IXL Historical Museum

In Hermansville, Michigan, the former headquarters of the Wisconsin Land and Lumber Company preserves the story of the business that built much of the town. Founded by Charles J. L. Meyer after he began acquiring Michigan timberland in 1878 and moved operations there in 1881–1882, the company grew across eight counties, then struggled after the financial tightening of 1890 and declining pine supplies. Under George Washington Earle, it reorganized, shifted to hardwood flooring branded “IXL,” and became at one point the nation’s largest hardwood floor producer. The preserved office, residence, and related buildings offer a rare, tangible record of company-town industrial and domestic life.

Hermansville, Michigan · United States