Pioneer Graphite Company
Reprinted from Pedigree Pointers, Vol. XVIII, No. 3, Spring 1996
This profile originally appeared in the March 1903 Portage
County Gazette.
This company was incorporated Dec. 20, 1902, with John R.
McDonald as president,
and F. E. Taggart as secretary. No reckoning of the popular, progressive and
growing young institutions of Stevens Point would be complete without at least
a brief mention of the Pioneer Graphite Company, which was incorporated with
a capital stock of $500,000 shares, per value one dollar each, of which 125,000
shares has been made treasury stock. The first block of 25,000 shares of treasury
stock has already been sold, also a number of thousand shares out of the second
block of 25,000 shares of treasury stock that is now on sale at 25 cents per
share. There is no Pioneer Graphite stock for sale except the treasury stock.
We will give you three reasons why Pioneer Graphite stock is the best investment,
on the market: First, the stock is cheap at present, but will advance in price
as work progresses. Development work will be continued on the property as soon
as the frost is out of the ground, and a mill will be erected for the manufacture
of the product. Second, the Pioneer Graphite Company's mines are not so far
away from home that the average purchaser of stock cannot afford to spend the
time and money necessary to go and see the property, but are just twelve miles
from Stevens Point, so that one day's time and sixty-six cents in money will
enable interested parties to go and see for themselves just how things are
going on. Third, the Pioneer Graphite Company is under the management of F.
E. Taggart, the man that discovered the first graphite in Wisconsin, and worked
up the business for the Portage County Graphite Company, made the formulas
for the paste paints, mixed paints and pipe joint paste, put up by the said
company; was also manager at the mines and mill of that company until the controlling
interest in the stock of the Portage County Graphite Company was purchased
by the Wisconsin Graphite Company. The treasurer stock of the Pioneer Graphite
Company can be purchased from John R. McDonald, who is located at 313 Clark
street, or F. E. Taggart, Junction City.
The following is a good description of the Pioneer Graphite Company of Junction City, Wisconsin: Controls 520 acres of valuable graphite and iron bearing lands. Of this 520 acres the company owns 280 acres, and the balance is held under very favorable options. The 280 acres that the company owns has been thoroughly prospected, and the company has enough graphite and oxide of iron in sight to warrant the erection of a plant for the manufacture of graphite products, such as paints, foundry facings, lubricating graphite, etc. This company owns 40 acres of land joining the Wisconsin Graphite Co.'s mine on the northeast, and the vein of graphite ore has been opened up on the southwest corner of this land and traced nearly across the forty and crosscut showing an average width of 14 feet. This company also has options on 40 acres of land on the north and on forty the south of the Wisconsin Graphite Co.’s mine. The Pioneer Graphite Company also owns another tract of 240 acres of valuable graphite bearing land. On nearly the center of this land a vein of graphite ore has been opened up and traced for 700 feet and cross-cut in six places, showing an average width of 12 feet. This ore is equal if not superior, to any yet discovered.
The company will commence the erection of a plant for the manufacture of the product of its mines in the near future, and expect to have the same complete and running during this coming summer. No business in Stevens Point has a more pushing, bustling management than has the Pioneer Graphite Company. The officers are John R. McDonald, president; Herman Vetter, vice president; F. E. Taggart, secretary; R. K. McDonald, treasurer. The directors are John R. McDonald, F. E. Taggart, R. K. McDonald, J. R. Whittaker and H.W. Boyer, all responsible and prominent citizens in industrial, mercantile and social life.