Township of Mentor

"Clark Co. Illustrated" by Saterlee, Tifft & Marsh, 1890.
Transcribed by Janet Schwarze.

MENTOR TOWNSHIP is located in the western part of the county, and consists of three townships which are described as townships, twenty-four, twenty-five and twenty-six, range four west. It extends eighteen miles north and south, and six miles east and west. It was organized as a separate town by an act of the legislature passed in 1866.

The town was first settled in the southern township by people from the eastern states. The main part of the settlement of this town has been confined to this southern township, and the population in the other two townships is very scattering.

The two northern townships are composed chiefly of pinelands, with narrow hardwood ridges separating the tracts of pine. The southern township contains, some very fine farming lands, with little timber of any kind on it, and it might be classed as prairie lands. An occasional bluff or range of bluffs breaks the general level of the surface, and the fertile valleys that stretch between require but little cultivation to make excellent farms.

Large crops of grains, vegetables and grasses are produced, and the farmers, generally, are in good circumstances. Large crops of berries grow here each year, and when otherwise unemployed, many find employment in picking the blackberries, raspberries and blueberries, which grow here in abundance. There are still large quantities of pine timber standing in the northern townships, much of which will be cut and manufactured into lumber before being shipped to market.

A railroad was recently built into the town by N. C. Foster, of Fairchild, which opens up this section of country and its products to the outside world and to markets. The road extends from Fairchild, in Eau Claire County, over into Clark county, and into this town to a small station called Foresman which is on the south line of township twenty-six in this town. This road will probably soon be extended through to Greenwood, in the central part of this county.

The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha railroad extends through the Southwestern part of this town, and on this road in this part of the town is located the pretty little village of Humbird. This village is situated in one of the most beautiful valleys in this section of the country, and is surrounded by as fine an agricultural region as the northwest affords. A small stream flows near the village on the south and furnishes power for a flour mill, which is located here. All classes of business is quite well represented in the village. There is one large general store, one large hardware and farm machinery establishment, two grocery store, one notion store, one hotel, one wagon shop, one blacksmith shop, one flour mill, one sawmill, three saloons, the high school building, a Methodist Episcopal church, a Free Methodist church and an Advent church, all of which are good buildings.

A quite a large lodge of F. and A. M. has been organized here and is in a flourishing condition. It is known as Humbird Lodge No. 191. There is also a lodge of 1. O. O. F. here with quite a large membership, which is designated as Humbird Lodge No. 252.

One of the largest and best farms in the county, that of E. D. Carter, is located a half a mile south of the village. There are several hundred acres under cultivation. It is stocked with a very large herd of cattle of the branches of Wedge's creek has its source in this southern township. There are very few highways extending through the two northern townships, owing to the small number of inhabitants in this part of the town. The southern township, being quite well settled up is well provided with roads; also with schools, churches, &e. The Humbird high school has an excellent school building in the village, which is well furnished, and in which the teachers' positions are always filled by the best and most able instructors that can be secured. The school stands well up among the high schools of the state. A new town hall is being erected in the village, which will, when completed, very much improve the and horses, and has the very best of farm buildings on it.

The town is quite well watered with numerous small streams. The South Fork of the Eau Claire River flows through the northern town-ship, also several smaller branches. A small lake known as Lake Tough, is located in the northern part of the southern appearance of 4hat part of the village, as it is to be quite a large and imposing structure. The wealth of the town at the present time is quite largely in this southern township, but in the years to come we have no doubt but what the land in the northern part of the town will be utilized and become quite valuable, as some portions have already become. Six passenger trains pass in. and out of the village each day over the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha railroad. The postmaster in Humbird is W. A. Alderman; W. A. Alderman; the chairman of the town of Mentor is Olin Wilson; the clerk is C. B. Travis; the treasurer is F. J. Simons, and the assessor is P. M. Francis.