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

Warner, Herbert, farmer, lumberman, and resort proprietor, with large interests in both Oneida and Vilas Counties, was born at Cass City, Mich., Feb. 12, 1870, son of Robert Henry and Almeda (HOUGHTON) WARNER. The father was a native of Michigan and the mother was born in Vermont; the parents settled in Michigan in 1862 and were subsequently engaged in farming there for many years. The father, who was a veteran of the Civil war, died Aug. 8, 1913, and the mother passed away Aug. 5, 1922. Herbert WARNER was educated in the schools of Cass City and then took up lumbering, following woods work as cruiser and estimator and also taking part in the drives down the rivers. He remained in Michigan until 1893, when he came to Wisconsin; here he followed the same work until 1899, and he then took a homestead on Plum Lake, in Vilas County. Here he at once built and established the Forest Home Summer Resort. At that time there was only one other summer resort on Plum Lake. From the first Mr. WARNER took an active part in the direction of public affairs here, and his qualities of leadership and ability game him a very wide influence. He was instrumental in bringing about the creation of the town of Plum Lake, which was done in 1910, and he became the first assessor of this town, reassessing the property when it was first formed; he served in that office for twoyears, and he was also deputy surveyor under Daniel GRAHAM. As time went on he added to his land holdings and proceeded with the development of a farm, and today he has one of the finest agricultural properties in Vilas County, with 240 acres of highly fertile land and with modern improvements. Considerable credit is due Mr. WARNER for aiding in the agricultural prosperity of the region by the development of this farm, and a vast amount of hard and persistent effort is represented, for the land was all covered with stumps and brush when he acquired it, presenting little resemblance to the well-tilled fields he has today. In 1906 Mr. WARNER purchased all the "marks" or "deadheads" (sunken logs) in the Wisconsin Rivers and its tributaries north of Rhinelander, and in the following year he sawed one and a half million feet of lumber. In 1920 he built a mill two miles east of Tomahawk Lake and one and a half miles north of Rainbow Rapids, on the Wisconsin River, and here he is now carrying on the manufacture of lumber, having a planing and finishing mill in connection with the sawmill. In 1922 he established a wholesale and retail lumber yard at Tomahawk Lake, and his product has a wide distribution. He maintains a boarding house at the mill for the convenience of his employes and personally supervises all these industries, though the operation of the resort is under the direct charge of his oldest son, Herbert L. The farm is conducted in conjunction with the resort, and Mr. WARNER makes his home there most of the time. He has a fine herd of Guernsey cattle, and pure cream and milk from the herds are served as a part of the cuisine at the resort. Mr. WARNER has always been a strong advocate of the development of northern Wisconsin as a summer resort country, and he has done a great deal to further this industry here; one of his valuable contributions in this connection was the donation in 1915 of 40 acres of land and $1,600 in cash to aid in the establishment of a golf course; he also gave a great deal of his own time and services in this cause; a Mr. F.S. JAMES of Chicago furnished the balance of the money required, and the net result is the Plum Lake Golf Course, which is conceded to be the best in northern Wisconsin and has done much to attract tourists here. Mr. WARNER was married Oct. 25, 1890, to Freda FRICKE, and Mrs. WARNER has been a faithful helpmate to him, aiding him in every possible way in building up the success he has achieved. Mr. and Mrs. WARNER have five children: Herbert L., Norman K., Evelyn Marie, Grace and Jane. Mr. WARNER is a member of the I.O.O.F. Lodge No. 45 at Woodruff, and he and his family take an active part in the social life of the community.

Transcribed by Susan Swanson, from pages 356-357; History of Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas Counties Wisconsin; Compiled by George O. Jones, Norman S. McVean and Others; H.C. Cooper Jr. & Co, 1924

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