City of Hermansville |
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City of Hermansville |
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The village of Hermansville was founded in 1878 by Mr. Charles J. L. Meyer of Fond du Lac, WI who built and operated a saw and shingle mill utilizing the abundant native and pine growing in the area. Hermansville was named for his younger son, Herman. 
In 1883 Mr. Charles J. L. Meyer organized the Wisconsin Land & Lumber Company, which acquired the mill and landholdings, and began working on methods of utilizing the abundant hardwood timber on the surrounding lands held by the company. The company eventually developed innovative new methods and machinery for manufacturing pre-cut maple wood flooring; previous techniques for cutting and shaping maple in the United States were laborious and inefficient because of the hard, brittle nature of maple wood. The IXL brand of flooring became a popular choice for flooring, due to its virtually indestructable nature and its rich color and grain.
Mr. Charles J. L. Meyer, was a German-born cabinet maker, who first established a factory making sashes, doors and blinds in Fond du Lac, WI before moving to Hermansville. Hermansville became a thriving company town which grew quickly as the mill prospered, with over 200 company-owned dwellings built for employees and their families. A passenger rail depot, general stores, taverns, a bank, library and post office were established, as was a multi-grade public school. Other industry developed in the area as well, aided by the town's proximity to abundant rail freight service and local natural resources. IXL produced the finest hardwood flooring of the day and it was used in mansions and even the Morman Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah. The town's growth slowed and eventually declined, due to the rapid deforestation and subsequent scarcity of the timber that drove Hermansville's economy. Starting in the 1920s the IXL Company began selling off the individual dwellings and parcels of land on the village property - mostly to the employees who inhabited them. The vlllage population dropped significantly, and most of the small businesses which catered to local people were eventually closed. By the end of World War II the village's homes were all privately owned, and the IXL Company ceased all operations in Meyer Township by the end of the 1960s. Today the IXL Museum, dedicated to the area's early history as a company town and is open from 1 to 4 Memorial Day thru Labor Day. The main exhibits of the museum are housed in the well-preserved office building of the Wisconsin Land & Lumber Company, a fine example of Queen Anne architecture completed in 1883. (This building is pictured in 1911 as the Wisconsin Land & Lumber Company Office when it was operational, along with the many other historic photos of Hermansville in the pioneer days.)  The IXL Museum was designated a Michigan State Historic site in 1973 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.  Hermansville Post office in 1926 - Notice the Methodist Episcopal Church in the background and on the right is the Hotel Menominee
The Hermansville, MI Post Office was established on December 9, 1878 with Herman P. Meyer as its first postmaster.
POSTMASTERS AND OFFICERS-IN-CHARGE THAT
The Hermansville, MI Post Office is located in Meyer Township, Menominee County, and uses zip code 49847 
Postmark February 1911 and Postmark 8 June 1926 "Hermansville, the Pioneer of Hardwood Flooring."
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