Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

June 18, 2003, Page 28

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

 

Clark County News

 June 1873

 

The citizens, of the Town of Grant, propose to have an old fashioned celebration of their own on July 4th.  The celebration will be held at Rexer’s Corners.  At 3 p.m., an oration will be delivered by R. J. MacBride, after which a picnic dinner will be partaken.  P. H. Lynch will read the Declaration of Independence.  The committee, for the arrangements, has rented the hotel for the evening, where the festivities will wind with a grand ball.  The Brass Band will be in the afternoon.  The occasion will undoubtedly be a pleasant one.

••••••••••

E. P. Hill has had a street sprinkler constructed and has entered into a contract with the businessmen to keep the business streets sprinkled during the summer.  He was to have commenced work last Monday, but kind Providence got ahead of him and gave the streets such a sprinkling that up to this time, Friday, he has had no occasion to use his machine.

••••••••••

Robert French gave a dance at his hotel, at the Mormon Ripple, along the Black River.  A large number of Neillsville residents, including a full band that furnished music for the occasion, were present.  Those who were there pronounced it one of the pleasantest parties of the season.  The best of it is we are promised some more of the same, from time to time.  French keeps an excellent house and it always pays to stop there when traveling that direction.

••••••••••

The proprietors of the beer gardens have done a very praiseworthy job on the road leading to the gardens.  They have graded up the road, in good shape and have put in culverts wherever needed.

••••••••••

The Town of Mentor is looking for a responsible party who would want three pauper children, two boys; ages five and seven and one girl, age nine. The children are intelligent and healthy.  To those who may give them a home, they will be bound by written agreement. Wire or call Orrin Wilson, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Town of Mentor.

••••••••••

Perhaps the finest field of grain in the state is that belonging to John S. Dore, two miles east of Neillsville.  The grain is white winter wheat, 40 acres in extent, unmixed by a head of any other grain, as far as you can see.  It stands nearly six feet high, thick on the ground and as even as any grain can be sown. The ground, on which it stands, was a heavy forest of oak and maple a year ago last fall.  Since that time, it has been cleared, broken and the stumps nearly all removed.  Along with the other fields, it has turned into one of the finest farms we have ever seen. The farm is rendered more attractive by the magnificent residence located in its midst, which overlooks the land.  The grounds with their improvements and crops may be equaled but hardly surpassed by any other in the state.  Dore seems to have made good by his determination of having the model farm of Clark County.

••••••••••

Mr. Edward, of the Town of Grant, has been awarded the contract for furnishing brick for the new school building. The bricks are to be delivered and on the school grounds, this fall.

••••••••••

The Agricultural Society, which met here in Neillsville, this past week, has purchased 40 acres of land from John Lynch. The land, located one mile south east of the city, is to be used as fair grounds, for which $1,200 was paid. The ground is sufficiently improved, enabling the Agricultural Society to be able to hold the fair there this fall.  It is one of the most desirable pieces of land that could have been obtained for fair grounds.

 

The Clark County Agricultural Society, at its last meeting, decided to admit the Town of Lincoln, Wood County, which includes Nasonville, to the privileges of the Society.  S. L. Nason is Vice President of that town.

••••••••••

Gates and Head are proprietors of the Neillsville Meat Market. They have fresh beef, pork, veal, mutton and fish on hand every day.  Poultry and wild game are available when in season.  Salt pork can be purchased by the pound or by the barrel.  Also a large stock of flour, feed, potatoes, salt and such items are kept on hand.  Cash is paid for fat cattle, hides and produce.

 

June 1943

 

Clark County has 1,842 men in the armed services, as of the present date.  Of these, 1,430 were inducted into the service through the selective service route; the others, 412 in number, got into the service chiefly by prior enlistment.

 

These figures were made public Monday evening by Fred Lakosky, chairman of the Clark County Selective Service Board, in an address which he made before Rotarians and Kiwanians on Tuesday evening, in Neillsville.

 

Lakosky revealed that 2,866 men have been deferred for work on Clark County farms, a number substantially in excess of the number actually in the armed services.

 

Clark County has 1,192 2-C men, these being single men who work on farms.  It has 922 3-C men, these being married men working on farms.  The county has 493 4-C men, these being morally, physically or mentally unfit for military service.  There are 601 married men over 38 on farms and 131 single men over 38 on farms.

••••••••••

Clark County is entirely out of debt, according to an announcement by Clark County Clerk Calvin Mills.  The final payment on the indebtedness was made on June 2 when $87.50 was paid for the last interest charges.

 

The last payment on principal was made on May 29, when $15,000 was paid.

 

This is the first time, in at least 23 years, when Clark County has been entirely out of debt.  At one time, the indebtedness, including asylum and highway obligations, mounted up close to a million dollars.  The descent from that point has been steady, with curtailment proceeding trough the Depression.

••••••••••

The Granton School will have four new teachers starting next fall.

 

Neilus Larson is the new teacher of agriculture in the Granton High School.  He will take charge at the beginning of the next school year, as announced by George Edlebeck, the principal.  Larson is completing a four-year course at the University of Wisconsin.  His University training followed life on a farm near Stanley. He has the viewpoint of the practical farmer.

 

Other new teachers in the Granton Schools are:

 

Audrey Pickett, lower grades, whose home is Spencer.

 

Rebecca Haines, upper grades, whose home is at Granton.

 

Mona Reichert, commercial; she comes from Marshfield.

 

Teachers who are returning next year are:

 

George Edlebeck, principal and science.

 

Adelaide Christenson, who will be teaching English, dramatics and forensics.

 

James Laux teaches instrumental and vocal music.

••••••••••

Wartime food conditions greatly emphasize the need for more preserved food.  In order to give all women an opportunity to secure latest information on canning equipment and canning methods, food preservation clinics are to be held.  All women and 4-H girls are invited.  The meetings begin promptly at 1:30 p.m.

 

The schedule for these meetings, are as follows:

 

Starting June 11, Neillsville High School; June 14, Thorp High School; June 15; Owen High School; June 16, Colby High School; June 17, Greenwood High School and June 22, Chili Hall.

••••••••••

Arnold Gustman has bought the Jack Sprat Store, together with the realty on which it is located, at the corner of South Hewett and Division Street.  He will take possession of the store and property, the latter part of this week.  The Gustman family will be occupying the residential apartment in the same building.

 

Harry Swanson, the former owner, will retire from merchandising.  Swanson expects to engage as a sub-contractor in defense construction, working in Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago.  His family will, for the present, occupy the residence at 216 South Hewett, which is being vacated by the Arnold Gustman’s.

••••••••••

Robert Riemer has purchased the O’Brien home at 167 N. Hewett Street and will occupy it as his residence.

 

The house is a modern, 9-room structure, constructed in 1937.  The house has an attached garage; the lot is 20 x 120 feet.

 

The house is being reconditioned and minor changes are being made before the Riemer family moves in.

••••••••••

Orin Rupert, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Rupert of Neillsville, was cut quite badly last Thursday evening while playing with some friends at Schuster Park.  The children were breaking bottles when a piece of flying glass struck him on the right side of his chin.  The injury on his chin required several stitches to close the wound.

••••••••••

The Leathern D. Smith Shipbuilding Company of Sturgeon Bay has many openings for the following classifications: electric arc welders, structural steel workers, ship fitters, pipe fitters, electricians, outside machinists and general laborers.  Workers with training, or experience in these, or similar fields, or who are willing to accept training will be considered.

 

The age limit for applicants is 16 years and up.  Men applying must be in a draft-deferred status.  It offers good pay, steady work and an opportunity for advancement.  There is ample and reasonable housing available.  Call or write to the company or stop at your nearest office of War Manpower Commission U. S. Employment Service.

••••••••••

Walter Beilfuss is growing potatoes in earnest.  The potato patch is 50 wide by 175 feet long.  Unless blight and bugs beat him to it, he will have more potatoes than the Beilfuss family can eat.  He also has 150 tomato plants.

 

Beilfuss grows Chinese cabbage, which is popular with the Beilfuss family for salad.  Chinese cabbage is about halfway between lettuce and cabbage.

 

Each year Beilfuss gets and early start on his garden, by planting the seeds in a hot frame.

••••••••••

The Selective Service Board of Clark County has requested the Clark County Press to publish the following information:

 

Because of the severe shortage of labor in canneries and vineries this season, any farmer who has sufficient units on his farm to warrant a farm deferment and who has time enough to work for a canning company as well as run his farm properly, may take a job with a cannery this season without it affecting his status as a farm laborer.

••••••••••

An effort is being made to secure a quarter of a million feet of lumber for replacement of barns that were torn down by last week’s tornado in and adjacent to Clark County.  The decision to make this effort was reached Monday evening at a meeting held in Eau Claire, attended by representatives of the war production board. Also present were representatives of the Clark County War Board and lumber dealers of Clark County.  Axel Sorensen, chairman of the county war board, presided.

 

It was reported to the federal representatives that, with 18 barns lost in and near Clark County, lumber is lacking for rebuilding more than two or three barns all together. Due to lumber being shipped in under a priority, it will be impossible to replace the bans lost in the storm. 

 

The outlook was regarded as doubtful, after the decision was reached.  The government is still making heavy demands for the war effort.  Even the replacement of storm damage must take second place to the war needs.  So the local men do not feel at all certain that a sufficient supply of lumber can be secured for the barn repair.

••••••••••

The George L. Lloyd property is now in the ownership of LeRoy Allen, whose farm lies just to the east of it.  The sale was recently finalized.  Included in the sale was farmland of about 40 acres, chiefly purchased by Allen to extend his own farm.  The property sale is authorized by Clyde D. Lloyd of Bellingham, Wash., a son of the late George L. Lloyd.

 

This sale carries with it the ownership of one of the largest residences in Neillsville, and property, which was once one of the finest.  The house is of brick, very large, with fine hardwood floors and trim.  It was the pride of George L. Lloyd, who was a successful lumberman and merchant of Neillsville’s earlier days.  The house was built some 40 years ago.

 

Lloyd died about 25 years ago.  As time passed, it became evident that the residence, however well suited to the pride and family of a successful lumberman, was not suited to the size and viewpoints of modern families. So the place has gradually depreciated, although it is still intrinsically a splendid building.

 

One of the assets of the property is a spring, which in the old days was harnessed by means of a ram to provide a private running water supply for the Lloyds.

 

The Lloyd house is said to have cost $15,000 for building it, at a time when the dollar was larger than it is now.  It is eloquent of the changing taste and viewpoint that the house and the whole 40 acres should have been sold for $2,000, the price of which Allen is said to have paid for it.  And as for the house itself, its present value is highly debatable, as it is vacant, seemingly useless and depreciating steadily.

 

(Fortunately, the Lloyd house withstood the intermittent bad years, due to neglect.  In recent years, an energetic couple, Ray and Mary Jo Meier, saw its possibilities of restoration by investing seven years of labor and resources to bring the house back to its original state.  Once again, the elegant house stands as a monument of the Victorian Era and the lumbering wealth that once prevailed in Neillsville and Clark County.  The Meiers have done a great job in the restoration of the Lloyd home. D.Z.)

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 Lato’s Bar was located at 630 Hewett Street in the mid 1940s.  John and Mary Lato were the owners.  John Lato and their daughter Carrie Frantz are shown standing behind the bar.  Carrie was known by many when she worked as a telephone operator in Neillsville. Customers seated around the bar are unidentified.  Donna’s Cozy Kitchen now occupies the building at 630 Hewett.  (Photo courtesy of Mary Lato’s Collection)

 

 


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