August 1929

Mrs. Kenneth Wallace and Miss Dorothy Jake weed quietly married at the courthouse July 27.  Judge O. W. Schoengarth officiated.

The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wallace.  He is an industrious young man and has employment at the pea cannery.  The bride is the daughter of Mr and Mrs. Wm. Jake, who live on Seventh Street.  She is a young lady of pleasing personality and well like by all who know her.                                 

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Owing to the fact that the water in the pond on O’Neill Creek above the dam was getting stagnant, the city council ordered the pond drained.  Such action was criticized by the fishermen who had been stocking the pond for several years with game fish and bullheads, but no doubt some of them failed to go down the creek into the Black River.  The long dry spell had caused the water to become green and stagnant.                                    

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In the glare of the July sun last Wednesday afternoon, there was laid to rest in Neillsville Cemetery the last member of the L. R. Stafford family; Mrs. Fred D. Underwood.  Less than a half-mile from where she lies, north across the cemetery the intervening fields, once stood the old village of Staffordville, her childhood home.  Her father, Leonard R. Stafford came from the State of Maine.  He was one of eleven sons and all were brought up as lumbermen.  Several of them came to Wisconsin.  Leonard R. Stafford settled on the farm along Highway 73, now owned by Paul Haugen, just north of Neillsville and there had his headquarters for big logging operations.  A village grew up on the farm, a large general store, hotel, blacksmith shop, barbershop, barns to accommodate teams passing back and forth to the pineries farther north and other buildings.

It was a scene of great activity summer and winter.  Here, Alice Stafford grew to womanhood.  She became a school teacher and a number of people in this locality were among her pupils.  After her first marriage to Ed Robbins, they lived for some time in La Crosse.  Later, she was married to Frederick D. Underwood, a rising railroad man, who in years following by successive steps, became one of the leading railroad officials in the United States; being at different stages of his career general manager of the Soo Line; president of the Baltimore and Ohio and lastly the Erie lines, in most cases taking the roads in a run-down condition and building them up into highly valuable properties.  Though for business purposes, Mr. and Mrs. Underwood maintained for many years a home in New York City; they always owned a beautiful home at Wauwatosa, Wis.  They traveled about in their luxurious private car and only the week before her death, came to Neillsville and visited the cemetery where her kindred lie buried.  While on the train going to Minneapolis, she was taken very ill and on their arrival at that city she was removed to a hospital where the best medical treatment was given.  But her advanced age, she was 79 years old, doubtless handicapped her in recovery and she passed away on July 22.

Funeral services were held in Minneapolis Tuesday, Dr. Marion D. Shutter of the Universalist Church officiating.  The private car of the president of the Omaha line was placed at the disposal of the funeral party and came into Neillsville with the regular passenger train, Wednesday at 1:26 p.m.  The body was taken to the Lowe Funeral Home and from there direct to the cemetery.  Mr. Underwood and the relatives and friends who came with him remained in their car and were joined by others of Neillsville and from away who gathered at the depot, and all drove from there to the cemetery, where brief services were held, Rev. G. W. Longenecker, officiating.

A profusion of flowers lent a solemn charm to the scene at the cemetery, a florist from Minneapolis and the undertaker from that city assisting in the arranging of them.

Mrs. Underwood is survived by two children of her first marriage, Frank Robbins and Mrs. Edna Robbins.  She leaves also a niece, Mrs. Campbell, who was taken into the Underwood home and brought up as their own when the child’s mother, Mrs. Tony Hein, died.

The special car was in charge of F. E. Fuhrman, Assistant Division Superintendent of this Division.  Mr. Underwood was accompanied by his son, E. W. Underwood, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Robbins, Mrs. Edna Robbins, Tony Hein and his daughter, Mrs. Campbell.                                                                                       

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The York Community Club staged their annual picnic at the grove on the Walter Rowe farm Saturday.  It was a great day, the Neillsville-Granton Band, including the York Center players, rendered fine music for the occasion.  Farmers and their friends, not only of the local community but also many from miles around, were present and enjoyed the meeting to the fullest.

At noon, they gathered for a picnic dinner, accessories from the club booth being sold to add to the feast.

After dinner, Rev. S. J. Lambright of Neillsville gave an address.

There were games for young and old and later a series of contests, the prizes for which were given by the Connor Lumber Company of Granton; Bluett Hardware Co. of Granton, Midland Lumber Co. of Neillsville, Van Gorden Elevator of Neillsville, A & P Store of Neillsville, Geo. Amidon of Granton, Witte Cash Store of Granton.

Prizes were given for The Three-legged Race; Boys’ Jumping Race, age 14 to 20; Husband Calling Contest, Hog Calling Contest, Patching Contest, Ladies Button-hole Contest, Fence Post Driving Contest, and Button-guessing Contest.

The largest family present was the family of Loren Hales.  A watermelon was awarded as the prize.

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Dr. Bradbury reports that Kurt Listeman accomplished the golfer’s dream Sunday morning when he made a hole-in-one at the Riverside golf course.  The feat was accomplished on No. 2 green, the ball clearing the trees in the fairway and rolling into the cup.                                                                                                   

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Sunday, while fishing down the Black River, Burton Wells found an old peavey in the riverbed, about half a mile below the mouth of Wedges Creek.  The river is very low and Mr. Wells was wading out some distance in the stream and noticed the peavey handle sticking up.  A peavey is a cant-hook with a spike in the end of the handle to stick into logs to hold or move them in the water.  This old implement is doubtless a relic of log-driving days, as the ask handle is worn down thin by the action of the current.  In all probability it has lain in the river 40 to 50 years.

It will be on exhibition at the Clark County Fair.                                    

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Monday noon, all of the County officers and employees of the various county offices gave County Superintendent Margaret Van Natta Walters an old time daylight charivari.  All of the Janitor Carley Poole’s dust pans and other musical and non-musical implements about the courthouse were commandeered for the serenade with the halls and corridor of the old county state house resounding to such music as it had never heard before.  The results were immediate and entirely adequate, sufficient funds for a big treat for the whole gang sometime this week.

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In 1901, Dr. E. L. Bradbury bought the first automobile that was ever owned in Neillsville and since that time he has never been without a car.

Last Sunday, just 28 years after he drove a car for the first time, he met with his first accident.  Dr. Bradbury was driving near the corners south of Columbia when he met a car, which crowded him into the ditch with the result that considerable damage was done to his machine.

The motorist, who was responsible for the mishap failed to stop.  Otto Weyhmiller, highway commissioner, happened along and gave a helping hand.                                                            

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Sheriff Bradford’s sleep was disturbed Monday night by a call from Milladore, by a man who claimed his beautiful young wife had been kidnapped.  The sheriff dressed hastily and got in touch with Chief Rossman and they watched the city gate for several hours, but no bandits with a beautiful woman appeared.  It turned out the next day that the man and his wife who were traveling through from Illinois had some sort of falling out and the man spread the report that his wife was kidnapped.  He was jailed at Milladore for disturbing the peace; the woman was released and left “hitchhiking” toward St. Paul.                                                                                                                  

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Joe Butler, who has had plenty of experience working in high places while doing painting and similar work, had a thrilling experience at the Indian School building one day last week.  While looking after some work on a big cornice, he lost his balance and fell to the ground, a distance of nearly forty feet.

Work is in progress at the Indian School and by strange good luck Mr. Butler came down feet first into a hole, which had been dug for the base of a pier.  The hole was about three feet square and five feet deep and the rain of the previous day had filled it with mud and water, thus broke the fall so that he was not injured.  He was nearly drowned, however, by the water, which gushed up over his head when he plunged into the hole.

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Clark County Fair week-Dancing & Roller Skating at Hank Markwardts Pavilion: Tuesday Nite, August 27, Hi Colwell’s Band; Wed. August 28th, Paul Whiteman & Clifton’s Band; Thursday, Aug. 29, Adrian Rhythm Band of Fond du Lac, None Better; Fri., Aug. 30 Grand Opening Roller Skating; Sat. Aug 31, “The Chocolate Soldiers Band,” from Kentucky.

(Henry ‘Hank’ Markwardts pavilion, house and farm buildings were located on the north side of US Hwy. 10, opposite the Clark County Fairgrounds.  His 60-plus acres of farmland were sold in the mid 1930s to be developed into the Hawthorne Hills golf course, which was later incorporated and re-named the Neillsville Country Club. DZ)

August 1959

“Watch Chuck Vesel,” says Coach Cy Buker, “at the University of Wisconsin this fall.  Chuck is big and strong; he is a good football player and should make the Badgers a good end.”

At Greenwood, Vesel played quarterback and did an excellent job.  Vesel is rangy and has gained several pounds since his graduation from Greenwood High School.  Buker developed Vesel at Greenwood and Chuck was great as a high school center in basketball as well as a backfield man.                                        

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Mrs. Max Vollmert reports the sale of her 44-acre farm a mile east of Neillsville to Mr. and Mrs. Victor St. John.  She will give possession September 1 and move to an apartment in the Russell Vandeberg residence, west of the fairgrounds.  Mr. and Mrs. St. John, who have lived on Grand Avenue since 1956, will move onto the Vollmert farm.

(The 44-arcre farm site later became what is now the Neillsville Industrial site. DZ)

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The Stables baseball team defeated Willard, 14-3 at Willard Sunday afternoon.  Marvin Smith was the winning pitcher, Nick Lesar the loser.

Next Sunday the Stables team will play a double header with the Neillsville Coasters at the Neillsville fairgrounds field.

The coasters lost to Humbird at the fairgrounds Sunday, 13-6.  Dick Quast was the losing pitcher, and Dennis White Eagle won.  Jerry Stytz relieved Quast and Devere Krejci relieved Stytz on the mound.

Tom Overman had three hits and four Neillsville men had doubles, including Overman, Louis Grap, Jim Holt and Dennis Gall.  Gall got his double in the role of a pinch-batter.                       

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“America is watching us as we pioneer in uniting two congregations,” said the Rev. George Grether as he delivered the installation sermon Sunday morning at the United Church of Christ.  The Rev. Frank B. Harcey was installed pastor of the recently combined Congregational and Zion Evangelical and Reformed congregations here.

“From coast to coast, people of all faiths are watching this union, which is one of the first in the nation, and they will watch with interest the newspaper accounts of the merger and of its future program,” continued the speaker.

Lyle Stair of Osseo, chairman of the fraternal service committee of Eau Claire Association of Congregational Churches, brought greetings to the new church and the new pastor, and said, “We’ll be watching this merger and we wish you success.”

(The new church, known as the United Church of Christ, has served well in our community. DZ)

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Dr. William A. Olson, widely known Greenwood physician, last week delivered his 4,000th baby in 26 years of medical practice in Clark County.

Number 4,000 was born August 11, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Martin of the Town of Loyal.

Dr. Olson estimates that approximately 1,500 of “his” babies were born in homes of the area.  He started practice in Greenwood August 16, 1932, when most babies in Clark County were born in homes.

Babies come in all sizes and Dr. Olson recalls one that weighed 15 pounds and 14 ounces at birth.

During the last 20 years, also, Dr. Olson recalls delivering 14 babies in one farm home near Greenwood; and attended the births of 13 babies in a 33-hour period about 10 years ago, all these births taking place in a hospital.

Dr. Olson was born in Blanchardville, was graduated from the University of Wisconsin and from advanced studies at the University of Michigan.

He and Mrs. Olson have two children: John, a physician at Galveston, Tex., and a daughter, Mrs. Richard H. (Janet) Van Gorden of Neillsville.                                                                             

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The Neillsville High School class of 1944 will hold its 15th reunion Saturday, August 22, with a dinner served at the Neillsville Country Club at 7 p.m.  The committee has heard from all but five members and expects approximately 70 who will attend the banquet.

The class committee working on the plans includes Heron “Pink” Van Gorden, Mrs. Janet (Kunze) Hauge, Mrs. Alice (Strangfeld) Sischo, Mrs. Berdella (Seelow) Carl, Mrs. Elaine (Oldham) Hagedorn, Carol Peterson, Lawrence Bohnsack, Robert Horswill, Calvin Swenson and Kenneth Short.

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