Don Schnitzler, local historian and North Wood County Historical Society member, presented the history of the Weinbrenner Shoe Factory property and its role in more than a century of Wisconsin industrial growth. He traced the site’s transition from fine furniture production to the manufacturing of durable work boots.
He highlighted the Upham family’s early enterprises—the Sawmill and Mercantile Store (1878), Planing Mill (1879), Furniture Factory (1882), and Grist Mill (1885). He summarized the Furniture Factory’s rebuilding, expansion, and closure in 1927, noting its reputation for high-quality furniture sold through Chicago showrooms and regional distribution centers.
In 1934, the City of Marshfield purchased the vacant factory site for $12,000 through a Federal Emergency Relief Administration program aimed at reducing Depression-era unemployment.
During this time, Marshfield businessmen encouraged W. G. Hanson of the Albert H. Weinbrenner Company to consider Marshfield for a branch factory. The decision was announced in May 1935. Construction, using primarily local businesses and labor, began in June and was completed for a dedication ceremony on September 24, 1935, attended by an estimated 5,000 people.
Production began in November 1935, and within two years the factory became Marshfield’s second-largest employer, initially hiring local men and women under age 28. Later this year, the company will relocate to a new south-side facility, continuing its long partnership with the community.