History of Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas Counties

"History of Lincoln, Oneida, and Vilas Counties Wisconsin"

Compiled by George O.Jones, Norman S. McVean and Others. Printed in 1924 by H.C.Cooper. Jr. & Co., Minneapoli-Winona MN. ill. 787 pages. The first two hundred pages are history of the three counties, the remainder of the book is biographies.

Biography

Jaeger, William R. manager for the Rhinelander Publishing Co., publishers of the Rhinelander Daily News, was born at Wausau, Marathon County, Wis., July 7, 1883, son of Herman and Helen (HOWE) JAEGER. The parents were natives of Germany, in which country they were married. It was in 1883 that the came to the United States, locating at Wausau, where Herman JAEGER during the remainder of his active period followed the occupations of carpenter and contractor, from which he finally retired. He is still living, but his wife, Mrs. Helen JAEGER, died July 27, 1921. William R. JAEGER after attending public school in Wausau, at the age of 14 years entered the printing business as an employee of the old Wausau Daily Record, where he acquired a practical knowledge of the trade, remaining with that paper for eight years. During that period, or a part of it, he with another boy, named William BRANDT, both only "kids," published a paper which they called "Behind The Creek," the work being done evenings. It became sufficiently popular to reach an edition of 300 and many of the leading papers in the large cities copied article which appeared in it. It proved for Mr. JAEGER the stepping-stone to the larger field. In 1905 he, with Ernest A. DUNN and H. H. WOLSLEGEL, established the Wausau Daily News, bringing the first type-setting machine into the Wisconsin valley. After they had published the paper for one year it was bought by R. E. POWERS, and Mr. JAEGER then went to Edgar, Wis., where for two years he published the Edgar News. Then selling out, he went to Grand Rapids (now Wisconsin Rapids), where he was associated with A. L. FONTAINE in establishing the "Daily Reporter," the first daily newspaper there. His next move was to Merrill, Lincoln County, where he established the Merrill Daily Herald, which was the first daily newspaper of that place. After ten months he sold out to C. N. JOHNSON and going to Gladstone, Mich., purchased there the Delta County Reporter, a weekly of which he later made a semi-weekly, and that paper he conducted for ten years. He then sold out and on Jan. 1, 1920 came to Rhinelander and bought the controlling interest in the Rhinelander Publishing Co., formed in 1910, who were publishers of the Rhinelander Daily News. Here Mr. JAEGER has since remained, having found a congenial field of activity. He has brought the newspaper up to a high journalistic standard, and is conducting both that and the job printing plant- one of the best to be found in any city of this size in the Northwest-on a sound and satisfactory financial basis. Mr. JAEGER was married Oct. 16, 1907 to Nettie BRANDT of Wausau, and to them three children have been born: Marion H., aug. 29, 1909; Nancy E., Oct. 22, 1915; and Ruth E., Oct. 10, 1922. The family attend the M. E. Church, Mr. JAEGER being also a member of the F. R. A.

Transcribed by Susan Swanson, from pages 576; History of Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas Counties Wisconsin; Compiled by George O. Jones, Norman S. McVean and Others 1924, H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co

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