Reedsburg is a city in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States, within the Baraboo micropolitan area.
[3] At a place 55 miles northeast of Mineral Point (the capital of Wisconsin Territory), long identified by the Winnebago who inhabited these lands as a convenient place to cross the Baraboo River, Babb left a flat-bottomed boat to help move supplies.
At "Babb's Ford," in 1847 David C. Reed built a dam and a shanty to house the workers who constructed it.
[4] These initial buildings were of poor construction, and did not have a strong foundation, due to the black-alder swamp by the Baraboo River.
[5] Reedsburg was platted in 1852, and four years later the community had grown to 50 buildings housing 27 families and 122 people.
In 1854 the Mackey brothers purchased Reed's saw mill, and brought economic security to the area.
As the town was growing, more farms continued to be developed around the area, cultivating a variety of crops.
After the crash of the hops market, more farms started to diversify, and Reedsburg would become known for its grain and dairy products.
[8] In the 1870s, Main Street started to develop, with grocery stores, banks, and other businesses establishing in Reedsburg.
Construction was completed in 1882, and by 1899, 32 broad looms produced mainly "fancy cassimeres" for Chicago markets.
In 1902 the facility was purchased by Appleton Woolen Mills, and began producing clothing for east coast outlets.
In 1910, the Central Wisconsin Creamery opened, making Reedsburg famous for its butter production.
[3] In 1954, when Appleton Woolen Mills shifted focus to felts, the business in Reedsburg reorganized to emphasize novelty fabrics.
[12] In 1951, Herbert Webb left Reedsburg a $300,000 trust fund, which is equivalent to over 4 million dollars, adjusted for inflation.
[14] In 1961, Hankscraft purchased Nursmatic Corporation, expanding their line to include bassinets, safety harnesses, baby toiletries and other products; a year later, the acquisition of Ruzicka Laboratories allowed the firm to expand once more, adding vaporizer fluids, baby oil, shampoo and lotions.
[16] In 1996, Gerber Products Company sold Hankscraft Motors, which continues to operate in Reedsburg.
Other important industries have included Grede Foundry, Seats, Inc., and the Columbia Par Car Corporation.
[22] Reedsburg is located in northern Sauk County, approximately 55 miles (89 km) north of Madison, Wisconsin.
[24] A pink quartzite marker on Main Street reads 325 feet east of this point lies the 90th meridian.
Reedsburg operates under the mayor-council form of government, with each of four districts being represented by two aldermen, along with one at-large alderman.
[42] The Chicago and North Western Depot was built in 1906 which connected Reedsburg to the Twin Cities 400 line.
[48] The woods behind Webb Park is called the Roger Popple Nature Area, which includes several trails, and the Half-Moon Lagoon Disc Golf Course.
[52] Some city roads include bicycle lanes and there are posted bike routes through major areas of town.
[56] There is a Madison Area Technical College regional campus on the west side of Reedsburg.