Title: Eugene B. Thayer Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1897-1963

Creator:

• Thayer, Eugene B., 1853-1931

Call Number: Stevens Point Mss AT; Stevens Point Micro 25; Micro 1143; PH 3799; PH 3801

Quantity: 0.6 cubic feet (2 archives boxes), 2 reels of microfilm (35 mm), and 108 photographs

Repository:

Housed at the Nelis R. Kampenga University Archives & Area Research Center, Learning Resources Center, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

UW-Stevens Point Library / Stevens Point Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Papers, mainly 1897-1931, of Eugene B. Thayer, a former publisher of the Wausau Pilot, mainly relating to his interest in Marathon County, Wisconsin history, together with a few papers of his son, Eugene B. Thayer Jr., also a Wausau printer. Included are indexed clipping scrapbooks (available only on microfilm) concerning prominent citizens of Marathon county and its military participation in the Spanish American War, minutes, questionnaires, correspondence, drafts of speeches and articles, and photographs. The scrapbooks concern prominent Marathon County citizens, the participation of the Third Regiment of the Wisconsin National Guard in the Spanish American War, and caucuses of the local Democratic Party.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-stpt00at

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Eugene B. Thayer was born on April 30, 1853 in Princeton, Wisconsin. His parents were Lyman W. Thayer, a law graduate of the University of Michigan, and Catherine Davis Thayer. In 1854 the family moved to Wausau where until his death in 1860 the elder Thayer practiced law and contributed to the Central Wisconsin, a local newspaper.

At the age of ten, E.B. began working for the Central Wisconsin as a “printer's devil,” thus beginning a lifelong career in publishing. When that paper briefly suspended publication in 1872, Thayer went to the Wisconsin River Pilot. In 1873 Thayer went back to the Central Wisconsin by purchasing its printing department. In 1882 he left that paper again and started his own newspaper, the Wausau Review. In 1884 he purchased the Wisconsin River Pilot and began printing the Wausau Pilot-Review. In 1894 the name was changed to the Wausau Pilot.

In addition to his own business ventures, Thayer was a director of the Wausau Telephone Company and president from 1923 to 1928. In 1919 he became a director of the First National Bank, serving until 1922.

Throughout his life Thayer was interested in civic affairs. He was a Mason, a member of the First Universalist Church, and an active Democrat. During World War I he was secretary of the Marathon County Council of Defense. He was also associated with the Wisconsin Press Association and the Marathon County Agricultural Society. Thayer was very interested in Marathon County history. By virtue of his arrival in Wausau in 1854 he was a member of the Old Settlers' Club. He was also a member of the Marathon County Historical Society. As part of his historical interest he collected papers of early settlers which he presented to the city of Wausau, interviewed many pioneers, and wrote numerous articles on local history for his own paper.

Thayer married Delia F. Gooding in 1879 and the couple had three children. Several years prior to his father's death on August 5, 1931, E.B. Thayer Jr., took over as editor of the paper and as manager of the Pilot Printing Company. In 1940 he sold the newspaper which was merged with the Wausau Herald, although staying on as manager of the printing company. In addition to their mutual interest in the newspaper business, the younger Thayer shared his father's active interest in local history. He died in 1964.

The papers consist almost entirely of clippings and other material collected by E.B. Thayer Sr., as part of his interest in Marathon County history, together with a small quantity of similar material gathered by his son. There is no personal material about the Thayers and very little information about the operation of their newspaper and printing company. Although the majority of the collection consists of newspaper clippings, the papers are far more useful than similar collections on local history because of the existence of extensive (although complicated) indexing. In 1988 the clipping scrapbooks and their indexes were microfilmed and the original scrapbooks destroyed. In order to facilitate usage, however, the original indexes have been retained. The papers consist of obituaries, reminiscences, histories, speeches and articles (some written by Thayer), interviews, correspondence, minutes, and lists. Also received with the collection was a group of photographs of Marathon county citizens and places. The papers are organized as general papers, scrapbooks, and photographs.

The GENERAL PAPERS are arranged by subject. Almost half of this section consists of questionnaires, correspondence, and alphabetically-arranged draft biographies of Marathon County lawyers which E.B. Thayer Sr. was collecting in 1931. Also included is his own obituary, some miscellaneous histories, and historical research correspondence of E.B. Thayer Jr.

The SCRAPBOOKS generally cover the period 1897-1931, but by virtue of the fact that some contain clippings from his column “Long Ago” there are references here to events which took place up to 50 years earlier. The volumes are arranged chronologically by publication date. Unfortunately, the indexing, which was probably done by Thayer himself, is complicated, with general indexes that include one or more volumes and internal supplements in several volumes with their own indexes. Each index has been filmed before the material to which it refers and the original copies of all indexes retained with the papers.

In addition to the general chronological approach of the scrapbooks, there are also several specialized volumes here on Democratic Party caucuses in the city of Wausau, activities of the Old Settlers' Club, lists of World War I veterans (and nurses), and clippings concerning the service of the Third Regiment of the Wisconsin National Guard during the Spanish American War. These materials are not indexed.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Mrs. Norman Goetsch, Wausau, Wisconsin, July 7, 1971. Accession Number: M71-192

Processing Information

Processed by Linda Beyer (archives intern), 1988.

Stevens Point Mss AT	Series: General Papers
Box/Folder   1/1	E.B. Thayer Sr., obituary and letters, 1930-1931
	Lawyers of Marathon County
Box/Folder   1/2	Correspondence and questionnaires, circa 1931
Box/Folder   1/3-5	Draft biographies
	Marathon County histories
Box/Folder   1/6	Parks and resorts
Box/Folder   1/7	Miscellaneous writings
Box/Folder   1/8	E.B. Thayer Jr., 1932-1963
	Series: Scrapbooks	⇧
Box/Folder   1/9 Reel/Frame   1/1	General index to books #1-4
	Book #1, Historical references, 1897-1929
Reel/Frame   1/30	Clippings
Box/Folder   1/10	Supplemental pages 47-48 and index
	Book #2, Historical references, circa 1907
Reel/Frame   1/231	Clippings
	Book #3, Souvenir edition and supplements, Wausau in 1900
Box/Folder   1/11 Reel/Frame   1/351	Supplemental index
Reel/Frame   1/354	Clippings
	Book #4 “Men Who Helped Make Wausau,” 1926
Box/Folder   1/12 Reel/Frame   1/529	Supplemental index
Reel/Frame   1/547	Clippings
Box/Folder   1/13	Old Settlers' Club, 1898-1900
Reel/Frame   1/682	“Home County Doings during the Spanish American War,” 1898
Reel/Frame   1/780	Democratic Party caucuses, 1898-1900
	Miscellany, 1909-1916
Box/Folder   1/14 Reel/Frame   2/1	Index
Reel/Frame   2/56	Clippings
	Obituaries, 1913-1926
Box/Folder   2/1 Reel/Frame   2/391	Index
Reel/Frame   2/419	Clippings
Box/Folder   2/2-3	Veterans of World War I
	Deaths, 1920, and Masonry, , 1923-1929
Box/Folder   2/4 Reel/Frame   2/544	Index
Reel/Frame   2/554	Clippings
	“Old Time News,” 1922-1929
Box/Folder   2/5 Reel/Frame   2/1581	Index
Reel/Frame   2/606	Clippings
	“Schofield Homecoming and Records Edition,” 1922-1929
Box/Folder   2/6 Reel/Frame   2/755	Index
Reel/Frame   2/774	Clippings
	Miscellany, 1926-1928
Box/Folder   2/7 Reel/Frame   2/805	Index
Reel/Frame   2/807	Clippings
	Miscellany, 1929-1931
Box/Folder   2/8 Reel/Frame   2/831	Index
Reel/Frame   2/849	Clippings
	Series: Photographs	⇧
PH 3799	General Wausau photographs Physical Description: 65 photographs  Scope and Content Note: Photographs documenting people, places, and events in Wausau, Wisconsin. Images include portraits of Eugene B. Thayer Sr., Eugene B. Thayer Jr., and Edward Thayer; also images of Wausau organizations; and businesses and street scenes.
Item   1	W.N. Allen
Item   2	Robert Anderson
Item   3	M.H. Barnum
Item   4	George Bellis, 1900
Item   5	Fred C. Boyce
Item   6	R. Chellis
Item   7	Dr. La Cornil, 1902 Note: Photographer: C. Lemke, Wausau, Wisconsin
Item   8	Alice Dodge, 1860
Item   9	William Gowan, 1908
Item   10	Bill Hewitt, 1893
Item   11	Mr. Carl Houflinger Note: Photographer: C. Lemke, Wausau, Wisconsin
Item   12	M.A. Hurley
Item   13	Colonel A.L. Kreutzer
Item   14	James La Mere
Item   15	Frank Mathie, 1890
Item   16	Anston Mehl
Item   17	Carl H. Mueller, 1900
Item   18	C.F. Paff, 1900
Item   19	E.D. Pardee
Item   20	Native American (Indian Pete), 1900
Item   21	Louis Prodt
Item   22	John D. Rosa Note: Photographer: Goff, Wausau, Wisconsin
Item   23	Dr. Rosenberry and family
Item   24	Dr. Sauerbering, 1908 Note: Photographer: C. Lemke, Wausau, Wisconsin
Item   25	Mrs. August Lemke, 1900 Note: Photographer: Goff, Wausau, Wisconsin
Item   26	Judge W.C. Silverthorn, 1900
Item   27	Benjamin Single
Item   28	James Single, 1890
Item   29	Eugene Thayer Jr.
Item   30	Edward and Eugene Thayer Jr.
Item   31	Eugene B. Thayer Sr.
Item   32	Dr. Win. Wylie, 1885
Item   33	Fred Zeutner, 1890
Item   34	Wausau citizens
Item   35	Wausau High School basketball team, 1914
Item   36	Post Office workers, 1890
Item   37	Fire Department
Item   38	Fishing party, 1890
Item   39	Interior of F.L. Goff's photo gallery, 1890
Item   40	Hotel Northern
Item   41	Businesses
Item   42	Parades
Item   43	Street scenes
Item   44	Mill, rebuilt in 1882
Item   45	Barker & Stewart Mill, 1915
Item   46	Lumber district
Item   47	River scenery
PH 3801	Coolidge visit photographs Physical Description: 43 photographs  Scope and Content Note: Photographs of Wausau, Wisconsin, celebrations surrounding a visit from President Calvin Coolidge. Included are images of President Coolidge riding in an automobile in the parade and speaking from a grandstand; floats and bands in the parade; local citizens and dignitaries; a marksmanship display; and an airplane show.