Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

June 5, 1996, Page 20 Section B

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Good Old Days 

Clark County News

June 1876

 

By Dee Zimmerman

 

Fire at Colby – The extensive clothespin and shingle factory of D. J. Thomas, at Colby was totally destroyed by fire on Friday of last week.  The loss is estimated at $10,000, upon which there is an insurance of only $2,000, other policies which had been carried amounting to nearly the entire loss having expired but a short time previous.  About twenty-five have been thrown out of employment by the occurrence.

 

Martin Harrington, who left here about the first of May for the purpose of going to Washington DC to make personal application at headquarters for a pension promising to write home and expecting to return before this time, has not been heard from since his departure, and his friends are apprehensive that some misfortune has befallen him they have made several attempts to gain some traces of him but so far without the slightest success.

 

Last week, Carl Schoengarth, living in the town of Granton, lost his pocket-book, containing about $65, on his way home from this place.  It was found and returned to him after being lost several days.

 

We are to have a new bridge on Main Street.  The town board should be retained forever and then re-elected. (That would be O’Neill Creek and now Hewett Street.

 

Dance at Greenwood – A. F. Robinson and Co. are preparing to give a grand Centennial dance at their hall in Greenwood on the evening of July 4th, 1876.  No pains will be spared to make the entertainment a pleasant one.

 

The Langlade Enterprise states that a colony of two hundred Russian families has settled in the vicinity of Dorchester.  Buildings have been erected in the village for the temporary accommodation of those who have not located elsewhere.

 

Lost – Between Stephen Short’s in the Town of Washburn, and Neillsville; two braids of light brown hair.  The finder, by leaving the same at this office, will be suitably rewarded.

 

The committee has decided to charge fifty cents a number for the dance at the Court House on the “Fourth”.  This trifling amount will be barely sufficient, however large the attendance, to pay the necessary attending expenses.  No pains will be spared to make it the best party of the kind ever given in Neillsville.  Whitcomb’s Augusta Band, the best quadrille band in this part of the state, will furnish the music.  The spacious hall will be tastefully and appropriately decorated for the occasion, and a general invitation is extended to all.

 

June 1896

 

There will be a picnic in Hewett’s grove next Sunday, for the benefit of the Norwegian Lutheran Church.  There will be a service in the morning and speaking in the afternoon by Rev. Munson of Armhurst.  Dinner and other refreshments will be served and everybody is welcome.

 

A party of four recently passed, down Black River by boat bound from Hemlock to La Crosse for the fun there is in it.

 

Loyal is preparing to hold a big 4th of July celebration.  Geo. L. Jacques will deliver the oration, Neillsville and Loyal base-ball teams will play a match game, and there will be a ball with dancing in the evening.

 

Uncle Steve Andrews says that he began milking cows 68 years ago last Sunday and has kept it up ever since.  He said he enjoyed it the first year but now he not only has to milk, but also has to strain milk and churn, he will sell out cheap.  Aunt Hattie says that if he didn’t look so rocky he would have to work over the butter too.  (Greenwood Gleaner)

 

June 1911

 

Last Thursday evening was the wedding of Miss. Marian O’Neill and Forest Calway, at the home of the bride’s parent, Judge and Mrs. O’Neill.

 

The bridal couple descended the stairs, entered the bower in the bay window where Mrs. O’Neill and Judge Helms awaited.  They were preceded by Ruth Free who strew rose petals in the path of the party.

 

The ribbon bearers formed an aisle through which came Miss. Lucille Lukens, the maid of honor, followed by the bride upon the arm of her father.  G. C. Youmans was the best man.  Judge Helms united the couple in marriage.  During the ceremony, Mrs. Snodgrass played Chopin’s Nocturne Opus 12.

 

The O’Neill home was beautifully decorated for the occasion.  The color scheme of the decorations of the living room in which the ceremony was performed was white.  The bay window was transformed into a bower of palms, bride’s roses, syringes and asparagus ferns.  The stairway was made into a lane of ferns through which the bridal party passed.  The color scheme of the dining room was pink, and the decorations were in pink roses, ferns, lilies of the valley, sweet peas and asparagus ferns.

 

The guests were served at small tables and the wedding party was seated at an elaborately decorated table in the dining room where a massive bouquet of pink roses held the center of the table, with pink roses and lilies of the valley scattered about the room.

 

Mrs. Calway is the only daughter of Judge and Mrs. O’Neill.  She has an exceptional literary and musical education.

 

Mr. Calway is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Calway, is a court reporter for this judicial district, and is one of Neillsville’s most energetic and capable young men.

 

The young couple left at midnight for New York, and were to sail on the New Amsterdam for Europe.  While abroad they will tour Europe, returning about Sept. 15.

 

(The Judge O’Neill home was built in the late 1800’s and still stands on the southeast corner of State and 4th Street intersection.  Judge O’Neill was a nephew of his uncle and namesake, James O’Neill, Neillsville’s founder.  Forest and Marian Calway lived in the brick house, built by them, on the second lot east of her parent’s home.)

The Walter Reber cheese factory was located three miles south-west of Granton, on Pray road near Hwy. 10 intersection.

 

South Lynn Dairy was owned by Ed Decker, believed to have been on Cty. Hwy “W”, south of Hwy. 10.

 

Four miles east of Loyal, on Hwy. 98, at an intersection, the Kenneberg cheese (factory) was located.  It was later known as the Randt cheese factory.

 

The Sebesta dairy farm: circa 1920, six miles south and one and a half miles east of Neillsville.  The family is shown in the process of putting hay into the barn on a summer day.  Mrs. Sebesta drove the team pulling the rope that carried the fork full of hay up into the barn’s hay loft.  The couple’s four children stood nearby, watching.  The family built the silo with stone base and vertical board sides.  (Photo courtesy of Robert Sebesta, Sr.)

 

The Chili Co-op Milk Products factory along Cty Hwy “Y”

 

  (Recently we ran a photo of the Knoop Cheese Factory stating it was located on “G”.  A call informed us that was an error, was it in Willard?  Does anyone remember?  Please call if you do.)

 

 


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