Clark County Press, Neillsville, Wisconsin

September 16, 2009, Page 17

Contributed by "The Clark Co. Press"

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

September 1929

 

When Earl Wood was weighing some sheep he had bought one day last week, one of them jumped through the gate at the scales and escaped up Grand Avenue. For several days it has been around the Joe Frei farm, north side of the city, but is so fleet-footed Mr. Wood can’t catch it and he expects he will have to get Walt Dangers or some other famous deer hunter to shoot it.

•••••••••

 

The Ross Paulson farm, just south of Granton, was sold last week for $8,100 to the Blum Box Co., of Marshfield at a sheriff’s auction held at the courthouse in Neillsville. The farm was valued at more than $20,000 a few years ago.

•••••••••

 

Robert Lacher, Conrad Larson and Gilbert McEwen of La Grange, Ill., three boys about 15 years of age, stopped in Neillsville Monday night at the home of Mr. and Mrs. C. Krumrey. The boys were traveling on bicycles and had been in Minneapolis, now on their way home, living in the outdoors most of the way.  Robert Lacher’s father is editor of the noted trade magazine “The Iron Age;” he is a nephew of Mr. Krumrey.      

•••••••••

 

Sherman Gress is hustling to get his building moving business cleaned up before cold weather sets in.  Last week he moved several silos, near Chili, which is a job requiring much care.  He now has the contract to move the Presbyterian Church, known as Rutga’s Chapel, on the Twenty-six Road to the farm of A. F. Manning, who will remodel it for a residence; he also has a building to move on Mr. Hook’s farm, which is rented by Alfred Oldham, and several other jobs in sight.

•••••••••

 

An interesting surfacing experiment is being tried out by Street Commissioner Wm. Farning on one block of East Fifth Street, from Hewett Street toward the courthouse.  This street is quite steep and shale or gravel has a tendency to wash or be pushed down the hill.

 

Even on a level street it is difficult to keep a thin coat of shale in place on the top of an old hard surface.  The new idea is to cover the old surface with a thin coat of shale on this before it hardens. The shale settles into the asphalt and makes a firm surface.

 

If it proves desirable, other streets will be treated in the same manner.

•••••••••

 

J. B. Inderrieden Canning Company’s 280 employees were treated to ice cream by Sheriff William Bradford, Saturday afternoon, the last day of canning. The party, which was held at the canning factory, was thoroughly enjoyed.

•••••••••

 

Clark County is still on the western frontier where the homesteaders gather free farms from Uncle Sam, unless it should be that Bill Stockwell has picked the last homestead in the county.  On September 7, Herbert Hoover, President of the United States, issued a deed or “patent” of Lot 1, Section 23 Town of Pine Valley to Arthur Raymond Stockwell, which is Bill’s real name.  Bill is the name by which he does his every day work, but Arthur Raymond is the way he is now recorded in the archives of the United States land office and in that name he holds title to his new possession.

 

Lot 1 is a rocky point of land on Black River about opposite Ross Eddy and contains an acre more or less.  It adjoins Bill’s other farm and is a somewhat necessary adjunct to it, as it makes a convenient landing place when he crosses the river either by boat in summer or on the ice in winter.  For years this little Lot 1 was supposed to be a part of the Ross Eddy farm and has been passed on by deed many times when that farm was sold, but some years ago it was discovered that it was still government land and the only way to get to it was under the homestead law.  It was of no apparent value to anyone except to bill or Mrs. Evans and she did not think its value warranted the expense and trouble of entry, thus Bill comes into possession.  By a little extra fencing, he can include the lot in his pasture, and so in a measure, get some returns on his investment.

 

If it could be re-forested and trimmed up picturesquely, it would be a nice place for a summer cottage.  The music of the ripples above the eddy would make a sweet lullaby and then one might cast a line from the front porch across the eddy and catch fish for breakfast. Who knows what the years may bring forth?

•••••••••

 

Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Thayer of the Town of Mayville and Mrs. Thayer’s sister, Mrs. George Simmons of Miles City, Montana, were Neillsville callers Thursday. They then went to Granton to visit their daughter, Mrs. Ewald Thiede.  Mr. Thayer was formerly in the hardware business in Granton, but is now on the old home farm where he was born and lived when a small boy.  Mrs. Thayer, who was Miss Alice Dutcher before her marriage, has the distinction of being the first white child born in the Town of Beaver.

 

September 1949

 

When Fred Buker, pioneer member of the congregation of the West Side Church, Greenwood, first landed in that area, he wanted to know about a church.  He found there was none, as yet.  His answer was immediate and positive: no church, no stay.  There must be a church or no Fred Buker in that vicinity.

 

Mr. Buker was equally definite in other ways.  Upon one occasion he was driving along the railroad track. The engineer thought he would have fun with him and blew the whistle vigorously.  Buker’s horses started to run and the engineer kept blowing the whistle.  Mr. Buker traveled with his rifle handy.  He reached for it and began to take aim at the whistle.  Thereupon the engineer let go the cord, silencing the whistle.

 

This incident was told at the West Side Church’s 75th anniversary celebration last Sunday. It was part of the sermon of Rev. Otto Vriesen, now of Hamburg, Minn.  He was West Side pastor for eight years.

 

Mr. Vriesen also told of the earnestness of the congregation in 1910, when the new church and the parsonage were built in one year.  It had been talked that there would be two subscription lists, one for those favoring the entire construction and the other for those preferring repairs of one building and construction of the other.  But the list of repair jobs never got done.  If any members inquired they were told that it had been left at home. The result was that the big job was done and the congregation acquired in one year two very substantial buildings, still sound and decorative after the passing of 39 years.

 

Mr. Vriesen was pastor at the time of the celebration of its 50th anniversary.  He talked about the changes of the church throughout that period, as always, God was, and is, faithful.

 

Mr. Vriesen paid a tribute to some of the earliest pioneers: Adolph and August Noah, Herman and John Schwarze, Henry Humke and Fred Buker.

 

The occasion despite inclement weather brought out 350 or more of those who have a vital interest in the West Side Church, the formal name of which is Immanuel Evangelical and Reformed Church. The chancel was decorated with many baskets of flowers, some of which came from the Longwood church, which originated with and was fostered by the West Side Congregation.

 

It was 75 years ago that the first step was taken by this congregation to acquire material property.  The members then bought 40 acres of land, the present site, from Russell Penfield. The price was $160.  Upon this site was later put up and that frame church is now the school-house.  The present buildings, church and parsonage were built in 1910.

 

The acquisition of the property was preceded by preliminaries of organization.  In these the leader was the Rev. C. H. Schoepfle of La Crosse.  He brought together a number of families for worship in the Decker schoolhouse.  They then organized a congregation on Jan. 11, 1874 with the following charter members: Mr. and Mrs. Henry Schwarze, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Buker, Mr. and Mrs. August Beilke, Mr. and Mrs. Ludwig Noah, John and Phillip Vollrath, August and Adolph Noah, Henry Humke, Mr. and Mrs. Herman Schwarze, and William Vollrath.

 

The pastors following Rev. Schoepfle, have been: Henry G. Veenker, C. Bush, John Schmaltz; Otto Saevert; M. Hall; G. Zenk; Otto Vriesen; and Paul Franzmeier, the present pastor, the Rev. J. C. Klingeberger, has been with the church since Oct. 15, 1944.

 

Two other churches have been organized from the membership of the West Side Church, Salem Church at Longwood and Zion Church at Greenwood.

•••••••••

 

About 154 tons of steel, the superstructure for the Black River Bridge west of Christie, on County Trunk H, will be erected starting the latter part of this week.

 

Six railroad flatcars were unloaded here last Friday of approximately 104 tons of trusses and floor beams in preparation for the project.  A large crane was used to unload the steel for trucking to the site of the new bridge.

 

The assembly of the super-structure is expected to be a spectacular and interesting sight, according to Elmer F. Anderson, county highway commissioner. The super-structure will be 81 feet long and 12 feet high.

 

Heavy steel trusses and floor beams will be swung into place by a big boom. Twelve men will be employed for this part of the job, which is being carried out by a Milwaukee steel-erecting firm.

 

The concrete abutments for the new structure were put in last summer.

 

 

The above bridge spanned the Black River on County Road H, west of Christie and was built in 1949 serving its purpose for 50 years when it was then replaced by a new structure.  (Photo courtesy of V. C. Holt)

 

•••••••••

 

There will be 2 – Free Dances at the Stables Nite Club, west of Neillsville: Saturday, Sept. 17 with Music by the Marshfield Trio; Wednesday, Sept. 21, Music by “Freddie” Maeder’s Orchestra.

 

The Silver Dome Ballroom will have a Wedding Dance in honor of Gene Jepsen and Evelyn Bartz on Sept. 17, dancing to the music of the Jack Kolbeck Orchestra.

•••••••••

 

More than 50 friends and relatives attended an 80th birthday anniversary in honor of Bertha Mitte on Friday, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Schoenherr of Globe.

 

In apparent good health Mrs. Mitte wore a corsage of carnations and sweet peas as she received the congratulations of the many who gathered at the Schoenherr home, where she makes her home.  Mrs. Schoenherr is her daughter.

•••••••••

 

The Greenwood Public Schools have a record enrollment of 314.  This number will be increased by a few late-comers.  Those in high school number 228, in grade school 86.

 

The senior class in high school numbers 47; juniors 54; sophomores, 57; freshmen, 70.

•••••••••

Vet’s Village soon will be Neillsville’s.

 

Title to the 12 pre-fabricated houses, which were moved here from Baraboo a few years ago to relieve the housing shortage, will be turned over to the city by the federal government as a gift, with no strings attached.

 

This was the word given to the city council Tuesday night in a letter from the federal authority in charge of the units.  The council adopted a resolution accepting the gift.

 

Up until now the city has operated the housing project under a lease arrangement with the federal government.  The federal government has realized from $1,200 to $1,300 per year in the past from the rental of these units, City Clerk John C. Brandt told the council. After the transfer takes place, these revenues will be retained by the city.

•••••••••

 

Lewerenz Food Shop extends a Public Invitation to Try Their Home Cured & Smoked Hams & Bacon.  Buy Hams, Slab Bacon & Other Meats at Wholesale Prices: Quarters, 33¢ lb. Pure, Fresh milk, 45¢a gal.

•••••••••

 

The Neillsville Athletics baseball team dropped a 10-inning thriller to Augusta, 7 to 6, Sunday night in the final game of the Cloverbelt league championship play-offs by taking the Eastern Division Title.  Members of the Neillsville team are: Jackie Leonardt, pitcher; Hank Lukes, pitcher-short-stop; Gordie Vine, short-stop; Gene Christie, manager and third baseman; Bob Urban, first baseman; Jim Baierl, catcher; Ernest Christie, coach; Armond Wachholz, left fielder; Pat  McIntyre, center fielder; Harold Milbreit, right fielder; Bud Bremer, second baseman; and Joe Urban, Jr., utility outfielder.

 

An estimated 4,000 gallons of water were sprinkled on the dirt infield of the Neillsville Athletic field during the day Sunday to lay the dust for the crucial championship game of the Cloverbelt championship series that night.  With a high wind sweeping the countryside throughout the day, Jack Tibbett, president of the association, organized the water brigade to prevent a “dusting out” of the game, as very nearly happened in the second game of the series a week before.  The 4,000 gallons of water put the infield in perfect playing condition; but it was an all-day job for the men who donated their time.

•••••••••

The grand opening of the Farmers Union’s new oil station building will be held Friday, day and evening, with the public invited to visit the building and take part in special events, which have been arranged.

 

The building is the major construction of Neillsville completed in 1949.  Of handsome glazed tile, it stands on the corner of West Sixth and West Streets.

 

One of the features is the big 10-ton truck hoist, which is housed therein.  This hoist, according to Albert (Lefty) Zank, operator of the station, “ought to be big enough to handle any truck in this area.”

 

Directors of the Neillsville Farmers union Oil Cooperative, which erected the building, are: Herman Schoenherr, William Zank, Leo Korth, Elmer Kapfer, Edward Lindquist and Eugene Edwards. General Manager is Arthur Tews.

 

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