Clark County Press, Neillsville, Wisconsin

February 3, 2010, Page 17

Contributed by "The Clark Co. Press"

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

January 1915

 

Oluf Olson, the new janitor at the courthouse, moved down from Abbotsford last week and spent a few days with Louie Hantke in the courthouse in order to get the run of the work before Mr. Hantke entered upon his new duties as sheriff.  Mr. Olson has got “on-to the job” readily and will make an ideal caretaker of the county property.  He and his family have moved into the Sam Miner house on south Hewett Street.

••••••••••

Harry Hewett and family vacated the jail residence Monday and gave the place to the new Sheriff, Louis Hantke.  Mr. Hewett move back to his farm in the Town of Eaton and will resume his work there at once.  He has made a most excellent record in office, handling its affairs with efficiency and discretion.  He developed exceptional ability as a detective, handling a number of cases with far more skill than the professional in that line and with much less expense.  Mr. Hewett’s many friends hope to see him some day in the sheriff’s office again, where the county can have the benefit of his experience.

 

Sheriff Hantke has appointed Greenleaf Redmond as Under-Sheriff; as Deputies he has appointed Orlo Robinson, Neillsville; Wm. Wills, Loyal; Rock Masters, Greenwood.  Another deputy will be appointed later in the north end of the county.

••••••••••

This year, right in the middle of winter, land is being cleared, rock quarried, lumber hauled and it looks like spring will be a record-breaker for building new basement barns.

 

Thunder and lightning is something unusual this time of the year but that is what we had last Saturday night.  

••••••••••

Revival meetings are being held at the Tioga schoolhouse every evening this week, except Saturday.  The meetings will be conducted by Rev. Allard.

••••••••••

Several school districts in Wood County have installed Victrolas.  These will be of considerable value in creating a love for good music and will be of use in social center work.

••••••••••

A force from the Neillsville High School consisting of Prof. Rook, Miss Bradford the music Teacher, the high school orchestra, quartet and other singers, and Civic Secretary W. P. Schatz drove out to the school house near the Poor Farm Tuesday night and gave a free entertainment.  They took the moving picture machine along and showed some slides, had various music numbers, two recitations and an address by Mr. Schatz.  All enjoyed the trip and all who came seemed well pleased.

••••••••••

Some of our townspeople thought that the price of flour was going up when they saw Krumrey’s big dray team hauling a nine-ton load of flour from the train depot up the street to the Big Store.

••••••••••

Monday morning, Erv Schoenwetter was badly hurt while going down May’s hill with a load of bolts in North Pine Valley.  He intended to step on the roller but he slipped and the sleigh ran over him, cutting his head quite badly.  He was taken to the doctor where his wounds were dressed.

••••••••••

Theodore and Emil Kuhl are busy hauling rock from Town of Weston to Neillsville for a new house they plan to build on their lot.

••••••••••

Wm. Richmond and John Stankiewicz, directors of the Levis Cheese factory and Paul Kampine of Neillsville attended the annual meeting of the Day Creamery Monday.

••••••••••

Wait for the Rawleigh man.  He sells the old reliable Rawleigh remedies, well known for years.  The Rawleigh wagon travels over all of Clark County.

••••••••••

Brameld has several inquiries for improved and partly improved farms with from 40 acres and upwards, for cash or exchange. Call upon, phone or write, T. Brameld, Neillsville, Wis.

••••••••••

Work has begun on the Crimson and White, the high school annual.  This year a Board of Directors consisting of a representative from each class and four members of the faculty has been chosen.  This Board appoints the officers of the Annual and will assist them in every way.

••••••••••

Tuesday, the 19th, a mere boy hired out, hauling a load of lumber to the north side of Section 30, Pine Valley.  With the snow falling on his bare hands and ears, he commenced to his future home. When we discovered him, four of us turned in and helped him out.  Thus, I introduce Johnnie Bainbridge from England and I predict he will make good.

 

January 1945

 

An update on World War II Events, as of the last days in 1944:

 

Nov. 4 – German forces driven from Greece

 

7 – Japan gains in China, advancing on rail city of Liuchow.  Meanwhile, British troops drive back Japan in Burma.

 

11 – U. S. Planes sink eight Japanese warships

 

14 – British bombers sink Turpitz, famous German battleship, in Norwegian port.

 

16 – Great Allied drive launched on 300-mile front from Holland to Vosges.

 

20 – French troops reach Rhine River in Plunge through Belfort Gap.

 

21 – Lieut. Gen. Patton leads Third Army in Drive 23 miles beyond Metz.

 

24 – B-29s bomb Tokyo factories from base in Marianas, 1,550 miles away.

 

27 – Lieut. Gen. Mark Clark is made commander in chief of U. S. Army forces in Italy.

 

29 – U. S. Third army attacks forts at Saarbrucken, Saarlautern and Merzig.  First and Ninth armies capture border towns.

 

30 – U. S. Planes sink 10 Japanese transports and three destroyers near Leyte.

 

Dec. 1 – U. S. Third Army reaches Saar River.

 

2 – Nazis withdraw troops from Norway, leaving only small garrison forces.

 

3 – American forces advance in both Roser and Saar valleys.

 

4 – U. S. Third army enters Saarlautern, as entire Allied front of 450 miles swings into motion.

 

Military and political crises grips China.

 

Rioting breaks out in Athens, Greece. Civil war threatens.

••••••••••

The Dickey site is now in possession of the Neillsville School District.

 

The Dickey property is now in legal possession of the local school district. The transaction was concluded a few days ago when C. R. Sturdevant, Clerk of the board, drew an order for the funds, signed it with David E. Thayer, and made delivery to William A. Campman.  He then received the deed.

 

The completion of this purchase had taken some time, chiefly because of the necessity of adjusting heir ship interests.  The years have brought changes to the Dickey family, including the death of Mary A. Dickey, the mother; Edgar E. Dickey, one of the two sons; and Blanche Dickey, who once taught the first and second grades in the public schools here.

 

Surviving of the family formerly living here are Marion Dickey who taught the seventh and eighth grades, and Chauncey B. Dickey, a brother.  These two signed the deed, and also Marion E. Dickey, a son of Edgar.

 

The passing of this deed is an historic occasion, for it marks the first transfer of this property since May 15, 1865.  It was upon that date that Mary A. Dickey, the mother, bought the land from James O’Neill, Senior, who was one of the original O’Neills in these parts, an uncle of Judge O’Neill.  Since that time the Dickey family has resolutely held out against efforts to get them to part with this land. Various persons have tried to buy it, but they would not sell, not until there was a prospect that the land could be used for a new high school.  That project appealed to Marion Dickey, the former teacher, and she promptly gave her consent.  This happened in the early summer of 1944.  The proceedings have been necessitated by the legal situation, and not at all by the Dickeys, who have proceeded steadily in their purpose to get the property into the hands of the school district.  The consideration, $1,500, was a modest valuation for the approximately 15 acres, which is perhaps the most slightly and the best situated vacant piece of land in the residential area of Neillsville.

 

The Dickeys have gone from Neillsville for many years, but their retention of the land was supposed to speak for the intention to return some day and to build upon it.  The old Dickey home, a small frame house, is in ruins now, but it still commands the one best view from Neillsville, the Neillsville Mounds to the northwest, and the broad sweep of the golf course and the fair grounds to the south-east.  This little frame house is close to the highest spot upon which a new high school building would logically be constructed.

 

This land is but two removes from the government of the United States.  It was part of a forty upon which James O’Neill, Sr., entered August 4, 1853.  He was at that time consolidating the area, which subsequently became the city of Neillsville.  He then entered five forties in what is now the central part of Neillsville, including the business district.  He took a patent from the government upon the forty in question November 15, 1854.  Presumably he paid for this land approximately what is now considered to have been the going rate at about that time or a little later, $1.25 per acre.  The Dickey site cost him presumably about $20.

 

When Mr. O’Neill purchased this land from the government in 1853, it was just a piece of woods, located near a creek.  Nobody else would have given more for it.  Is increase in value has come slowly with the years.  Two full generations have come and gone since that purchase from the government.

 

The residence of the Dickeys upon this land must have extended close to 40 years.  Mrs. Dickey, the mother, is credited with extraordinary character and capacities, for her children were recognized for good conduct and good manners.  They did not have any great lot of money. The father had a little shop in the extreme northeast corner of the site, not far from the house.  The recollection as to what he made there is a little vague.  One of the old-timers thinks he did blacksmithing; another that he was a cooper and sometimes made beer barrels for the local brewery.  He is also supposed to have worked the land.

 

As for the children, the two girls taught in the local schools.  Edgar was clerk in a local store, perhaps in the Dickinson store, or perhaps in the store of Hewett & Wood.  Like his sisters, he was a worker, and it was he who led the family to Portland.  The fourth child of Mary A. Dickey was Chauncey B., who is still living, and who is with his sister in Oregon. Chauncey is perhaps best remembered here by a friend, Fred Ackerman.  In those days, Mr. Ackerman was clerk in a local store, and Chauncey used to come in to visit with him.  They visited by means of pencil and paper.  Chauncey was a deaf mute, but he had a good mind and was regarded by Mr. Ackerman as an interesting friend.

 

The nature of Edgar’s business in Oregon is not well known here.  Presumably he continued in the mercantile line.  He died June 25, 1941, leaving the son Marion E.  The date of the death of Blanche was December 9, 1928.  The mother, Mary A. died August 15, 1912, after the family had moved to Oregon.

 

The decision to buy the property was reached at the annual school board meeting held last summer. The vote was taken after Fred Bullard reported the successful conclusion of preliminary negotiations conducted by him with Miss Dickey.

••••••••••

Frank Sturgeon of Neillsville has been working for several weeks as an insulator on the Pemiscott, one of the three U. S. Maritime cargo vessels that have just made the historic midwinter trip through the ice bound upper Great Lakes, from the ship yards at Superior.  At the completion of these ships the men were given a week’s vacation and Mr. Sturgeon came home to spend the time with his family.  He left Saturday to resume his work in the Duluth-Superior shipyards.

••••••••••

Men – Women Wanted! Women age 18 to 40, earn good pay while working for Victory!  100 women wanted at once for essential work.  No experience necessary.  Good Wages; Light work, time and one-half for overtime.  (If now employed in essential war work; do not apply.)

 

We will help you find a place to live in Marshfield.  Apply in person or write: Roddis Lumber & Veneer Company, Marshfield, Wis.

••••••••••

The hard hand of war is descending upon Clark County, as it never has before.  With the call for the farm boys heretofore deterred, farmers all over Clark County are over-whelmed with concern.  For them production has already been difficult almost to the point of impossibility. What will it be with the young men moving out?

 

And they have started to move. On Monday of this week close to 100 for them went to Milwaukee for pre-induction examination.  Most of these were in the class of the younger men who had been deferred for farm work.  In the county there are about 750 men in the age group most affected, from 18 to 25 inclusive.  On that point the national policy is explicit. The local selective service board, meeting at Loyal Friday evening, recognized that it had no alternative.  Come what may, all of those boys must face the service surgeons, who will determine their fitness for military service.

••••••••••

A “brownout” for Neillsville, along with the rest of the United States, will become effective Feb. 1st.  First steps have already been taken by the Northern States Power Co., which has ceased the brilliant lighting of its Neillsville office. Even the Power Company will turn in to save electricity.

 

Locally the most noticeable effect of the brownout will be the elimination of lighting of the electrical display signs; the blackening of the marquee of the Adler theatre, the blackening of the display windows of the retail stores.

••••••••••

The old County Poor Farm will be sold, pursuant to a resolution duly adopted by the Clark County Board of Supervisors. Bids will be received by County Clerk Calvin Mills on or before February 8, 1945.

 

Clark County’s second courthouse, 1879-1965 was built at a cost of $35,000.  It replaced a frame courthouse structure built on Court House square in 1854 at a cost of $1,800.

 

 

 

Clark County’s second courthouse, 1879-1965, was built at a cost of $35,000.  It replaced a frame courthouse structure built on Court House square in 1954 at a cost of $1,800.  The 1897 Clark County Jail building is on the right.  (Photo courtesy of Bill Roberts’ collection)

 

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