POTATO DEVELOPMENT WORK IN WISCONSIN. 



25 



EAELY POTATO DEVELOPMENT AT WAUPACA. 



(The following brief statement has been submitted by MB. 

 JOHN JARDINE, Secretary A. M. Penney Co., Waupaca Wis.) 



Probably no man now living in the State of Wisconsin has 

 been more closely identified with the potato industry from its 

 infancy and in its development than A. M. Penney of Waupaca, 

 Wis. Mr. Penney was born 

 in New York State in the 

 Town of Henderson, Feb. 

 15th, 1851, and when four 

 years of age, his parents 

 settled 011 a farm near Wau- 

 paca. 



In 1879, Mr. Penney saw 

 the possibilities in the raising 

 of potatoes in this section, 

 and was instrumental with 

 others in getting farmers in- 

 terested in the planting of po- 

 tatoes. He agreed to see that 

 a market would be provided 

 the potatoes. The result was 

 that in 1880, Mr. Penney 

 shipped from Waupaca sixty- 

 six carloads of potatoes, all of 

 which were loaded in bulk 

 and shipped to Chicago. The facilities for handling these po- 

 tatoes consisted of a small bin in an old warehouse with a capa- 

 city of a scant carload. In this crude way, Wanpaca began to 

 take its place as a factor in this industry. The extent of the 

 industry is indicated by the fact that Waupaca in 1912 shipped 

 nearly 2,200 cars. 



From that time, Mr. Penney continued to enlarge the scope 

 of his operations until at the present time, he is at the head of 

 a company that operates warehouses at nearly ail the principal 

 potato shipping stations of this state, and markets their potatoes 

 in nearly every state in the Union. 



A. M. PENNEY. 



President of A. M. Penney Co., Wau- 

 paca, Wis. 



