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Northern Casket Co.

Introduction

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According to a 1917 city directory, the Northern Casket Company was incorporated in 1872, with a capital stock of $400,000. In 1906, the structure was operating as the Nehrbass Casket Company, having acquired the building which had been used for a few years as a canning company, and improvements were made to the original two-story building.

Backstory and Context

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Nehrbass was then purchased by the Northern Casket Company, which had been taken over by William A. Mauthe of Fond du Lac (the owner of William Mauthe Furniture). In 1917, land was purchased in order to expand the factory to include a facility for metal working, as the company had recently developed a non-corrosive, sheet steel and statuary work casket and a three-story factory addition was added in 1919. The Northern Casket Company (headed by Mauthe until his death in 1942 and then by his son Armin) closed between 1962 and 1963. The building stood vacant for a year before Wells Manufacturing Company purchased the building and utilized it for their engineering department while manufacturing automotive ignitions, replacement parts and fuel pumps. The property is listed on both the State and National Historic Registers.

Additional Information