Good Old Days   

“Oldies”

By Dee Zimmerman

Early Citizens Petitioned Local High School be discontinued

A petition was circulated in Neillsville in 1878, requesting that the high school department of the local public schools be discontinued.  The petition was signed by quite a number of local citizens, including B. F. French and George Lloyd.  In response to that petition, a special school meeting was called for Mar. 16, 1878, and there was considerable discussion.  Thereafter a vote was taken, and it was unanimously decided to keep the high school going. 

The incident was recorded in an old book of records which came to light many years later.  The book was in the office of (one line of print is missing) which was formerly occupied by C. R. Sturdevant, and was cleaned out in the change of occupancy.  In going through items an old book of minutes was found.  The book went back to 1866.  Other happenings of interest recorded were:

The South Side school building was the oldest, it was constructed in 1874.  The successful bidders originally were Bacon & Bradshaw, but they wanted $500 down before they went to work.  That precaution was not well received by the school board and the school electors were receptive only when James Hewett came forward with an offer to take over the contract at the offer of Bacon & Bradshaw, meaning that the building cost as little as $7,000.  The contract specified what the contractor should do, but the building committee of the school board had to do certain things, also including the furnishing of lumber.

The old book also showed that the North Side School was of a later vintage.  It was authorized Jan. 25, 1886, and the minutes showed that the plan was to be the same as that of a school building just completed at Alma Center.

The entire receipts of the school district in 1868 were $1,544.60, out of which $312.50 was paid to the one teacher then employed.  For the following year, the amount raised for the teacher was $400 for that school term.

The district received in 1887-88 from non-resident students a total of $242.30 for tuition.

A heated discussion came about at another time when a petition was addressed to one of the early school clerks.  The petition stated in no uncertain terms that he lacked interest in the school and that it would be a public service for him to quit.  The petition was signed by only two men, as the minutes showed, but one of the men was Richard Dewhurst.  So the clerk pulled out immediately, or sooner, and a new clerk was selected for the job.

Clark County News, March 1876

W. T. Hutchinson, our County Treasurer, has paid all jurors’ certificates and court-expenses due from the county during the (a line missing) the county during the present term of the court, having to advance about $1,000 of his own means to meet these demands.  He will be obliged to wait until after the delinquent sales before receiving the money he has advanced while our ex-county treasurer is speculating with funds belonging to the county.  Hutchinson is determined to restore the credit of the county, as well as an honest administration of the affairs of that office.

The Fox River Improvement Company and the Cornell University own large tracts of lands in this county which they will sell at reasonable rates, on a long time, to actual settlers, in tracts to suit purchaser. 

Gift Enterprise – John Rand has determined to go to the Black Hills, and proposes to dispose of his effects in Clark County, both movable and immovable.  He will hold a grand gift ball to be given at the O’Neill House, in this village, Apr. 7, 1876.  Forty acres of land and the hotel known as the “Hunter’ House” situated on the Neillsville and Humbird road and valued at $1,500, will constitute the capital price.  Aside from this, there are many other valuable prizes.  The enterprise we have no hesitation in pronouncing sound and reliable, and in every way worthy of support.  Those who feel inclined to purchase tickets may rest assured that everything will be conducted fairly and the money refunded unless the drawing takes place as announced.  Ed H. Markey is the manager of the gift enterprise for disposing of the Rand property.

The heavy rain of last Thursday and Friday nights caused flooding with high water.  The Humbird dam went out.  In this village, over a bridge that is not worth seventy-five cents, there is a notice posted that a fine of five dollars will be imposed for driving or riding faster than a walk on the structure.  The Hall’s Creek Bridge on the Black River Road went out.  Since then all travel to Black River Falls has been by the way of Humbird.  The bridge will probably be restored in a short time.  The rains have made a mighty river of O’Neill Creek.  During the night the ice went out of the pond and it was thought it would carry both bridges with it, but the flood passed by without doing any damage, and, we are sorry to say, that the old bridge across the pond is still there.

Last Saturday, a hog belonging to Jas. H. Reddan strolling by the side of the mill pond slid down the icy bank into the water and was carried over the dam.  The water was very high at the time and full of ice but the porker made the riffle and a safe landing, a few rods below, a wetter and a colder pig, but one the worse for his adventure.

It’s high time for a bachelor to looking around when the top of his head begins to show through his hair.  His chances for being made a good husband grow slim after he has no hair to pull.

There were two marriages in our villages this past week.  At the residence of Alex Cross, Mar. 11, 1876, Rev. W. T. Hendren performed the marriage rites of Mr. Johnnie Richards and Miss Mariah E. Wissells.

At the residence of O. Bacon, Mar. 16, 1876, Rev. W. T. Hendren conducted the marriage rites of Mr. Cyrus Sturgeon, of Truckee, Cal., to Miss Mary H. Bacon, of Neillsville.  The newly wedded couple will make their new home on the Pacific Coast.

The boys at Geo. Lloyds are working day and night in the interest of sugar-makers.  Everything required in the business in the line of hardware can be found at his establishment, opposite the O’Neill House.

Notice to Teachers and District Boards – The spring examinations for Clark County will be held as follows:

At the school-house in Neillsville Apr. 7 & 8; at the school house in District no. 1, Town of Beaver, Apr.11; at the school house in District no. 1, Town of Loyal, Apr. 12; At the school house in the village of Greenwood, Apr. 13 & 14.  Teachers will provide themselves with pen, ink, legal cap paper and fourth grade reader; Examinations to commence promptly at 9 a.m.  It is expected that all who intend to teach during the summer will attend one of the examinations noticed above, and no special examinations will be granted unless good and sufficient reasons are given for non-attendance. 

School officers and patrons are respectfully invited to be present.  H. J. Hoffman, County Superintendent

March 1906

Sereno Wren, of Dells Dam area, has his mill yard about filled up with logs.  He will begin sawing next week.  Wren has also been breaking a span of German coach horses that are certainly beauties.  He raised one and bought the other.  The yearling weighs 1300 and is a beauty.

There will be several acres of strawberries set out in the Bruce Mound area this spring.  Strawberries are at home in that part of the country and the Town of Dewhurst got credit for the best berries shipped from Merrillan last year.

The Omaha Hotel on West Seventh Street serves 15 cent dinners.  On Mar. 15 they will serve a free lunch.

The one thing peculiarly American which most grates on cultivated foreigners is our loud, strident, screechy manner of talking.  Even sanitariums become useless when filled with American voices.

January 1946

The Clark county Press reported a record number of marriage licenses issued in 1945, a total of 215 for the “Boom Year.”  The headline stated “Soldiers are Targets for Dan Cupid in 1945.”   The returning servicemen accounted for the large number of applications.  Although the 1945 marriage license business was brisque; it didn’t come up to the record set in 1941, when 236 couples marched down the wedding aisles as the war came closer and closer to home.

Auction Calendar – Mar. 16 through Apr. 1 – John Pietenpol farm, Granton; Stark Bros. farm, Greenwood; Gust Bergeman farm, Granton; G. N. Loughead farm, Marshfield; Jake Fitzmaurice farm, Humbird; Reinold Wischulke Estate, Granton; Clarence Elmhorst farm, Neillsville; Charlie Aspen farm, Vincent Gorst, owner, west of Neillsville; Henry Genteman farm, south of Neillsville; Emma Schoenherr farm, near Globe store on G; Ferdinand Kopp farm, 4 miles south of Neillsville on 95.

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Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.

 --Phyllis Diller

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Some desire is necessary to keep life in motion; and he whose real wants are supplied, must admit those of fancy.

Dr. Johnson

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A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.

-- George Bernard Shaw

School Dist. No. 1, Town of Loyal, referred to as the Lyons School, was located southwest of Loyal, on the northwest corner of Miller Ave. and Old 26 Road intersection.  The brick school building was built in 1888, that date was engraved on the white marble stone under the front gable.  Miss Judd was the teacher during the 1906-07 school term.  The school district consolidated in the later 50’s and at a later date the building was sold to an area farmer on a $100 bid.  It cost $200 to have it moved to the family’s farm where it remains, being used for a storage building.

A view of the northwest corner of Loyal from the top of the water tower in 1908. The Elementary and High School building, in the foreground, was on the north side of Highway 98, on the block between West and Division Streets. (Photo courtesy of Clark County Historical Society Jail Museum).