124 sua Si IC. Everest Building Wisconsin’s Paper Industries & Aviographed photo of 0.0, Everest, 1948 ‘The history of the paper industry in Wisconsin is older than Wisconsin's state- hood! The first paper—with pulp made from rags—was produced in Milwaukee on March 7, 1848, It was only three months prior to the signing of legislation formally recognizing Wisconsin as a state, Although Milwaukee was the site of the state's first paper production, the paper industry's require- ments for supplies of fresh water and wood pulp shifted focus to sites along the state's major rivers, including the Fox, Wisconsin, Chippewa, Menominee, Peshtigo, Eau Claire, Flambeau, and oth- ers.In 1872, the introduction mistakes, <> tits ‘the prograsa of Harath “nay not have been dranatived ag “rola in the vole per'formands was in be imagination and the the Dineatore to back up ny opinion with money. at times I have, skated on thin iee-and have ade sone is Dut a5 an ovevall ploture T think thie orgentea t4on-haa done a mighty fine Joby of the Keller groundwood process to the Fox River Valley moved papermaking from a rag-based enterprise to one centered on wood pulp. Papermaking was, and is,a significant part of Wisconsin's economy. Although per- haps more famous for its dairy production, and cheese in particular, Wisconsin's papermaking ranks among the leaders in the industry. Paper companies experienced their most rapid growth between 1900 and 1930. Paper moved from eighteenth place in output of state industries in 1880 to fourth place in 1925, In the 1950s, Wisconsin led the United States in the amount of paper and board produced. ‘Today, Wisconsin stands as the primary papermanufacturing state, Pulp, paper, and related businesses employ more than 52,000 people, according to the Wisconsin Paper Council. This trade association repre- sents the pulp, paper, and allied industries. Born in Pine Grove, Michigan, in 1882, David Clark Everest was at the forefront of the paper industry just as it was beginning. At age 16,his father’s factory burned down. Soon after,his father died. To support his mother and sister, Everest worked as a nb ‘ing a Livtle rage to get the Toard of T low that Copy af unsigned letter from D.C. Everest to colleague Allon Abrams, March 3, 1950 SYSery tee Manatee ceg) Secondary source material can be obiained from Steven Burton Karges’ dissertation titled David Clark Everest and Marathon Paper Mills | Company: A Study of a Wisconsin Entrepreneur 1909-1931. Excellent secondary source materials on the state's paper industry can be found in Wisconsin History: An Annotated Bibliography. D.C. Everest's papers are housed in the Wisconsin Historical Society Archives. bookkeeper and office boy. In 1899, while working these jobs, Everest completed his high school education. A decade later, Everest, at 27, joined the Marathon Paper Mills Corporation as a general manager. The financial backers were originally intent upon producing newsprint, but Everest con- vinced them to invest in the paper specialty field. This proved to be a wise business move because a stable demand existed, and was in fact growing, for specialty paper. Despite his lack of formal technical education, Everest enacted changes that greatly influenced the paper industry. He ‘was one of the original founders of the Institute of Paper Chemistry in Appleton (now the Institute of Paper Science and Technology in Atlanta, Georgia). He also was the first person without a technical education to receive a Gold Medal from ‘TAPP, the Technical Association for the Pulp and Paper Industry. Everest was always involved in conser- vation efforts, which were partially to the industry's benefit. Papermakers' invest- ments were much greater than were the lumber companies’, and conservation efforts, such as reforestation, protected that investment. As early as 1925, Everest pro- moted a statewide system of fire protection and state tree nurseries. He also supported the legislation in 1927 to create the Forest Crop Law,which allowed landowners to pay taxes only after they harvested. The DG. Everest law encouraged longterm invest- ment,as well as proper forestry man- agement. Everest was also a charter mem- ber of the Wisconsin Conservation Commission's forestry advisory com- mittee. In this role, he assisted in developing and expanding the state forest program. In 1991, he was inducted into the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame, Despite his efforts, papermaking left Wisconsin with a legacy of polluted water. PCBs, which are toxic chemicals used in paper production, have been dumped into waterways, where they remain in large, and sometimes harmful, quantities. Cleanup efforts are still a major problem, with no major success in sight. ‘Are there paper industries in your community? If so, how do they fit into the state's papermaking chronology? What industries in your community have flour- ished over the past several years? VOLUME XLVit; NUMBER 781 TWO St D. C. Everest, | Wausau s No. 1 Citizen, Dies Aca oe acer », o)Brerent, Watan's No alten ed's gent In urine Wo nd rt ded eenin 610 ack in Was] ‘Hospital, ater being haspltalaed here and nearly se weeks.” Hews 72 years a i i le ee at adie 1 Teel Mette! ee lnentacatiacs of he, nial] Ge ara i ewer gy Sot re Hen | iNet onal fo «wee He'd of etre [ess vee as be: |e trcve ommltee ei 1. Everest obituary inthe Wausau Daly Record Herald, October 25,1955, 125