A site devoted to the history of Greater Rib Lake, Wisconsin!

This is the website for the Rib Lake Historical Society, LLC. The purpose of the Society is to preserve, publish and promote the rich history of greater Rib Lake, Taylor County, Wisconsin. 

Another goal of the Society is to provide to the public a convenient way to share and access historic photos and documents. 

FOLDER 7: The Great Hemlockery

This is a folder of the Rib Lake Historical Society, LLC, prepared by its manager, Robert P. Rusch.  Eastern hemlock, with yellow birch, was the dominant tree species in the virgin forests of Rib Lake, Wisconsin. The founder of Rib Lake, J.J. Kennedy, built what became the nation’s then largest hemlock manufacturing sawmill.  Hemlock provided the tannic acid that permitted the Rib Lake Tannery to flourish from 1892-1922.  These are some of the reasons for the creation of this folder.

 To view "The Great Hemlockery", click here: Hemlockery