Clark County Press, Neillsville, Wisconsin

March 16, 2011, Page 11

Contributed by "The Clark Co. Press"

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

 

March 1876

 

Meetings are being held in various parts of the County in the interest of “Greenback” or “Independent” party. The friends of that movement are quite active in the matter and are creating considerable interest on that subject.

•••••••••

It is expected that the new Presbyterian Church will soon be dedicated.

•••••••••

The time for paying taxes will expire next Tuesday and all who have not settled the little matter that they are required to contribute to the public good should donate at once.                                   

•••••••••

The rains of last Friday made for the time being, 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 of the creek’s bridges with it, but the flood passed by without doing any damage and we are sorry to say, that old bridge across the pond is still there.

 

In this village, over a bridge that is not worth over seventy-five cents, there is a notice posted that a fine of five dollars will be imposed for driving or riding faster that a walk on the structure.   

•••••••••

The Hall’s Creek Bridge on the Black River Road went out last Friday night.  Since then all travel to Black River Falls has been by way of Humbird.  The bridge will probably be restored in a short time.

•••••••••

The heavy rains of last Thursday night and Friday caused a general breaking up of the logging camps on Black River. Many of the camps were literally flooded.  The boys began to arrive here on Saturday and by Monday the town was alive with them. As usual they have made it lively around here with the little time they have been themselves after their winter’s work is done.

 

The “boys” tend to settle their little disturbances by taking a tumble, after which they are usually good friends.

 

On account of the amount of water to be found everywhere in this locality during last week, it was found quite difficult to get out from some of the camps on the upper part of he Black River. In many cases men and teams were obliged to do some “tail” wagging.                                                                                            

•••••••••

It is high time for a bachelor to be 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.

•••••••••

The telegraph office has been removed from the Wells House to the old office opposite the Brick Store and next to Tolford’s livery stable. Charley Ecker still manipulates the electric fluid on this end of the line.                                                                                                

•••••••••

Last Saturday a hog, belonging to Jas. H. Reddan, strolling by the side of the millpond slid down the icy bank into the water and was carried over the O’Neill Creek 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 none the worse for his adventure.

•••••••••

There will be a meeting at the Court House this afternoon, at two o’clock, for the purpose of organizing a company to explore the Black Hills’ gold fields.  Quite a number of our citizens are talking of visiting that locality during the next few months and if all could make arrangements to go in company, it would be a great advantage to them.

•••••••••

We will back the assertion with our bottom dollar that our Freddie Michelstetter is the best journeyman printer in Clark County, either on job work or news.                                                       

•••••••••

The Fox River Improvement Company and the Cornell University own tracts of land in this County, which they will sell at reasonable rates, on long time to actual settlers, with tracts to suit purchasers.

•••••••••

The boys at George Lloyd’s hardware are working day and night in the interest of “sugar-making.”

 

Everything required in the business in the line of hardware can be found at his establishment, opposite the O’Neill House.

•••••••••

Mr. H. D. Hauer, of Humbird, wants to purchase four thousand feet of seasoned White Ash Flooring. Any person having the desired article will find a good customer by communicating with him.

•••••••••

E. Bruley’s store has 500 barrels of Heavy Pork for Sale.             

•••••••••

During the late session of the County Board an appropriation of $200 was made to the Town of Levis to aid in repairing the piers and putting railings on the Black River Bridge situated in that Town.

•••••••••

Samuel Gibson, of the Town of York, was seriously injured last week while engaged in putting up a log building. He was using cattle to pull and roll logs up the skids when something gave way letting a log roll back upon him, passing entirely over his body.

 

March 1936

 

The Lake Arbutus CCC camp was put in quarantine last Wednesday for scarlet fever, making it necessary to cancel the basketball game they had scheduled at the Neillsville Armory Sunday.

•••••••••

It is reported that the city crew will not haul any more snow from the streets, because spring and warmer weather is so near at hand, and it is not wished to create any more expense to the city than is necessary.

•••••••••

Many Neillsville residents are planning to go to Marshfield next Sunday to attend the basketball game to be played there between the Green Bay Packers and the Oshkosh All-Stars.                

•••••••••

It is reported that 36,000 acres of land east of Black River Falls will be fenced in with a twelve-foot woven fence for a wild game reserve. The farmers that live in this territory will be paid for their farms and the farms will be used to raise feed for the deer and wild birds. The fence will be high enough so that the deer cannot escape and it is planned that when they multiply to a greater number than can be taken care of there, they will be sorted out and distributed to other parts of the state.

 

Men of the fifteen CCC camps that have been discontinued are being sent there to build the fences. The men from the Fairchild camp are to be stationed there, and the camp at Fairchild will be torn down. There will be two camps built in the reserve district.                                                                                         

•••••••••

M. A. Cochrane, who recently purchased the Neillsville Hardware from Howard and Blum, will have his official opening of the remodeled hardware store Saturday, March 21.

 

For the past month, the hardware store has been altered and remodeled to permit counter display of the varied hardware stock. The new store will be known as the New M-W Associate Store, and carries a complete line of hardware and other stock usually found in a store of this nature.  

 

The new owner was formerly engaged in the hardware business at Chili, and his experience and personality will fit in well with local industry.

 

Some of the Grand Opening Specials will be:

 

White Cup & Saucer set, 10¢; 6 inch Crescent Wrench 35¢; Finest Flue Oak Ax Handle 29¢; 1,000 lb. Wire Stretcher, complete, $1.19; Hame Straps, 9 for $1; Power Spark Plugs, each 23¢; All Copper Boiler, extra large size, $3.45; Electric Washer, Complete $36.36.                                                                        

•••••••••

Poppe’s Corner News: (Area northwest of Globe)

 

Walter Emmerson and his sister, Mrs. Marvin, will run the grocery store at Walters Corner.

•••••••••

District Attorney John M. Peterson has received orders from H. W. MacKenzie, conservation director, to establish Hay Creek, Cameron Creek, Scott Creek, and Dickenson Creek, in Clark County as fish refuges, starting May 1, 1936 and, continuing until Mar. 1, 1941.                                                                      

•••••••••

Articles of incorporation were adopted by the newly organized Willard Electric Cooperative, at Willard Thursday afternoon, when a temporary board of directors was selected.

 

The board consists of Martin Matkovich, C. F. Baldwin, Frank Gosar, Martin Klarich and Frank Perovsek, Jr. with Joe Plautz as alternate. The directors later elected Klarich as president, Gosar, vice president, Baldwin secretary, and Perovsek treasurer. The annual meeting will be held June 9.

 

The organization is a non-stock non-profit company, established to distribute electric current to its members at cost, and the company hopes to build its lines and purchase its power at a low enough figure to place such service within the reach of every farmer in the Greenwood-Willard territory.

 

County Agent W. J. Landry, who has been active in the electrification movement, presided at the meeting and C. F. Baldwin acted as secretary.                                                                         

•••••••••

Warning!  Owners of dogs and chicken, who permit them to run at large on our streets, are warned that such offenses are contrary to the city ordinances and prosecution will follow upon the filing of complaints. By order of the Police Department                                                                                                      

•••••••••

A Sure Sign of Spring!

 

Fred Seif and Howard Stillwell have ordered aeroplane kites and are now saving their money for the string.  The public is warned, if any men are seen running in the streets in the near future, not to be alarmed but to make way so there will be no hitch in getting the kites aloft.                                                          

•••••••••

At the Loyal Village caucus Friday, all the present officers were re-nominated, with no competition except Mr. Wm. Meyer was nominated to run for member of the board and Mr. Alfred Castner as assessor.

 

March 1956

 

Last Thursday evening, recognition was given to Miss Stella Davis of Neillsville for her 25 years of teaching service to the children of Neillsville.

 

At a banquet held at the Fireplace Supper Club, Miss Davis receive a purse of money and a card signed by 60 plus teachers, school board members, their wives and husbands, and others who have been closely identified with educational work here over the years.

 

During the 25 years she has been in the Neillsville Public School system, Miss Davis has started upward of 500 children on their way to learning, for she has been the teacher of the first and second grades of the North Side School during that time.

 

She prefers the first grade, which she now is teaching exclusively, “Because their advancement is so pronounced at that stage.”  In her opinion the first and second grades, too, are the most important in a child’s learning, for this is the time when the basic foundation is laid for their future learning.

 

Miss Davis has served as principal of the North Side School during most of her teaching experience in Neillsville. There was a period of four years, after she had left teaching for a short time that she taught in the South Side School. She shifted back to the North Side School as soon as there was an opening there.

 

During her experience in the South Side School she has as pupils several of the young men and women among this years’ graduating class.  Included among them are: Kay Overman, the valedictorian; Wendell Seif, the Salutatorian; Sarah Albrecht, Emma Stucki, “and all others who were mentioned in the honor roll published in the Clark County Press,” she said, except Judy Reese.  Miss Reese, who came to the high school from St. Mary’s Catholic School, was not living in the area at that time.

 

Miss Davis also taught, or is now teaching, the sons and daughters of several parents she started on their way.  Included are Sally Gress, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Gress; and Ronald Marden, whose father, Glen, she taught.

 

In length of service in the Neillsville Public School system, Miss Davis is fourth. Three years ago Arthur Flynn was honored for 25 years of service; two years ago D. E. Peters, superintendent, and John Perkins, agriculture instructor, were similarly honored.                                                                                      

•••••••••

With the worst blizzard in modern history behind it, Clark County and its residents were digging out early this week after a four day period which saw 19 inches of snow fall, topped off by the granddaddy of them all Saturday night, March 10th, a 10-inch, wind driven nor’easter.

 

Those who had looked forward to easing off after a back-breaking struggle with nine inches of snow on Thursday and Friday, found themselves back on the business end of a shovel Sunday.

 

Glen and Joe Zilk, Kr., walked about two and one-half miles through the blizzard in the early morning Sunday, bucking waist-high drifts over Highway 10 east of the city.

 

They had been on three “rescue” calls with their powerful tow truck; had been hit the ditch and pulled themselves out twice, when the truck hit the ditch for the third, and last time in front of the C. A. Paulson farm.

 

“We just couldn’t see the road,” Joe, Jr., explained the following day, “It all looked alike, just snow.”

 

The Tom Flynn’s of Neillsville spent four and one-half hours making it back from Merrillan, spending two hours at the Roy Iverson farm after giving up. They followed a highway snowplow back into the city as it passed the Iverson place.

 

From 12 to 15 cars and trucks were piled up along Wood’s hill, three and one-half miles west of the city on Highway 10 for a short time Saturday night.

 

The three snowfalls came after people were lulled into thinking an early spring was arriving.  Most of the snow had been melted after unusually warm weather.                                                         

•••••••••

About 85 youngsters will be undertaking the 12-week gun safety course, which is being given this year for the first time by the Neillsville Sportsmen’s club.

 

In the course, the boys will be taught safety practices and knowledge of guns and gun handling.  A registration fee of 50 cents is charged to defray expenses of ammunition, which will be used during the course.  Included are two field instruction trips.

 

Instructors are local men, trained in gun handling and gun safety measures.

 

(The gun safety course program is still being carried on, preparing our area’s youth and future sportsmen with rules of safety in the sport of hunting. D.Z.)                                                               

 

 

Raising fields of cucumbers as a cash crop to be sold and delivered to area holding stations for pickle company buyers was a thriving business and resource for local farmers in the early 1900s. The holding stations were located near railroad depots, such as one that was at the Willard station where the cucumbers were loaded on a railroad car and transported to a pickle factory at another location. The above photo, circa 1920, was taken on a farm in the Willard area, which shows that “cucumber picking” was a family effort that included the hands of everyone to get the everyday or other day job of picking done, depending on the size of the plot to be picked.  (Photo courtesy of Frank Pekol’s collection)

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(I, the transcriber remember this bad snow storm, of 1956; as I recall three to four feet of snow all across the large area between the house and the barn on the farm in south Pine Valley, and how hard it was for the milk hauler with a snow plow on the milk truck to get around collecting his load. DMK)

 

 

 


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