| CN local services Neenah Paper via former C&NW rails at Neenah, WI on 3 Jul. '16. The building on the left is the original portion of the mill, the addition on the right was built sometime after 1913. The spur the locomotive is resting on used to be two tracks that curved to the west along the river bank, crossed N. Commercial St. to serve other mills, and connect to the joint MILW/SOO rails. The company was founded at Neenah, WI, as the Patten Paper Co. by Azel Wilder Patten in 1873. The original 150’ by 40’ paper mill was built in ‘74 on the former site of the Empire Flour Mill and several smaller businesses. In ‘81, A. W. Patten built a second Patten Paper Co. mill at Appleton, WI. Samuel A. Cook and Frank T. Russell purchased the Neenah mill in early ‘85 and incorporated as the Neenah Paper Co., with A. W. Patten as president. When the original portion of the paper mill was built, 4 other sizeable industries stood between its west wall and Cedar St., now N. Commercial St. Numerous additions were erected over the years as the mill expanded westward and northward (some additions were built on pilings above the Fox River). By ’26, when their Mediterranean Revival-style office building was constructed, they occupied the entire small peninsula east of Commercial St. Neenah Paper Co. officially became a division of Kimberly-Clark Corp. in ‘56, and operated as such until it was spun off in 2004. The facilities of the Neenah Boat and Dock Club are partially visible in the foreground. |