Editing Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin (section)

===Late 19th century===
The railroad boom burst upon Rapids in the 1870s. In 1870 the nearest railroad was at [[New Lisbon, Wisconsin|New Lisbon]], with mail carried from there daily by evening stage. In 1872 the [[Green Bay and Lake Pepin Railroad]] reached Rapids itself, heading west. In 1873 the Wisconsin Valley Railway arrived from [[Tomah, Wisconsin|Tomah]]. The Port Edwards, Centralia & Northern was built by local interests in 1890, and the [[Chicago and North Western Transportation Company|Chicago & Northwestern]] line to Marshfield in 1901.<ref name=Jones/>{{rp|page=135}}

With the arrival of the railroads, the transport of lumber from the area began to shift from the unpredictable and dangerous river to more reliable railcars, which could carry the lumber in more directions than downstream. The last rafts of lumber passed through in 1888, from the sawmill at [[Biron, Wisconsin|Biron]] heading downriver for St. Louis.<ref name=Jones/>{{rp|page=52}}

In June of 1880 an unusually high flood of the river forced many businesses to evacuate their stock to higher ground, and in some cases tie buildings down with ropes. Nevertheless, several buildings were swept into the river and one hardware store partner drowned while trying to save his goods.<ref name=Jones/>{{rp|pages=142-143}} By that year Grand Rapids had 1,367 people and Centralia 800. As pine timber ran out in the vicinity of Grand Rapids, manufacturers took root in Centralia. Around 1880, the big ones were Robb's machine shops, Mackinnon & Griffith's [[Wheel#Hub|hub and spoke]] factory, Wharton Brothers' [[planing mill]], Haertel's chair factory, Bremmer's machine shop and [[foundry]], a flouring mill, Moore's wagon works, and Lyon Bros. [[Wood shingle|shingle]] works. In 1887 the first [[Pulp (paper)|pulp]] mill was built, which would develop into Centralia Pulp and Paper.<ref name=Jones/>{{rp|pages=140-141}}

Paper-making was a big new industry for Rapids. Paper had been made over in the Fox River valley for decades, but not on the Wisconsin River.<ref>{{cite web |title=Paper Industry in Wisconsin|url=https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS2055|publisher=Wisconsin Historical Society|access-date=June 27, 2024}}</ref> Around 1885 some of the mills at Rapids - formerly sawmills and gristmills - began converting to pulp-grinding and paper-making.<ref>{{cite web|last=Taylor|first=Tom|title=Chronological Sketch - Part 2, 1883-1924|url=https://www.mcmillanlibrary.org/chronological-sketch-0|publisher=McMillan Memorial Library|access-date=June 27, 2024}}</ref> By 1902, after many acquisitions, J.D. Witter and Nels Johnson had organized the many mills and water rights under one corporation - [[Consolidated Papers, Inc.|Consolidated Water Power Company]].<ref name=Consolidation>{{cite book|last=Engel|first=Dave|title=The Age of Paper - Consolidation of the Water Power at Wisconsin Rapids 1886-1904|date=1986|isbn=0-910122-89-X|pages=46–66|publisher=South Wood County Historical Corporation |url=http://www.swch-museum.com/publications/works-by-dave-engel/age-of-paper-1986/|access-date=June 28, 2024}}</ref> They decided to focus their resources on paper-making. The founders both died shortly after, leaving Witter's son-in-law George Mead to manage the new enterprise. The main plant began with 14 pulp-grinders and two [[papermaking]] machines, producing 50 tons of paper per day.<ref name=Jones/>{{rp|pages=153-155}}

[[File:John_B_Arpin_House_in_Wisconsin_Rapids.jpg|thumb|John B. Arpin house, 1890]]
Other diversification of the industrial base away from lumber occurred from 1880 to 1920, including the Grand Rapids Brick Company, the Grand Rapids Foundry Co., Wisconsin Ice Machine Co., Prentiss-Wabers Stove Co., Oberback Brothers furniture company, Badger Box & Lumber, Grand Rapids Brewing, Samson Canning, Citizens Factory Company (a pickling [[Farmers' co-op|co-op]]), Blommer Ice Cream, and Chambers [[Creamery]]. These last four resulted from farmers settling in the surrounding cut-over lands, which were also transitioning from the logging era.<ref name=Jones/>{{rp|pages=151-156}}

Modern public services began to take shape around the turn of the century. Fire departments were formalized in Centralia in 1887 and in Rapids the following year. At this time that meant a hook-and-ladder, a chemical fire suppression apparatus, and a steam pumping engine. The T.B. Scott Library was started in 1889 with a donation from one of the city's pioneers. In 1890 John Arpin installed an electric [[dynamo]] in his home - the first electric service in Rapids. In 1894 Mack and Spencer added a generator at their dam which offered electricity to the public. The Wood County Telephone Company was a member-owned cooperative started in 1895.<ref name=Jones/>{{rp|pages=145-151}}