Top of page

Notice
Special holiday hours in effect, December 2025 through January 2026. More information.

Newspaper The Central Wisconsin (Wausau, Wis.) 1868-1910 Weekly central Wisconsin / Central weekly Wisconsin

About The Central Wisconsin (Wausau, Wis.) 1868-1910

The Wausau River Pilot was first published in 1865 by 18-year old Valentine Ringle. The son of German immigrants, Ringle learned the printer’s trade as a boy and later also published a German-language title, the Wausau Wochenblatt. At its commencement, the Pilot competed with another Wausau weekly, the Central Wisconsin and its German-language publication Freie Presse. Being a supporter of the Democratic Party, Ringle’s Pilot mirrored his political leaning.

As one of the county seat’s first newspapers, the Pilot documents the community’s history from a lumbering town of several hundred residents to city of thousands, with a growing papermaking industry after the arrival of the railroad in 1874.

In 1884, the Wausau River Pilot was consolidated with the Wausau Weekly Review which had existed since 1882. Together, they were published as the Pilot and Review by former Review editor Eugene Thayer. Thayer, who held multiple political offices, continued the political identity of the publication. Because of its political standing and its audience in a county (Marathon) with many German immigrants, the Wausau Pilot offers an interesting perspective on the Progressive Era and World War I.

Under Thayer’s leadership, the publication became the Pilot Review in 1886 and, finally, the Wausau Pilot in 1896. Thayer ran the publication until his retirement in 1920 and was succeeded by the Pilot Printing & Publishing Company, managed by Fred A. Fuhrmann; the paper was edited by Thayer’s son Eugene B. Thayer, Jr.

Provided By: Wisconsin Historical Society

About this Newspaper

Title

  • The Central Wisconsin (Wausau, Wis.) 1868-1910

Other Title

  • Weekly central Wisconsin
  • Central weekly Wisconsin

Dates of Publication

  • 1868-1910

Created / Published

  • Wausau, Wis. : Johnson Bros., 1868-1910.

Headings

  • -  Wausaw (Wis.)--Newspapers
  • -  United States--Wisconsin--Marathon--Wausau

Genre

  • Newspapers

Notes

  • -  Weekly
  • -  Vol. 1, no. 1 (Oct. 14, 1868)-v. 53, no. 8 (Feb. 5, 1910).
  • -  Title varies: Weekly central Wisconsin, Jan. 5-Nov. 15, 1884.
  • -  Publisher varies.
  • -  "A republican newspaper, devoted to the interests of Marathon County."
  • -  "Official county paper."
  • -  Editors: Johnson Bros., Oct. 14, 1868-Aug. 30, 1870; R.H. Johnson, Sept. 6, 1870-Aug. 18, 1883; A.J. Dodge, Aug. 25, 1883-May 23, 1885; R.B. Rice, May 30, 1885-Sept. 19, 1885.
  • -  Available on microfilm from The State Historical Society of Wisconsin.
  • -  Sun (Wausau, Wis.) (DLC)sn 85040896

Medium

  • 53 volumes : illustrations ; 65 cm

Library of Congress Control Number

  • sn85033299

OCLC Number

  • 11827951

Succeeding Titles

Additional Metadata Formats

Availability

The Library of Congress may not have copies of this newspaper title, however it may be held by other libraries around the country. Check the "Libraries That Have It” tab for details, or, if present, select the LCCN Permalink below for more LC holdings.

Rights & Access

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

The Central Wisconsin Wausau, Wis. -1910.

APA citation style:

The Central Wisconsin Wausau, Wis. -1910.

MLA citation style:

The Central Wisconsin Wausau, Wis. -1910.