A Standard History of Waupaca County, Wisconsin. An Authentic Narrative of the Past, with Particular Attention to the Modern Era in the Commercial, Industrial, Educational, Civic and Social Development.

              128 HISTORY OF AVAUPACA COUNTY
AtuKWA Earliest Lumbkr Centior
In connection with this interest the great (U\sideraium was a point; a town well located, as tlus lumbcrmairs depot of su[)plies; a, central jioint, easy of access; a poiid. of (conveyance and radiation. Long before Ninv iiondon w^as settled, Aiukwa had Ixm.mi designated as sucli a phice, hut it was a. liith* too far aNvay from tlie pinei-y, inid was not tiie iiea(! of njivi- ga,tion. proper. Aiukwa had ({uite a l)oom, as it was thought a; the time to be the head of navig;;! ion. A larue war(4iouse, hotel and sawmill, and numerous modern resi<h'iices weiM^ i-ri^ctcMl. The land was platted for some distance around; :i diagram nirxle and extensively cii'culatxvl. At this time it was the coniily seat. 'i1ie fact was demonstrated, howevcu*, that New London was tlie favored point, aii<l that.Aiukwa was a })aper town. New London, was j)i*operly Ihe luuid of navigation for the large steamers. Smaller craft; woold occasionally jienetrate higher above the mouth of the Embarrass, in high waU^r time, but there was no great cen¬ tral point above tliis.
Plank Roads Oh' the I]arly '50s
The project of the Aianitowoc & Stevens Point Plank Road, thougii it WMS never to be complected, had done much to attract attention to this place, "as it was here where it was to have crossed the river. Jn 1852 Reeder Smith secured a charter to construct a plank road from Appleton to New London. Tliere was considerable excitement along the line, as many expected to be employed upon it, but after it was learned tliat r.iir're were no funds they were somewhat disappointed. It ^vas given out tiiat if the road was cleared and bridges erected and swamps graded that the j)lank would be furnished. In 1853 the road was cleared, cut through and graded to some extent and licces'sarily was a thoroughfare of some im¬ portance, particularly after the season of navigation had closed. But the plank was never furnish(M], only enougli for the bridges. The road as it w^as, proved a great benefit to New London and the neighboring region.
Another plank road of this period contributed for some time to the hopes of a section of the county further down the river. In the sum¬ mer of the year 1853 a plank road was built across the bottom land, from Weyauwega to Gill's Landing, on the Wolf River. It was* built by sub¬ scription. John Gill paid $400, Weed & Birdsell about $200, and the balance of the cost w^as made up by settlers. Before this plank road Avas built, there had been at Gill's Landing a small building at which steam¬ boats landed, and from wdiich passengers and freight were taken in small boats to AYilcox's place on the Waupaca River, which coulcl be reached by team.   Soon after the plank road was built, the passengers and freight