Clark County Press, Neillsville, Wisconsin

September 5, 2018, Page 9  

Contributed by "The Clark Co. Press"

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

 

September 1868

 

Mr. George Lloyd had made his appearance in town after an absence of several weeks spent in the woods.

•••••••••

Henry Staring pulled us into his shop, just west of the Union House, the other day and gave us a huge, ripe and juicy watermelon to eat.  He has more on hand, which he offers for sale at reasonable prices.

•••••••••

We were presented last Saturday by Mr. C. A. Ackerman, a farmer living a few miles west of here, with two very nice specimens of transcendent crab apples, which grew up on his farm.  They were the largest and best looking of any we have seen.  There are many who declare that no fruit of this kind can be successfully raised here, but we are of Mr. Ackerman’s opinion, who thinks that with proper care and attention, there will be no more difficulty in raising fruit here than in many parts of the East where it abounds.

•••••••••

Mr. Hans Johnson has fitted up a saloon in connection with his house.  An excellent four-pocket billiard table has been put into the room.  Mr. G.A. Ludington has been installed as clerk of the house and will also have charge of the billiard room.  Mr. Ludington, as hotel clerk, is “the right” man and in the right place. 

•••••••••

New settlers are continually coming into our county.  To see immigrant wagons moving along the road is no unusual sight, and it is hailed with pleasure by old residents.  Most of the newcomers are taking up land under the Homestead Act.  Our population is increasing faster than every before.  We have yet to see the first stranger who is not well pleased with our county.  People south of us generally believe that we live in a pine forest, and on a sandy, unproductive soil, because we send to market a vast amount of pine timbre each year.  They find out their mistake when they visit us and are not sorry they have come.

•••••••••

A nice “little hop” was gotten up and came off at Ed Thompkins’ place last Satruday evening among the “hop-pickers.”  They have been hop picking ever since.                 

•••••••••

The heavy frosts in the county did no injury to the hops that have been grown around here.  They weren’t even touched by the frost.                                                                            

•••••••••

Reports from the hops-growing regions say that in the midst of the harvest the dreaded hop lice made its appearance and in a single night whole hop fields were devastated.  Employers were unable to pay off their help and many of the pickers did not have enough money to get home.  The Hop crop of this state has been greatly lessened and will fall far below the estimate made a few weeks ago.

•••••••••

A school meeting was held at the schoolhouse last night but owing to the absence of some of the officers, no business was transacted, and the meeting adjourned to next Monday evening at the same place.

•••••••••

The County Poor Commissioners, E.H. McIntosh, Wm Welsh and Charles Sternitzky, at a meeting on Monday of last week, purchased of L.R. Stafford, the farm called the Southard place, a short distance east of Mr. Hosely’s in the Town of Weston.  The sum to be paid for it is $2,500, which is said to be a fair price, considering the amount of improvements upon the farm, though we think a less expensive one could have been had.  It is good property, however, and the county will lose nothing by it.

 

Immigrants to this county are increasing in number.  Five immigrant wagons arrived in the village yesterday.  Four came in together and were from Nebraska!  We thought it strange they should come from a western direction, and upon inquiring the cause for this singular ‘back action’ one of the men said he had been in this county once before!  He gave this as a satisfactory reason, and so it was!

 

September 1938

 

The Neillsville Press was sold this week to Wells F. Harvey of Sturgis Mi., by A. F. Ender and Sons,.  Mr. Harvey, who comes with highly recommended and with a wide experience in the newspapers business, takes immediate possession.

 

A little over a year ago, A. F. Ender came here from Rice Lake and purchased The Neillsville Press.  Later he and his sons also purchased The Clark County Journal here and shortly afterwards The Granton Herald and The Granton Leader, all of which papers were consolidated with the Press, giving it a high rank among weeklies of the state.  Mr. Ender has made no definite plans for the future but plans to take a rest for a time.

 

Mr. Harvey is a newspaperman of mature experience.  He was, for 14 years, owner and publisher of The Pioneer, a daily at Big Rapids, Mich.  He also published the Osceola County Herald, a weekly at Reed City, Mich.  Mr. Harvey has also had considerable experience on large publications but always retained a keen interest in the rural weekly newspaper field.

 

Mr. Harvey will have the help of three sons, Robert, John and Wells, Jr.  There are three other children, located elsewhere, two of them being married and the third a student in college.

•••••••••

The Cochran Hardware store this week announces a grand opening at the new location on Hewett Street, where Shedden’s store was formerly located.  The new place has been redecorated, with new shelving and other improvements.

 

M.A. Cochran and Harry Flitter came from Marshfield three years ago and purchased the former Howard Blum hardware on Fifth Street, where they conducted business until this week, moving to the new location.

•••••••••

Sizzling steaks fried in butter by Roy Schmedel on the huge outdoor griddle at the golf course, will top the menu at the dinner ser4ved by the men at the clubhouse Thursday evening, Sept. 1.  This will be a feast to show the ladies how much the men have appreciated their meals served during the summer.

 

Hostesses for September are Sept. 8, Mrs. I.E. Svirnoff and Mrs. George Rude; Sept. 15, Miss Elsie Huckstead and Dr. Sarah Rosekrans; Sept. 22, Mrs. W.A. Campman and Dr. M.A. Foster.

•••••••••

No Dance at the Riverside Pavilion.  It will be closed for the season due to the 6-mile bridge going out.  Charles Luck, prop.                                                                                   

•••••••••

The annual dinner held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church was very well attended, and the meal was as fine as any served by the ladies in the past years.  There were 520 adults served and about 100 children besides those who played in the band.  An evening meal was also served to about 200.

•••••••••

In wake of one of the worst flood conditions in the history of Clark County and Central Wisconsin, state and county highway crews, farmers, homeowners and businessmen are busy repairing the heavy damage done late last week by the rampaging Black River and its tributaries.

 

The flood-waters, which raised streams in the vicinity to all-time high levels of from 16 to 20 feet, were caused by heavy six-day rains north of the county and heavy local downpours.

 

Traffic, which was all but totally paralyzed in Clark County Friday and Saturday, was just beginning to move freely once more as highway repair crews, groggy from lack of sleep, worked long hours to put the roads back into shape.

 

Railroad transportation was seriously crippled during the flood periods, although trains made their runs to Neillsville with little difficulty, and the flood and weather were blamed for the wreck of Northwest Limited of the Chicago & Northwestern railroad, and the Victory, passenger train, near Junction Valley early Sunday morning.  Three persons wee sent to the hospital and many others were cut and bruised.

 

Hundreds of rods of fencing were ripped out by the fast flowing water and floating logs, lumber and tree trunks, which were basked forcefully against them.

 

County Agent Landry also expressed concern that a large amount of corn and other crops might have been damaged by the excessive moisture.

 

In Clark County the flood left behind:- An Owen youth dead; $48,500 damages to bridges and roads; heavy crop and farmland damage; four bridges out and washouts around others; many houses and business buildings in lowlands damaged; the dam at Owen leveled.

 

The bridges, which were battered out and the amounts estimated to replace them are: The Popple River Bridge west of Owen on Highway 29, $15,000; The Lynch Bridge in the Town of Levis, $23,000; the Dill Creek Bridge on County Trunk N, $1,500; and the Luchterhand Bridge in the Town of Colby, $5,000.

 

County Road Commissioner Otto J. Weyhmiller said that the crest of the flood  reached Greenwood on the Black River about 11 p.m. Friday and continued at the peak until about 1 a.m. Saturday.  At that time, members of the highway commission telephoned warnings to Hatfield and Black River Falls.

 

It was partially because of this warning that saving of the two dams below was made, although the top of the Hatfield Dam was dynamited off Saturday night to relieve the tremendous pressure.

 

As it was, considerable apprehension was felt for the bridge and the safety of residents below, particularly in Black River Falls, when logs, stumps, lumber and splintered boards, which shortly before had been parts of buildings, started jamming at the dam.  Water at Hatfield climbed steadily until the power plant was under four or five feet of water.

 

As the crest of the flood moved on toward Black River Falls, residents there became almost panic-stricken, fearful lest the highest waters in the history of the community should bring another disaster of 1911, when most of the city was washed out after the dam broke.

 

As residents aided in moving household effects from the danger zone, about 75 workers went to work strengthening the dam.  Businessmen carried their merchandise to higher parts of their stores.

 

But, before long, it was determined that the dam would hold and the excitement there quieted down.

 

Hundreds of people from the surrounding area declared an official two-and three-day holiday to watch the surging waters.                                                                              

•••••••••

Nearly 600 children from the rural schools of Clark County entered high school this fall, according to the information and estimates of L. M. Millard, county superintendent of schools.  The number is well above 90 percent of the children who completed the work of the eighth grade in rural schools last spring.  Thus, the parents and children of Clark County find a way to brave the depression and to pave the way for the abundant life, which is based upon education and personality.                    

•••••••••

Wedding Dance and Shower in honor of Ray Strebing and Frances Kuzel at Levis Town Hall, Sunday, September 25.                                                                           

•••••••••

“Tin Can” Derby Races!

Sunday, Sept. 11, at Neillsville Fairgrounds, races starting at 2:30 p.m.

Thrills! Chills! Spills!

And with Laughs Galore!

General Admission 25’,

$100 Cash to be Divided Among the Winners.

•••••••••

The first women’s golf champion of Neillsville will be either Mrs. Kurt Listeman or Mrs. Lyman Smith.

 

They fought their ways through four rounds of championship tournament play on the Neillsville Country Club fairways, roughs and greens to enter the final round.  Although a tournament was started last year, it was not completed before cold weather chased the last hardy golfer to the hearthside.  The championship match as well as the consolation play will have to be completed before Thursday, October 6, the date set for awarding the prizes in both tournaments.

 

  

A Tri-county Ladies’ Guest Day was held at the Whitehall Golf Course Aug. 16, 1961.  The Neillsville Country Club league members who participated in the Guest’s Day golf tournament were (l-r) Doris Eisentraut, Evelyn Schwantes, Elaine Temte, Alice Flynn, Geri Magnuson, Dixie Steinbring, Bernie Zupanc, Lucille Brussow, Sadie Haight, Janet Lee and Lovetta Anderson.

(Photo taken from Neillsville Country Club archives, courtesy of Dan Patey.) 

                      

•••••••••

Special, Saturday Only!  Will sell U.S. No. 1 McIntosh Apples at 99’ per bushel, while they last.

 

U.S. No. 1 Keifer Canning Pears, 2-1/4 inch and up, $1.19 per bushel, while they last!

 

H.H. Van Gorden

 

(Van Gorden’s Elevator occasionally offered fall specials on bulk orders, of potatoes and some in-season fresh fruits that came shipped on a  railcar, which would be sidetracked by their mill. DZ)

•••••••••

Corpus Christi Church at Bakerville was the scene of a pretty wedding Thursday morning when Miss Frances Wolf of Spencer became the bride of Gerald C. Schmidt of the Town of Levis, nuptial high mass being celebrated at 10 o’clock when the double ring ceremony was performed by Rev. Arthur Cramer.  Miss Helen Schmidt, sister of the groom, and Gregor Wolf, the bride’s brother, attended the couple.  Lohengrin’s Wedding March was played, and the Corpus Christi choir sang.

 

Fifty guests were entertained at a reception, dinner and supper at the home of the groom’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Schmidt, following the ceremony.  That evening, the couple gave a wedding dance at the Silver Dome Ballroom.

 

The couple left on a week’s wedding trip to the southern part of the state, and upon their return, will live for a time at the home of the groom’s parents.  Mr. Schmidt is employed at Farmers Union Cooperative Oil Company, Neillsville.

                                                                     

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