Name/Title
Waupun Central WarehouseScope and Content
Historical information on Waupun Central Warehouse for 1976 Bicentennial Celebration in Waupun, WI - *NOTE: Spelling errors are left just as originally typed.
WAUPUN CENTRAL WAREHOUSE HISTORY
1950 - 1976
The Waupun Central Warehouse, located at Doty & Maxon Streets, is a complex of Eleven (11) Buildings and occupying Six (6) Acres of land. All of which is State owned and operated within the Division of Business Management of the Department of Health & Social Services.
This facility was formly known to many residents of the City of Waupun and immediate rural area as the Waupun Canning Company. The Waupun Central Warehouse operates on a revolving fund basis and receives no appropriation from the State. The facility was sold by the Waupun Canning Company to the Green Giant Canning Company in 1948. The Green Giant operated the plant for a two year period and then sold it to the State for $90,000.00.
Originally the Warehouse served as a receiving site for salvaging scrap metal from all institutions in the former Department of Public Welfare. Huge piles of scrap metal, all sorted by inmates from the State Prison, under the supervision of Walter Croft and Mike DeYoung, occupied much of the Warehouse property. At that time scrap copper was worth as much as $400 per ton, with other scrap metals bringing a high price on the scrap market. The metal was sorted as to the type, so as to bring a higher resale value to the State.
Within a few years a staff of 24 employees represented a central labor pool, equiped with tools for plumbers, electricians, carpenters, steam-fitters, tinsmiths, painters. Equipment for the labor pool ranged from hammers and pliers to trucks, bulldozer and crane. Prior to the advent of labor unions demanding more contracts with the State for new construction and remodelling work, the labor pool constructed the Industrial building, Bath houses, Chapel, the Segregation Cell House and the Individual Treatment Center at the State Prison. They constructed the Residence for the Superintendent at Centeral State Hospital. In addition to the new construction work, a number of remolding projects were also completed at the State Prison as well as throughtout the State at other institutions.
To compliment the construction work, the Warehouse purchased and stored building construction supplies, such as pipe and plumbing supplies, electrial materials, and lumber. In addition to these operations, the Warehouse also served and continued to do so, as the central storage site for surplus office furniture, clothing, materials and institutional type equipment. Such items which have been determined to be of no further use to the State, are made available to the public through a public auction, which has gained in popularity, not only in the Waupun area, but the entire State. Attendance at the sale has been estimated as high as 2000 prospective buyers.
When the labor pool was disbanded in the 1970's, the Warehouse concept changed to the Waupun Central Warehouse. Supplying not only all State institutions, but other State Agencies with hand towels, toilet paper, paper cups, paint, lumber, calcium chloride, refuse cans, etc. Also
such items as canned goods, powered milk, flour and similar commodities. Transportation of the supplies are made on a monthly basis to all areas of the State with 2 modern semi-tractors and (3) trailers.
Communications with all State institutions are maintained through teletype, telephone and radio services.
In the early 1960's the former Four(4) story canning plant building was converted to the use of a minimum security type dormitory for W.S.P., Wisconsin State Prison, inmates employed by the Warehouse, Centeral Generating Plant, Farm One and drivers for the prison motor pool. With as many as Ninety (90) inmates to be housed in the dormitory if need be.
EDWARD HARDING, JAMES BERRY, SAM LORD, DONALD HOWARD & ROBERT NINNEMAN, were former employes. Richard Mills, current supervisor of the Warehouse, is joined by James Fehling, Donald Dvorak and John Williamson the operations of the facility and services.Acquisition
Accession
2016.0075Source or Donor
Waupun Area Chamber of CommerceAcquisition Method
Donation
