October 1939

The new $56,484 Greenwood High School addition was dedicated as the social, educational and recreational center for the whole surrounding community in formal exercises last Friday night.

More than 500 residents and school children were present to take part in the dedication of the fine new auditorium and class-room building, the third public school built in the city of Greenwood.

Memories of many of the older persons present were turned back 40 years or so by Mayor Ed Buker.  He vividly pointed out the contrast between the modern auditorium and classroom addition in comparison to the old log schoolhouses in which so many were exposed to in their early formal education.

Mayor Buker stated “that all citizens should appreciate the advantages offered by the new addition.”  “Many of us,” he said, “remember the old log schoolhouses of 40 years and their rough and uncomfortable equipment.  Now our children have the best of opportunity, teachers and equipment.”

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The congregation of Immanuel Evangelical Church at Chili is in on the last lap of an extended effort to pay for one of the finest church properties in Clark County.  At the service last Sunday evening, a special collection was taken for this purpose, with the understanding that it was the only effort of the year.  Steadily through the years past, this congregation has been whittling away at the debt.  During the pastorate of the Rev. E. P. Manley, now in its third year, the rate of progress has been about $100 per month. The amount remaining is only about $5,000, which is approximately the value set on the parsonage alone.  The church, a seemly and adequate structure of brick, is valued at about $35,000.

The Evangelical Church, at Chili, is known as a lively organization.  It does not emphasize denominationalism and rejoices in the presence at its monthly dinners of neighbors of all faiths.  These dinners are usually at noon on the first Thursday of each month.  This month is exceptional, however, with the dinner coming on Thursday evening.

The board of trustees of the church consists of Luther Lindow, Henry Nebel, Anton Grimm, August Lindow and Edward Ott.

The musical instrument used in the Evangelical Church is a piano, which is excellently played by Mrs. Albert Grimm.

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Clark County’s new outdoor relief camp in the Hay Creek unit, of the county forest, opened Tuesday.

Ten men on county relief rolls were assigned to the camp as the first contingent to work out payment for necessities for themselves and their families during the next 10 months.

The camp is located on the Hay Creek flowage, near the lake created by the new Rock Dam.  It is near a large plantation of small jack and Norway pine, planted by WPA crews and the Clark County Forestry Department workers last spring and summer.

Establishment of the camp was approved at the summer session of the Clark County Board of Supervisors at the county farm near Owen, last August.  At that time, an appropriation of $500 was made for the establishment of the camp and for its maintenance.

Work started immediately under the direction of the forestry and welfare departments.  The camp now includes a foreman’s shanty, a garage and workshop, a combined kitchen and dining room and a bunkhouse constructed to provide quarters for 15 men.

Logs for the buildings were taken from the Clark County forest.  The group, which opened the camp Tuesday, will first be occupied with expanding the facilities of the camp in preparation for the assignment of more men to work camp duties.  Men assigned to the camp later will undertake improvement work in the county forest and prepare for future plantations.

Plans for the camp were drawn up last summer by the welfare and forestry departments after it became apparent that new regulations regarding WPA employment would throw an increased number of able-bodied men off WPA rolls and onto direct relief.

The camp has been set up with the idea of providing each able-bodied relief client with the opportunity of working out relief needs for himself and his family each month.  Thus, men may be stationed at the camp from 10 or 15 days each month, depending on the needs for that month of the individual and his family.  An effort will be made to keep the manpower in the camp static, according to Harold Trewartha, welfare director.

The camp is under the direction of A. C. Covell, county forester, and Joe Lesar of the Town of Hendren, who is foreman in charge.  Mr. Lesar has been employed by the Clark County Forestry Department since the department was created in 1936 and is well qualified for the task, Mr. Covell said.

The camp has been named “Camp Windy Run.”

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Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Devos of Neillsville, and Mrs. A. C. Dearborn of Walworth, were among those who attended a reception in Superior, Saturday evening.  The reception was given by the Eastern Star chapter of that city in honor of newly elected officers of the grand chapter.  Mrs. Dearborn is the immediate past grand worthy matron and Mr. Devos is the immediate past grand worthy patron.  Mrs. Devos was chairman of the reception committee at the annual grand chapter meeting.

The Order of the Eastern Star, chapter of Neillsville, met at the Masonic Temple for the above photo in October 1939.  Left to right; front row, Mary Kleckner, Sylvia Kurth, Frank Hepburn, Clarice Dodte, E. S. Jedney (guest from Black River Falls), Elizabeth Crothers, Al Devos and Alta Allen.  Middle row: Olga Schoengarth, Jennie Tufts, Pearl Bradbury, Marie Covell, Joyce Hales, Marian Epding and Elsie Beilfuss.  Back Row: Lorena Rude, Olivia Ruchaber, Neva Yorkston, Catherine Peterson and Mary Lee.  (Photo courtesy of Charlotte Drescher)

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Going out to get a story about the old hose carts at Greenwood was like driving into a ghost story.

Those hose carts are haunted.  For 43 years, they have been gathering up the haunts of Greenwood men who have fought fire with them.  It will be only a few more weeks until the new fire engine with the 500-gallon pumper arrives.  Then these hand-drawn hose carts will be used for watering a skating rink in the new park.

But their new duties will not chase the spirits, which have nestled with them, one by one, during their long and faithful service. They could tell some interesting stories of fires they have gone to and the men who have handled them down through the years, if they could but speak.

They would undoubtedly tell stories of the days when Bill Volk, Frank Carter, Chris Brown, Irving Cates, George W. Bishop and many others since gone to their reward, pulled them on the double quick.

Or they might tell something about Charles C. Hoehne, the hardware man, who was a member of the department for 36 years and chief, off and on, for 22 years.  Or something about John W. Arends, the present city clerk; Lin Enockson; George VanVoorhes, who lives in Florida now; Ben Packard; Howard Corey; Bill Hauge; Clarence Green, who now is on a farm 10 or 12 miles west of the city and a number of others.

Their stories would not be finished, either, until they told something about Adolph Meyer.  It is interesting to know that Mr. Meyer, one of the earliest members of the volunteer fire department to pull the hose carts, will still be with the department when the new fire truck is put into service.

The hose carts were installed as a part of the Greenwood fire fighting equipment in 1893, when the first city water mains were laid for fire protection purposes.  Since 1919, they have shot out water under pressure from an electric pump.  But before that time, steam was used.

At first, they had an upright boiler, called a “Porcupine.”  One would naturally wonder how long it would take to get up enough steam pressure to operate the pumps.  It only took a few minutes.

The Porcupine heated up in a hurry because it had several pipes sticking up in the boiler like pipes on a cathedral organ.  That’s how it got its name.

The Porcupine boiler was used for some time then a change was made to an upright boiler.  This was used until the electric pump was bought in 1919.

I asked Chief Hoehne about fires in the city and he paid a fine tribute to the residents with his ready answer:

“We have been pretty lucky in putting out fires with what little equipment we have had.  The people of Greenwood have a lot of credit due to them for that.  They have been very good about keeping rubbish cleaned up and they have made a business of fire prevention work in general.”

There have been a few bad fires in the city during the last half-century; but, fortunately, none have resulted in death or injury.

When the city council decided in September to buy a mechanical pumping engine, they decided that the fire department should be reorganized.  The old volunteer department was discharged.

Twenty-two signed up in the reorganization and they elected Wesley Schwartz as their chief, Irvin Carl is the assistant chief.  Willard Stafford is the secretary treasurer and William Schwartze is the fire warden.

Here is a line-up of the new department, except for the officers named above: Londo Meyer, Adolph Meyer, Gilbert Meyer, Louis Vogel, Albert Dahl, Louis Behrens, Harry Stafford, Charles Neuenfeldt, Dr. R. L. Barnes, John D. Wuethrich, Sr., George Haeuser, Simon Schwartze, Earl Sloniker, Louis Kebel, Louis Arbs, Dave Reese and Lester Carteron.

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Brick work in the American Telephone and Telegraph Company’s booster station proceeded this week at a rapid pace.  White inside brick is being used. The building will be of a Cape Cod design and work on the exterior is expected to be done within another two weeks.

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Driving through Humbird, on Highway 12, one sees a cement block church high up on the mound to the east.  It is a seemly structure, evidently built to resist fire.  From its vantage point, it overlooks rolling-meadows and wooded hills.  It is the place of worship of the St. John’s Reformed Church of Humbird.

If the location is a vantage point for the view, it is a hazard from the viewpoint of fire.  Six years ago the mound was swept by fire. The danger is so constant.  So the people of the church used material, which cannot be burned.  It would be a conflagration indeed which could set this building on fire.

The interior of this church is neat and well planned, as suitable as the exterior is attractive. The auditorium is large and well furnished.  In a section where there are many Catholic and Lutheran churches, it is noted that there is an absence of an altar.  The Reformed people take their worship plain.  The minister stands behind a pulpit.  He is without vestment.  He does not turn his back to the audience and his face to the altar.  That exaltation of the altar is conspicuous by its absence.

Entering the church during a Sunday service, one will notice the tendency for the men to occupy one side of the church, the right. The women were at the left.

The pastor of this church on the mound is V. D. Weidler, who has presided over the congregation since 1930.

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