Clark County Press, Neillsville,

June 27, 2007, Page 13

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

 

Compiled and contributed by Dee Zimmerman

 

 

Clark County News

June 1912

 

The Columbia baseball team, under the management of Paul McKiney, will let the people in this neck of the woods, know that Columbia is on the map.  Its team played at Hatfield, Sunday, before a large crowd of fans and defeated Hixton, 7 to 6, then defeated North Branch, 7 to 3.  In about two weeks, when the weather gets warmer so as to limber up the arm of the old warhorse pitcher, Leat McKinney, he will show the amateurs some good pitching.  That will likewise limber up the rest of the players.

•••••••••

The fine weather has had many people out traveling with their autos, around on the roads in the Dells Dam area. They have been going to Lake Arbutus to take in the sights.

 

Mrs. John Apfel has arranged so she can now wash clothes with her washing machine being powered by a gasoline engine. Good for you, Mrs. Apfel, save your strength while you can.

•••••••••

The farmhouse of Peter Anderegg, in section 3 of York Township, was destroyed by fire, Monday.

•••••••••

The annual Children’s Day Picnic will be held at the Bever’s Church in Pine Valley, northwest of Neillsville next Sunday.  A fine program will be given and a dinner will be served to all, at the usual price.

•••••••••

The basement for the Thomas Lowe building, of which is now well underway, will be one of the finest buildings for its size in the city.  It will be 26 by 70 feet, solid brick; all material is to be of the very best.  Geo. W. Trogner has the entire charge of its construction in every detail as to plans, material, construction; all being left to his judgment.

•••••••••

The census of automobiles, in Neillsville, shows at least 30 in commission and in good running order.

•••••••••

Did you ever hear of a young man getting so excited on Sunday evening, about going to see his lady that he entirely forgot to eat his supper?

 

“Well, we have and it is safer to say he was ready for his breakfast when he returned home.  Would you not consider this case quite alarming?”

•••••••••

The farm wagons, sold at Luethes, have hickory axles, black oak hubs, and alternate hickory and oak spokes.  It pays to buy good wagons.  Hickory axles will carry 2,000 pounds more than maple axles.

•••••••••

Our local fishermen have been bringing home immense quantities of fish from the Black River, the past few weeks.  Most of the fish are caught below the Hatfield Dam.

•••••••••

Work has begun by the A. M. Penney Co. on excavating for the new potato warehouse.  It will be 40 by 80 feet and a very substantial building.  The company had bought the old Luethe warehouse, next to the stockyards, but upon looking over the grounds, they decided that it would be better to build a new facility over on the sidetrack, that goes into the old furniture factory grounds.  An acre of land was secured there, giving plenty of room and being far from the main line.  The passing of teams and wagons within the city will not disturb the farmers’ teams going to the warehouse.

 

Easy sewerage facilities into O’Neill creek, provides a chance to drive on both sides of the warehouse and many other advantages will be presented with the new location.  The company will retain the old Luethe warehouse, as they think they will need additional storage room, at times.

•••••••••

Through the efforts of Prof. Snodgrass, a Teachers’ Training Course was started this past year, in the high school.  Twelve members of the Senior Class took the course and received practice work in teaching, in the various grades, which exempts them from going away to take professional training before receiving a certificate to teach.  Under the law of recent years, all of our graduates had to go to some normal summer school for six or more weeks to secure this training, which besides the time, took from $50 to $60 for each student.  Assuming that all twelve of this year’s class, who took the course and may wish to teach, this plan of Prof. Snodgrass successfully carried out, has saved $600 to the community.  Besides this, the work in the grades was improved and stimulated in some cases, the grade teachers taking great interest in the seniors, who were taking the course.  It is to be hoped that this course will become permanent in our Neillsville High School.

•••••••••

In the Town of York, Jerry Daughhetee and John VandeBerg have each purchased an auto.  Frank Potter is contemplating the purchase of one and John LaStofka is also considering the idea quite seriously.

•••••••••

Pete Hagen’s little boy was lost in the woods, Monday, while picking berries.  The Hagen family lives in North Pine Valley.  The little fellow was lost from early morning, until 7 o’clock in the evening, when he returned home.

•••••••••

Build of wood so as to fit your purse.  Rather than overburden yourself with a debt by building a house larger than your present needs demand, build of wood, the most elastic building on earth, and start with 4 or 5 rooms.  Additions can be made as required and when it is painted, the old house looks the same as new.  Our figures on lumber and advice on homebuilding may be of help to you, it’s free for the asking.  For everything in building needs, stop at Connor Retail Lumber Co., Neillsville; Phone 181

 

June 1942

 

In perhaps the first ceremony of its kind in this area since the start of World War II, a plaque with the names inscribed of 53 men from Willard, who have entered the armed service of the nation, was dedicated at the Holy Family Catholic Church, Sunday.

 

The plaque, along with an American flag, was dedicated formally in the afternoon, following a morning mass spoken for the neighborhood men who are in the service of the country.

 

Four youths enrolled in the army were present as the plaque bearing their names was dedicated. They were: Sgt. Victor Trost; Corp. John Volk; Corp. Alfons Hemmersbach, Jr.; and Pvt. Robert Debevec.

 

The morning service was celebrated by the Rev. Fr. Raphael Stragisher.  The Rev. Fr. J. J. Novak, of Greenwood, assisted in the afternoon.  Following the dedicatory service, in the afternoon, the congregation marched in a body to the West Side Hall, striding to the tempo furnished by the nine-piece Volovsek family band.  There Frank Perovsek acted as chairman, introducing Fr. Raphael and Ludwig Perushek, Sr., father of two boys in the service.

 

A church choir of nine boys and four girls led in the singing of “America,” “God Bless America,” and other patriotic songs.  The choir was accompanied by Mrs. Ivan Rusich, who played the organ.

 

Several persons from out-of-town attended the dedication services.  Among them were: Mr. and Mrs. John Jerina, of Bright; Mr. and Mrs. John Brayer of Marshfield; Mrs. Vitko Staut and son of Milwaukee; Mrs. Ignac Cesnik, Jr., and sons of Hillsboro; and Miss Pauline Perushek of Chicago.

•••••••••

A 70-foot flagpole is to be erected on the front lawn of the courthouse, this week, weather permitting.  It will be the first such pole to be put in place there.  Heretofore, flags have been flown from a small pole on top of the west gable and from small removable poles anchored in the sidewalk.  The new pole is made up of three lengths of steel pipe and will be anchored six and one-half feet in the ground with cement. 

 

The large woolen flag, to be flown on the new 70-foot flagpole, was presented to the county by Sniteman’s drug store.

•••••••••

Farmers, of Clark County, have pledged to purchase $97,345.25 worth of war bonds and war savings stamps during 1942.  The pledge campaign in rural areas is being conducted under the direction of the USDA war board, of which Axel Sorenson is chairman.

•••••••••

Certificates permitting the purchase of new passenger automobiles were granted to eight persons in Clark County by the rationing board, recently.  Those receiving the certificates were: Albert Schultz of route one Loyal; Louis Arch of route five, Greenwood; Louis Klein of route one, Spencer; Ewald Thiede of route two, Granton; Henry Ramminger of Dorchester; Fred Lakosky of Loyal; A. M. Steinwand of Colby; and Frank Copet of route one, Spencer.

•••••••••

Columbia will soon be without a railroad depot.  For a long time past, the community has been served by an old boxcar, but even that is being removed by the railroad’s section crew.

•••••••••

Frank Strangfeld, 41, former Town of Weston resident, was killed and Cyril (Cy) Neverman, 34, one-time Neillsville resident, was reported missing following a titanic explosion in an Elwood, Ill., ordnance plant.  They were among 55 workmen reported killed and missing after a blast, which shook the earth for 100 miles around.

 

At least two other Clark County residents are employed at the Elwood plant, but they were not on duty at the time of the blast.  They are Robert Knops, son of Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Knops of the Town of Seif and Albert Bayuk of Willard.

 

Frank Strangfeld left the Town of Weston several years ago, and had worked and resided in the LaSalle, Ill. vicinity.  He was born in the Town of Washburn November 9, 1900, to Lucas and Caroline (Schepp) Strangfeld.  He was single.  His mother remains on the home farm in the Town of Weston, which is now worked by Joe.  Survivors besides those mentioned above include two sisters, Mrs. Gilbert Gibeau and Mrs. Dick (Bette) Ablighter, and a brother, William, of Pine Valley.

 

Cyril (Cy) Neverman, 34, former Neillsville resident reported missing following the recent blast at an Elwood, Ill., munitions plant is “very much alive.”

 

In a card to The Press, Mr. Neverman said the appearance of his name on the early casualty lists, released by the army, was in error.

 

“The building I was in at the time of the blast,” he wrote, “was only slightly wrecked and I was not injured in any way.  Please inform my friends that I am very much alive.”

•••••••••

Miss Edna Tews, of Neillsville, has accepted a civil service position as clerk in the local War Price and Ration Board office.  She started work there Wednesday morning.

•••••••••

The Wild Rose School, Town of Grant, has voted to close for the next school year.  The decision was reached at a recent special school district meeting.  Miss Louise Korth, teacher there last year, will teach at the Lincoln School, Town of York.

•••••••••

Stamps number five and six, in the war ration (sugar) book, will be good for the purchase of two pounds of sugar, each, Leo Foster, War and Price and Rationing Board chairman, has announced.  Stamp number four will be acceptable until midnight, Saturday, June 27.  Stamp number five will be valid starting June 28 to July 25, and stamp number six will be valid between July 26 and August 22.

•••••••••

Calvin Struensee, 13, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Struensee of Neillsville, was tired and lost as he tramped wearily through the wild land in the area of the East Fork, last Thursday night.

 

Off in the distance, through the dimming light of disk, he saw a brown stone; decided to sit on it and rest a while before trying again to find his way out.  As he neared the stone, it reared up and ran off into the gathering night.

 

It was one of eight deer that Calvin had seen while he wandered that night; and he had heard many others rustle leaves as they ran close by him.

 

Calvin told his story of the brown stone after he was found by his father, about three miles from where the truck was parked, when they went fishing on the East Fork earlier.  Had it not been for the woodsman-ship of his father, the search that was then beginning to develop might have had a more somber ending.

 

“I knew that Calvin dug into the ground a little with the toe of one shoe,” Mr. Struensee explained.

 

So when he found the first tracks in the sand along the riverbank, he knew he was following the right trail.  He followed the trail along the river, through wild marsh and wooded lands, and finally along little used roads.  Every short while, he saw the boy’s footprint with the telltale tuft of dug up dirt at the toe.

 

When Mr. Struensee found him, Calvin was about to cut across a piece of cutover land, taking up a new direction in his search for the car.  “He was on the right track,” Mr. Struensee said.  “If he had done that, he would have come out on the right road.”

•••••••••

William F. Beyer has a beautiful specimen of Koster blue spruce in front of his house on the Globe road, northwest of Neillsville.  The tree is 20 years old, and has grown without trimming.  Its present height is close to 20 feet.

 

This Koster spruce has attracted considerable attention in the past of passers-by.  When it was smaller, it was regarded as having possibilities for Christmas.  Occasionally, some person stopped and tried to buy it for that purpose, but it was not for sale.  The fear of its owner was that he might awaken and find it gone some morning.  But the tree has now outgrown such childish things; nobody would want it for a Christmas tree.

 

Mr. Beyer has prepared a strip of land, north of his house, for a miniature forest, which will also serve as a windbreak.  He intends to put this into potatoes this year, if the rain ever gives him a chance.  This will prepare the ground for the small trees, which he aims to plant.  It will take a long time to grow the little forest, which Mr. Beyer is projecting, but this does not seem to be time lost.  To him, trees are interesting, even while they are small.

•••••••••

 

 

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Neillsville Furniture Factory was a booming business, having many employees.  An excellent quality of hardwood furniture was produced at that time.  A fire destroyed the factory building in 1911.  (Photo courtesy of Bill Roberts’ collection)

 

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