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Ringle History
In the summer of 1889, former Wausau mayor John Ringle and a few prominent
businessmen built a saw mill just north of the Milwaukee and Lake Shore Railroad
line along what is now Highway Q. They called it the Clay Lumber Company and
its purpose was to supplement Wausau’s large lumber boom. One year later a
very large amount of rich clay loam was discovered at the site and soon the
lumber mill was producing bricks during the summer months, and eventually
a brickyard was formed nearby.
Throughout the 1890’s, a small village sprang up, composed mostly of employees of the lumber and brick company. The town was called Ringle, and had a train depot, school house, post office, saloon, and general store. By the turn of the century, the towns people decided to break away from the township of Weston, which contained a village, and create their own township. In early 1901, Weston’s township 28-9 became the town of Ringle, and that spring, a local government was formed of C.L. Wyatt as the first town chairman. Their primary order of business was to raise $1,500 and construct new roads for the area.
The Clay Lumber Company dissolved in 1902, and all efforts by John Ringle and his officers were put into the Ringle Brick Company, which was able to manufacture 20,000 bricks per day, and plans were in the future to raise that figure to 35,000 bricks. The brickyard consisted of a boiler house for power, a soft mud machine, crusher and pulverizer. Carts of brick were rolled into a drying shed where heat and humidity were introduced so the bricks wouldn’t crack when they were next unloaded into one of the three kilns. Common transportation for the bricks was by railcar to various parts of the stats.
Many homes, churches, and businesses (including the paper mills at Brokaw, Rothschild, and Mosinee) are constructed of Ringle brick. Even the Ringle Public School and Buckmans Cash Store in town used the brick. By 1925, First Avenue was a bustling business area complete with an ice storage house, blacksmith shop, the White Front saloon, Lemkes General Store, a boarding house, a department store and post office. The town also contained a town hall, potato warehouse, Grace Lutheran Church and as mentioned a school
During the 1910’s, John Ringle served two more terms as Wausau mayor and president of the brickyard, but his death came on March 15, 1923 at the age of 74 years. He left behind an enormous legacy in the field of business as well as politics, having been elected to the state assembly, state senate, and a delegate to the Democratic conventions in 1892. John Ringle’s son, Leander, assumed responsibilities of the brickyard after his death.
In 1930, Highway 29 was built and ran through the town on Second Ave, making it the new main street, which saw an opportunity for more business such as the Daylight Hall, Rip’s Saloon, Burns Auto Garage, Luebbes General Store, a feed mill, and a relocated post office. People came to Ringle for entertainment and to shop or work, but 1943 saw the closing of the Ringle Brick Company. Its facility was in great need of repair and home builders were finding new methods of construction. The yard was sold a few years later to the Kramer family who reopened it as the Ringle Clay Products Company. Instead of using wood to fire the kilns, they changed to oil and couldn’t produce enough heat to properly make the brick. The company folded in the mid 1950’s and the end came to any more bricks made there.
Other businesses closed in town during that time period, including the school, but the 1960’s brought the town a new and much needed fire department. Money was needed to maintain the department, and what better way to do so that with a fund raiser. A two day event during the summer called the Ringle Days was created for this purpose. With amusement rides, food, parade, music and an auction, the small town overflowed with people celebrating the town and its fire department. In the early 1980’s, the department transferred the “Days” event to the Ringle Sportsmans Club, which renamed it Ringle Daze. The year 1984 was their last attempt, but Ringle celebrated once again on September 22, 2001 with the Ringle Centennial Celebration. That celebration was very reminiscent of the old Ringle Days, with historical displays, games, music, contests, wagon rides, petting zoo, food, and music stretching from the new Municipal Center to the south end of town.
Ringle is enterting a new era where new homes are ‘popping up’ along with interesting businesses. Lets hope we can meet the challenge and return to a time when our town was well known and prosperous.
by Randy Ullenbrauck - Ringle WI
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