Isaac Staples Sawmill
This is a photo from the John Runk Collection at the Stillwater Public Library. It was taken ca. 1870. This location is on north Main Street, just below Pioneer Park. This was not the first sawmill in Stillwater and was purchased by Isaac Staples in 1869.
To view a "Time Tunnel" between 2017 and 1870 at this same location, just click anywhere on the photo above.
This is the same location of the Staples Sawmill in 2017. The photo shows the large steel clad building to the left of the stone powerhouse and chimney. This was once the location of the Stillwater Manufacturing Company, a subsidiary of The Northwest Thresher Company.
This animation takes you from the late 1870’s to 2019 at the corner of Mulberry Street and Second Street.On the hill is the Isaac Staples mansion. The historic photo is from the John Runk Collection, courtesy of the Stillwater Public Library. The 2019 photo is courtesy of Google Maps Street View.
Isaac Staples, Then Compared to Now
By Robert Molenda
Given the technology around us, there have been days when many have not been able to get anything accomplished. Delivery of almost anything is “One-Day” service. Travel to distant places is only a few hours by air, yet often the waiting and local travel to the airport takes longer than the flight ! Time is valuable, food and lodging are available in quantity and quality so that travel can be relatively unplanned without worrying about these necessities. Clothing and equipment are easily available, again with one day delivery on the most complex of things that we might order. We also take for granted the easy payment terms that are available via credit cards and electronic payments for all of the above items. With all this convenience, sometimes we sometimes become impatient when something does not perform as it should. How about walking around with Isaac Staples in 1853?
