Good Old Days

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

Clark County News of 1892

The new spoke factory, the Basket and Box works have made arrangements with W. W. Taplin, foundry man, to furnish them with a complete outfit of the latest improved spoke machinery, for $1,750, which will be placed in the Bruley saw mill when it arrives.

A. F. Hein has been engaged as bookkeeper for the new concern, and for a better man than he they would have to look far and wide.

The plant will employ 22 men, most of whom have worked for Allen & Pennock for years.  James Ross, the former fore-man, has been hired by the company to fill the foreman position in the new plant.

The community is glad to see the new company take up the industry which was being dropped by Allen & Pennock, as it continues to provide employment to a large number of men the year around.

The company, which was organized for the purpose of making baskets and boxes, is composed of some of our leading business men; consequently it is here to stay.

The hospital – the French House has been rented by Drs. Esch and Lacey, and Frank Archer, and is being converted into a hospital.  It will be run under the firm of Esch, Lacey & Co., who will soon issue tickets or certificates of membership to loggers and others.  It will be run similar to the hospitals in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls.  To our thinking, this is one of the best enterprises yet started in the city and will prove a great service to those becoming very ill.

Already there are several patients in the hospital, some suffering with diphtheria and other illnesses.

Some people confuse the idea for which it is intended and are condemning it as a pest house.  Such, however, is not true; it will be run as a hospital.  A patient, suffering with whatever disease, will be taken there and cared for.  Competent nurses will administer to the needs of the patients. 

The hospital is under supervision of the physicians and particular care will be taken to disinfect each room as soon as a patient leaves.  (The French House was located on the corner of Fourth and Hewett, now site of the Neillsville Public Library.)

C. S. Stockwell has added a hot air furnace to his residence and thereby does away with building half a dozen fires on a cold winter morning in his night shirt.  He is now studying up some electrical contrivances which will save him the trouble of attending to the furnace.  We understand the hired girl has refused to attend the furnace and saw wood, too.

S. B. Calway completed the A. C. Vaughan residence and it is a first-class job.  Calway also put finishing touches on Hendren’s house in Greenwood as well as the Greenwood Bank, both nicely done.

The spoke factory at Veefkind has been rented by the owner Henry B. Veefkind, to his son John and F. J. Schultz, who will run it the coming year.  Henry Veefkind and wife will move to Milwaukee.

September 1917

Jos. Frei is putting up a neat little barn on the land he recently bought from Ed Gates on the south side of Neillsville.  The Frei family may use this building for a residence this winter while they are building a new house.

Ira Perry slipped a surprise over on the Humbird bunch at the Clark County Fair last week.  Perry and lady friend left Humbird to attend the fair.  While their family and friends were watching the tame bear act and listening to the Humbird Band at the fairgrounds, Perry and Miss Emma MacBrien were up town getting married.  The news was kept a secret until Saturday, when congratulations began to be offered.

A deal was closed last week whereby the Oatman Condensary Co., which is operating a Condensary at Neillsville, purchased the O. A. Peterson cheese factory, located in Granton.  The deal includes the factory building and land lying west of it.  Peterson retains the house and barn, one lot and all the machinery in the factory for $4,300.  The Oatman Company intends to haul the milk to Neillsville on trucks after Sept. 1, until necessary machinery can be installed for a concentration plant.

Work or go to jail is the order of the Clark County Council on Defense.  Farmers and industries are in need of help.  Law defines loafers and idlers as vagrants.  Sheriff and police are instructed to arrest all idlers.  The penalty will be three months hard labor or solitary confinement in a room which is complete darkness for not more than ten days.

At eleven o’clock the night of Sept. 8^th, the making of whiskey and all other distilled spirits for beverage purposes will cease by the provision of the food control law.  The making of beer with more than two per cent alcohol will also stop.  Prescribed liquors in the hands of dealers can be sold until the supply is exhausted.

Mrs. Wm. Meihack died at her home in the town of Pine Valley on August 13, age of 59 years.

The deceased was born in Germany and was married to Wm. Meihack in 1880.  They came to Clark County in 1889.  She is survived by her husband and nine children: Hattie, Albert, William Jr. and Vernon at home; Mrs. Frank Kuhl and Mrs. Chris Larson, of Marshfield; Mrs. Ritsche of Oshkosh; Mrs. I Roberts of Racine; Max Meihack of Pollack, S. D.  Also, one sister, Mrs. C. McCord of Oconto; two brothers: Fred and Carl Dux of Pollack, S. D.

Wild blackberries are needed for the Troops.  Encourage your children to pick wild blackberries to help make eleven million pounds of blackberry jam.  There is a shortage of cultivated blackberries so the United States Dept. of Agriculture urges children and women to gather the wild blackberries to supply commercial canning factories.

Blackberry jam is particularly desirable because it has medicinal qualities which counteract certain intestinal problems, in addition to its desirable sweetness in the diet.

Buy a Saxon “Six,” the big touring car for five people.  There were 234 stock models Saxon “Sixes” which traveled 70,200 miles and set a grand average of 25.9 miles per gallon of gas.  Furthermore, the cars averaged 175 miles per quart of oil.  Not one car had any mechanical trouble during the entire 70,200 miles.  The Saxon is your kind of car for only $936.

September 1947

Walter Durst is the new plant manager of the Neillsville Milk Products Co-op, succeeding Frank Viergutz.  Durst has over 30 years experience in the dairy business.  Starting in 1930, Durst owned and operated the Hemlock Factory north of Greenwood.  Cheese factory work for Durst began at Humbird, after which he went to a Pierce County Factory, and then returned to Clark County, managing the Chili Cooperative Cheese Factory before purchasing the Hemlock plant.

Mr. and Mrs. Otto Schultz of Globe celebrated their 25^th wedding anniversary last week.  They were host to a group of friends and relatives at a picnic in the Greenwood Park.

Federal recognition will be accorded to the Service Company, 128^th Infantry, at ceremonies in the Armory Tuesday evening.  The public is invited to attend the ceremonies, which will reactivate one of the oldest National Guard companies in the State, in continuance service.  Members of the old Company A, Third Wis. Regiment are encouraged to attend.  The Clark County Zouaves came into being 71 years ago as an independent organization, in 1876.  Since that time, the city has been the headquarters of a guard unit.

Coach Al Hovey has been busy working with a replacement for Jim Van Talengove, last year’s graduating halfback.  Bradley Larson is working hard to fill that position on this season’s team.  Other backfield men are Chuck Swenson, Donald Trewartha, and Eugene Wegner.

In addition to the returning veterans, local fans will see Bob Eggiman, Roland Jenni, Bud Chapman, Calvin Gerhardt, Wendell Elmhorst, and Frank Sydorowicz.  In addition to these veterans, will be Bill Puttkamer, Don Hantke, Glen Lazotte, and Ellis Wall.

The remainder of the squad includes Frank Wasserburger, Jim Vincent, Leonard DeMert, Edgar Ott, Danny Patey, Carl Petersen, Marvin Klann, Donald Ayers, John Cummings, Bob Kapfer, Dale Botnen, Charles Sydorowicz, Don Asplin, Harold Gaier, Jack Hagie, and Ed Berett.

Outdoor Recreational Activities have always been popular in Clark County.  The above scene was taken near Lake Arbutus and was believed to have been a canoe or boating club in the early 1900’s.  None of the members can be identified.  (Photo courtesy of Clark county Jail Museum)