Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

April 2, 1992, Page 16

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Oldies  

By Dee Zimmerman

The above aerial view was taken of O’Neill Creek and the Black River joined into what looks like a lake.  In the lower right, is the old Grand Avenue Bridge over O’Neill Creek.  In the lower left, buildings along Eighth Street were surrounded by water, also.

 

A month ago, the quick thawing of snow sent the Black River over its banks carrying the large chunks of ice with it and causing flooding.  Occasionally, that same situation happened in the past, somewhere along the river (often in the Lake Arbutus area) during the spring run-off.

 

Recently, we received photos showing flooding of the Black River during the Fall of 1938.  The month of August and September that year, had a record amount of rainfall.  The river widened in several areas along its route downstream.

 

(Thanks to June Schoenfeld, of Neillsville, for providing the photos and dates in this week’s “Oldies.”

 

Last week’s photos and information were loaned to us by Ruby Yndogliato, a former Columbia native and resident.  Our thanks to Ruby, also.”)

 

This was a scene on O’Neill Creek to the east of the Hewett Street Bridge in the spring of 1943 when high water and a heavy, thick ice jam posed a threat of damage to the bridge.  The men standing on the ice were placing small charges of dynamite into the ice.  It was then ignited in hopes the blasts would break the ice enough to enable a slower movement of ice and water under the bridge and down the creek.  As the photo shows, many came to view the experiment.

 

On Neillsville’s west side, as Highway 10 approached the bridge, cars traveled thru water on the roadway into the city.

 

Telephone poles in a lake?  That was what it looked like on Highway 95 where a small creek normally runs under the highway, emptying into the Black River.  During September of 1938, a small creek and the Black River joined forces one mile south of Neillsville, completely hiding any view of a road.  The only telltale signs were the telephone poles which followed along the ditches of the highway. 

 

 

Compiled by Terry Johnson

 

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

 

A notice of weight restrictions was issued by Clark County Highway Commission(er) Mavin (Marvin) L. Hemp.  “A temporary, gross weight limit on all County Trunk Highways in Clark County of Six Tons any one axle and Ten Tons any two axles under eight feet apart shall become effective on the date posting signs appear on the respective roads.  Conditions may cause Four and One-Half Tons any one axle and Seven Tons any two axles under eight feet apart limit to appear on some roads.  Watch for road postings.”

 

“The Neillsville CAMPFIRE GIRLS will conduct their ANNUAL Candy Sale Saturday, March 11.  Candy headquarters will be at the home of Mrs. Donald Johnson.”

 

Jenni’s Floral Co. (owned by Roland and Janet Jenni) advertised that they would be open on Palm Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. “The coming of EASTER is nowhere more beautifully symbolized than with the emergence of beautiful plants in our greenhouse.  They tell the story of a rebirth of life… and spirit.  We invite you to drop in and fill your eyes… and your heart… with the joy they can bring to you.”

 

FIFTY YEARS AGO

 

Complete Pheasant Pen:  A group of local sportsmen, who have been spending their spare time building a new brooder house for the local pheasant project, complete the work Sunday afternoon.  All work on the structure was donated, part of the material being paid for with funds appropriated by the county board.  The pheasants which will be raised in the new brooder house will be distributed throughout the county.”

 

Olson Says Submarines Ruining Florida Fishing.”  An area auctioneer, C.A. Olson, had returned from Florida and said that oil slicks had covered the surface of some of the best fishing waters on the Florida Coast.  Hitler’s submarine attacks were the cause of the slicks.  One attack (h)ad affected Olson’s favorite fishing grounds—the attack on a 6,000 ton Standard Oil tanker, which resulted in the tanker being sunk in water 30 or 40 feet deep about one and a half miles off shore.

 

Ralph Ammon, director of the Wisconsin department of Agriculture, addressed a meeting of the Kiwanis.  He outlined “battles agriculture is fighting”: “1. Battle for economic equality.  2. Battle against bureaucratic control.  3. Battle against corporation control.  4. Battle against control by so-called labor leaders.”

 

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

 

Among the comments in “The Man on the Corner” column, “They say that out in Arizona where dryness is a perfectly natural condition that there are bull frogs eight years old which have not learned to swim.”

 

Page 4—Editorial comment by L. Williamson:  “The Standard Oil Co. of Indiana made thirty million dollars in 1916 and still the price of gasoline goes up.”

 

Also on p. 4, editorial:  “A suggestion has been made that another way to beat the H. C. of L. is to raise a small flock of hens and feed them on table scraps.  In the average family there ‘ain’t no such things’ as table scraps and a hen would soon become discouraged with her part of the program if she didn’t get encouragement in the way of a square meal once in a while.  The only way to raise chickens on a city lot with profit is to live next to a feed store or a grain elevator, and we can’t all do that.” 

 

In further comment, the editor addressed the high cost of commodities and concluded: “About the only thing that remains fixed in price is fresh air and there seems to be a general effort on the part of congressmen and politicians to make that more expensive by heating it.”

 

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO

 

“A man by the name of Nelson is sick at the Gust Anderson Hotel with diphtheria.  His home is at Ettrick, Trempealeau Co. Wis.”

 

“The Sparta Herald has prospered so well that its proprietors are erecting a large brick building, and the office will be moved about May 1.”

 

“Strangers in town who see the fine English horses led through the city streets by the handsome young Englishmen who have the care of them, express wonder that Neillsville possesses so important an establishment as the National Shire and Hackney Horse Co.’s stock farm and stables.  We fear that as a community Neillsville has not yet learned to present in fitting form its best features to the outside world.”

 

“Death is a friendly old codger, and likely to tap almost anybody on the shoulder, unexpectedly.  And when he does, for heaven’s sake be prepared—that is, somebody be prepared, and hasten at once to furnish the printer with the material necessary for an obituary notice.  Don’t wait a week or two, and then hand in a poem that is woeful in every sense.  What we want is the facts, and quick.”

 

“Jas. Sturdevant filled his ice house with ice the past week.”

 

“Wm. Clark of Marshfield challenges any man in Northern Wisconsin to wrestle catch-as-catch can style for $100 a side.”

 

 

 


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