Pinery Road - Emerson - Sherman, Wisconsin - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

In the early 1900's there was a small settlement called Emerson named after the Emerson brothers who settled the area. Disaster struck the familly and the area was not able to recover and it is now an abandoned area. Located within the Town of Sherman, the area is now home to many full time and even more summer residents.

Emerson and the Town of Sherman are all located within Iron County Wisconsin. Iron County has an active historical society and effort and the Heritage Area Trail signs are one of those measures. This Heritage Marker sign details the history of the area and reads:

In 1904 a tornado ripped through this area, toppling the last great stand of virgin pine. The "windfall" in salvageable timber attracted brothers John and David Emerson to the vicinity of Bearskull Lake.

Hauling sawmill machinery, supplies and logging equipment 25 miles through swamps and forests from Park Falls, they established a sawmill town here in 1905. Workd to salvage wind blown timber had just begun when a fast moving forest fire destroyed the new mill and new community of "Emerson."

Come spring the brothers hauled in larger, more modern sawmill equipment. Emerson was rebuilt. Wood frame homes to house lumberjacks and their families lined both sides of Emerson's half mile long main street.

Emerson boasted a school, post office, store and town hall - but there was no saloon. The Emerson's were pious prohibitionists. Intoxicating liquor was not allowed in their town!

Was it curse or coincidence when lightning struck and killed John and three members of the Emerson family while they were fishing near Bearskull Lake in 1908.

The family never recovered from the tragedy. The mill and town were soon abandoned and logging operations moved away from Bearskull Lake.

NOTE:

My family owned and still owns the land on which Emerson was built. They have found old liqour bottles, so the town wasn't completely dry.

Group that erected the marker: Iron County Historical Society Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Highway 182 Park Falls, WI United States 54452 URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed

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