South Wood County Postcards

The South Wood County Historical Museum in Wisconsin Rapids has shared online nearly 200 postcards from the cities of Grand Rapids, Nekoosa and Port Edwards. This new digital collection showcases just some of the Museum’s sizable archive of postcards. Intern Emily Ho worked with Museum board president Phil Brown to create descriptions and build the digital collection.

Grand Rapids was the early name for the city of Wisconsin Rapids. The east side of the city was incorporated as Grand Rapids in 1869; the west side incorporated as Centralia in 1872. The two were merged as Grand Rapids in 1900 and renamed Wisconsin Rapids in 1920. The postcards illustrate local paper mills and other industries, street views and aerial views, dams and ferries on the Wisconsin River, and municipal buildings including schools, banks and churches.

Streetcar on Grand Avenue, West Grand Rapids, ca. 1910. South Wood County Historical Museum.

Public buildings of Grand Rapids, ca. 1908. South Wood County Historical Museum.

Ferry boat on the Wisconsin River at Nekoosa, ca. 1907. South Wood County Historical Museum.

The White City Band posed in front of the main office of the Nekoosa Edwards Paper Company, Port Edwards, ca. 1910. South Wood County Historical Museum.


Explore the South Wood County Postcards Collection.

Other digital collections from the South Wood County Historical Museum include: