HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY. 
 
horse power, and all modern machinery was put 
in for the manufacture of butter. During the 
first year, about 75,000 pounds of butter was 
manufactured. In the season of 1883, about 
14,000 pounds were made. The stockholders 
in 1884 were the same as when it started, ex- 
cept that J. W. Westlake and A. M. Bowen had 
sold to H. B. Stewart and Broughton Brothers 
These gentlemen now own over one-half of the 
stock. The first officers were: H. B. Stewart, 
president; A. M. Bowen, secretary; J. G. Orr, 
treasurer. In 1884 the officers were:  H. B. 
Stewart, president; R. Broughton, secretary; J. 
A. Broughton, treasurer. 
NORWEGIAN PLOW WORKS. 
The Norwegian Plow Company, of Brodhead, 
was organized in 1874, by W. A. Wheaton, C. 
W. Mitchell, H. C. Putnam and Hans H. Sater, 
Mr. Sater was a plow maker by trade, having 
learned the business in Norway. The business 
was started with a capital of $6,000. At the 
end of the second year the capital stock amounted 
to $20,00. A frame building, 46x70 feet in size 
and a ware house for the storage of plows, 24x80 
feet in size, were erected at a cost of about $3,000. 
During the first year about ten hands were 
employed, and 300 plows were made. The busi- 
ness continued for five years,increasing so that in 
the fifth year 2,000 plows were manufactured. 
The plow was an excellent one, arid came into 
quite general use in this and other States. The 
metal was extremely hard, and of excellent qual- 
ity, and the plows rapidly grew in favor. H. C. 
Putnam engaged as salesman onithe road, sell- 
ing the first 200 plows manufactured. At the 
end of the third year, Mr. Putnam retired, sell- 
ing his interest to W. C. Chamberlain, of Du- 
buque. At the same time Mr. Wheaton sold to 
C. W. Mitchell. At the end of two years more 
the business was removed to Dubuque, where 
to-day the Norwegian Plow Manufacturing Com- 
pany is one of the leading manufacturing-con- 
cerns. Messrs. Mitchell & Sater still retain 
their interest in the business. The object of 
removing the factory to Dubuque was to secure 
 
superior shipping facilities, and to reorganize on 
a larger scale. 
TOBACCO FACTORY. 
William M. Fleek, packer and dealer in Ha- 
vana leaf tobacco, began business in January, 
1880. The business has been steadily increas- 
ing and has become one of the most important 
industrial enterprises of Brodhead. The amount 
of money handled in the business during the 
first year was $75,000. Mr. Fleek employs about 
forty hands, twenty-one of whom are young 
ladies. The tobacco is all raised in this State, 
and is bought in green condition from the pro- 
ducers, and is cured and prepared for manufac- 
turing purposes. The warehouse and factory 
is 30x116 feet in size. Mr. Fleek sells his to- 
bacco to jobbers principally. 
W. M. Fleek, proprietor of the leaf tobacco 
warehouse, is a son of R. G. B. Fleek, and was 
born in the town of Decatur, May 8, 1854. He 
tived with his father until Sept. 8, 1875, when he 
engaged in the manufacture of cigars in Brod- 
head, which business he continued until Jan. 21, 
t880,when he quit the manufacture of cigars and 
engaged in the business of leaf tobacco. Com- 
mencing in a small way in a building, 24x40 
feet, the business has increased until he is 
now located in a fine two-story warehouse 30x1 16 
feet in dimensions, with a capacity of handling 
2,000 cases of tobacco a year, and works a force 
of forty hands eight months of the year. He 
was married Oct. 25, 1875, to Viola M. Atwood, 
daughter of P. Atwood, of the town of Spring 
Grove. By this union they have two sons-E. 
0., born Nov. 3, 1877; and Dickie, born Sept. 
20, 1882. 
WAGON AND CARRIAGE MANUFACTURERS. 
The first to manufacture wagons at Brodhead 
was William Spencer, who commenced here in 
1857. He manufactured a few wagons and con- 
tinued in the business until the war broke out, 
when he enlisted in the 18th Wisconsin regi- 
ment, and went into the service. At the battle 
of Shilohl he was severely wounded; removed 
 
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