Clark County Press, Neillsville, Wisconsin

February 25, 2015, Page 18

Contributed by "The Clark Co. Press"

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

February 1870

 

Two years ago through the efforts of James O’Neill, then Assemblyman from this district, the legislature passed a law giving Clark County the power of raising $30,000 tax to improve the main Black River Road, not more than $10,000 of which was to be levied during any one year.  Since the passage of that act, $12,000 has been expended by the county upon the road, leaving $18,000 yet to be appropriated if thought proper.  A petition is now in circulation asking the legislature to grant the county power to appropriate $5,000 of the original $30,000 upon the road between Neillsville and Humbird.

•••••••••

The good opinion we have always entertained for the Half-way House, kept by George M. Arnold between here and Black River Falls, we are firmly convinced has been well founded.  We had the pleasure of staying overnight there a short time ago and know whereof we speak when we say he sets a good table and has nice, clean beds.  The stables are first-class and no traveler need go farther to seek ‘good entertainment for both man or beast.’

•••••••••

No more venison can be lawfully made this winter.  The time for killing deer expired with the old year.

•••••••••

Considerable hay has passed through town lately.  Tame hay is selling for about $10 to $12 per ton in the stack or barn.

•••••••••

At the earnest solicitation of many persons, Mrs. I. B. Pope, has consented to open a select school in this village for a limited number of scholars, at her residence, one week from next Monday, February 21.

•••••••••

A state exchange says ‘wild cats frighten women and children daily in Clark County.’

•••••••••

Dr. W.C. Crandall has his new drug store in this village partially fitted up and in running order.

•••••••••

Last week, we accompanied Mr. Henry Myers, of the firm of Lloyd & Co., on one of his trips to the logging camps.  They have a small camp on Rock Creek, in the vicinity of what is known as the ‘Twenty-six settlement’ and having never visited this section of our county, the opportunity offered was seized by us with pleasure.  We left here on Friday and reached Graves’ just before dark on the same day.  This is about the center of quite a large settlement, as a large steam saw mill, owned by John Graves, a chair manufactory, by Geo. W. Barker, post office and a small store owned by D. Graves.

 

A dance was to take place in a small hall over the store the night we were there and of course we stayed.  On this occasion not more than a dozen couples assembled.  There were enough, however, to form two sets in quadrille, which was the full capacity of the hall.  On went the dance with hardly a moment’s cessation until the morning’s dawn.  The social characteristics of the backwoods people were truly convinced upon this occasion and the enjoyment was real and unaffected; and from the moment the first sound of the violin went forth until its last note died away in the keen morning air, there was fun all the time.

 

Saturday morning, we took a stroll about the ‘city’ and a look at its surroundings.  It consists principally of the later, the heavy forest of hardwood timer, with here and there a patch of pine, seeming to form impenetrable walls and forbidding communication with the outside world, but through the energy and perseverance of the hardy settlers, large wide avenues have been made through it in all directions and the many little clearings that now and then may be seen, are gradually widening and growing into rich, productive farms, amply rewarding the husbandman for his hard labor and untiring diligence.

 

The capacity of Mr. Graves’ mill is about 10,000 feet per day and is kept almost constantly running to supply the increasing demand for lumber.  R. Barker has put in a turning lathe and is manufacturing excellent chairs, bedsteads and such and fives evidence of becoming large and profitable.

 

At noon on Saturday, we were in the logging camp and ate dinner with its hardworking and jovial crew of men as there is in the woods under the foremanship of Mr. Joseph Sterling.  Our appetite was extremely good and the pork and beans set before us vanished with startling rapidity.  In the afternoon, we sallied out to learn about logging.  In the fall, generally before the ground is covered with snow, roads are made from different points in the timber to the stream and skidways are built beside them at the most convenient places.  These consist of two sticks of timber from six to twelve inches in diameter and about twenty or thirty feet in length, laid down three or four feet apart parallel with each other and with the end towards the road raised about two or three feet.  As soon as snow falls, everything is in readiness to commence operations.  The choppers go ahead, fell the trees and cut on the side of each log, a mark by which it may be identified.  Then follow men to saw the trees into logs of certain lengths, after which the ‘swamper’ cuts off the limbs and ‘barks’ one end of the largest logs, that is, shaves off the bark, that they may be drawn easily on to the skidways by means of fastening a chain to one end and drawing them through the snow, usually by a yoke of oxen.  They are then loaded upon large wide sleighs and drawn to the landing where the logger’s mark is stamped on the ends and the logs rolled down the bank upon the frozen stream ready for the raise in the spring to carry them to market.  The work is all systematically performed and vigorously prosecuted, each man is assigned to certain duties and daylight every morning finds the men at their respective posts, and the day’s labor does not cease until dark.  The business is carried on with a constant rush.  There is no chance for idleness and no place in a logging camp for lazy men.

 

Towards evening, Messrs. McMillan of La Crosse and George Lloyd arrived and increased the pleasure of our stay in camp by remaining all night.  Joe Sterling did what he could to make it agreeable for his guests.  We were given an upper bunk and our rest and sleep was only disturbed by an occasional gust of wind coming through an opening in the roof.

 

In returning home on Sunday, we went one mile out of our way to enjoy the comfort of a warm fire at George Huntzicker’s Hotel.  It is one of the best taverns in the county, and the genial, good-natured landlord always has his house full of guests.

 

(The George Huntzicker hotel was located on the east side of his 360-acre property plot, bordering the road, now Hwy 73, 2 Ό miles south of Greenwood and Ύ of a mile north of 26 Road intersection. DZ)

 

 

February 1960

 

Fred Reynolds, senior partner in the Dorchester Cheese Company, has completed his 50th year of activity in the dairy industry and is entering his 50th year as as plant operator.  He is the dean of the active cheese men of Clark County.

 

Mr. Reynolds went fast through the early steps of apprenticeship.  He started from scratch; in the old Brucherville Factory over the Marathon County line from Dorchester.  He has been there just a few months when he had the chance to take the factory over.  So, at the age of 17, he found himself with a factory and a job on his hands.  In later years he purchased from Norbert Laabs the modern plant in Dorchester, in cooperation with his son, Jerome and his son-in-law, Clifford Wetterau.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds brought up a family of 10 children.  The oldest, Gladys, is Mrs. Melvin Zettler of Loyal.  A daughter, Grace, is the wife of Mr. Wetterau.  A daughter, Violet, is clerk at the draft board in Wausau.  A son, Frederick, is a member of the fire department in Wausau.  A son, James, is a farmer in the Dorchester area.  Alvin is a truck driver at Schofield.  Thomas works in cheese quality for Kraft.  Jerome is a partner in the Dorchester factory.  Mary Ann, Sister Margaret Mary of the Sacred Heart, O.P., is in St. Dominic’s monastery, La Crosse.  A son, James, is a cheesemaker for Lemke in Wausau.                                                                               

•••••••••

The Rev. V. A. Ganz was installed as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Loyal last Sunday afternoon.  The Rev. Carl Schulte of Stratford was installing officer and guest speaker.

 

Following the service, a social hour was held in the parish hall, where members greeted the new pastor and his family.

 

The Rev. and Mrs. Ganz and three small daughters, Elizabeth, Katherine and Rebecca, made to Loyal from New London.  He served Trinity Lutheran in new London and Immanuel Lutheran in Zittau for the last five and one-half years.

 

He interned at Peace Lutheran Church in Elroy and St. Luke’s at Glendale in the summer of 1951.

 

Both pastor and Mrs. Ganz are graduates of Capitol University at Columbus, Oh.  He also is a graduate of Wartburg Theological Seminary, at Dubuque, Ia.  Mrs. Ganz is from Green Bay; and Waupun is the home town of Rev. Ganz.

•••••••••

Transfer of two Neillsville businesses took place with the beginning of the New Year.

 

One was the sale of the Arbutus Cafι by Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Minette to Mr and Mrs. Louie Streidl of Chicago.

 

The other was the sale of the Pool Hall by Kenneth Karnitz to Jerry Geisler of Illinois.

 

The Geislers are well acquainted with the Neillsville area.  They have a summer cottage on Snyder’s Lake and Mr. Streidl is engaged in the Christmas tree business with Arden Hinkelmann of Neillsville.  The Minettes have not revealed their plans for the future.

 

Mr. Geisler also is known in the area and is related to the Turner family of Neillsville.  He also has other business connections here.                                                                                            

•••••••••

Most folks don’t tell their ages, but W. R Hein of Humbird, better known as ‘Bill’, is proud of his 77 years. 

 

He thinks ice fishing is a bit strenuous, so is taking up ice-skating as a pastime.  He really does very well, with nary a spill.

•••••••••

Purchase by the Clark County Highway Committee of the Agnes Holverson property, at the corner of Grand and Eighth Streets, was approved this week by Judge Lowell D. Schoengarth. The price was $2,525.

 

The highway committee also will pay taxes on the property for 1959 and 1960.

 

The property adjoins the present county garage property on Eighth Street.  Its offering brought five bids, ranging from $300 to the top offer of the highway committee.                               

•••••••••

The former Julia Dwyer home and property on North Grand Avenue has been purchased by Edward and Walter Zank.  They are making the house into a duplex.                                            

•••••••••

Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Simmons of Omaha, Nebr., have purchased the Charles Bright farm on Rt. 1 Neillsville, and have taken possession.  Mr. and Mrs. Bright and family have moved into Neillsville where they are residing in the Unger house on North Grand Avenue, vacated last fall by the Alvin Durham family, who moved to Milwaukee.

•••••••••

The establishments of skating rinks at the high school football field and St. John’s Lutheran School should the boards of these two institutions receive the idea favorable, is projected by the city council.

 

The proposal was suggested to the council Tuesday night by Alderman Morris Blodgett, who pointed out that the ‘spring’ breakup of ice in O’Neill Creek has made development of a skating rink there impossible this year.

•••••••••

The council also voted to install a street light at the corner of Hewett and 18th Street, the intersection at the northwest corner of Prock’s store.                                                                          

•••••••••

Thirty families of the Ukrainian Church announced the purchase of property in the Town of Lynn, located three miles east and two miles south of Granton on County Trunk W, for a future church.

 

George Olishkewych of the Town of Grant informed The Press that the members had purchased about one and one-quarter acres of land on which was located the former Walter Schmidt Cheese Factory.  The building is approximately 42 by 40 feet, and the members are now at work removing partitions and making it into a church.

 

‘It should be ready for use in two months,’ said Mr. Olishkewych.

 

Walter Schmidt, who now operates the South Grant Cheese Factory on Highway 10, said that he operated the factory in South Lynn in 1951. It was operated earlier by Edwin Verhagen.

 

 

The Holy Trinity Ukranian Orthodox Church was started in 1960, after remodeling a cheese factory building, located two miles south of US Hwy 10 on County Road W.  it was one of three Ukranian Orthodox Churches to be found in Wisconsin and the only one, at that time, to be located in Central Wisconsin, serving members from Granton, Neillsville, Marshfield, Wisconsin Rapids, Stevens Point, Nekoosa, Willard, Eau Claire, Menominee and Madison areas.

•••••••••

Approximately 120 people, 25 percent more than anticipated, turned out from all parts of Clark County last Thursday evening to see Richard A. Eibergen of Granton named Clark County’s outstanding young farmer; and Fred Vornholt, local service station operator, named Neillsville’s young man of the year.

 

The event was the annual awards dinner of the Neillsville Junior Chamber of Commerce.  Master of ceremonies was Gorden Vine, area representative of the American Dairy Association of Wisconsin and a resident of the Town of Grant.  Both outstanding young men received plaques and Eibergen’s name has been entered in the state contest.

 

Presentation of the plaque to Eibergen was made by Duane Sternitzky, Neillsville insurance man, who was chairman of the junior chamber’s search for the county’s outstanding young farmer.

•••••••••

Neillsville IGA Foodliner Specials - Ground Beef, 3 lb. $1; Beef Short Ribs, 49’ lb.; Hamburger or Wiener Buns, mix or match, 5 pkgs. For $1; Grade ‘A’ Butter, lb. 63’; Assorted Flavors Beverages, 24 - 7 oz. Bottles 99’; Golden, Washed Carrots, lb. pkg 7’                                                                                      

•••••••••

Mr. and Mrs. Earl Smith, who have been living in the residence at the J. D. Stanton farm east of the fairgrounds, have bought the residence and property of Mr. and Mr. Armond Wachholz, east of the Neillsville County Club.  The Wachholz family was scheduled to move January 27 to Alma Center and the Smith family will take possession February 12.

•••••••••

Betty Jane Seelow, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Seelow of Pine Valley and a senior, has been selected as homemaker of the year at Neillsville High School.

 

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