Clark County Press, Neillsville,

May 18, 2005, Page 16

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

 

Clark County News

May 1875

 

The school board of Joint District No. 1, Levis and Pine Valley, are evidently wide-awake and know how to prosecute business with dispatch.  Under the direction of Mr. Satterlee, work was begun on the new schoolhouse site the 12th of May.  Stumps were removed, logs rolled away, brush burned and ground made ready for building.  That was the first day’s work.  On May 20th, after eight days of hard labor, the District had a neat and comfortable frame school house put up on the ground, school organized; with Miss Emma Berrien installed as teacher and the scholars at work, studying.

••••••••••

Neverman and Company will furnish the first lager beer of the season, next Wednesday.  The beer will be on tap at all the saloons in the village and at their brewery.

••••••••••

John Thayer left for Pigeon Creek, Wednesday afternoon.  Pigeon Creek is supposed to be located in Jackson County, but we don’t think John understood that.

••••••••••

Last Monday evening, it was reported that a jam of logs had formed at Mormon Ripple, which far exceeded anything ever before seen on the Black River.  The water, at the point where the jam formed and for several miles above, was swift; consequently, it drove logs into the jam with great force.  The jam was about two miles long and, it is stated, that in places, the logs were piled 50 feet high by the force of the current.  On Monday night, every available man was sent to that point and on Tuesday, they succeeded in settling the jam within about 40 rods.  It was finally broken on Wednesday forenoon, the logs moving out in a body. Then, logs lodged in an abrupt bend of the river about two miles below, near the head of the angles, forming another jam.  This jam, being in slack water, was nothing like the first and will not be difficult to remove.

 

Mr. Boardman, Mr. Henry Myers, Capt. Tolford and Frank Kirkland were there, also, to see the sights.  The jam was between one and a-half and two miles in length, the riverbed being completely full.  In many places, logs were piled 15 and 20 feet above the water.  The drivers succeeded in starting the jam twice during the time we were there.  During the time the logs were in motion, it was a sight well worth seeing.  Logs, that would cut a thousand feet of lumber, were forced out of the groaning, shrieking mass, and thrown into the air as lightly as if they were mere twigs.  It was a sight that no description can do justice and we refrain from the attempt.

 

(Those of us who witnessed the ice jam that formed in the Black River, at Hatfield this spring, were in awe with the sight.  We can only imagine the logjam of 1875, as being of a much greater magnitude. D.Z.)

••••••••••

Clark County beef is in great demand by bologna sausage makers.  The cattle feed on leeks during the spring months, so no onions are required in flavoring.  A few thousand leek-flavored steers may yet be found for market, if attended to at once.

••••••••••

The O’Neill House, which has been under the management of Mr. and Mrs. Reddan for the past two weeks, has during this time been completely overhauled, renovated and repaired.  It will be formally opened to the public with a grand dance and supper, next Friday evening.  Under their efficient management, the house has undergone many changes and has been greatly improved.

 

Mrs. Carroll, who has charge of the culinary department, is a lady of refinement.  Her equal in the art of compounding good dinners is not often found elsewhere.

 

Miss Fannie Smith presides over the dining room in her own matchless way, seeming to anticipate the wishes of her guests.

 

The clerk, Mr. Thomas Bjorge, is a new hand at the business.  He is a pleasant, agreeable gentleman and will doubtless make an efficient experience.

 

While under the present management, we can cheerfully recommend the O’Neill House, to the public, as one of worthy of patronage.

 

May 1935

 

Plans for the establishment of a transient relief camp on the east side of the Wild Cat Mound, southwest of Neillsville, are well under way according to William Roberts, WERA work secretary for Clark County.  It is believed the project will be approved within a week or two.

 

The camp, which will have a capacity of 250 men, will follow the general outline of CCC camps and will furnish a haven for homeless men who in the past have tramped the country as hobos.  They will be employed in the forestry area and receive $1 per week.

 

The county has deeded the property to the government for this work, according to Mr. Roberts and the land, covering 40 acres, has been surveyed. Blueprints of the buildings and grounds are now being prepared.

 

Mr. Roberts states he started a move to obtain this camp some time ago and now finds that Jackson County has started their influences in having the project shifted to their county.

 

Similar camps have been established in a number of placed throughout the United States, the nearest one to this locality being situated near La Crosse.

••••••••••

Registration of 900 relief people, in Clark County to determine their physical fitness to work, is progressing satisfactorily and will be completed within the time limit of June 1st.  That is the deadline set by the government, according to Lynn Morris, in charge of the work.  About 20 persons are being registered daily at the Neillsville Office.  Mr. Morris is assisted by Ed Pascoe. Frank Riplinger and Reuben Powers are engaged in the work in the northern part of the county and will be here Saturday to report the number of cases disposed of in that area.  Within a few days, these men will be placed at other points to carry on the registration. Those, on relief, are given appointments by post card to avoid congestion at the points of registry.

••••••••••

The Wisconsin State Public Service Commission’s general order barring heavy trucks off crowded highways on weekends and holidays for the safety and benefit of the touring public, will go into effect Memorial Day and end the second Sunday in September.

 

Last year, the commission for the first time anywhere in the country, issued such an order and found that traffic flowed more smoothly on congested highways, with fewer accidents.

 

The commission’s order applies to all trucks of more than 6,000 pounds gross weight, except railroad or public utility emergency vehicles; trucks used exclusively to transport livestock, milk and cream in fluid form, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, ice cream, fresh bakery goods, ice, or newspapers; and wreckers.

••••••••••

Petitions to Postmaster General James Farley are being signed asking to have the name of the post office at Willard changed to Baraga Point.

 

Bishop Baraga was the pioneer Jugo Slovenec to visit the region now included in Wisconsin.

 

He established an Indian Mission at La Pointe, just 100 years ago. Through the knowledge of what Bishop Baraga had done here, others of his country began to come to this region.  Many of those people settled around Willard, and it is the desire of many of them to have the name of the post office to honor the memory of the famous Bishop.

 

The Postmaster General instructed the postmaster at Willard to have petitions prepared and signed by those who desire the change and this is now being done.

••••••••••

A state wide American Legion fishing party has been arranged for Saturday and Sunday, at Fremont. According to the sponsors, the white bass will be running.  In addition, there will be a dance on pavement, with a banquet at 6:30 p.m. and at that time state Commander Robert Monk will speak. A free camp-site is available. 

••••••••••

Saturday afternoon, Tom Wren was proceeding south on Hewett Street in his Model “T” Ford, near the Balch Hard-ware store, when something broke in the interior mechanism of the car. Tom could not tell what went wrong, but apparently the whole works stopped operating, all at once, like the “Wonderful One-Horse Shay.”  The situation was really critical, the car started to run backwards, the brakes ceased to work and the grade down toward the Condensery is very steep.  His speed grew faster and faster. Rather than risk a collision with the Condensery, Tom attempted to make the turn on Seventh Street toward the depot, but the momentum was so great, it threw the car over on its side, wrecking it badly.  Luckily, Mr. Wren escaped unhurt.

••••••••••

A class of 16 will graduate from the St. John’s Lutheran School, next Wednesday evening.  Special graduation exercises have been arranged, with Rev. A. Berg, of Sparta, as speaker.

 

The graduates will render an appropriate graduation hymn, fitting their life’s motto: “Thy Way Not Mine, O Lord.”  The children of the school will sing several other numbers.

 

The Rev. Wm. A. Bauman will present the diplomas to the graduates: Arnold Mueller, Arnold Carl, Fritz Zank, Frederic Klunhsman (Kluhsmann?), Carl Thoma, Edgar Tews, Louis Zschernitz, Virginia Roehrborn, Florence Roehl, Adeline Knoop, Marion Dux, Marion Lewerenz, Alice Goldamer, Louis Blum, Margaret Tramm and Lois Hanchman.

 

Of the above class, Marion Lewerenz, Margaret Tramm and Louis Zschernitz have attended from the first grade, on.

••••••••••

Joe Haas has taken a position at the Model Laundry.  Miss Julia Herze, of Greenwood, is also a new employee there, since last week.

••••••••••

The Drought Relief office has been asked to clean up the remainder of oats on hand, by the middle of June, according to George Ure, member of the committee in charge.  The supply of hay, which the office had on hand, is almost exhausted.  The government has suffered a considerable loss on its oats, owing the slump since last fall.  Unless other work is found for the Drought Relief program, the office is expected to close after June 15.

••••••••••

Last week, the barn at the Ross home, on East Ninth Street, was torn down, removing one of the oldest buildings in Neillsville.  It was probably more than 70 years old.  The late John Ross and his sons, for many years, were the owners of good driving horses and the old barn had housed many fine teams of horses during those years.

 

Remodeling is being done on the former Lloyd building, now owned by A. J. Petersen and occupied by the Schultz Bros. store. The workmen also removed the old freight elevator, a heavy but serviceable machine, which was put in the building in 1880, when Geo. L. Lloyd built the structure.

 

The present use of the building and its probable future use seemed to indicate that the elevator was of no further value where it was.

 

A rear stairway has been built up, enabling merchandise to be taken for storage on the second floor. The big timbers in the elevator were sold to Sherman Gress. The pulley, cable and some other parts were bought by P. M. Warlum.

••••••••••

A new law passed by the Wisconsin Legislature and signed by the Governor, exempts from taxation for three years, new buildings, or improvements on buildings made after May 15th.  The law is intended to encourage the better-housing program, which is being pushed all over the country.

••••••••••

Joseph Jordan, a farmer residing near Willard, passed away at his home, May 27 after a week’s illness with pneumonia.  The deceased was born in Jogo Slavia, Feb. 4, 1861.  On Feb. 14, 1888, he was united in marriage to Agnes Gruber, who survives him.

 

He leaves also, four sons; John and Ludwig at home, Joe and Rudolph in Chicago; five daughters: Josephine, Christina, Albina, Anna and Mary.

••••••••••

On May 6, 1881, just 54 years ago, Mr. and Mrs. John Breese and a little daughter came to Clark County from Pennsylvania to buy a farm and make themselves a home. They came to Marshfield, as that was the nearest railroad station.  Marshfield consisted of very few buildings, a depot and numerous brush piles around where they had cleared placed to erect the buildings.  It also boasted of a livery owned by Arnold Hoover, brother-in-law of Henry Williams, whose good wife gave them their dinner.  Hoover was hired to bring the Breese family to Neillsville.  They lived for a time in a log house on the farm now owned by Louis Nowack.  That fall, another small daughter came to gladden their home.  One year later, they bought 40 acres of land in the area now called Romadka.  The only road from where Bert Hayden now lives, up through Heathville, was just a trail among the stumps. They cut a few trees and built themselves a house.  For several winters, they worked and lived in the logging camps, returning to clear their land in the summer.  Eventually, they were able to raise crops, build a barn and stock up the farm. A little later, they bought another 40 acres of land.

 

On April 1, 1894, their oldest daughter passed away and in 1899, their youngest daughter married, thus they were left alone.

 

In 1910, Mr. and Mrs. Breese sold their farm to Judson Canfield and bought a little home just north of Granton, which has been their home ever since.

 

On November 28, 1934, they observed their 56th wedding anniversary.

 

On May 21, 1935, Mr. Breese will be 83 years old and is still able to walk to town about once a week.

 

Quotes in 1955 – “Did you see where some baseball player just singed a contract for $75,000?  It wouldn’t surprise me if some day they’ll be making more than the President.” D.Z.

€€€€€€€€€€

 

 

The John Pietenpohl logging crew cut these large logs from timber land along the East Fork of the Black River, in the late 1800s.  One team of horses pulled the big load of top-quality logs over an iced road, to the nearest landing.  (Photo courtesy of Dick and Joanne Tibbett)

 

 


© Every submission is protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.

 

Show your appreciation of this freely provided information by not copying it to any other site without our permission.

 

Become a Clark County History Buff

 

Report Broken Links

A site created and maintained by the Clark County History Buffs
and supported by your generous donations.

 

Webmasters: Leon Konieczny, Tanya Paschke,

Janet & Stan Schwarze, James W. Sternitzky,

Crystal Wendt & Al Wessel

 

CLARK CO. WI HISTORY HOME PAGE