Clark County Press, Neillsville,

October 12, 2005, Page 12

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

 

Clark County News

October 1895

 

Mr. Douglas, of England, is in Neillsville to attend to matters connected with the Neillsville Stock Farm.  This is his second visit and he meets many former acquaintances.

••••••••••

Judge Richard Dewhurst, of this city, died of apoplexy at a hotel at Atlanta, Ga., Sunday morning.  He was with Mr. Bruce, a friend who lives in Florida.  They were at the Judge’s winter home, at the time of his death.  His cousin, Eli Dewhurst, had gone to Atlanta with him but left the city for a short excursion into the country to visit a relative.  This was the Judge’s third attack of apoplexy.  He had left here feeling well, and the news of his death was hence the more unexpected.  W. L. Hemphill and Mrs. Dewhurst and Decatur Dickinson and wife went to Chicago Sunday where they took charge of the remains and returned home Tuesday morning.

 

The deceased was one of our wealthiest citizens, a pioneer, locating here 39 years ago.  He was 69 years of age.  He was born in England and possessed to a marked degree of the quiet, pushing business instincts of his race.  Dewhurst had represented his district in legislature four terms, in 1859, 1865, 1875 and 1887; was county judge at one time, late in the 1870s, and had filled many positions of trust.  At the time of his death, he was president of the Neillsville Bank, of the German-American Bank at Marshfield, a stockholder in the American National Bank at Milwaukee, with interests in other enterprises.  He was for years, a successful operator in pine logging, always conservative, master of his affairs, liberal to those who had his friendship, generous to old friends, and unostentatiously charitable wherever he found the deserving needy.  His death creates a vacancy no other man can fill.

 

A funeral takes place today with F. C. Davis and T. G. Owen speaking.

••••••••••

Another prominent Clark County citizen died this week.

 

John Tompkins passed away at his home in the Town of Eaton, Saturday, Oct. 12, at the age of 69 years.  He came to this county in 1862, worked in the pineries, became S. F. Weston’s manager, and in the spring of 1866 settled on his present farm.  He was born at Stillwater, Saratoga County, N.Y., and was a grandson of Moose Tompkins, one of the pioneers who cleared the land at Saratoga Springs.  His mother had 22 children, seven still living.

 

During his earlier years, he labored in the cornfields of Illinois, then in Ed Lindsay’s saw mill at Davenport.  Jan. 7, 1850, he married Martha E. Lindsay, Ed’s sister.  They had four children, with son James being the only one surviving.  Mrs. Tompkins was an invalid for many years and died some years ago.

 

Jones was of a very philosophical mind, happy in the quiet surroundings and occupations of rural life.  His progressive farming methods were displayed on his model farm.  He was postmaster of Greenwood during Cleveland’s first term, had served often on town and county boards, and was a genial companionable man.  He belonged to the rapidly disappearing old guard of pioneers who hewed Clark County out of the big forests, and whom we all regret to see depart.  But so goes the world; so went Len Stafford, Jas. O’Neill, Sr., Ans. Green, Chauncey Blakeslee, Dan Gates and the army of other pioneers.  Thus shall we all pass; our turn must come.

••••••••••

A Letter from Jim McKinley, of West Salem Wis., Quote:

 

The fall of the year, especially in October, reminds me of the many Octobers I have spent in Clark County.  Like the Israelites of old, I long for the fleshpots of Clark County.  Clark County, in its early days, was noted for its fine mealy potatoes.  The new virgin soil was porous, and all you had to do was to make a large hill, the larger the hill the more potatoes.  In the spring of 1854, I cleared off one acre and planted it into potatoes.  I had 400 bushels from that acre, all medium size.  I called them Irish potatoes.  I have never since raised such a crop of potatoes.

 

Potatoes, pheasants and deer were the diet.  The pheasants were as thick as the bed bugs that used to infest the hotels.  The deer were fat in the fall, there were plenty of them so along with the pheasants and good potatoes; I submerged myself in that diet for 30 days.  I will never forget it.

 

October reminds a man that he is passing away.  Look around you, where you will.  You will see that nature has thrown off her beautiful robe of green, which she has worn all summer.  Her coat is tinged with hoary frost, the leaves are turning yellow, the grass is getting pale; the strawberry and tomato are gone.  In a short time, all nature will be inanimate and unconscious, but there will be a resurrection after a sleeping time.

 

October 1945

 

The Fred Bullard residence on Emery Street has been sold to Ferdinand Hrach.  It was built by Mrs. Bullard’s father, W. W. Taplin, in 1885.  The Taplins, or a member of their family, have always resided in the house, except for a period of time between 1910 and 1920 when the house was rented to George Ure, in 1910 and in 1916 to Charles Hugh.

••••••••••

A memorial window in honor of the Rev. Walter Trench Scott was dedicated Sunday morning at the Methodist Church.  The dedication remarks were given by A. L. Devos, at the conclusion of the morning service.

 

Present at the dedication were George and Jess Scott, sons of Mr. Scott; Mrs. Jess Scott; Mr. and Mrs. Harold Huckstead and daughter Nancy; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Stelloh.

 

The window is in the choir area.  It shows an open Bible as the central theme.  It is regarded as an especially fitting memorial to Mr. Scott, who was fond of all good books and who spent most of his life in studying and expounding the Bible.

 

Mr. Scott was a Methodist pastor here for four years ending in 1924, and resided here in retirement for the last 10 years of his life.

••••••••••

The Bronze Star Medal for heroism has been awarded to Sgt. Donald A. Kunze, son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Kunze, who reside at 177 North Hewett Street, Neillsville.

 

Sgt. Kunze is with the 311th Infantry Regiment’s Medical Detachment, 78th “Lightning Division,” which earned battle stars for its fighting in the Ardennes, Rhineland and Central European campaigns.

 

His citation, in part, reads: “When intense enemy machine gun fire raked the platoon, in which Technician Fourth Grade Kunze was serving as aid man, causing several casualties and forcing a temporary halt, he crawled forward without hesitation and with complete disregard for his own safety, administering first aid.  With complete unconcern for his own safety, he advanced close to the enemy fire to treat casualties among the leading elements of the platoon.  His inspiring courage and exemplary loyalty to his fellow soldiers are in accordance with the highest military traditions.”

 

Fireman 2/c Ernest Kissling, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Kissling of Granton, recently left Seattle, Wash. and is now stationed on the aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Commencement Bay.

 

Leon Kuester, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Kuester of Greenwood, has received his discharge after four years in service.  He took part in the Algerian, French Moroccan, Tunisian, Sicilian, Naples, Foggia, Rome Arno and North Apennine battles, for which he received seven battle stars.

 

Heron A. Van Gorden, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Van Gorden, 222 Park Street, Neillsville, was commissioned a second lieutenant October 13 in ceremonies at Fort Knox, Ky.  He was a member of the 84th graduating class of he Armored officer Candidate School.  Forty new officers received their gold bars upon completion of a 17-week course.  As their first assignment, a majority of them will receive practical training in command duties at the armored replacement-training center at Fort Knox.  Following advanced training, the new officers will be assigned to armored units as platoon leaders.

 

Van Gorden is now spending a 10-day furlough at the home of his parents in Neillsville.

••••••••••

The Nelson Muffler Corporation of Stoughton, Wis., will establish an auxiliary plant in Neillsville.  It will be located in a building just west of the present Weidenhoff plant, first using floor space of 4,200 square feet.  It will employ men.  The number employed is expected to range from 15 to 35 on the basis of the present plans.  Expansion is a possibility, and tentative provision is being made for a possible addition to the north.

 

The Nelson Muffler Corporation is a sheet metal concern.  It makes mufflers and spark-arresting silencers, which are used on most of the tractors in production in the United States.  Its products are also used on some large trucks.  The concern has a history of successful development at Stoughton, where it has out-grown its present quarters and is projecting a second plant, in addition to the plant projected for Neillsville.

 

The concern is headed by C. E. Nelson, who came from the Burgess Battery operation in Madison.  That concern has a research laboratory which developed various mechanical contrivances, and which encouraged the establishment of independent industries, in charge of the protégés of the late Mr. Burgess.  The Muffler Corporation was thus set up in Stoughton, and has grown there.  During the war the demand upon it was entirely beyond the plant capacity, and the firm was forced to sublet much of its manufacturing work to other manufacturers in Wisconsin and elsewhere, particularly Pennsylvania.  At times as much as 50% of the work was sublet.

 

With the end of the war, the various subcontractors withdrew their corporation, needing their capacity for their own peacetime out put.  This has necessitated the expansion now planned.  The addition in Stoughton will be 42 x 86, but this must be constructed, and is not immediately available.

 

The building here will be provided by Herman North and George Tibbett, upon the basis of a private arrangement of the parties.

••••••••••

E. L. Hanson has assumed possession of the Shortville Cheese Factory, which he recently purchased from Sandmire Co., Inc.  Mr. Hanson was the cheesemaker for the factory when the Sandmire Co. owned it.

••••••••••

Marriage licenses issued this month in Clark County were:

 

Herbert Hinkelmann, Town of Loyal, and Marie Diercks, Town of York; Robert Fink, Town of Loyal, and Luella Stayton, Town of Loyal; Norman S. Marsh, city of Colby, and Laura Feind, city of Colby; Charles Duvall, Town of Lynn and Alice Schaetzka, city of Marshfield; Melvin Bartosiewicz, Town of Withee, and Florence Tessmer, Town of Reseburg; George Carlson, city of Owen, and Anna Ebert, Town of Hoard; and Walter Baehr, Town of Mayville, and Ruth Firehow, Milwaukee.

••••••••••

The city of Neillsville is now in possession of the former August Holt place, consisting of just a little less than eight acres, located east of the cemetery.  This was purchased from the county for $1,160.  The land will be used as an addition to the cemetery, and as a source of loam, sand and shale.

••••••••••

A gift of $500 has been made to the Central Wisconsin Cheese and Butter-makers’ Association to promote the art of cheese-making in Central Wisconsin.  The monetary gift was made by an anonymous donor, who is interested in the promotion of the chesse (cheese) industry.  It is his hope is that the gift will be the nucleus of a fund to which others will wish to contribute.

 

The gift proceeds from the need of the industry for recruits.  As the war ends, the cheese industry is very short of cheese makers, the shortage having begun to creep up even before Selective Service began.

••••••••••

Two former pastors of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church at Granton will occupy their former pulpit on the 40th anniversary of the dedication of the church Sunday, October 28.

 

The Rev. J. F. Gericke, during whose pastorate the church was built, will be the guest speaker for the German service at 10:30 a.m.  Pastor Gericke has been living in retirement at Minneapolis, Minn., for the past six years.

 

The Rev. S. Rathke, pastor of Zion from 1909 to 1912, now serving a congregation at Cameron, Wis., will preach in the afternoon service.  This service will be conducted in the English language and will begin at 2:30 p.m.

 

For the evening service, also in English, District President Rev. William Kohn of Merrill, Wis., will preach.

 

A special invitation is extended to former members and old friends, but everyone will be given a hearty welcome, states Rev. William A. Lauterbach, the present pastor.

••••••••••

The Town of Weston is preparing an Honor Roll, which will be put up in the town hall.  The committee in charge, headed by Henry Heiman, town chairman, has a list of persons who went to World War II from the town.  But he is desirous of making sure that the list is complete.  For that purpose Mr. Heiman is asking parents and wives to check with him.

••••••••••

Mr. and Mrs. Myron Wilding have sold their home on Clay Street to Mr. and Mrs. Fremont Wonn of Withee.  Mr. and Mrs. Wilding plan to purchase a smaller home in Neillsville.

 

Mr. Wonn formerly owned the Lone Oak cheese factory, which he has sold to Blue Moon Foods, Inc., of Thorp.

••••••••••

The new 1946 Ford will be here on Friday, October 26.  It is the first new postwar car to be shown in Neillsville.

 

See it at Svetlik Motor Co. Garage.

••••••••••

Wagner’s Café is now open on Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.  This has been made possible by the return of the two Wagner boys, Kenneth (Budge) and Arthur R. (Stir), who are happy to be back with the home folks.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

 

 

Methods used in transporting logs from the woods in the early 1900s had changed, in comparison to the earlier years.  Loading logs on railroad flat cars enabled hauling logs any time of the year, rather than only during the winter months when there was snow and ice for sledding the logs out to market.  (Photo courtesy of Dick and Joanne Tibbett)

 

 


© Every submission is protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.

 

Show your appreciation of this freely provided information by not copying it to any other site without our permission.

 

Become a Clark County History Buff

 

Report Broken Links

A site created and maintained by the Clark County History Buffs
and supported by your generous donations.

 

Webmasters: Leon Konieczny, Tanya Paschke,

Janet & Stan Schwarze, James W. Sternitzky,

Crystal Wendt & Al Wessel

 

CLARK CO. WI HISTORY HOME PAGE