VACATION

The greatest vacation I ever had

Was when I was just a barefoot lad

And sat in the shade at the fishing hole

With a bent pin and a willow pole-

The smell of leaves, the growing grass,

The lazy brook flowing past,

The shinning minnows swimming round-

The joy of living on the ground.

Some sandwiches, a little stale and dried,

In an old newspaper safely tied,

Tied tight with bits of colored string,

Made a feast for such a lowly king.

The thoughts of books, the chores of day

Were lost and seemed so far away.

That life was sweet. I lived it then

With a willow pole and an old bent pin.

The best in life I would gladly give

If once again I could live

With an old bent pin and a willow pole.

Jim Clark (age 84)

Maple plain, Minnesota

THE LAST LAMPS

It was the year 1950. All the rural schools in Clark County had electricity except one. That was Taft School. It was a relatively new building with a good heating system and had a room sort of meant for a kitchen but that deal went out before the cooking took over. That was the coat room. It did have outdoor plumbing - the path kind.

In the fall of 1950, I was faced with the first and only rural school without electric lights. That also meant no radio programs. I was determined to see that the children got the most out of their years in school.

The year started off with a number of rainy days and so a record was begun as to when the sun was shining. Somehow that year there wasn’t much sunshine either.

Then came the Christmas program. What is a Christmas tree without lights! Small two-inch balloons were ordered. Then everyone worked hard to get air in those dinky things but they did look nice on the tree. The other decorations were much the same but no candles, no strings of electric lights -- just a plain tree.

With an inspiration to make the most of a bad deal, the old duplicator was put into action to run off copies of “favorite” Christmas songs. There would be a sing-a-long. Audience participation!

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The night of the program arrived. The bracket kerosene lamps were lighted. Farmers in the district hunted up their barn lanterns from the bygone days. It seemed that all the farms in the district had electricity but the school was sort of an orphan. Even more ironical was the fact that Gus Voight was on the school board. He had been a staunch crusader to get the Rural Electrification project going in the area. He had served on the board of directors too.

During the program, the need for electricity was dramatized when the audience was asked to sing from the sing sheets. It was not just singing the familiar first verse of the familiar tunes but the whole song. They all sang the first verse; about half made it through the second verse with the aid of flashlights and by the third verse the volume had sunk. When blessed with a forth verse, it really proved the point - electricity was needed.

Then came the time for the annual meeting in July. There was no question about needing electricity at the school. Posters were presented regarding the cloudy days and the bright days.

The battle was won. With the help of the children and the careful recording of the dark and bright days, the charts were ready for the meeting. The point was proven and the school would have electricity.

The building was wired that summer. Then came the time to take down the lovely gilded lamp brackets. Had I been a thief or a vulture I would have carried them home. Or perhaps if I would have had the brass to ask, I might have been given the beautiful treasures. Maybe I could have bought them for a reasonable price. Anyway they were put up in the attic.

The 1951-1952 school year was a happy one for the children with Professor Gordon’s outstanding music program on the state station and light on the dark days. Christmas sparkled with lights on the Christmas tree. The last dark days of the rural schools were gone.

The building still stands and is the home of LeRoy Muellers. The lamps and brackets were gone from the attic when they bought the place.

Florence Garbush

Route 2

Loyal, Wis. 54446

 

RUTH (VINE) KISSINGER

Ruth Vine Kissinger was born May 6, 1906 in the Town of Grant, Clark County, the daughter of Mr. And Mrs. George Vine. She writes:

I attended Kurth School for eight years, then the Neillsville High School and was graduated from the County Teachers Training School in Neillsville in 1914. I then attended Stevens Point Teachers College and in 1936 received a degree in special education from the Wisconsin State University-Eau Claire.

My career spans back to 1924 when I started teaching all eight grades at the Grant School in the Town of Fremont.

After being married in 1926, I raised my five sons, returning to Grant School in 1945, teaching there until 1950. Then I went on to Heathville, Town of Fremont for eight years.

In 1961 I became involved in the special education project established by the county, continued in that capacity until going to Marshfield.

It seems to me special education is necessary but I do not approve of the segregation of kids, as I think that all children should learn to give and take. I would like to see all children in a grade in the same classroom. I do believe the special education has come a long way. When I started teaching special education, the attitude of the other children was very negative. They were calling the special education kids, retards. Recess was at a different time for those in special education.

This has all changed. I think that the kids have learned to accept these slow learners. Also, they now all play together which is extremely helpful to both groups of children.

I would like to stress that the students in these special education classes are not retarded but only learn much slower and have trouble in certain areas. I had one child win the spelling contest in all the

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Marshfield schools.

How has education changed in fifty years?

Years ago, teachers were proud of their many conveniences which today would be considered quite inadequate. I would leave for school early to have the building warm and clean by the time the children arrived. It was my duty to build the fire in the little pot-bellied heater standing in the corner. Also, to sweep out the two out-houses, often filled with snow. A teacher became a jack-of-all-trades. I kindled wood, trapped mice, mended ropes, carried out ashes, bandaged sore fingers, rubbed bruises, refereed fights, and carried drinking water a half mile. We all drank from a pail and a dipper. (No sickness either!) What would the teacher do today? I know because I have become that new teacher-I wait for the aide to come in.

This is one of the firsts I am most proud that I have taught four generations of the same family.

Starting back in 1924, I taught Anne (Jensen) Hildebrandt at Grant School. In 1945 I taught Anne’s daughter Karen (now my daughter-in-law). In 1960 I taught Karen’s daughter, Barbara, at Heathville School, and now I am teaching little Joshua Griesbach, my great grandson, who lives next door.

Ruth Vine Kissinger

Chili, Wisconsin 54420

THE CLARK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

There was talk of building a new jail in the early 1960’s. The charming old castle-the Clark Co. Jail of 1897-could never be replaced as a landmark in the county. So the Clark County Historical Society was organized with the main purpose of preserving the building for posterity.

In the meantime the Society took up other projects and three registered landmarks were set. There is also one historical marker-HOME of COLBY CHEESE-at Colby.

During the early years numerous speakers from the State Historical Society of Wisconsin were paid to come to the meetings. Later more local resource people contributed to the programs.

A series of nationality (ethnic) programs were most graciously presented and much was learned about the settlement of the county. These began with the Danish at Withee in 1970. That was followed by the Ukrainian at Neillsville, the Slovenian at Willard, the Polish at Thorp, the Finnish at Owen, the Czech south of Neillsville, the Germans at Neillsville, the Norwegians at Greenwood, the Swiss at Neillsville, the Lithuanians at Thorp, the Croatians and Serbians at Chili, the Swedish at Abbotsford and the English at Withee. The Wisconsin Welsh Singers came in to present a Gymamfa Ganu since the local Welshmen were rather scarce. There had also been an Indian recognition program prior to these. Between time many other talents were enjoyed. Two native writers, Vera Andrus and Mabel Jonkel had their special programs. A number of centennial programs were also presented in the 1970’s. Each was outstanding in its own right.

The meetings are held in various locations which has taken members to the far corners of the county where they had never gone before.

Through the efforts of the nationality programs, the State Historical Society of Wisconsin gave the Society recognition for the outstanding series. At the same event, Violet Teeples, the first president of the Society, was given recognition for her successful museum. Miss Teeples is currently a member of the board of directors.

When the Soo Line Railroad offered their Colby Depot to the Society, land was purchased in the city of Colby and the depot was moved to that location adjacent to the railroad line.

It has taken much diligent work to raise funds to keep the project going. The Abbotsford Unit of the National Guard has restored the loading dock and ramp. The Green Thumb workers painted and worked one summer.

This is a rural museum site and the two story building will be used for farm machinery of the bygone days, along with hand tools, lumbering artifacts and such. The depot freight room has items related to the dairy industry and there is an area devoted to the railroad.

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