Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

April 9, 1992, Page 12

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Oldies 

By Dee Zimmerman

 

A view of the southern portion of Neillsville, photographed from the stand-pipe in the late 1880s.  Standpipe was built in 1885.  At the lower left is the home of Jeff Schuster and to the right of that is the Judge James O’Neill house.  Judge O’Neill was a nephew of Neillsville’s founder O’Neill.

 

The large building behind the O’Neill house was the high school building built in 1872 for the cost of $14,000.  Records stated “It is well lighted, heated and ventilated and has seating capacity for about three hundred and fifty pupils.  It has two full four year courses of study—the General Science and Modern Classical—and is on the accredited list of the state university for the Modern Classical, General Science, English, Agricultural and Engineering courses.”

 

The one lane gravel road is now a blacktopped surface known as 4th street.

 

Also, we see the wooden fences bordering the lots and some small barns in view, which were needed for the livestock and poultry.

 

The 1889 assessment rolls recorded the City of Neillsville as having 238 horses, 225 head of cattle, no sheep, but 68 head of swine.  That livestock was valued (at) $13,428.  The horses were needed for transportation, the cows supplied the families with milk and swine for home cured bacon and ham. 

 

A view of the southern portion of Neillsville, photographed from the stand-pipe in the late 1880s.

 

The lower left also shows a large garden plot.  At that time the gardens were large as the families planted a variety of vegetables for fresh eating and canning.  Also, the year’s supply of potatoes were grown in the garden, as well as squash and pumpkins which were stored in a root cellar or the basement (then most basements weren’t heated so the vegetables kept well thru the winter months).

 

Home canning was done in a big amount.  The garden vegetables, followed by canning fruits such as apples, peaches, plums and pears as in the fall season those fruits were available.  A delicious dessert at the end of a home cooked meal was freshly canned peaches accompanied by a thick slice of homemade bread still warm enough to slightly melt the butter when spread over it.  M-m-m that was tasty!

 

Families owned chickens for the purpose of the hens supplying their fresh egg needs in cooking and baking.  If they accumulated more eggs by the end of the week then (than) they were able to use, they could take them to the general store.  The store manager would give them a credit slip to be used toward purchasing other grocery items in that store.

 

One gentleman shared a story of his experiences as a youngster growing up in Neillsville.

 

The incident occurred in 1921.  Apparently in watching the “egg bartering,” he got an idea of a bartering arrangement of his own.  He would get three freshly laid eggs from the chicken coop in their backyard and take them across the street to Nick Gangler’s Northside Store.  (Gangler’s store was located on the west side of Hewett Street between 10th and 11th streets.)  Mr. Gangler, in turn would make up a large ice cream cone to give the boy in trade for the three fresh eggs.  That was a great deal and went well, time after time, until the boy’s father discovered what was happening.  Needless to say, the “eggs for an ice cream cone deal,” stopped.

 

This 1800s scene (ca. 1850) was the first Neillsville Grist Mill—Saw Mill and O’Neill Bridge on what is now Hewett Street.  Notice some logs in the foreground, apparently for the saw mill.  The background or Northside of the creek had been cleared of the large trees.

 

 

Compiled by Terry Johnson

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

 

Jean G. Anderson wrote Merrillan news for the Press.

 

The Rychnovsky Brothers, at 306 W. Fifth St., were the local Dodge boys.  “The Dodge boys” in the ad campaign of that era wore white hats.

 

In Globe news, “Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Opelt and daughter and Mr. and Mrs. Richard Buchholz visited Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Grap, Jr., and family Saturday evening.”

 

A St. Patrick’s Day dance was held at the Silver Dome Ballroom, Highway 10 West, featuring music by the Harmony Aires.

 

A Clark Electric Cooperative ad stated, “Thirty-five years ago, only 11% of all farms in the USA had electricity.  Today, thanks to consumer-owned electric systems such as ours, 98% of America’s rural homes are electrified.”

 

Rev. W. C. Koehler was the pastor at the United Church of Christ in Neillsville.

 

The headline for the Gross Chevrolet-Oldsmobile ad read, “You get 8 fenders on every Chevrolet… four polished ones on top and an extra steel fender under each.”

 

 

FIFTY YEARS AGO

 

“Teachers in Clark County’s rural and state graded schools will receive the highest salaries in several years when the 1942-43 school opens next August.”  Of 60 teachers who had already been hired for the following year, the average salary they had signed for was $104.25 per month.  The high figure among the contracts was $125 per month.

 

“An ordinance opening the way for construction, of curb and gutter on several streets in the city was adopted by the council… Included in the ordinance were several blocks on each side of Fourth Street, between South Clay and Park Streets; Forest Street, between Fourth and Fifth streets; East Sixth Street, form Court to Huron Street; and Tenth street, between North Hewett and North Grand Avenue. 

 

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

 

An ad for Scott’s Emulsion stated: “Women, more than men, have excitable nerves, because tiring work and physical strain tax their more delicate nervous systems and bring premature age and chronic weakness—unless treated intelligently.”  Scott’s Emulsion claimed it was “helping thousands of women to gain control of their nerve power—overcome tiredness, nervousness, impatience and irritability.”

 

Harry Benedict Going Up:  Harry Benedict, who graduated from the University of Wisconsin Course in Commerce last June, and had the signal honor of being one of the young men selected from all over the country for positions in the banking business has been made secretary to the president of the National City Bank of New York.  Harry entered this bank last June to prepare for service in a South American branch and his present position is a distinct promotion and one which his old friends here will be much pleased to learn about.” 

 

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO

 

“Mr. Hjerleid, who has been at the Hotel des Invalides opposite, recovering from a log jam on his leg, went home Friday.”

 

“Wm. Boon of Thorp, who by the will of his late father, R. M. Boon, inherits a two-thirds interest in the homestead his mother having the remaining third, will reside on the farm and work the same.”

 

“Mrs. Gladstone’s first article in the series of ‘Hints from a Mother’s Life,’ which she has written for the Ladies’ Home Journal, will be printed in the April issue of that periodical.”

 

“An inmate of the bad house west of the city died of diphtheria early this week.”

 

“John Paulus is soon to take charge of the O’Neill House and run it.”

 

“Mr. Oswald of Wausau has been in the city this week with a view of putting in a first-class bakery.  He owns and operates one of the best bakeries in the state.”

 

“W. H. Upham is seeking the Republican nomination for governor.”

 

 

 


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