McMillan Memorial Library (Wisconsin Rapids)

Bonnie Young Postcard Collection

Postcards depicting locations in Arpin, Nekoosa, Stevens Point, Vesper, Wisconsin Rapids and the surrounding area. The postcards are also geo-located on this map.

Consolidated Papers Inc.

Photographs and books documenting the history of the Consolidated Water Power and Paper Company, later Consolidated Papers, Inc., including the Consolidated News employee magazine, published monthly between February 1926 and December 1931.

Historical County Plat Maps from South Central Wisconsin and Early Madison City Directories

This digital collection of historic plat books, city directories, and atlases provides accessibility to early information about South Central Wisconsin, specifically Columbia, Dane, Portage and Wood counties. The early city directories for Madison provide helpful historical information on the early years of the state capital in addition to helping those looking for information on specific people and businesses in the area in the 1800s and early 1900s. The directories provide an alphabetical list of citizens with their addresses and occupations, a classified business directory, lists of city and county officials, churches, schools, societies, streets and wards.

History of Wisconsin Rapids Libraries

McMillan Memorial Library moved to its current location in 1970, but the Library pre-dates the city’s name change from Grand Rapids to Wisconsin Rapids (1920) and the merging of Centralia and Grand Rapids (1900). This collection features photographs and publications documenting the history of libraries in the city, including the J.D. Witter Traveling Libraries, collections of books that were moved to 49 stations in Wood County between 1896 and 1947.

Malcolm Rosholt Collection

Malcolm Rosholt was a journalist in pre-WWII China, an intelligence officer for the Flying Tigers and the author of works on lumbering, railroads and pioneer times, focused on central Wisconsin. With his family’s permission, eleven of his books about Wisconsin history, long out of print, have been digitized.

Postcards of Wisconsin Dells

Postcards depicting Fort Dells, Chimney Rock and other landmarks on the Dells of the Wisconsin River.

Rural Schools of Wood County

A series of histories of rural schools composed by the staff and students at each school in 1956, apparently as part of the celebration of the centennial of Wood County. They vary widely in content and depth, with some including photographs, farm histories, rosters and school board extracts. Schools are also geo-located on this map.

Story of a Raftsman’s Life on the Wisconsin River

38 engravings based on a series of photographs taken by H.H. Bennett in 1886 of a group of raftsmen from the Grand Rapids (Wisconsin Rapids) area during their journey down the Wisconsin River.

Tom Taylor Book

The Tom Taylor Book, also known as 100 Years of Pictorial & Descriptive History of Wisconsin Rapids, was compiled by T.A. Tayor between 1934-1939. The digital collection pairs the historical photographs gathered by Taylor along with the details he recorded about each image.