Clark County Press, Neillsville, Wisconsin

April 15, 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

April 1880

 

 News from North Fork, Clark County:

 

Not seeing any news of late in the columns of the newspapers published at Neillsville about the growing prospects of North Clark County, one would think that this part of the county has been given the ‘go-by’ entirely.

 

Camps are being put up fast all along the line for the construction of the Wisconsin & Minnesota Railroad, which will run from Abbotsford Junction, on the Wisconsin Central Railroad to Chippewa Falls, a distance of fifty-four miles.  This railroad is just what is needed here and is welcomed and appreciated in this locality.  Land had been donated to the Railroad Company by Messrs. E. A. and J. S. Boardman, of here, for the depot building, which will undoubtedly be put up here when the railroad is completed.  And the Eau Claire Lumbering Company will no doubt help build up our town by erecting a large warehouse or two, which they will not be able to get along very well without.

 

Mr. William Dalzell of Milwaukee will put up a saw mill at this point as soon as he can get his machinery up.

 

Mr. Herling, of St. Cloud, Fond du Lac County, has bought six town lots here and will build a cabinet shop here some time next fall.

 

Dr. J. F. Corbett, of the same town is also thinking of locating here.

 

Our two new school houses, which cost from thirteen to seventeen hundred dollars a-piece, are the finest looking school houses that can be found in any part of the county, outside of Neillsville.

•••••••••

It is the desire of a majority of the voters of the Town of Alma, Jackson County, that ‘bug juice’ be sold in Merrillan during the next years. 

 

(I would assume that meant the sale of alcoholic beverages. DZ)      

•••••••••

Lowe Brothers have sold the express office building to James O’Neill, Jr.  The building will be removed to the rear of his law office and will be occupied by the Town Treasurer, Town Clerk and express office.

 

Lowe Brothers will commence the erection of a two-story building on the site where the express office stands as soon as the weather will permit.  They have not decided as to the dimensions, but it will 20 feet wide and somewhere from 40 to 60 feet long.                                                                                                     

•••••••••

The nine new chandeliers for the courthouse, ordered by Myers Brothers, have arrived.  Three of them are six-light, three four-light, and three three-light.  They are of the latest pattern of extension chandeliers and are very ornamental.

 

Myers Brothers received an elegant four-light extension parlor chandelier for J. R. Sturdevant last week and have ordered another chandelier for the R. Dewhurst home.                                    

•••••••••

Mrs. Tibbetts desires us to say to her customers that the oyster season closes o n the last of the month.  Lovers of those ‘bivalvulous animals’ should open their yawps and take in a sufficient supply to satisfy them until another crop is harvested.                                                                                                     

•••••••••

It is April 20th and the frost is not yet out of the ground, as is evident by the standing water on the ground, which was plowed last fall.  From present appearances little can be done in the way of sowing grain for at least another week or ten days.                                                                                                                    

•••••••••

Frank Hoover of Windfall Corners has purchased and taken possession of the George Dais farm and has commenced making improvements by the erection of a good stable and other buildings.  Frank is a stirring fellow and will soon have a farm that will compare favorable with any in the county.                          

•••••••••

The contract for carrying mail on the new route between Greenwood and Longwood, from the first of May until October, has been awarded to John Mahar.                                                       

•••••••••

Work has commenced on the telephone line between Blakeslee’s store here, and N. H. Withee’s mills at Hemlock Dam.  W. S. Payn has taken the contract for setting the poles and the work will be completed in a few days.

•••••••••

Thursday, the 27th of May is the time fixed for the Sherman Guards’ grand reunion ball.  It will be held at the O’Neill House hall and the music furnished by the Neillsville Quintette  Band.  One dollar per couple will be the exceedingly moderate price charged and one dollar per couple for supper tickets.  The proceeds will be used to purchase a flag for the company.  During the afternoon, the company will parade the streets, headed by the Sherman Guards’ Band.

 

April 1940

 

A card party last Friday night was credited with an ‘assist’ in saving the lives of members of the family of Mrs. Herman Kalkofen at Eaton Center.

 

Six members of the family were asleep in the living quarters in the rear of the Eaton Center Cheese Factory when fire broke out there about 11:45 p.m.

 

Across the road, a few rods to the south, about 28 farm folks of the neighborhood were playing cards at a farewell party given for Mr. and Mrs Erdmann.  The fire had gained considerable headway when Mrs. Walter Swieso looked out of a window as she changed positions at one of the tables.

 

For a split second, after she gave the alarm, those present sat stunned.  Then, as one, they rushed out of the house.  Raymond Ampe spurted ahead of the group and entered the living quarters to find all six members of the family asleep in smoke-filled rooms.

 

They were aroused and taken to safety with comparative ease.  But the feeling persists among residents of the neighborhood had the card party not been held, had the alarm come a few minutes later, those within might not have reached safety.

 

In the living quarters at the same time were Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Christie, daughter and son-in-law of Mrs. Herman Kalkofen and their seven-weeks-old baby; Lila Kalkofen and two sons, Orville and Lester.

 

The fire rapidly consumed the tinder-like building and only a few household articles were saved.  The Eaton Center Cheese Factory was built in 1913 on the location where a creamery had burned three years before.  Originally it was operated as a cooperative factory; but six years ago it was purchased by Herman Kalkofen.  Mr. Kalkofen died a year later, and Mrs. Kalkofen operated the factory from that time with the help of members of her family.  Mrs. Kalkofen said she had not decided whether to rebuild.

 

(The Eaton Center Cheese Factory was located south of Greenwood on the northwest corner of Hwy 73 and County Road OO intersection.  DZ)                                                                                  

•••••••••

Special invitation to attend a free public dance in the Armory Friday night was extended to all farmers, friends and neighbors this week by Floyd H. Casler, president of the Chamber of Commerce.

 

The dance is being given the Chamber in celebration of its organization and the public is invited to attend and rub elbows, no skin-kicking will be permitted.  An orchestra, which filled several local engagements with success, has been secured to play a program of old-time and popular numbers.

 

Dancing will start at 8:30 p.m. and will continue until everybody has had enough.  There will be only one requirement: each person must dance only on his own feet, and not on his partner’s.

•••••••••

‘Northwest Passage,’ recent best seller, will be shown on the Adler theater screen in Technicolor, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.  Special matinees have been scheduled.

 

The story is one of the most gripping pages from frontier history of the United States and tells of the struggles and adventures of a small band of men, ‘Roger’s Rangers,’ and their search for a passage to the Pacific over the northwest route.

 

Spencer Tracy, twice winner of the coveted Academy Award, makes a bid for his third trophy with his brilliant work as Captain Rogers.  The supporting cast of one of the highest and includes such favorites as Robert Young, Walter Brennan, Ruth Hussey and Nat Pendleton.                                                          

•••••••••

Since the Work Projects Administration (WPA) was created in July 1935, more than 348 miles of highways, streets and roads in Clark County have been constructed or improved through projects employing WPA labor.

 

The inventory is the most comprehensive survey of WPA labor, according to a county physical accomplishment report compiled by B. E. Wiseman, district manager.

 

The report does not include accomplishments of the WERA or CWA programs or projects operated through other federal agencies, which are financed from WPA funds.

 

The report is designed primarily to inform citizens of results obtained in Clark County with labor made available through WPA.

 

Of the 348 miles of highways, streets and roads in Clark County upon which WPA labor was employed, four miles were streets and alleys in urban sections, 341 miles in rural sections and 3 miles in parks.

 

In addition six bridges were constructed in Clark County, five of steel and one of masonry construction, a total of 28 culverts and nearly two miles of sidewalks.

 

The inventory also shows that eight public buildings were constructed by WPA workers in Clark County, and 25 were reconstructed and improved; a grandstand, two parks, one playground, one athletic field and two tennis courts were improved.

 

Three-and-one-half miles of water mains, with 44 consumer connections; one water storage tank, and a 200-acre-reservoir impounded by a dam; installed sanitary sewers, 131 manholes and catch basins.

 

WPA workers were employed to erect telephone lines, clear fire trails and plant 600,000 trees on 1,500 acres of land; build 250 linear feet of levees and embankments with 1,800 square yards of riprap; nine conservation and flood  control dams were built and eight improved.                                                                    

•••••••••

The smelt run in Marinette found at least two Clark County residents in the thick of dipping operations last Saturday night.

 

Carl A. Olson of Neillsville and Otto Stock of Loyal returned with a ‘catch’ of two bushels of smelt, which they had dipped during about two hours of the run.  Mr. Olson reported that the run this year had attracted tourists from several states of the northwest, and some came from as far away as Ohio.  Marinette was decked out in holiday splendor, with street carnival, several bands and a huge pyrotechnic display featuring.                      

•••••••••

Prom Suits look your best when you escort the lady of your choice!

 

Suits in all the latest models, sport coats and pants, single or double-breasted in the new shades of greens, teals, blues, grays and browns; stripes, plaids or plains.  Priced to suit every purse $12.50, $16.50, $18.95 or $22.00 at Zimmerman Bros                                                                                                            

•••••••••

Prom Dresses at Eva’s: Frilly cottons, taffetas, satins and mesh, sizes 12 to 38; Dresses $4.95 to $5.95 each; with many other Dresses, all at Eva’s Fashion Shoppe.                                         

•••••••••

Robert Wegner, who has worked at Sniteman Drug Store as a clerk for several years, has resigned to enter another field.  Leonard Rupprecht will fill the vacancy.                                                  

•••••••••

William F. Hemp, city clerk, feels not unlike the famous ‘man with the hoe,’ for he is the man with the watch.

 

Each time the fire siren screeches, Mr. Hemp’s right hand jumps automatically to his watch pocket.  Out he pulls the time piece and the city clerk counts the seconds as they tick away.

 

When the fire truck pushes its back wheels over the firehouse stoop, Mr. Hemp tucks his watch away and makes a note of the elapsed time.

 

On the last two occasions, he reports the volunteer company made something of a record in getting rolling.  For the Oscar Yoker grass fire, April 17, eight men and two trucks were out of the station in 40 seconds.  For the A. E. Russell grass fire, two days later, both trucks were out with six men in 36 seconds. 

 

And for a volunteer company, that’s moving.                                            

•••••••••

John Hoesly, son of Mrs. Marcus Hoesly, Sr. of Neillsville either is in the thick of German-invaded Denmark or left that country one jump ahead of Hitler’s troops.

 

The last word received here from Mr. Hoesly, who is stationed in Europe with an American rubber firm, was written March 18, from Umea, Sweden, on the Gulf of Bothnia.  In that letter Mr. Hoesly stated that he would ‘leave here by sleeper tonight and arrive in Stockholm tomorrow.’

 

‘I’ll get home about noon,’ he wrote, ‘and spend a few days.  Then I expect to leave for Denmark.’

 

That was the last word Mrs. Hoesly received from her son.  Members of the family believe that he either was in Copenhagen (where he said in a previous letter he was going), or he had just left the country on the return trip to Stockholm when German troops invaded the country.

 

Because of censorship, Mr. and Mrs. Hoesly write little of the war news.  In only two or three letters since the start of hostilities in Europe have they made brief reference to fighting.  One reference was made, in the last letter, to the bombing of a Finnish coastal city by Russians.

 

‘Vassar was nearly wiped out by bombs just a few weeks ago,’ he wrote.  ‘I’ll not be able to get pictures of it; only the food, etc., that is being rushed to Finland.’

 

The food is being trucked across the ice on the Gulf of Bothnia from Umea to Vassar, a distance of 80 miles.

 

In a letter written two days before, Mr. Hoesly told of being in Narvik, northern iron ore shipping post of Norway, around which Allied expeditionary troops now are engaging the Germans.  Narvik, he wrote, is two degrees north latitude north of the Arctic Circle.  ‘It was a very interesting trip, but because of war and censorship I took no pictures.’

 

Unless word from Mr. Hoesly is forthcoming within a few days, members of the family plan to inquire of the rubber firm of his whereabouts.                                                                                          

•••••••••

Irving Heck, who resides near Greenwood, was injured Tuesday while loading stock for market.  A cow struck the young man in the face when she threw her head back, badly lacerating his lip and chin.

 

 

‘Going to a movie’ at the Adler Theater in Neillsville was popular form of entertainment in the late 1930s through the 1940s.  It was the era before television, which first became available around the area in 1954.

 

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