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Wausau's Ginseng King

During his youth in the early 1880s, John H. Koehler remembered being enamored with the ginseng plants he encountered in the shaded forest near his family farm in Hamburg Township. Although it would take a few years before he returned to the crop, Koehler would become a major figure in the development of the industry.

Working for Wausau

On June 9th, 1914, over 12,000 people gathered in downtown Wausau for the unveiling of a new sign over the city hall. The new sign stood thirty feet tall, with hundreds of electric lights to illuminate the massive letters that spelled out the new city slogan: WORK FOR WAUSAU.

The Opera House Fire of 1892

On a frigid morning in January 1892, Wausau’s Opera House—and a large portion of the block—was lost to a fire. Wausau had endured fires that were more costly in both property and human lives lost, but the loss of the Opera House was a polarizing event that would lead to the professionalization of the fire department and tough questions for the management of the city.

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