141 E COOK ST

141 E COOK ST

Columbia

Portage

1900

1913

1992

small retail building

Commercial Vernacular

Brick

Cream Brick

No

Corbeling along cornice; segmental arch window lintels on second floor; first floor windows altered; central entrance with added keystone. Dave Eulberg (1993) recalls that Dr. Ricard's office was on the east side and in the jewelry store on the west side was a restaurant in the early 1950s. George Jackson sold agricultural implements at 141 E. Cook immediately after the building's completion in 1900-1901 until 1907. Frederick H. De La Ronde established the Portage Rug Company at 141 E. Cook in 1905. Employed by W. G. Weldon since 1903, De La Ronde purchased Weldon's interest in the business in that year. He added dry cleaning to his business in 1910 and later included dyeing and pressing. In 1913, he placed the east wing on the building. De La Ronde then employed twenty operators and six salesmen in Wisconsin and adjacent states. In addition to his operation in Portage, he also maintained a salesroom in Madison and La Crosse. He ran advertisements in the state business directories published between 1909 and 1913 (Polk, R.L. & Co. 1912-13: 909): F.H. De La Ronde pres., manufacturer of beautiful Hand-Made Fluff Rugs from discarded Ingrain, Brussels, Stair Carpets, and Chenille Curtains, and size desired; French dry cleaning, dyeing, and pressing of all kinds of wearing apparel. Write for particulars, Office and Factory, Cor. Cook and Main Sts. De La Ronde operated the company until his death in 1919 (Jones 1914 [2]: 641-42). Robert Cochrane established his business as a produce and commission merchant in 1877. He also maintained substantial interests in milling and lumber. At his death in 1910, Thomas H. Cochrane maintained the business and incorporated it aas T.H. cochrane and Co. by 1914. The company maintained its office in Portage and ran 23 branch office in Wisconsin and Minnesota. With Leonard Hettinger, Cochrane also formed the Portage Wholesale Grocery Company which stored the company's products at 141 E. Cook between approximately 1924 and 1929. Cochrane established a warehouse along W. Edgewater and his office at the sothwest corner of DeWit and Canal by 1910. Neither of these locations appear to remain. The seed and grain, wood frame warehouse at 114 Dodge (48/27) was erected between 1916 and 1918 (Jones 1914 [2]: 588-89; Sanborn-Perris Map Company 1918; Jones 1914 [2]: 768). In the early 1890s, B.F. Goodell located the Goodell Printing Company at Superior and later to Appleton. By 1913, Goodell re-established the Goodell Printing Company in Portage. He served as president and Maurice Goodman became secretary and manager. They advertised: "Up-To-Date Quality Printers, Fine Catalogues, Calendars, Designed Work, Commercial and Railroad Printing" (R.L. Polk & Co. & Co. 1917-1918). By 1918, the company had located at 1 Main Street, now replaced, and remained there through 1955. Between 1923 and 1930 or later, the printing company used space at 141 E. Cook as a stock room. Goodman purchased the company in 1923. The company primarily printed materials for the railroad and other outside companies. Maurice Goodman, Jr. joined the firm in 1939 and he operated the company. When this business declined during the depression, the printing company closed in September, 1934. Incorporating as the Goodman Printing, Inc., it reopened in January, 1935 and continued to produce commercial printing (Sanborn-Perris Map Co. 1918; 1929; Register-Democrat 9/10/1934; 1/18/1935).

PORTAGE 1989 LANDMARKS CALENDAR. Sanborn-Perris Map Co. 1929: stock room for printing company 1918: rug weaving (basement and put addition on east side) 1910: rug weaving (west part of building) 1901: building replaced-farm implement and wool warehouse 1894, 1889, 1885 agricultural implements and carriage "repository" Columbia Co. Treasurer 1863- 1925-1930: Maurice Goodman, mercantile use 1919-1923: City Bank 1908-1919: Fred H. De La Ronde (property sold at his death) 1897-1907: George Jackson The property and building values indicate that the building replaced an earlier one (see Stoner 1882) in 1900-01 and the east portion was added in 1913. Directories 1955: (141) Nehrlich's Grocery and Macfarlane Dentistry (Johnson Printing Co.) 1948, 1937: (141) Heath's Food Shop (Commonwealth Telephone Co.) 1929: (133) Portage Wholesale Co. (Smith-Baumann Co.) 1927-28, 1924-25, not 1921: Portage Wholesale Grocery Co., Thomas H. Cochrane pres, Leonard W. Hettinger, sec. and treas. (R.L. Polk & Co) 1919-20: Portage Rug Co., Frank H. De La Ronde (R.L. Polk & Co.) not 1921. 1917-18: (135) Portage Rug Co., Frank H. De La Ronde (Farrell) 1915-16: Portage Rug Co., Frank H. De La Ronde and F. W. Luethge (R.L. Polk & Co.) 1913-14, 1911-12, 1909-10: Portage Rug Co., cor. of Cook and Main, F. H. De La Ronde, pres., manufacturer of hand-made fluff rugs with Ingrain, Brussels, stair carpets, and chenille curtains; French dry cleaning, dyeing, and pressing of alll kinds of wearing apparel (R.L. Polk & Co.) not 1905-06. 1910: Portage Rug Co., cor. of Cook and Main (Voshardt) 1908-09: same (S.H. Moore)

Portage Retail Historic District

Apr 27, 1995

Oct 24, 1994

Yes