Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

July 16, 1997, Page 16, Section B

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Good Old Days

 Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News of 1897

 

A farm of 10 acres can be made to produce most all of the things a family needs and can be run at small expense.  To begin with, a driving horse and two cows can be kept on it, at little cost.  The horse will give a world of pleasure to the family.  If so managed, one of the cows will freshen in the spring and the other in the fall, furnishing milk and cream in abundance, as well as furnishing all the butter needed.  A quarter of an acre of poultry yard, stocked with forty or fifty chicken hens will provide eggs and chickens in abundance, as well as raising a few turkeys for holiday feasting.  An acre in garden and small fruits will furnish vegetables and berries sufficient for the family’s needs.  The garden will provide a constant succession from the time asparagus comes in April until winter sets in.  The cellar will be stocked with preserves, fruits and vegetables to last through the winter.  Allowing two acres of land for pasture, for the garden and the truck patch which includes a quarter of an acre and have an acre for ornamental grounds around the house, we have six and one half acres left to cultivate.

 

B. L. Montgomery has sold his farm in Levis to S. M. Marsh of this city and started Tuesday on an overland journey with his family for Boulder, Colo., where he has a brother.  H. H. Hunter, formerly of Nevins, has started ahead with his team and family.  The two families will meet in Southern Minnesota and proceed, journeying together.

 

The John Paul Lumber Co. will sell their lands in the following towns: Lynn, Levis, Eaton, Beaver, Withee, Green Grove, Warner, Mead, Hixon and Hoard, and some in the Town of Rock, Wood, Co; both improved and unimproved.

 

For particulars call or address W. L. Hemphill, Neillsville.

 

The fountain, the fence, the house and other accessories at the Dewhurst home have been painted.  But the artist spared the Terra Cotta rabbits.

 

Herman Stelter and Gertrude Van Nostrand both of this city, were married at the residence of the bride’s father, Daniel Van Nostrand, at eleven o’clock a.m. with Rev. G. N. Foster officiating.  The young couple took the 1:30 p.m. train to Mosinee where they will reside.  May their cup of happiness always be brimming, is the wish of the Neillsville people.

 

Work began recently on the excavation for the new Walk Bros. block cellar.  Pat Loy has the contract; also will do the stone and brick work.

 

A large camping party of young folks of the city, we hear, headed by Principal Morrison, will soon go into camp down near the big flooding dam at the Dells where they will fish, fry fish, and lead a lawless life.

 

We wish them a fun time.

 

We have received word from some Dells Dam campers – New Camping ground was discovered on the south side of the river, near the dam and has been taken possession of by the Misses Servaty and cousin Mr. Jos. Schwarble, Mr. and Mrs. John Servaty and Clair, Mrs. Mick and son, John.  Mr. and Mrs. Hill and family set up their tent at the same place.  The camping place is quite new and has many advantages.  A few of these will be mentioned. (1) It is eight miles from Neillsville and thus far from the maddening crowd. (2) We have mosquitoes! (3) We have a steam shovel that lifts a truck load of sand in one dig. (4) We have a beautiful path about half a mile in length, newly blazed through the woods to the river. (5) We have Wedges Creek.  (6) We have rabbits that play at hide-and-seek all day across the road and through the woods. (7) We have splendid fishing. (8) We have dry, sandy soil, which absorbs the rain and still cries for more. (9) We have the murmur of the dam, the hoot of the owl and the cry of the ship-poor-will to send us to sleep and the bob white to waken us. (10) We have Harrison Lowrie with his strawberry and melon patches.  We ask our friends not to make a rush out to Dells Dam, at least not for a couple of weeks.

 

Neillsville lacks a millionaire, but has a good many thousand-aires.

 

Wm. Lezotte of Grant and Clara Noel of Pine Valley were married, this month, at the M. E. parsonage, by Rev. G. N. Foster.

 

Capt. P. H. Ray, formerly of this state, has been ordered to Alaska by the war department to establish a military post at or near the new gold fields.  The Pacific Coast is lined with people crazy to get to Alaska.  Henry Dore is back from Alaska after eight months of bitter experience.  He went with $30.  At one time, he lived for a month on flour and water.  The other extreme is represented by a Mr. Berry, who has returned worth two or three million dollars. 

 

The Alaska gold rush excitement has stuck a Neillsville group with a considerable force and the following companies are leaving this week for the Alaskan gold district on the Klondike and its neighboring streams: Charley Breel, woodsman; Charley Gates, woodsman, Geo. Huntzicker, the leading rifle shot of the state, Frank Hewett and Gus Klopf.  They are grub – staked by friends here who prefer the money hazard, to the personal risk of a journey to the faraway region of the Arctic cold and danger, where summers are but six weeks long and human existence through many sunless winter days almost a miracle.

 

May the Neillsville boys overcome the bleakness and loneliness of the polar land, overcoming all obstacles, and return with bags of the precious metal.

 

The Greenwood Gleaner and the Loyal Tribune are moving into new quarters.

 

Company A, of Neillsville returned from Camp Douglas, last week, looking as brown and weather-beaten as old veterans.  They did not get everything in sight but had all the honors they could carry.  Monday night was pay night for the boys; each received $6 for their week’s work at camp.

 

The Pleasant Ridge Church has been painted, and once again presents a respectable outside appearance.  The haying around the area is done, and now people think they can go blue-berrying.

 

The dance held in the new store at Globe was well attended last Saturday.

 

Merchant Tailoring by C. F. Schulz & Son, every suit or garment made is guaranteed.  Leave measurements at the Old Stand, corner of Sixth and Court Streets.

 

Stannard & Meader, Grocers, located in Gates Block, near corner of East & Second Streets, next to the Hewett and Woods building.

 

July 1947

 

July 4th weekend was provided with a variety of entertainment.  July 4th – a baseball game was held 2:30 p.m. at the fair-grounds; water sports were held on O’Neill Creek, 3 p.m.; wildlife display and free movies at American Legion grounds; fireworks at dusk.

 

July 5th – Baseball, 2:30 p.m.; free movies in the evening at the Legion grounds; dance in evening.

 

July 6th – Baseball at 2:30 p.m.; free movies in the evening; dance in evening.

 

Dr. A. J. Fahrner opened a dental office here in Neillsville this week.  A native of Mosinee, Fahrner recently returned from serving in the Marine Corps.

 

Lawrence Duchow & his Red Raven Orchestra will play for a dance at the Inwood Ballroom on July 17.

 

There will be a big dance at the Granton Village Hall, Tuesday, July 15 with music by Dale Simons & his Blue Denim Boys.

 

Dance at the Country Ballroom, Marshfield Sunday, July 13: Music by Volovsek’s 8-piece family orchestra; Admission 50 cents plus 10 cents tax.

 

July 12, Dance at the Lakeside Inn, South shore of Rock Dam, Music by Frank Buresh.

 

Silver Dome Ballroom has a new policy – free dancing every Saturday night.  This Saturday’s music will be by the Benny Graham Orchestra.  Thursday, July 17, “Whoopee John”

 

Wanted – 14 and 16 ft. red oak lumber must be select grade.  Call the Rapids Boat Co., phone 3000, Neillsville.

 

Ride the Greyhound bus, round-trip to Marshfield, 90 cents; round-trip to Eau Claire, $1.90.

 

H. H. Van Gorden & Sons Feed Mill Special – 100 lbs. Sugar $9.89, car load now on the railroad track next to the mill.

 

Gasoline and other light oils are in short supply in the Clark County area.

 

Some local stations have been shut down for two or three days at a time due to no gasoline in their tanks.  All bulk plant quotas have been cut for this summer.

 

The Cloverbelt All Star baseball game has been postponed to July 30, when it will be the central attraction in the dedication of a new $15,000 recreation field in Stanley.   The game will start at 8:30 p.m., and will be played under lights on the new Chapman field.

 

Driving along Highway H, in Clark County, a Leason windmill is visible, located near the roadway.  It spins and rotates in the wind, its position indicating the wind’s direction. 

 

In recent years, the windmill was assembled by Everett Kauffman, who lived on the same Town of Fremont farm for all but two of his “seventy-plus year’s lifetime.”  Kauffman will be remembered by many for the 33 years he served on the Clark County Board.   He had also been on the Town of Fremont Board for 21 years.

 

Kauffman had a great interest in Clark County’s past as well as its future.  He was actively involved with the Clark County Historical Society.

 

Having always lived on a farm, he wanted to find and restore, a Leason windmill, a project for his retirement years.  After five years of searching the entire Clark County area, he was able to find a part here - a part there - eventually collecting enough parts to assemble his historical dream – an operating Leason windmill.  The reason for the long search, Kauffman wanted only Leason parts.  He had a well dug, a cast-iron pump set upon the well and then the windmill was anchored above both, operable and capable of pumping water by wind power.

 

Kauffman died a few months ago.  However, his completed retirement project, an operating Leason windmill remains on his family farmstead, a symbolic reminder of Clark County’s history and the man who labored in securing its future and past.

 

Looking across the Central Wisconsin landscape at the turn of the century, windmills were commonly seen, here and there, each farm having one and some two windmills, needed to pump well water for the livestock.

 

Established in 1862, the Leason Pumps & Windmills factory was located along north Hewett Street, east side, in the eleven hundred block of Neillsville.

 

Notice the wooden barrel placed on the roof, what was its purpose, a fire extinguisher?

(Photo courtesy of Clark County Historical Society)

 

 


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