September 1908

It may not be generally known that there is a state law providing help for poor persons suffering from tubercular trouble.  If they are not able to bear the expense of care, personally, they may make an application to the county judge for commitment to the state tubercular sanitarium at Wales, Waukesha County.  If the person is found deserving of the care, an expense of $5, a week, may be charged to the county.

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The expert to set up the Loyal water tower arrived this week.  A gas engine has been installed at the powerhouse and is now in operation.  At the Tuesday village board meeting, it was decided to charge 60 cents, flat, for lights, no matter whether you use one light or 20.  Those who have electric meters will be charged 12 cents for 1000 watts.

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A tramp that came to Neillsville was jailed Saturday night.  Monday morning he was given his choice of 90 days in jail or 15 minutes to get out of town.  He left town.

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Twenty years ago, the value of a piece of land, in this area, was regulated by the amount of standing timber upon it.  The value of the land itself was considered a negligible quantity.  Then years ago, cut-over lands ranged in price from $5 to $10 per acre; today these same lands are selling at $15 to $30 per acre.  In years to come, the land will probably be bringing from $50 to $100 per acre.

Every young man should make it a point to get hold of a piece of land.  Buy a farm, an acre or a city lot, but be sure and gets some kind of land.  Even if you have not more than $10 to begin with, buy what you can.  This will encourage the habit of saving along with the investment and can give a man that feeling of being a property owner.

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A farmers’ cooperative creamery has been organized in western Pine Valley and eastern Hewett towns.  It will be known as the Pine Valley Creamery Association.  The following officers were elected: Fred Sauerberg, president; Fred Wiesner, treasurer; O. Orvold, Sect.  Land for the creamery site has been secured on the south side of the railroad track at Sidney.  Work will begin at once on the new building which will be 28 feet by 60 feet.  The site of the creamery will make an excellent one, as the products can be shipped directly without necessity of hauling.

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After a long illness, John MacMillan died at his home, this week.

MacMillan was born in Stormont, Ontario, Canada on November 29, 1844.  At the age of 13 years, he left home to take up the battle of life and to hew his way to success and fortune.  He went to Michigan, residing there for four years.  He then came to Wisconsin and started to learn the lumbering business from the ground, up.  To this end, he became a woodsman and also worked on the lumber rafts on the Mississippi River.  He made Neillsville his home although much of his time was spent in the woods.  His early schooling in the woods was time well spent as is attested by the eminent success he later made in his business operations.

In the early 1870s, he was associated with the late F. D. Lindsay in lumbering, under the firm of MacMillan & Lindsay.  He was later the superintendent of the Black River Improvement Co.  During this period, his business sagacity began to have its reward.  He was shrewd in his investments and rarely erred in his judgments.  He was one of the coteries of men who were successful in his business operations, but at the same time was energetic in his efforts to develop Clark County.  In addition to his lumbering interests, MacMillan was also associated in various other enterprises.  He was at one time manager and director of the Iowa-Wisconsin Coal Co., and also had large holdings in western timber.  He was largely interested in the Neillsville Bank, being a director of that institution at the time of his death.

In 1875, MacMillan was united in marriage to Miss Mary McIntyre at Cornwall, Canada and they then came to Neillsville to make their home.  That had four children, Donald, Beatrice, Eva and Mrs. Frank Wing, who remain to comfort the bereaved wife.  Two sisters and a brother, who reside in Canada, also survive the deceased.

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Tuesday afternoon, Edmond’s planning (planing) and feed mill, in Granton, was totally destroyed by a fire.  The fire seemed to have originated near a gasoline tank and soon afterwards the building was wrapped in flames.  Prompt action by those fighting the fire, kept the flames contained to the mill area.

September 1948

Lewis Bulgrin, Owen businessman, suffered shock and a cut finger when his airplane crashed at the Owen airport on Friday morning.

The wing tip caught a tree, the only one within 150 feet, as he came in for a landing and the plane crashed.  Bulgrin owns a cottage in Minocqua and has been commuting by plane to his business in Owen.

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Important changes have been made recently in the ownership of cheese factories in Clark County.

Food Cooperative, Inc., which was an organization of food stores, has retired from this field.  They will buy their cheese in the open market.  The result is that the old Ludwig Johnson factory on No.10 is back in the hands of Johnson, who will run it.

The other factory of Food Cooperative, the old Gempeler factory, east of Eaton Center, has been sold to Vernon Mech, who is running it.

Standard Brands has also retired from cheese production in this territory.  This is the Pine Grove cheese factory, Town of Beaver, which was developed by George Foelsch.  It has now been sold by Standard Brands to Pauly & Pauly of Green Bay, a concern which is understood to be a subsidiary of Swift & Co.  This company has also bought the Riplinger factory, long owned by Emil Marten.

The management of the Pine Grove factory will remain for the present with George Foelsch, whose contract runs through this present year.  Foelsch resides in a pleasant home adjacent to the factory and also owns neighboring farms.

Another factory transfer is that of the Silver Rock, which has passed from a partnership into the hands of Wilfred Nelson.

The Pine Grove factory, included in these transfers, is one of the largest of Clark County in production and its output exceeds a million pounds per year.

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Several Neillsville skiing enthusiasts spent Sunday at Bruce Mound, brushing out a ski trail.  Sunday’s work, a continuation of several other days of effort, saw the first trail nearing completion.

The men estimate that one more day’s work will see the brushing finished.  They then plan to put up their ski tow and have everything set for the opening of the skiing season.

Those who worked on the project Sunday, included: Bennie and Bill Stucki, Floyd Rossman, James Hauge, John M. Peterson and Heron and Richard Van Gorden.

Work in developing the Bruce Mound winter sports area is being carried on by the Half Moon Ski Club, a new Neillsville organization.  They expect to soon open its ranks for local memberships.

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Doc Struesser stole home with two down in the ninth inning at Cornell on Sunday afternoon to break a 4-4 deadlock.  It gave Thorp a 5 to 4 victory over Augusta in their western Cloverbelt playoff game.

As a result, Thorp moves into the final playoff with Cornell’s Papermakers to decide the divisional title.  The final playoff will be played on the Augusta diamond next Sunday afternoon.

Thorp, Cornell and Augusta landed in a three-way tie for the lead as a result of the regular season’s games.

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Three Wren brothers, who are enjoying a reunion here in Neillsville, have been having a fine time renewing old friend-ships.  Marion F. Wren, who hails from Washougal, Wash., has not been back to the town of his birth for 46 years and finds change and familiarity inextricably woven together.

Lemont F. Wren of Hawthorne, Calif., has visited here more recently; in fact he is laying the foundations of a firm habit of coming to Neillsville for a visit every fall.  This is the third year in a row that he has been here for a visit.

Thomas Wren, who has stuck by the old home town, plays host to his brothers.  Their only sister, Mrs. Nettie Baptie, of Seattle, Wash., had hoped to join her brothers here this fall but was unable to do so.

Three other brothers, Lemuel and Earl, of Washington and Frank of California, are deceased.

The Wrens are children of Mr. and Mrs. Sereno Wren, who came into Clark County about 1867.  In 1869, they bought an 80-acre tract of land in Grant Township and three years later sold that, buying a 240-acre tract, also in Grant Township.  Wren cleared the land by ox team and built a log cabin.

He bought the first traction steam engine in Clark County and used it for threshing for himself and the neighbors.  In 1881, he built a saw mill on his property and cut timber for hundreds of residents around Neillsville.

His first wife was Alleda Hatch of Kankakee, Ill., who died at Columbus, Wis., in 1891.  His second wife was Sarah Smith, widow of Orland Smith.  Both Mr. and Mrs. Wren are now deceased.

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A total of 113 carloads of surplus potatoes have been ordered by area farmers to be used for livestock feed, according to work from the Clark County AAA office.  The potatoes are purchased by the government in its price support program and offered to farmers as livestock feed.  Up to the first of the week, 21 carloads had been taken, but local authorities say it is not certain whether enough potatoes will be available to fill all orders.

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Relics of the olden days are making their appearance in Neillsville, in preparation for Pioneer Days next week.  These relics are being loaned by the owners, in response to the invitation of the chairman, William Yenni.  Many more are expected during the present week. They may be left throughout the week at Yenni’s factory north of the depot on the railroad yards, or they may be left Friday and Saturday at the Kiwanis rooms of the Neillsville Bank.

First of the exhibits to be shown was the collection of dolls, which fills the north window of Sniteman’s drug store.  These dolls now belong to Sally Freid, sister of Mrs. Theodore Linster. Sally is five years of age and is said to be the youngest collector of dolls in the country.  She was given a big start in her collection due to her mother, Mrs. Walter Fried of Eau Claire who turned it over to Sally, the result of several years of collecting.

All of these dolls are old.  The twin dolls, in the rocker, are 82 years old.  A large doll with the black china head is made from a likeness of Dolly Madison, wife of the president.  The gentleman doll, with the metal head, is 50 years old.

Among many interesting relics in the Warlum-Robinson window is a chopping bowl, which was cut from a black ash knot by George Hoteling, pioneer of Clark County.  This bowl has been in continuous use for practically a century and is so hard that there is little evidence of wear, in spite of the impact of a cutting edge on its surface.  The marvel is that Hoteling could have fashioned a bowl so hard.  The bowl became the property of Hoteling’s daughter, Mrs. Myrtle Robinson and is still being used by her. The Hoteling family lived on what is now the C. C. Kroll farm, north of Neillsville.

A flail, the threshing machine of its day, was loaned by Mr. and Mrs. Albert Degener.  The flail was used by August Schoengarth 100 years ago and later by August Walters.  It was used to beat the grain from the straw.

A teapot, which is owned by Hans Walk, was bought in Germany on December 24, 1843.  It was a gift of Hans Walk’s grandfather to his grandmother, at the time of the birth of Hans’ mother.

There will be many more exhibits brought in before the event on Oct. 4 and 5.

The basic idea behind Pioneer Days in Neillsville is to see the contrast between the old and the new.  We take a backward look so that we may compare what we have now and how we live with the conveniences and manner of life of the pioneers.

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Houses for sale in Neillsville are: a 5-room house with sleeping porch, indoor plumbing, electricity, a well and garage, located near St. Mary’s Catholic Church, completely furnished.  Owner will sacrifice for only $3,800.

A 6-room house with indoor plumbing, electricity, well, garage, and poultry house, near Neillsville High School, completely furnished, including an electric stove for only $5,300.

These homes can be bought without furnishings if preferred.

Both owners are leaving the city, so act fast, act now.  Call Victor J. Anderson, 114 West Division St., Neillsville.

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Go to the Castle Hill, on the main boulevard between Merrillan and Black River Falls for an evening out.  They serve refreshments, steaks, chicken and seafood, daily from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.  Every Friday night is Fish Fry Night.  There is also dancing by Wurlitzer, featuring the latest dance numbers.

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The Adler Theater is showing Walt Disney’s movie, “Bambi” starting Thursday evening and shows through Saturday evening, plus a matinee at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.   Be sure to bring your friends to see this Technicolor movie.

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See the new 1949 Kaiser today, at Feirn’s Complete Service on East Division Street, Neillsville.  This is a Kaiser-Frazer product, which comes from their factory in Willow Run, Michigan.

The coming year’s Pontiac may be seen at F. L. Reinhard Company’s shop at 109 East Sixth Street, Neillsville.

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The early automobiles came in a limited choice of styles and colors.  The only available colors, in circa 1910, were black or dark blue.  The means of starting the cars in the photo was by cranking the motor such as the man at the right is doing.  (Photo courtesy of Raymond Zipfel)