Badger Paper Mill

The Badger Paper mill was the largest papermill in the country at the time it was built in 1885. The owners/managers were Joseph Vilas, Henry Frambach, John Stoveken. The Mill was destroyed by fire in the late 1890's. The site and foundations were reused in the early 1900's when a Hydroelectric facility was built. This hydroelectric facility is still in operation at a young age of 100 years, producing electricity for the Kaukauna utilities.

More information about the Badger Mill




This image is of the Badger Paper Mill Subsidiary Called the Quinnesec Pulp Company
The mill was built by John Stoveken in the area now called Niagara, Wisconsin on the Menominee River. When John Stoveken built the mill it was called the Northern Pulp Company. John's Son, John Stoveken, Jr. helped to build this mill and lived in a log cabin on the bluff on the Michigan side of the water falls.

More information about the Stoveken Mill in Niagara

More information about John Stoveken and Charles Stoveken in Pembine, WI

1897 Stoveken Letter

This letter was written by John Stoveken to his business agent James Driessen in Kaukauna in 1897. The ledger book is the accounting ledger held by James Driessen for John Stoveken. It contains business transactions of sales and leases of property in the Kaukauna area known as the Stoveken Plat. It is still in it's original mailing envelope and was donated to the Kaukauna Library by Leo Driessen

1896 Stoveken Flag

This flag was flown over the Stoveken Paper mill in Niagara, WI about 1896. It was donated to the Niagara Area Historical Society and museum

Niagara Paper Mill 1891

This picture is from 1891 and shows the John Stoveken paper mill at Quinnesec Falls. This area is now known as Niagara, WI. There was virtually nothing at this location before the start of the pulp mill in 1888. The building on the hill at the left is the Grand View Hotel that was also owned by John Stoveken. It was built to house the employees of the mill. On the hill to the right was the home of John Stoveken, Jr (Not in this particular picture)

Stoveken General Store

This picture is in the general Store in Pembine, WI owned by John Stoveken, Jr. Many of the family members are in this picture. Date is about 1907

Eagle Paper Mill

The Eagle Mill was Built in 1872 as a Flour Mill and Paper Mill in Kaukauna, Wisconsin by John Stoveken. It was using straw at that time to make Manila paper. This Mill was the first Paper Mill in the U. S. to use Pulp wood to make paper beginning in 1878 . The first machines to make paper from wood pulp were designed here and patented in 1879. John and his brother Henry Frambach combined had 17 US patents. The patents were primarily in the paper industry. However John Stoveken later became involved in the Gold Mining and refining business and had developed a process to reduce the cost of Gold recovery and recieved 5 patents for equipment and processes to recover gold. John Stoveken is the GG Grandfather of the author.