general historical sketch of the Chippewa Valley; ancestral records of leading families; biographies of representative citizens, past and present; and portraits of prominent men

              366 HISTORY   OF   THE   CHIPPEWA   VALLEY.
ties, the terminus of the road remained at that point until the summer of 1876, when operations for completing the line were again resumed. On arriving at Elk lake, the railroad company decided to locate a village on its banks, and to call it "Phillips," in honor of the general manager of the road. The site was surveyed and platted by the company and recorded at Chippewa Falls, Sep¬ tember 23, 1876. The D. C. Beebe addition was made in October of the same year, and that of Thomas Bailey in September, 1889. At the time of the advent of the railway the site of Phillips was an unbroken wilderness. It then became the headquarters for supplies for the logging camps on thp trib¬ utaries of the Chippewa river. Its whole business interests for the first ten years of its existence were solely in connection with logging. Among the first settlers were the following: J. H. Fewell, who built, owned and operated the first general store; Charles H. Roser and Allen Jackson, who erected the first hotel, the Lake View house, and conducted it for several years. Until the hotel was completed and ready for business the wants of the people in this respect were furnished by W. D. Gumaer in a tent with a log annex. Two other hotels were constructed in the same year, one by William Waddell and the other by W. F. Turner—the Turner house. Both were destroyed by fire May 27, 1877. Other buildings were erected by Messrs. Smith & Thomson, E. W. Murray, Mrs. Henan, F. W. Sackett, George Myers, J. H. Lingren, John Sheehan, Tim Burns, A. Alexander, James McKinley, Mrs. Campbell, Messrs. Messic & McConnell and George W. Bartoe. To these must be added some of those whose names have become prominent in contributing those ingredients which have resulted in the present prosperous condition of the city. They are Chris. Dardis, W. Farrell, John and David O'Brien, M. Nich¬ olson, Edward Halnerson, Thomas Callahan, Willis Hand, M. Barry, James Quail, Charles Silvernail, Walter Brown and Dr. J. D. Wyatt.
The leading connection between an embryo village and the outside world is the mail, and to this end a post-office was established in September, 1876, and Edward H. Alverson was appointed the first postmaster. His office was over James Quail's saloon. F. W. Sackett was his successor in the following year, when the office was removed to the "Times" printing establishment. He held the position until 1881, when J. F. Hand succeeded him. His office'was in the Campbell building. At the expiration of a year he was followed by Dr. George F. Gay, with the office in his drug store. After twelve months' serv¬ ice he was succeeded by C. H. Roser, whose office was in a building on Maple street, in the rear of the Lake View house. C. C. Kelleher was appointed postmaster, under the Cleveland administration, in 1885, and continued in office until the advent of the Harrison administration, when the present incum¬ bent, C. M. Durkee, was appointed in 1889. The office was in Mills' store until September 1, 1891, when it was removed to the new Masonic brick building.