Welcome to the Governor William H. Upham House

The Governor Upham House is open year-round for tours on Wednesday and Saturday, 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. or by special arrangement.

 Both the House and Garden are available for smaller sized special events.

Please call for more information. 715-387-3322

 

Constructed in 1880, the Governor W.H. Upham House is listed in the Local, State, and National Register of Historic Places  and serves as the center for the North Wood County Historical Society exhibits, activities, and local history research.

Home of former Wisconsin Governor William Henry Upham, the house represents mid-Victorian, Italianate architecture. Furnishings date from the late 1880s to 1920s and include a dining room set and three bedroom sets all manufactured by the Upham Manufacturing Company.

 Upham's Marshfield Legacy

The Wisconsin Central Railroad opened up the wilderness area of pine timber and got as far as Marshfield in 1872.

In 1878, Upham, his wife, Mary and their two adopted daughters settled in Marshfield.

The Upham Manufacturing Company became a complex system of lumber operations including a sawmill, shingle mill, power plant, grist mill and a furniture factory. Due to his foresight, good judgement, and organization, Upham was very successful. He was also a leader in rebuilding Marshfield's industries after the great fire of 1887.

Upham served as alderman, mayor for two terms, and clerk of the School Board for 13 years. In 1894, he received the State Republican Convention’s nomination, won the election and served as Wisconsin’s 18th Governor for one term, 1895-1897.  He then returned to Marshfield to resume his enterprises and remained a prominent business leader until his death in 1924.

In 1976, after Upham’s second wife Grace passed away, with the aid of the Roddis Foundation and community funding, the North Wood County Historical Society purchased the house. It was her desire that the house would be preserved in memory of Governor Upham.

 Upham Manufacturing Company

1878 The first saw mill built by C.M. Upham and Brother

  • 1881 A furniture factory and veneer works were added and operated under two distinct company names-the Marshfield Furniture Co. and the Marshfield Veneer Works.
  • 1883 The Upham Manufacturing Company was incorporated
  • 1884 The saw mill was destroyed by fire
  • 1887 The entire plant was burned to the ground. It was immediately rebuilt on a larger and more expensive scale
  • 1890 Ten years after its founding, this business included the following departments:
  • The lumber interests - the saw mill having a capacity of 22,000,000 feet per annum, both hardwood and pine lumber being manufactured
  • The furniture department - the shipments amounting to 30 cars a month
  • The flour mill - with a capacity of 225 barrels a day
  • The grain elevator - with a capacity of 40,000 bushels
  • The general store - occupying one of the finest and most expensive buildings in the city
  • The Marshfield and Southern Railway - ten miles long, built by the company for the purpose of reaching their timber land
  • The land and timber interests - the company owning 40,000 acres of timber land tributary to Marshfield, supplying various sorts of timber
  • The water works - eventually sold to the city
  • The electric light plant - eventually sold to the city.

 

 O Jones, George; McVean, Norman S. "History of Wood County, WI." H.C. Cooper, Jr & Co. Minneapolis-Winona Minnesota pp. 187, 188 

"The City's Mainstay." Marshfield Times (Marshfield, WI) November 3rd 1905. .1.

"Former Chief Executive from Marshfield Seeking Appointment to Government Position in the Taft Administration ." Portage Daily Register (Portage, WI) January 7th 1909. .4.

"Former Governor May Get Post in Cuba." Green Bay Press -Gazette (Green Bay, WI) May 24th 1909. .4.

Heritage Rose Garden

The Heritage Rose Garden has thirty historical rose plants, some of which date back to the year 200 at the time of the Roman Empire. With its bower-seated walkways, the arbor has been stylishly designed to complement the Victorian influence of the Upham house.

The Heritage Rose Garden is open as weather permits and has no admission fee.

 

Video Tour: Governor William H. Upham House Rose Garden

See Also: Upham House Tour | Christmas Tour | Pie & Ice Cream Social

Directions to the Governor William H. Upham House

For directions on getting to the Governor William H. Upham House, enter your street address or ZIP code below and press 'Get Directions.'

 




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North Wood County Historical Society is a proud affiliate of the Wisconsin Historical Society.