The Scrap Brotherhood of Cadott Wisconsin

Here's a little story I ran across.  As usual I was looking for something else.

Cadott is a small town to the east of us.  It was one of those second generation lumber centers.  The first generation were places on major rivers.  When the prime timber available for floating down to mill towns ran out, railroads were built and places like Cadott had periods of prosperity.  Usually these were brief.  Cadott and towns like it, strung out along the rail line, are quiet places now.

But there used to be a mill there.  And in 1880 there was also The Scrap Brotherhood.  This was a "benefit society" for mill workers.  Sort of a mutual aid group that supported each other in times of illness and such.  Jobs did not come with benefits back then.

In 1884 they built "a fine hall" known as Scrap Hall.  It was described as having a spacious stage and a seating capacity of 500.  Dances, dramatic performances, public meetings and such were held there.

Scrap Hall stood at the corner of Main and West, right across from the mill.  I can find it on plat maps starting in 1894, but the best detail is on the 1912 map.

The Brotherhood was well thought of in its time.  A brief newspaper mention from 1892:

Although evidently existing for at least 30 years I can't find out much more.  All members were required to be mill employees, and the occasional mentions exist of dances and such.  

The eventual fate of the Brotherhood and of Scrap Hall is ill defined.  Apparently the Hall was lost to fire at some point after 1912, and a blacksmith's shop was built on the site.  Here's how it looks in 2023.  The building, now expanded, is probably the successor blacksmith's shop and by its position likely sits on part of the foundation of the earlier, and more interesting, building.