August 1908

The H. J. Grelle Butter and Egg Company of Johnson Creek have purchased the Lange Creamery here in Neillsville.  Yesterday morning, they opened the creamery up for business and are operating it at full blast.

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The blueberry season is shorter than usual by almost a month, this year, on account of a partial failure in the swamps and lowlands.  Some idea of the extent of the harvest can be learned from the number of cases shipped and the amount paid for them.  The B. J. Stallard Co. has shipped 951 cases and has paid over $1,000 to the pickers. Will Barr bought, for the company, 8,299 quarts of the berries in the fishpond vicinity and hauled them to Humbird.

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Charles Cornelius received a fine new Cadillac touring car last week.  He is making the dust fly as he travels in front of the other automobilists.

F. O. Balch was at Loyal last Friday evening in his automobile.  As he was winding the car up preparatory for the start home, an old gentleman standing nearby remarked, “I expect you can go quite a few miles in one hour in one of those things.”  “Yes,” replied Balch, “some hours and then again some times it takes quite a few hours to go one mile.”

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Mrs. Emery Bruley wants a few apprentice girls who want to learn the millinery trade.  She would prefer one of them to be able to speak German.  Each will be given a $5 hat at the close of the season.

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Monday, a deal was closed whereby Robert N. Riley traded 560 acres of land, near Lindsay, to August Schoengarth for the O’Neill Hotel and the Frank Lynch livery barn, at the rear of the hotel.  Riley took possession of the barn Monday, but the trade will not affect the lease of the hotel held by Bert Dresden.  Riley is a pleasing young gentleman and will endeavor to serve the public in a satisfactory and accommodating manner.

Also, wanted at the O’Neill House; one good German bartender.

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Pick up the description of some land for sale at the Neillsville Times office. The land is to be sold at a sacrifice: 360 acres of cut-over land in the Town of Seif at $6 per acre.

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A special election will be held on September 1^st in the Town of Green Grove.  Its purpose will be of bonding the town to raise necessary funds to build new roads throughout the town.  This move is crowded upon the town from the fact that so many settlers have moved in recently and have no way of traveling to the markets.  They expect to borrow the money from the state, which will call for 3.5 or 4 per cent interest.  The loan will be made for 12 years.

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Last Sunday, Frank Lepke landed another monster muskellunge, this time in Weston Rapids.  It weighed a trifle over 19 lbs and was a beauty.  The rest of the fishermen in Neillsville had better get together and tie Lepke up before he catches all the fish in the Black River.

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Next Saturday, afternoon, the businessmen on West 7^th Street, will offer a free attraction. Between 2 and 3 o’clock, a slack wire artist will perform on a wire string put up from Schultz’ hotel to the Connor Lumber Co. office.  Then between 3 and 4 o’clock, a horse race will be pulled off for a cash prize of $2.  All horses are eligible to be entered.

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Tuesday morning, a double wedding occurred at the Catholic Church, when Miss Caroline Auman and Peter Wingenter and Miss Mary Auman and William Gaden were united in marriage. Father Auman, of Madison, a brother of the brides, performed the ceremony.  Miss Angeline Wingenter, and Gotlieb Auman were the bridesmaid and best man for the first named couple and Miss Clara Gaden and Joseph Wingenter acted in a like capacity for the other couple.  After the ceremony, a celebration was held at the home of the brides’ parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Auman, who live northwest of the city.

Mr. Gaden and Mr. Wingenter are both valued and trusted employees at the furniture factory, industrious and hard-working young men.  Their brides are two of the most excellent young ladies, who have the love and esteem of a large circle of friends.

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The Town of Grant is experiencing considerable trouble in trying to build the Robert Riedel Bridge across the O’Neill Creek.  The other day, an attempt was made to remove the water in the holes dug for the piers of the bridge foundation.  First, they tried pumping the water out with a hand pump and this proved to be too slow. A steam pump was ordered from Minneapolis and it came along with a man to operate it. But trying as hard as they could, it wouldn’t work. The town board finally decided to buy a new pump and have it shipped here by express to arrive here early this week. It will be an expensive bridge, to say the least.

August 1948

The Wisconsin Centennial observance will have its place in the 76^th Clark County fair, which will be held here August 20 to 23, inclusive.  Keynoting the 100^th Anniversary of Wisconsin’s statehood will be a centennial exhibit prepared by the homemakers of Clark County, according to Harold Huckstead, fair secretary.  The exhibit will be prominently housed in the fine arts building and will be of unusual interest to all, a special interest to the women of Clark County, Huckstead said.

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About 300 relatives and friends came to the home of Mr. and Mrs. William Sternitzky on Sunday afternoon and evening of July 25, to congratulate them on their 60^th wedding anniversary.

Rev. William A. Baumann of St. John’s Lutheran Church, of Neillsville, had a special sermon for them at Zion Lutheran Church, of Granton, Sunday morning.  After the service, to their surprise, a trimmed-top two-seated buggy and horse waited for them outside the church.  The horse and buggy were driven by the honored couple’s grandson, Wayne Sternitzky.  Mr. Sternitzky said he really enjoyed the buggy ride home.

A dinner was served to 65 close relatives.  A wedding cake, baked by their daughter-in-law, Mrs. Raymond Sternitzky, decorated the table.  Gifts tied with colored ribbons were attached to bouquets of flowers and placed as decorations on the table also.

Ferdinand Riedel, of Marshfield, sang several selections during the noon hour and he also did instrumental playing in the evening.

The Granton Village Band, under the direction of Mrs. Crandel, played during the afternoon.  Leo Sternitzky and son, Gerald, played several selections on their cornets, in the evening.

A mock wedding was performed by Miss Retta Ure, as the bride, Wayne Sternitzky as groom, Caroline Noll and Betty Sternitzky, serving as bridesmaids, Herbert Nickel and Jerald Sternitzky were groomsmen, with Norbert Sternitzky as the minister.

The couple received many gifts.  Ice cream and cake was served to all of the relatives and friends.

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Grand View’s baseball team got on a merry-go-round last Sunday afternoon and rolled up 25 scores before the Stables team was able to stop its gyrations. Stables scored twice.

By winning their game, Grand View remained a half game behind the Globe team, leaders in the Southern Clark County league.  Globe spanked Granton’s team, Sunday afternoon, 19 to 5.

The league’s pennant will be on the line when Grand View entertains Globe next Sunday afternoon.  A victory for Globe would give them a one and one-half game lead, virtually assuring them of the pennant.

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The first meeting of the local American Legion post membership in its fine new building, bordering O’Neill Creek on Hewett Street, will be held tonight, August 12, at 8 p.m.

While the building is far from competed (completed), the hall is sufficiently well along to permit the meeting to be held there.  As a matter of fact, the meeting will concern itself mainly with problems pertaining to the construction and financing of the new hall.

For this reason, Adj. Walter Beyer urges all members of the post to attend tonight’s meeting.

Among matters for discussion, according to Beyer, will be a drive for raising funds to finance the construction.  A plan already has been devised and adopted.  This consists of the offering of interest-bearing notes of $25 and more.  They are being made available to the general public, as well as to Legion members, on the theory that the new Legion hall is considered a community improvement.  Many civic-minded persons of Neillsville will look upon the purchase of these notes as a two-fold investment: civic, as well as monetary.

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A merger of the Zion Reformed and the Congregational Churches has been projected and is under consideration by the members. A preliminary discussion, called at the suggestion of Rev. N. J. Dechant, pastor of the Zion Church, as held last week.  It was attended by various officers of both congregations and was held in the uncompleted basement of the Congregational Church building.  The discussion there was wholly tentative, but has been followed by talk among the members and by the invitation from the Zion members that the Congregationalists should join forces with them temporarily while the question of a pastor for the Congregational Church is upon the Congregational program.

The primary objective of such a merger, according to some of its proponents, would be a greatly enlarged program.  This would mean, it is said, a salary sufficiently attractive to secure one preacher and pastor and perhaps a progressive step in the direction of religious education and recreation. Each of the churches is separately of modest size and is limited in ability to put on an adequate program.  The Congregational Church has just received the resignation of its pastor and Rev. Dechant is understood to have suggested his willingness to resign, a step which is customary in church mergers.

Both churches are facing problems with reference to their property and both must make some arrangements within the not distant future.  The Zion congregation has a frame church building well located in a residential area on Fifth Street, with a good parsonage to the south of it.  Both of these properties are clear and the church has an accumulated building fund of between $3,000 and $4,000.

The Zion building, however, is not in good condition.  It dates back half a century or so and seems not to have been sturdily constructed.  An architect, retained by the Zion people, has given the opinion that it would not pay to repair or remodel the present structure.  This means the ultimate necessity of a new building.

The Congregational people have a parsonage on South Hewett and the church edifice at the corner of Fifth and West, within the business district.  The parsonage was bought a little more than a year ago upon an installment plan of purchase and there is a balance of $3,000.  The church building is of solid brick construction, with a heavy stone foundation. A little more than a year ago, the Congregationalists entered upon a program of reconstructing the basement and this work has not been completed.  Total expenditures upon this work have thus far been around $7,000, of which about $2,700 has been met from current receipts and past accumulations.  There is a present debt of about $4,300, the great part of which is represented by their time loans.

As to what might result physically in case of a merger of the congregations, there has been no definite planning.  If the preliminary discussions among the members lead to a detailed exploration of the possibilities, it is probable that a definite program will be worked out by a joint committee and submitted for approval.

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Lorraine Helen Hagedorn, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hagedorn, became the bride of H. Robert Shaw, son of George Shaw, at 3 p.m. Saturday at St. John’s Lutheran Church.  Rev. William Baumann officiated at the ceremony.

Maid-of-honor was Miss Rosie Weiting and the bridesmaids were Anola Tews and Shirley Shaw.  Edgar Sly served as best man and Louis Shaw, Jr., and Clarence Hagedorn served as ushers.  Franklin Meier was ring bearer and Dianne Hoffman was flower girl.  One hundred guests attended the wedding and the reception, which followed at the bride’s home.

The young couple will be at home at 220 ½ West 7^th Street, Neillsville.

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The invasion of higher lands by swamp rattlers in this area is being blamed on the dry weather.

Several poisonous rattle snakes have been killed in the area in recent days.  Lawrence Freedlund killed one last week while making hay in a marsh east of the Freedlund farm.  A few weeks ago, another rattler was killed in the Connie Bayko yard and Theodore Schwanebeck killed one in his farm yard also.

People hereabouts believe the unusually dry weather has caused the rattlers to come up from the swamps near Hay Creek.

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This season’s first no-hit, no-run baseball game in this area was hung up Sunday afternoon by Toddy Wall and the Neillsville “Teen-Agers”

In a seven-inning tilt, the Neillsville “Teen-Agers” slashed out a 17 to 0 triumph behind the baffling servings of young Wall.  The game, originally scheduled for nine innings, was called because of darkness.

Only 23 Lynn batters faced Wall during the seven frames.  Two got on base, both through errors by Wall’s team mates.  Wall’s fete was the more remarkable because he did not issue a single walk.

The “Teen-Agers” have played several games this year and recently gave a good accounting of themselves against the Marshfield Brewers of the Wisconsin Valley league.

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The Huckstead family was actively involved with the Clark County Fair during their years of farming.  The family home, looking much the same as when they lived there, is on the north side of Highway 10, west of the Cardinal Avenue intersection.