CLIFFORD LUMBER COMPANY
Of the large saw mill plants of the valley, the one operated by the
Clifford Lumber Company gives some idea of where the forests of
Wisconsin are going to. The consumption of such a plant is enormous, and
it has contributed much to the wealth and commercial importance of
Stevens Point. This company commenced business thirty years ago.
W. J. Clifford came to Stevens Point over forty years ago, and has
been active in business circles from the start. He is president of the
company, and his son, John W. Clifford, secretary and treasurer. They
have large tracts of timber along ‘the Wisconsin Central Railroad and
along the Wisconsin River and its tributaries. They cut ten million feet
of lumber a year, and employ one hundred and fifty men in the woods, and
eighty men at their mills and yard in the city. They own and operate a
large planing mill, and most of their product is sold as dressed lumber,
finding a market in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Iowa and Minnesota. They pay good wages to their men and are among the
solid substantial firms that have done much to develop
the Wisconsin Valley, and especially to make the little city of Stevens
Point what it is. The logs are brought in over the Wisconsin Central by
rail, and a goodly number still being floated down the Wisconsin River.
The seasoning lumber piled up about the plant is an imposing sight to
the stranger, and we cannot but wonder how many years this can continue.
The members of this firm are among the most loyal businessmen of the
city. Their homes and home life are a model in many respects. |
