Chippewa Falls in Chippewa County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Site of the Chippewa Sugar Beet Factory
Photographed By Keith L, April 27, 2011
1. Site of the Chippewa Sugar Beet Factory Marker
Inscription.
Site of the Chippewa Sugar Beet Factory. . In 1904 on this 25 acre site between the Chippewa River and the Soo Line Railroad tracks, sugar processing became a new industry in the Chippewa Valley. The Chippewa Sugar Company was incorporated and a huge six-story sugar beet factory was constructed at a cost of $700,000. Sugar beets were advertised as a crop especially adapted to growing conditions in Northern Wisconsin and naturally goes hand in hand with dairy farming. , Local farmers experiment growing sugar beets by planting rows. When they dug up the crop, it was common to find a fine showing of weighty roots. One single specimen weighing 10 pounds with the leaves weighing an additional 3 pounds was common. This new cash crop was a boom to area farmers in the 1910's and 1920's. , In its heyday, seven railroad spur lines came into the sugar plant. The heavy railroad tonnage put Chippewa Falls on the map as one of the most important shipping points on the Soo Line main track from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Milwaukee. , The name was later changed to the Chippewa Sugar Refining Company. The big plant employed 250 people with a capacity to process 600 tons of beets daily. By the mid 1920's, however, many farmers in the region were hard to convince that sugar was a worthwhile enterprise. They did not grow enough beets to keep the factory going. In November of 1927, the factory was sold at a sheriff's sale to the bond holders who held $120,000 against the property now valued at $590,000. It was eventually torn down. ,
Chippewa County Historical Society , Marker Sign #43.
In 1904 on this 25 acre site between the Chippewa River and the Soo Line Railroad tracks, sugar processing became a new industry in the Chippewa Valley. The Chippewa Sugar Company was incorporated and a huge six-story sugar beet factory was constructed at a cost of $700,000. Sugar beets were advertised as a crop especially adapted to growing conditions in Northern Wisconsin and naturally goes hand in hand with dairy farming.
Local farmers experiment growing sugar beets by planting rows. When they dug up the crop, it was common to find a fine showing of weighty roots. One single specimen weighing 10 pounds with the leaves weighing an additional 3 pounds was common. This new cash crop was a boom to area farmers in the 1910's and 1920's.
In its heyday, seven railroad spur lines came into the sugar plant. The heavy railroad tonnage put Chippewa Falls on the map as one of the most important shipping points on the Soo Line main track from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Milwaukee.
The name was later changed to the Chippewa Sugar Refining Company. The big plant employed 250 people with a capacity to process 600 tons of beets daily.
By the mid 1920's, however, many farmers in the region were hard to convince that sugar was a worthwhile enterprise. They did not grow enough beets to keep the factory going. In November
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of 1927, the factory was sold at a sheriff's sale to the bond holders who held $120,000 against the property now valued at $590,000. It was eventually torn down.
Chippewa County Historical Society
Marker Sign #43
Erected by Chippewa County Historical Society. (Marker Number 43.)
Location. 44° 55.612′ N, 91° 24.647′ W. Marker is in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, in Chippewa County. Marker is on West River Street (Business State Highway 29) half a mile west of Wagner Street, on the left when traveling west. Marker is in Wayside Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Chippewa Falls WI 54729, United States of America. Touch for directions.
[located by the marker]
To measure the flow of the Chippewa River
maintained by
U.S. Geological Survey
in cooperation with
Department of Natural Resources
Drainage area above station - 5,600 square miles
Average discharge of river since 1888 - 5,100 cubic feet per second
Maximim discharge of river since 1888 - 102,000 feet per second in 1941
Maximum stage of river since 1888 - 24.8 feet (paint mark on house)
Flood of Sept. 10, 1884 would have overtopped the gage house!
Credits. This page was last revised on October 13, 2020. It was originally submitted on May 25, 2011, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 1,338 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on May 25, 2011, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. 3. submitted on May 5, 2018. 4. submitted on May 25, 2011, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.