Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

March 12, 1992, page 16

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Oldies 

By Dee Zimmerman

Do you remember seeing bridges spanning creeks, through the area townships during the 30s, 40s, and even the 50’s that looked like this bridge?It collapsed in April of 1955 and was located in the southern part of Clark County.  Let us know if you know which road and what waterway it spanned.

 

Hewett Street, the main street, Highway 73 (one block is also part of Highway 10) of Neillsville has had a variety of surfaces thru the years.

 

In the 1800s the street was a dirt path road, then, portions troubled with mud in the “spring thaw” season were covered with wood logs.  In the 1900s, after World War I, brick was used to surface the street which was traveled until 1955, when the brick was dug up and black top surfacing replaced it.  Recently, (three years ago) concrete was laid for the new covering.

 

Brick used for the earlier surface, was of a clay admixture, not made locally.  However, at one time Neillsville had a brick factory located between what is now, second and fourth streets or at the location of Tock Field.  The clay soil in the area was used in making bricks.  Brick can be made of clay, with or without admixture of other substances, sun dried and burned in a kiln used for building.

 

Some of the brick from the Neillsville brick factory were used in the main street buildings which are visible now.

 

 

 

Off with the brick……

 

 

On with the blacktop.

 

Compiled by Terry Johnson

 

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO-1967

 

A front page headline read, “Warriors Face Loyal Friday in Showdown WIAA Game.”  Neillsville and Loyal tied for third place in the Eastern Cloverbelt Conference for the season, and were about to face each other in the sub-regional tournament.

 

The Business and Professional Women’s Club was listing an illustrated lecture by Mr. and Mrs. Paul W. Dekker.  The Dekker’s had been medical missionaries to Sierra Leon, West Africa since 1958, and were in the area on a sabbatical leave from the field.  Serving on the world affairs committee which scheduled the BPW event were: Dr. Sarah Rosekrans (chairman), Mrs. Fred Munkholm and Miss Mae Ott.  The Dekkers had also presented their illustrated lecture to the Clark County Medial Society.  Mrs. Dekker was originally from Loyal.

 

Mrs. Harriette Hosely was coach of forensics at Neillsville High School.  The following students were scheduled to represent Neillsville in the Cloverbelt Forensics Contest set for March 11 at Eau Claire:  Mike Feurstein, Robert Sebesta, Jane Vine, Jane Harvey, Mary Ann Turczyn, Cindy Diercks, Cathy Patey, John Nikula, Barbara Kren, Patty Zilk, Elsbeth Rizner, Wendy Nielsen, Pat Hake, Virginia Vine, Maurine Schoen, Lorraine Short, Fritz Munkholm and Marcia Van Gorden.

 

FIFTY YEARS AGO- 1942

 

One of the items in Wells F. Harvey’s front page column called “Our Times” read as follows:  “Income up, The national income of persons and business in the United States is reported to have been 94 ½ billion dollars in 1941.  This is the government estimate.  The income is reported as having been 13 per cent higher than the previous high, realized in 1929.”

 

Another item in the column dealt wit (with) rationing:  “Last Word on Sugar.  The latest word received here on the registration for sugar rationing is that tentative dates set earlier have been postponed for ‘from 10 days to two weeks.’  This would place the registration dates near the end of March.  The word is that 38,000 copies of ‘War Ration Book I’ have been shipped for Clark County, as well as 40,000 copies of ‘How To Use your War Rationing Book,’ and 500 sheets of instructions to rationing personnel.  Registrations will be carried on in the schools throughout the county.

 

Reprieve:  Like a reprieve to a man in the death house, comes word that income tax returns postmarked before midnight Monday, March 16, will be accepted without penalty.  The usual deadline of March 15 falls on Sunday, and for this reason the 24-hour extension is made.  Postmaster Louis W. Kurth says that all letters posted in the lobby of the Neillsville post office before 7 p.m. Monday will bear a March 16 postmark.”

 

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO-1917

 

Worst Storm of Season:  Friday and Saturday Clark County was visited by the most severe storm of the winter and rail-roads and highways were drifted to the impassible point.  The Omaha line was completely blocked for almost two days and it was not until Sunday afternoon that the trains were running again.  The passenger train due here Saturday afternoon at 1:35 got stuck in the snow at Ebbe and was not dug out until Sunday afternoon.  James White, the brakeman on that run, was the greatest sufferer from the blockade.  When the train got stuck in the snow, Jim knew that there was liable to be a train behind them very soon and he started back on the dead run to flag it.  He ran so fast that he scorched his feet and was compelled to lay off for a few days to doctor up the blisters.  Otherwise there were no casualties as a result of the storm.”

 

Farmers Co-Operative Lumber Yard ran an ad showing “A Conveniently Arranged Barn,” with a picture and floor plan.  The barn was 30x40, with “eight stalls for cattle and the open stalls and one box stall for horses.  Those and the grain room fill the first floor.  The mow is capacious and the framing is not complicated.”  The estimated cost of the barn, including all material AND LABOR, was $1,000.

 

“C. S. Stockwell returned Saturday from a lecturing tour through the state.”

 

“If Henry Ford is sincere in wanting to do the greatest good to the greatest number, he will put another spring under the back seat.”

 

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO

 

Ad:  “You Want the Best Paper So You Take the Times.”

 

“A careless cobbler left a shoe-peg uncut in one shoe.  That is worth just a million dollars to the University of Chicago.  Mr. Rockefeller happened to buy that shoe, the peg wounded his toe, blood-poisoning followed and death was imminent.  Mr. Rockefeller recovered, however, and he gives a million dollars to the university ‘as a special thanksgiving for returning health.’”

 

A quote attributed to the Atchison Globe: “One reason why the children thirty years ago were better behaved than those of today is that people who tell about it were children thirty years ago.”

 

“The wagon bridge across Black River at McGilivray’s Ferry was completed Saturday with the exception of painting, which will be done in the spring, and yesterday was tested and thrown open to the public.  One hundred people and ten teams wee on the bridge at one time to try its strength.”

 

“The streets were full of Indians Tuesday, homeward bound from their happy hunting grounds, the Weston chip piles.”

 

“The Neillsville Novelty Manufacturing Co. is turning out washboards of a number of patterns which find ready sale.  A gratifying amount of orders are daily received.”

 

“Neillsville needs a public library, a new opera house, and a whole lot of factories, the latter to begin on a small scale and made to grow, to feel their way to size and strength.”

 

“Mr. Alexander of Hixton came up Saturday to Sunday over and (to) bask in the smiles of Miss Baby Hemphill.”
 

 

 


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