The Good Old Days

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

Clark County News

November 1915

Work has progressed nicely on the new roads in the Town of Levis.  The Levis end of the Schoen road is open for travel.  Some work remains to be done on the Town of Komensky end of the county line road, but every effort will be made to have it ready for travel before winter sets in.  On the west road south of the stone cheese factory building, some fine roadwork has been done, 1 ¼ miles are completed with ¾’s of a mile being cleared.  Two new houses are being built along this road with the trees and stumps being taken off the land in readiness for farming.

The season for deer hunting opens today, November 11, and all of our local sportsmen will be on the firing line somewhere in the deer country.  Under the law, a hunter can kill only one buck deer, no doe or fawn can be killed.  No hunting dogs shall be allowed in the woods with hunters who are hunting any kind of game during November nor shall any hunting dogs be kept about the hunting camps.

James Flynn has recently passed away.  A resident of Neillsville for many years, Flynn is one of the oldest locomotive engineers in the state.  He died Nov. 3, at Rochester, Minn., where he had gone for surgical treatment.  He was born Dec. 24, 1841, at Great Barrington, Mass. and came to Janesville, Wis. with his parents as a boy.  At the age of 18 years, he went to work on the railroad as an engineer and remained in that occupation for 54 years.  He drove the engine which pulled the first train over the Rocky Mountains on the Santa Fe route in 1861.  During his years on the railroad, he was considered to have one of the safest and most efficient engineer records in the country.

He was married to Miss Ruane Allison at Afton, Wis., Nov. 10, 1869.  To them were born six children, four of whom survive:  Mrs. C. R. Sturdevant and Mrs. Guy C. Youmans of this city, Floyd of Eau Claire and Arthur of Sioux Falls, S.D.  A daughter Alma died when three years old and another, Grace (Mrs. F. O. Balch) died in 1906.  His wife, Ruane died in 1897.  In 1899 he was married to Miss Jennie Budge who survives him.  He leaves also two sisters, Mrs. Mary Rourke of Denver and Mrs. H. Darlington of La Grange, Ill.

Flynn retired from active service on the railroad three years ago.  For many years he was an honored member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.  There were 115 train men who attended the funeral service in memory of Flynn, among them, Asst. Supt. Nash and Div. Supt. C. D. Stockwell.

Herman Holtz is ready to book your auction dates and will take charge of the auction sales for you.  He charges reasonable fees and guarantees complete satisfaction.  Auctions can be done in German or English languages. Holtz’s office is at the Neillsville Hotel.

For 60 years Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Frantz, Sr. have traveled life’s path together and on Monday, they celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary at the home of their son, Rudolph and wife in the Town of Washburn.  At noon a large number of people, from a distance, gathered to extend congratulations and later sat down to a sumptuous dinner with the aged couple.  In the evening neighbors who lived nearby came.  Again and again the festal board was spread for all the friends gathered there to congratulate the honored couple.  Many tokens of remembrance were brought or sent by absent friends.  A box of beautiful flowers was sent by Mr. and Mrs. Roethe of Fennimore and graced the center of the festive table.

Mr. Frantz is 87 years old and the “bride” is 82; both are sound in mind and remember the occurrences of life clearly and are most interesting people to meet.  Frantz is probably the oldest resident in the Neillsville area.  He arrived in Black

River Falls in 1848 and was one of the earliest settlers in this vicinity.  He went to Ft. Atkinson to be married, returning with his bride with an ox-team through the wilderness a good part of the way.  They took an active part in pioneer affairs and experienced all the hardships of early life in a new country.

The other day a member of our newspaper visited the village of Chili in the Town of Fremont.

We have been told the village was named after the coldest day in January.

Friends told us that there are about 500 inhabitants in the village and very near every business is represented. There are two general stores, L. A. Reichert and Anton Hogensen.  There is a good sized opera hall owned by the Woodmen, two black-smith shops, two or three hotels, one butcher shop, cheese and butter factory, two hardware stores, three churches, one barber shop, harness shop, State bank, a good school, a doctor, and a good railroad station agent. There is also an elevator being built by the Farmers’ Produce Co., of which Clark Waterman is the manager.  Harry Ide built a machine and farm implements building with some hardware stock available, also.  Among those who have recently built houses are Theodore Harriman, Mrs. Anna Mundt, August Prust, George Ives, Hank Lapp and Herman Montag.  A new blacksmith shop is being built by Henry Breseman.

There are two new cheese factories being built in the Colby area.  Wm. Zassenhaus informs us that the frame for the cheese factory at Green Grove has been raised.  The Steinwand brothers are going to erect a cheese factory 1 and ½ miles south-east of Colby expecting it to be in running order by May 1^st.

An ornamental street light system known as a “white way” was provided for at the last session of the Neillsville City Council.  The system will consist of 24 lights along Main Street, eight in each block from the library corner on Fourth Street to the corner of the Merchants Hotel on Seventh Street.  The expenses of installation will be $2,222.40 to be paid in ten yearly installments.  The cost of operation will be $54 per month.  It is expected to be in operation by Christmas.  A lamp of similar power will be installed at all principal corners of the residential district of the city.

There was a large Thanksgiving Day gathering at the Methodist Church parlors which was a most pleasant affair.  It consisted of several families of the congregation together with other invited guests to join in a union dinner.  Joining them were several families who had recently moved here and the occasion gave them an excellent opportunity to make acquaintances.  The dinner and social time served as well for the renewal of old friendships among neighbors.  The idea as planned and carried out was most excellent.

A firm of electricians of La Crosse is drawing up blue prints for an electric sign for the Equity Garment Co. in Neillsville.  This will be the first sign of this kind in the city.

The first of next week, Bruley’s Elevator will have in an extra carload of hand-picked ear corn. The corn will sell for $19.50 per ton.  Leave your order with Bruley now as the corn won’t be available for long. 

A History of Wisconsin Deer Hunting

Deer hunting in Wisconsin has been a sport that existed even before statehood.  Otis S. Bersing, writing in his book, “A Century of Wisconsin Deer,” says that in 1868 LeSuers, an unlicensed trader wrote of hearing stags whistle near the Black River and of calling the deer with a wooden call.

In 1804-05, according to Bersing, a French clerk with the Northwest Fur Co. at Lac du Flambeau inventoried almost 10,000 deer skins taken by traders in the area now known as Iron, Oneida, and Vilas counties.

1851 – Season July 1 – any kind or number of deer, statewide, with no license requirements.  The wholesale price of venison in 1857 was 3 cents to 5 cents per pound.

1860-66 – Season: August 1 – January 1, any kind or number of deer, statewide, with no license requirements.  More than 3,000 deer were brought into Eau Claire for shipment in 1866.  The last native elk in Wisconsin was taken in Dunn County in 1866.

1877-79 – Deer season September 15 – January 1, for any kind or number of deer in 70 counties.  No license was required.  A special season was established from October 16 – October 31 in Burnett County for any kind or number of deer.  In 1879, deer were reported plentiful in Chippewa, Clark and Richland counties.  The same year venison sold in Eau Claire at 5 cents to 6 cents per pound.

1897 – The first bag limit was established. Hunters could take two deer of either sex in a 20-day season from November 1 – 20.  The first deer hunting license, which cost $1.00, was required and 12,000 were sold.  A non-resident license cost $30.  The season was open in 60 counties.

1907 – The first extensive closing of counties was experienced.  Thirty-six of the state’s southern counties were closed to deer hunting.  The season, November 11 – 30, allowed the taking of two deer of either sex by residents, but only one deer by a non-resident.

1909 – The first season during which residents were restricted to take one deer.  Hunters were required to be citizens of 15 years of age or over.  One hundred three thousand (103,000) licenses were sold and 3,985 deer were shipped by rail after the season.

1915 – The first season during which hunters were required to shoot only bucks.  The season ran from November 11 - 30 and was open in 30 counties.  Some 149,000 licenses were sold.

1917 – A 10 per cent paper deer tag was required for the first time.  The non-resident license fee was increased to $50 and the first settlers’ licenses were issued.  Laws prohibited any person, while hunting or possessing firearms, from also having possession of any light for the purpose of hunting deer.

1920 – Hunters were restricted to taking one buck with antlers not less than three inches in length.  The season was for 10 days, from November 21 - 30.  Metal deer tags were used for the first time.  Hunters purchased 69,479 licenses for the season which was open in only 27 counties.

1925 – Deer season was closed in Wisconsin for the first time establishing an alternate open-closed system that resulted in closed seasons in 1927, 1929, 1931, 1933 and 1935.

1933 – The Wisconsin Conservation Congress, and advisory body to the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board, was first initiated.

1934 – The first Wisconsin bow and arrow season was authorized.  Deer tag sales were 83,398 for the gun season which was from November 24 – 30.  The season was open in only 22 counties.

1935 – Deer starvation was reported in northern counties and the US Forest Service requested the removal of 14,000 deer in the Chequamegon area of Ashland, Price and Sawyer counties by controlled deer hunting.  Over browsing was occurring in northern deer yards.

1937 – The first voluntary sportsman license was passed. The fee for the license was $5.00 and portions of the funds were used for acquiring refuges and hunting areas.  Deer tag sales reached 90,906 for the 3-day season from November 26 – 28 which is the shortest on record.  The season was open in 30 counties for forked-horn bucks or larger. 

1939 – Use of buckshot for deer was prohibited for the first time.  Licensees between the ages of 12 – 16 were required to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  Deer hunters purchased 109,630 deer tags for a 7-day season, November 25 – December 1, which required hunters to take only forked-horn bucks with a one-inch or longer fork.  The season was open in 30 counties.

1942 – Hunters were required for the first time, to wear back tags.

The 9-day season required hunters to take forked-horn bucks with an antler having a fork one-inch or longer.  Hunters purchased 120,605 licenses and killed an estimated 45,188 deer.

Before 1951, the first deer law in Wisconsin was passed.  It and the following are from Bersing’s compilations of deer laws in the state:

1943 – A split season was established with the first four days, November 18-21, a season on forked horn bucks in 44 counties and the second season, November 25 – 28, open in 33 counties for antlerless deer, does and fawns.  It was the first season on antlerless deer in 24 years.  Some 157,824 hunters purchased licenses.

1950 – The first deer season for either sex since 1919.  The 7-day season was from November 18 – 24, and resulted in deer tag sales of 312,570.  The season was open in 47 counties.

1953 – For the first time, deer were required to be registered.  Registration counties showed 15,880 deer taken during the season by 234,032 hunters.  The 7-day season, from November 28 – December 4, was for forked-horn bucks or larger with an antler that has a fork one inch or longer.  The season was open in 53 counties.

1957 – The first party permit system was adopted.  The system allowed four hunters to apply for a bonus deer of either sex. Hunters purchased 288,903 licenses and took 68,138 deer.

1959 – For the first time, the registered deer harvest in Wisconsin exceeded 100,000 deer, although estimated deer harvest exceeded 128,000 in 1943.  The season total was 105,595.  Hunters purchased 345,443 licenses.

1963 – The party permit bonus was tied to a variable quota management system and for the first time was issued only in specific deer management units.

1980 – Hunter’s choice system instituted allowing an individual hunter to apply on a quota basis, for validation of his other license as an any-sex license, 139,624 deer taken by 618,333 licensed hunters.

1981 – A record deer gun season harvest of 166,673 animals, including an all-time high adult buck kill of 99,034.  Archers also set a record with 29,083 deer taken.

1982 – For the first time in history, hand guns will be legal for the Wisconsin gun-deer season.  Providing they meet the requirements of the new regulations.  A hand gun has to be loaded with .357, .41 or .46 magnum caliber cartridges and have a barrel length of 5 ½ inches from muzzle to firing pin.

This group of duck hunters had an excellent day of hunting.  There are 90 ducks in the photo, including those lying on the ground.  The photo indicates, “six hours of hunting on the Black River in Nov. 1911, by Neillsville boys.”