Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI, April 10, 2013, Page 9

 

Clark County Press, Neillsville, Wisconsin

April 10, 2013, Page 9

Contributed by "The Clark Co. Press"

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

March 1868

 

Mr. G. Schutte and Mr. B. Kunze, two enterprising young men from Dodge County, have made arrangements to locate in Neillsville. The former gentleman has purchased the lot of ground on the corner south of Hewett, Woods & Co.’s store, and will erect there in the spring a two-story building 30 x 60 feet, which will be occupied by him in the front as a clothing and tailoring store.  Mr. Kunze will open a boot and shoe shop in the rear of the building, which will face towards the east, with entrance to his shop on the south side.                                             

•••••••••

At its last meeting, the County Board of Supervisors made a new town of twenty-four range one west, with the exception of a piece across the north side, a half-mile wide.  It is to be called Grant and will hold its first election of town officers next spring.  We have no doubt that at the coming Presidential election it will prove itself worthy of the illustrious name it bears.                                                                                                        

•••••••••

Hon. James O’Neill, who has well and faithfully attended to the interests of this Assembly district of the legislature this winter, arrived home last Friday evening. This district has never before been represented by a more able gentleman.  He has not made any lengthy speeches, but he has introduced and carried through a number of bills that will be of benefit to the people. His constituents may feel proud of him, and we are satisfied they do.  With the exception of a short visit home during the session, he has been in constant attendance.                   

•••••••••

We intended to speak before of the fine residence of Mr. Robert Ross, which was erected last fall about a mile south of this village.  It is a two-story frame house 32x24 feet, with a wing on the south end 20x32 feet.  It was built by Simpson & Eyerly and in point of the finish and architectural proficiency, is without a rival in either Jackson or Clark Counties.

•••••••••

There is not a more enterprising or reliable firm on the Black River than Hewett, Woods & Co.  They steadily add to the improvements of the county and to their own wealth and importance, some new and needful institutions and at the same time with little stir that half the people are not aware of it until the noise of some new machinery in motion attracts their attention. This firm owns the only saw mill and the only flouring mill in this village.  The latest evidence of their enterprise and prosperity is the putting up new and improved machinery for a planing mill, which is capable of planing one thousand feet of flooring per hour.  It is already prepared to run.  In addition to this, there is in connection with the planing mill enough power and shafting for a sash and door factory, the machinery for which is soon to arrive.

•••••••••

The Town of Mentor, in our county, seems to be taking the lead in saw mills.  We learn from Mr. G. W. King that there will be no less than four steam-powered saw mills running in that town early this spring.

•••••••••

Mr. J. P. Buck, agent for the sale of the Fox and Wisconsin Improvement Company’s lands in this county, has been in town a few days. These lands are being sold very fast; and no wonder, for they are among the best.

•••••••••

Mr. A. W. Clark’s mill on Cunningham Creek, two miles south of the village, is again in motion under the superintendence of Mr. I. C. Gotchy. Mr. Clark is one of our substantial, go-ahead men and has been identified with the prominent men of our county in lumbering and in the advancement of home interests, for more than ten years.  He put in 1,500,000 feet of logs this winter.                                                                                          

•••••••••

A clothesline at the residence of Mr. Wm. T. Hutchinson was robbed of a few articles by some low petty thief, about eight o’clock last Friday evening. Such a person should be publicly chastised and rode out of the community on a rail, adorned with a coat of tar and feathers. Two or three days of honest labor would have procured the articles stolen and prevented another stain on the character of some wretch.  This is not the first act of the kind in our village. Suspicions sometimes center upon the right person and we advise this one to return his ill-gotten gain or he may be summarily dealt with.

•••••••••

Last night a man named J. E. Hardy, who has long been addicted to the use of intoxicating liquors, crept into the barn at the Lumbermen’s hotel to “sleep it off,’ it is thought, in a fit of drunkenness, which he is often subjected to. By some mistake he fell through a hole in the loft over the cattle, breaking an arm and spraining an ankle.  His cries brought assistance and he was carried into the hotel where Dr. Bemis attended upon him.    

•••••••••

Neillsville has just had its first silver wedding.  Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ross celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of their wedding day, at their fine and commodious residence, on March 22nd.  This pleasant episode brought together an agreeable party for a few ladies and gentlemen and was one of a most happy affair, which has occurred in our village. The sumptuous repast spread upon the table at five o’clock was never surpassed in this county neither in excellence of variety.

 

Mr. Ross, with his family, settled in this county nineteen years ago.  He had no money when he came, but being a master of work, and after suffering many reverses in fortune, he can now look back upon the past with pride and satisfaction.  He has risen from poverty to affluence from the trials of a frontier life to one of comfort. Almost penniless when he came, he is now reputed to be worth over one hundred thousand dollars.

 

At an early hour their guests departed to each couple’s abode, after extending heartfelt wishes to the happy couple for more years of prosperity.

 

March 1948

 

Formal dedication of the new cheese plant in Abbotsford was held on March 2nd. The cooperative, which erected the building, began its operations in Abbotsford in 1933 with 86 patrons. The organization now has 275 patrons and during the summer handled about 100,000 pounds of milk daily.                      

•••••••••

Mr. and Mrs. Matt Gassen and son moved into the home they recently purchased on South Clay Street, built by John H. Flynn.                                                                                                 

•••••••••

Huge 90-foot poles for the fairground athletic field were being set in place this week by a Northern States Power Co. crew.

 

The big poles, of western cedar, are being set 11 feet into the ground and 79 feet above the surface of the playing field. The lighting equipment will be installed by a Whitehall contractor.

 

The first steps in the improvement of the fairground athletic field, was the leveling and dragging of the field late last fall.  The ground will be seeded down this spring.

 

The improvement work is a project of the Neillsville Athletic Association, of which Jack Tibbett is president, with the cooperation of the public property committee of the county board of supervisors. O. J. Warren of the Town of York is chairman of the county group.                                                                            

•••••••••

Billie Jean Urlaub received the nicest birthday present of them all last Saturday, March 6.

 

You see, a baby sister was born to her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Urlaub of Neillsville on that day.

 

She is Billie Jean’s first sister, born on Billie Jean’s first birthday. The new baby is Darlene Jane. She weighed eight pounds, 10 ounces at birth. Mrs. Urlaub was at one time the kindergarten teacher in the Neillsville school system.

•••••••••

For the first time in seven years here, a high school course in driver education will take to the road.

 

This spring Earl Ruedy, the teacher, will have a dual-controlled automobile at the disposal of the driving class for instructional purposes. The car is being provided by the Svetlik Motor Co.

 

In the past, driver education here ahs necessarily consisted of learning the rules of the road.  Now the opportunity is provided for practicing the rules on the road, as well.

 

The course will provide opportunity for full discussion of traffic problems and this will develop an appreciation of what is expected of a good driver, Supt. D. E. Peters explained.                     

•••••••••

Robert Ratsch has purchased a farm in the Town of Grant of Charles Schaeffner.  This is the old Emil Jahr farm, a mile north of the Reed School on Pleasant Ridge.  The farm was owned and operated for several years by Marvin Jahr, son of Emil Jahr, and later was sold to Mr. Schaeffner. Mr. and Mrs. Ratsch are living at the present at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Herman Ratsch, Town of Grant.                                  

•••••••••

The Hewett House, a landmark of Neillsville for the last 86 years, was destroyed by fire last Thursday morning, March 11.

 

Discovery of the blaze, shortly after 9 o’clock in the morning, was made by two unidentified men who were driving through Neillsville on Highway 10, which passes the house on the western city limits.  One of the men went to the Jess W. Scott home, directly opposite the Hewett house to give the alarm. The other ran to the burning building to arouse the occupants, failing to get a response.  In the meantime the second man ran to the west entrance and summoned the Earl Pierces, who were living in a portion of the building.

 

Mrs. Gene Christie, also a neighbor, ran to the burning building and was responsible for bringing Miss Hewett to safety.

 

The Pierces and the strangers, in the meantime, turned their attention to saving what they could from the rooms on the second floor.  They were joined by others; however, the fire spread so rapidly along the aged and dry pine lumber of which the house was built, that they were able to save but little from the second floor. Most of the household items from the first floor, however, were saved.

 

One of the important losses was S. F. Hewett’s collection of original surveyor’s records of Clark County. These records were highly prized and of considerable value. 

 

The Hewett House, built by one of Neillsville’s Pioneer families, was a city landmark for 86 years before being destroyed by a fire in 1948.  It was located at the top of the hill, north side of the 700 block, on West Fifth Street

 

•••••••••

Recent real estate transfers recorded in the office of the register of deeds include the following:

 

The purchase by Dairyland Power Cooperative of La Crosse, property in section 1 Town of Withee from Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Bartosewitz;

 

The purchase by Mr. and Mrs. Albert Gall of property in section 15, Town of Sherwood, from Mildred Frank, Marjorie Hirth and Florence Breakey;

 

The purchase of Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Miller of property in section 18, Town of Sherman, from Mr. and Mrs. John Herman

•••••••••

The proposition of consolidating all districts in the Town of Fremont will be up for consideration at the open public meeting in the town hall at Chili, March 30.  The time is 8 p.m.

 

This move was a counter proposal of Fremont residents to the county school committee’s proposal to combine the Chili, Big Four, Cozy Corner and Forestside School Districts.

 

Petitions from each school district in the Town of Fremont were presented to the committee in support of the township-wide consolidation last Thursday.

 

The suggestion of township consolidation followed a series of meetings in each of the school districts, followed by a general meeting of all the areas in the township.

 

When the committee was presented with the petitions and heard the plan the people of Fremont had worked out, they delayed their decision on the four-district consolidation; scheduling the March 30 meeting.

•••••••••

Mr. and Mrs. Ross Paulson will observe their golden wedding anniversary March 29, Easter Sunday, by keeping open house to their family and friends at their home at 143 East Division, Neillsville, from 2 to 5 p.m.  There will also be a family dinner.  

 

Maude Raymond and Ross Paulson were married at Christie March 23, 1898, and have spent their entire married life in this community.  Their home has been at different times at Granton, Pleasant Ridge and Neillsville.  Mr. Paulson has been engaged in farming, buying and selling of stock and in road construction.  

 

They have five children: Clifton of Neillsville; Lilas, Mrs. Erwin Voight of Madison; Raymond of Neillsville; Mrs. Gene (Ardeen) Hart of Neillsville; and Mrs. Norbert (Ruth) Berlick of Milwaukee.  There are eight grandchildren.                                                                           

•••••••••

George Haack, Neillsville bowler, will be “sweating it out,” until April 1 and there is a chance that it might be a $1,000 sweat.

 

Bowling in the $1,000 sweepstakes in Milwaukee last week, Mr. Haack rolled a four line series of 892 to take first place in the event, up to that time.  If no one betters that mark before the end of the sweepstakes on April 1, Mr. Haack will receive the $1,000 prize, plus another $425 for the high score during the week he bowled.  Up until Mr. Haack bowled, an 886 led the field.                                                                                                       

•••••••••

Ole Black River beat spring to the punch.

 

The ice started going out in the river about 6 p.m. Friday, March 19, 16½ hours in advance of the official arrival of spring.

 

The break-up was temporary, for the ice stopped moving during the night Friday, then let loose for good about 6:30 p.m. Saturday.  

 

This information comes from Mrs. Guy Schultz of Dells Dam, who has watched the antics of Ole Black for many years.  The break-up came “about as usual,” this year, Mrs. Schultz said. The ice in the river usually breaks up between the 15th and the 20th of March. 

 

There was one difference, however; the break-up was not as violent as has been the case during some springs. The roar of the river could be heard above other noises Saturday night by the old-timers whose ears have been attuned to the first spring roar of the flashy Black River.

 

If the breakup of the Black weren’t enough to herald the end of winter; then the sugar bush tappers definitely put winter on the run.

€€€€€€€€€€€€

 

 


© 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