Our History
Early Years
Our company was started in 1957 by Milton Dunn as a cylinder delivery company focusing on 100# cylinders. When Milton's stepson Walter Dahlquist SR (Joe) returned from the military in 1960 he started helping with the business and began the service department. In 1968 Joe and his wife Shirley purchased the family business from Milton under the name Skelgas. The office was run out of the basement of their home for many years.
After a couple of years, Joe and Shirley decided to change the name of the business to Dahlquist Propane. This was the beginning of a family-oriented, multi-generational business. His oldest, Wally, eventually gravitated toward the Heating and Cooling side of the company specializing in the service and installation fields.
In 1987, Joe and Shirley knew something had to change, the business was getting too large for their home and they began the construction of an office next to his home. This building would be big enough to handle the whole business with room to grow. That did not last long either. By 1990, we added on again. The addition was to handle the appliance business that we had picked up and to make some more offices.
With Wally focusing on the Heating & Cooling field, he began to attend classes offered by various schools and associations. He received many licenses and certificates through the years like: Master Plumbers, Tradesman Electrical, Refrigerant Handling, and many more.
Later Years
Wally married and started a family of his own in 1981. Wally and Mary have three children, two of whom work for the company.
Michelle started working for the company full-time in 2001. She is in the office, she handles the day-to-day company operations as well as the showroom. She enjoys the hearth industry best, her knowledge of the fireplaces we carry is something we couldn't replace. Growing up in the business, her overall knowledge is a great benefit to all of our customers.
Joe started with the company after graduating high school in 2002. He has chosen to focus on the installation aspect of the business. Joe has gained a wealth of knowledge of the systems we sell and excels at estimating and taking care of all the new home HVAC layouts. Joe is also very knowledgeable when it comes to our full sheet metal shop, his creativity has helped customers plan their visions. He plans to carry the business onto the 5th generation.
In early 2008, Wally and Mary moved Heating & Cooling to a new location, the old "Early Bird Restaurant." They added a complete line of Pellet Stoves, Electric Fireplaces, Wood Stoves, and Pellet Sales. In 2010 we needed to expand our showroom to meet the demand of the fireplace sales. We went from 5 units to 12. In 2013, we needed to double our fireplace space. We added 14 new display units and added an office for Wally, a breakroom, and a nice space for the office ladies.
In 2019, we purchased a building in downtown Eagle River and opened our second Fireplace Showroom, Trappers Fireplace Gallery. This expansion has allowed us to help our north customers and is a game changer for the hearth offerings in the Northwoods.
As of 2025, we have three full-time service specialists, four full-time Installation Specialists, Office Staff, Outside Sales, and summer helpers. We are so proud to have been serving our area for 4 generations and we look forward to the 5th generation learning and helping us take Dahlquist Heating & Cooling and Trappers Fireplace Gallery to the next level. As a family-run business, we pride ourselves on customer service and listening to our customers. We truly appreciate each and every one of our current customers and welcome any new clients to try us and see why when you choose us, you become family.
Wally & Mary’s Family 2024
(3,4, & 5th Generations)
Connect With Dahlquist Heating and Cooling Today
Our Rhinelander office is open Monday through Friday, 8 AM–4:30 PM. Our service department can be reached 24/7 by calling 715-361-2798.
Stop in to say "Hello" and check out the showroom; Wally always has a fresh batch of popcorn waiting!
Please read the Meet Our Staff page to learn more about all of our employees!