----Source: C. H. Ide; History of Clark County, Wisconsin (1918)

C. H. IDE is one of the most highly esteemed of the early settlers. His reminiscences, prepared for this work, are of much interest and value. He says: "I left Stockholm, St. Lawrence County, N. Y., Aug. 11, 1873, headed for Clark County, Wis. In Milwaukee I met Ransom Smith, an old acquaintance, and we journeyed to Humbird, stayed all night there, and walked to Neillsville the next rnorning-seventeen miles. Stayed that night with Edson Breed in the town of York. After leaving the dried-up region of northern New York, the green fields looked good to me. I visited a few days and worked a few days for I. B. Mason, and on the ninth of September, 1873, began underbrushing on the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 27, Town 25 North, Range I West. From that time until Dec. 3, 1917, the southeast quarter of Section 27 has been my home, with the exception of sixteen months spent in what is now Vilas County, Wis.

"When I began clearing there were no telephones to call me up (or down), no automobiles to hinder me from work, and very few neighbors in fact, Clark County was almost a wilderness. The first settler in the town of York was Charles Renne, in 1855, on the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 35. This was a homestead. The next settler was his brother, H. W. Renne, on the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 35, he arriving in 1859. He is still living, in the town of Sherman. The oldest frame building in this town is on this place. The oldest frame building in the town of Grant is the large barn on the farm of N. E. Lee, northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 2. This was built about 1862 by a man named Searles, who moved away a few years later. The oldest log barn now in use in the town of York was built in 1871, by William P. Budge, on the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 35, and is good for some years to come. The oldest log house now occupied is on the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 26, its occupant being Mrs. Mattie Winn. It was built in 1877.

"The first town meeting was held in the spring of 1873. John B. Mason was the first chairman elected, with Abe Turner and Tom Northup as side supervisors, I. C. Marsh, town clerk, and H. W. Renne, treasurer.

"When the town of York was organized a half mile strip on the north side of the town of Grant was included in the town, but the next year was returned to the town of Grant. In 1873 the wild land in York and Fremont was nearly all owned by the Fox and Wisconsin Improvement Co. The price was 6 per acre, one quarter to be paid down and the balance in three annual payments with interest at ten per cent. As a matter of fact, settlers had all the time they wanted to pay in. They were never urged to pay.

In 1872 the pine timber on these lands was sold to W. T. Price, of Black River Falls. In the fall a camp was built on the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 22. Six years was allowed for the removal of the timber. It took several years more, and sold for $2 per thousand feet. It was nice, large, white pine, about three logs to the thousand. At that time logs of that description were worth $5 per thousand feet at La Crosse. S. A. Wilcox was foreman of this camp, while it was run, and then for a while foreman of Price's camp in Fremont. In the fall of 1872 Price had another camp built on the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 31, town of Fremont (T. 25, R. 1 E.), James Thomas, foreman. The railroad now runs over the spot where this camp stood. One winter this camp put in 10,000,000 feet of logs. Most of their logs were banked on the south fork of O'Neill Creek, and those from Wilcox's camp were banked on the north fork of O'Neill Creek. In those days oxen did all the skidding and most of the hauling on the logging roads, four oxen to each sled. A good yoke of oxen brought $150. The men in these camps received $16 to $20 a month for some years after these camps were started, and they were expected to work until most of the logs were driven in to Black River. The teamsters and pine choppers were paid more, and it took a good man to be a successful pine chopper. I know of but two left in this vicinity now, William P. Budge of Granton and Carl Berg on Section 31, town of Fremont. In the winter of 1873-74 it was estimated that Mr. Budge cut down trees enough to make ten million feet of logs. Mr. Berg was considered a first-class chopper and may have done equally well.

"Financial conditions were bad throughout the country in 1873, and times were hard for the next few years. I have seen the time when I did not know where I could raise 25 cents, nor where the next sack of flour was coming from. It was an unpleasant experience. In 1877-78, I collected the taxes in York. The state tax was due the third Monday in January. I went over the town twice and only got a few dollars, but was advised by Deputy County Treasurer Geo. Hart, to make another effort, which I did. I tried the best I could, and I got one personal property tax of 50 cents. There was no money in town and most of the men were away in camp and could get no money until spring. To put up some log buildings, clear a farm, work in the woods, and support a family at the same time, will keep most men fully employed. How we pulled through I don't see-it was a case of root hog or die.

"Most of the mail for the town of York was left at Maple Works for many years. Maple Works was where Sections 1, 2, 11 and 12 cornered, in the town of Grant. At first mail came once a week, then twice. Nelson Marsh was postmaster. He was justice of the peace, mended our shoes, pulled our teeth, and fiddled for all the dances. From an agricultural standpoint York is considered to be the best town in the county. The equalized valuation in 1877 was $75,594. Forty years later-1917-it was $1,750,000, and considerable of it is yet unimproved. Grass is the foundation of agricultural prosperity in a cold climate, and it would be hard to find a better grass region than Clark County.

"The first cheese factory in this vicinity was built at the northwest corner of Section 2, town of Grant. This was in the spring of 1883. A. H. Tucker was the owner. This burned in the fall of 1884. In 1885 a new one was built across the road, and some years after was removed to Granton. When this one was running a hog yard was built, and the hogs made their headquarters under the factory.
"Joint School District No. 4 included the east half of the town of York and a few sections in the northeast part of Grant. The schoolhouse was on the northeast corner of Section 2, town of Grant. Joint District No. 3 included the west half of York and a portion of Grant. The schoolhouse was on the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 31, town of York. Soon after this District No. I was organized. The schoolhouse was a log building on the northeast corner of the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 21. 1 think the last time this building was used was election day in 1886. This was a very complicated election, and 4t took us until after one o'clock next morning to get the returns properly made out. The new schoolhouse was located on Section 9, southwest quarter of the southeast quarter. Another one was built in 1917.

"In 1873 and for some time afterwards, Humbird was the nearest railroad station to Neillsville. Then a railroad was built from Merrilan to the west side of Black River about a mile from Neillsville. This was continued to Marshfield in 1890. After this the mail for the east part of York and the north part of Grant was left at Granton. The people in the west part of York got their mail from Neillsville as usual. In 1890 the Dexterville Railroad was continued into the town of York on Sections 24, 14, 11 and 12.

"In 1883 the Romadka Bros. brought an old sawmill from Seymour, Wis., and rebuilt it on the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 24. They cut some timber and ran it for a few years. The settlers sold one of the men there hay and provisions, but claimed they had much trouble to get their pay, so they called the place 'Fizzlerville,' and though the mill has long since disappeared, the name still remains. About 1890 John Hein built a mill to saw heading on the south side of Section 5, and it was run for several years, the heading being shipped from Neillsville. Some years before that we used to haul bolts down O'Neill Creek to Neillsville. For good peeled bolts thirty-eight inches long we got $2 per cord. In 1888 the nicest white oak butt logs brought 12 per thousand at the spoke factory at Neillsville. In 1917 some standing white oak trees in this town brought $45 per thousand. In 1887 a town hall was built near the center of the town, now called York Center. A post office was established there in the eighties called Wilcox. This was discontinued in 1904. About 1880 the Fox River Co. (so-called) gave some land for a cemetery at this place and the Methodists built a church there. A mile and a half farther north stands a Free Methodist church. There is also a cemetery there.
"The first settler in the town of Grant was Davis Hill. He settled on the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 21 in the spring of 1856, but moved away in about a year. His son Thomas has resided here since that time and is now living at Maple Works, and from him I obtained these facts about the settlement of the town of Grant. There have been great changes in the last few years. In 1890, I made a canvass of York for the county committee. I found 202 voters, and of these there are now twenty-six left. (April 1, 1918). The first kerosene oil we bought cost one dollar a gallon. When it cost 40 cents a gallon we thought it was cheap."