Our Rich History
by resident historians
1886 The Wisconsin Central Railroad buys part of Samuel O'Grady
Bennett's
homestead, which he named Iron City. A boxcar is placed at the junction of
the
Penokee and Central Railroads, which had newly
connected the Gogebic Range with the Ashland shipping docks.
1888 - Iron City is renamed Mellen in honor of William Solon Mellen, the
general
manager of the Wisconsin Central Railroad.
Mellen builds its first school on West Street.
Late 1800's - The Main Street building that now houses the Iron City
Laundromat
was erected to house a tailor's shop, and then a shoemaker's shop.
1896 - Fayette Shaw (of Boston, MA) builds 5 tanneries in Wisconsin. The
largest
and most productive tannery in North America is built in Mellen. The Mellen
City
Hall building is constructed.
1898 - George Foster (of Wausau, WI) purchases from Shaw the sawmill that
was
built to provide lumber during the construction of the tannery complex.
Foster
quickly becomes a major player in the lumber industry of the north.
1901 - The Mellen Weekly Record Newspaper is first published by James Pratt.
Jim
& Sandy Christl still publish every week.
1903 - The telephone connects Mellen with Ashland. Mellen gets its first
bank,
the Mellen State Bank, housed in Mellen's first brownstone building. This
building can be seen on Bennett Street across from the Post Office. This
area
served as Mellen's financial district for the next 16 years.
1905 - The Lockhart building, which houses the Mellen Weekly Record, is
built
on Bennett Street. 1907 - Mellen votes to become a city. A.J. Sullivan, a
Mellen
businessman, is the first mayor. Mellen's fire and police departments are
established.
A veneer plant is built in west Mellen. Today, Columbia Forest Products
produces
veneer on the same site. A fire destroys south Bennett Street. The new
brick
buildings erected after this fire still serve Mellen's downtown.
1910 - The school built in 1897 burns to the ground. A new brick school
is
built on the same site. Circa 1910 - Most buildings on the east side of
Main
Street are constructed to house local businesses. Northland Foods grocery
store
occupies the building that the Block family constructed to house one of
Mellen's
first grocery stores.
1920 - The largest census in Mellen history was taken: 1,981.
1922 - The tannery closes. The Northern State Bank Building is
constructed
on Main Street.
1927 - The Legion Memorial Library is created in City Hall.
1940s- Soo Line Operations recreations by George Roen the grandson of one
of
Mellens first Depo Agents, IB Roen  >
1945 - Mellen loses 24 soldiers in World War II.
1946 - Mellen Flood
1947 - Veneer mill supplys birch for SPRUCE GOOSE Howard Hughes flew the
Spruce Goose only once (it wasn't spruce, by the way--it was mostly made out
of
birch). By far the biggest airplane ever built, the H-4, also known as the
Hercules, had a wingspan of 320 feet--20 feet longer than a football field.
It
had enough cargo space to carry two railroad boxcars. It had eight massive
engines with 17-foot propellers. It weighed 300,000 pounds. And it was made
of
wood.
1962 - Hollywood Movie Filmed Here::Ernest Hemingway's Adventures of a
Young
Man
Best Picture - Drama (nom) - - 1962 Golden Globe
Best Actress - Drama (nom) - Susan Strasberg - 1962 Golden Globe
Best Supporting Actor (nom) - Paul Newman - 1962 Golden Globe
Best Supporting Actress (nom) - Jessica Tandy - 1962 Golden Globe
Best Director (nom) - Martin Ritt - 1962 Golden Globe
1950s - Main Street & Bennett Street
1967 - Mellen lost two local men in Viet Nam War.
1967 - Local Star Scores 54 points in Basketball Game, BOB
Boettcher,before
the three point rule.
1970 - High School Baseball team loses first conferance game in 14 years
ending one of states longest winning streaks.
1986 - Mellen celebrates its centennial.
2005 - "WHAT A STORM" Mellenites are calling it the
worst
storm ever to hit in such a short time span. 28 inches was the official
tally of
snow fall that day.
2008 - The Story of Edgar Sawtelle novel.
Author David Wroblewski along with the Oprah Winfrey's production crew were
in
Mellen filming the area described in his book. It was aired on Oprahs Live
Web
cam interview with David.
2010 -> All School
Reunion,
4th of July weekend old classmates, friends, teachers past and present
gathered
for this special four day event.
2012 On Sept. 16, Mellen became Wisconsins first "Trail Town".
This honor was presented to Mellen by the North Country Trail
Association which recognizes a community through which the trail passes and
accomodates hikers and other trail users. Mayor Joe Barabe accepted two
trail
markers identifying Mellen as a Trail Town. The North Country Trail runs
from
North Dakota to New York, a distance of 4600 miles. July, 2013
Congratulations to Terry Peters Logging Ashland
Area
Development Association recently named Terry Peters Logging as "Business of
the
Year"
Oct 2013  Members of
the
Mural committee.
With Irene (Levelius) Buzzell Artist.
2022 Torch has been passed for most points scored in Mellen High Basketball game. BoB Boettcher who scored 54 back in 1967.
Tommy Zakovec on December 1, 2o22 scored 60 points against Winter Then again broke his own record by dropping 62 against LCO on
Jan 9th 2023
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