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.

              HISTORY OP WAUPACA COUNTY 249
mill; L. Arnold, brewery; Messrs. Bailey, Woodnorth, R. Lea, H. Nordvi, Miller & Johnson, general merchandise; Orin Hall, jewelry and groceries; H. W. Williams, hardware; H. C. Alumbrue, state senator; Evan Coolidge & Company and the Exchange and Savings Bank, private financial insti¬ tutions; E. L. Browne and Myron Reed, lawyers (in practice siiice 1852 and 1859) ; Drs. D. L. Manchester, G. H. Calkins and E. S. Donaldson, physicians.
Origin and Originator of the Potato Industry
The potato industry, a leading feature of Waupaca's prosperity, originated in the early '70s (about the time the railroad came to town), under the following circumstances: The first potatoes sent out from Waupaca w^ere shipped by P. J. Nordeen in the fall of 1872. This ship¬ ment was suggested to him by an incident that came to his notice at that time. A farmer needing five dollars cash, brought in a load of potatoes and tried all day to sell them for that. The merchants, one and all, would take them and pay in trade, but no cash. As he was about to return home, Mr. John Morey (of potato raising fame, later) bought them, had them shoveled into his wagon to take to his home in Farmington, remarking that they were worth that to feed stock.
Mr. Nordeen thought it a pity that there should be no cash market for potatoes in a town the size of Waupaca in a potato district. The next day he took a trip down the line and found a buyer for two car loads. Upon his return he got out a few hand-bills, calling for potatoes, cash on delivery, offering 40 cents a bushel. Air. Nordvi and some of the other business men of the town called him crazy. They were paying 25 cents in trade. He filled the two cars and shipped them (I think to Oshkosh) buying most of the tubers from Wesley Horton, Doctor Brainard, and a Mr. Redfield of Lind. A great many small lots also helped to fill the cars. Later Air. Nordeen was associated with Richard Lea and E. T. Bailey, shipping many thousands of bushels of Waupaca Countv potatoes to points near and far.
Industries of the '80s
The '80s constituted a period of industrial development for Waupaca, especially in the lines of flour and lumber manufacturing. John Jardine and W. J. Chamberlain had been proprietors of the Eagle Planing Mill for ^ome years (Mr. Jardine since 1865), and upon the death of the former, in 1882, C. J. Shearer, Mr. Jardine's step-son, assumed the active management of the business.   0. Hambleton and Air. Shearer afterward