Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI February 27, 1992, Page 16 Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon. Index of "Oldies" Articles

OLDIES

By Dee Zimmerman

“Photography in the night”—This photo was taken in the spring of 1959 by Robert Lulloff when the Neillsville bowling alley (a long time landmark building) was destroyed by fire.  It was located on East 6^th Street.  At the time of the fire, the bowling alley business was leased by George and Betty Bleskachek and previously operated by George and Neta Haack, who had purchased it from Ted and Vi Schmidt.  Originally that building had been the site of the Neillsville Brewery with Kurt Listeman as the owner.  After the brewery ceased, it was converted into the Pea Cannery, then the bowling alley.  As of now, that area on 6^th street is a parking lot, across the street from the Clark County Courthouse.

A view overlooking the city of Neillsville possibly before the turn of the century.  In the background, the County Courthouse sets up above the other buildings.  At the left of that, the steeple and top part of the Congregational Church is visible.

The wooden fences were built around the lots.  At that time, each family owned a milk cow and a few chickens so the wooden fences were necessary.  At the lower part of the photo, the road could have been what is now Grand Avenue.

Compiled by Terry Johnson

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO—1967

Three Neillsville wrestlers advanced to the state WIAA tournament in Madison.  They were Terry Holub, Mark Janicki and his brother, Craig Janicki.  Their coach was Joe Heckl.

In Cloverbelt basketball, the Warriors posted five straight victories to tie for second in the eastern division of the conference.  A page one photoengraving showed Coach Kenneth VanDam with team members: Kenneth Carl, Kenneth Short, Dave Roberts, Charles Schlegelmilch, Bruce LaZotte, Bill Knoff and Steve Siebert.

FIFTY YEARS AGO—1942

“Service Company Moves to New Site, Believed Going to East Coast: Spirits High, Anxious to Get Going, is Report From the South”  “The 32^nd Division, with the Service Company, 128 Infantry—made up largely of Neillsville, Granton and Greenwood men—is moving from Camp Livingston, LA.  Wile their destination is not generally known, it is believed that they were headed eastward, possibly for Fort Devens, near Boston, Mass. This would bring them within shouting distance of the east coast ports from which American troops now in Iceland and North Ireland embarked.”

Many other front page stories dealt with the ware also:  “War Fund Drive is over $3,000”; “36 Leave for Army Tuesday”; Rationing of items as diverse as manila rope and automobiles; and the words of a county game warden, who drafted an “open season” on “Japs” and “Nazis,” with no bag limit.  He stated, “The above are classed as predators, and deemed detrimental to the religious, social and economic security of the world.  Bounty claims for the above species may be presented to all loyal Americans who will gladly give their spiritual and financial aid to any group or unit engaged in destroying them.

Mumps was a plague in the county, with 73 new cases reported during the week of February 20.  The disease had been on the loose since the previous fall.

“The Rev. H. E. Webster of Neillsville, pastor of the Independent Bible Church, has received from his sister, Gretchen Webster, an account of a trip which Miss Webster made through war-torn China; …Gretchen Webster went to China as a missionary in 1931.  Like her brother of Neillsville, she studied at Moody Bible Institute, Chicago.”

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO—1917

An item on the front page detailed how it was possible for errors to get into print.  Admitting to one that had occurred in a recent week, it also gave an example of how a printer got a wedding and an auction mixed up in another newspaper.  The result read as follows: “William Smith, the only son of Mr. and Mrs. Jos. Smith, and Miss Lucy Anderson were disposed of at public auction at my farm one mile east in the presence of 70 guests, including two mules and 12 head of cattle.  Rev. Jackson tied the nuptial knot for the parties averaging 1, 250 pounds on the hoof.  The beautiful home of the bride was decorated with one sulky rake, one feed grinder and two sets of work harness, nearly new, and just before the ceremony was pronounced, the Mendel and Sons wedding march was rendered by one milch cow 5 years old, one Jersey cow and one sheep, who, carrying a bunch of bride’s roses in her hand, was very beautiful.  She wore one light spring wagon, two crates of apples, three racks of hay, one grindstone of mousseline do sole and trimmings with bridal party left yesterday on an extended trip.”

ONE-HUNDRED YEARS AGO –1892

The front page carried a lengthy portion of a speech given on February 12 by Isaac H. Bromley before the Middlesex Club at Boston.  It was a political speech, and at one point stated:  “So we enter on the campaign of 1892.  Before it opens we salute the sincere men in front, with whom we are at plain and pointed issue, and with high courtesy we thank them for the work they did in the four years of Mr. Cleveland’s administration, in bringing the party of bushwhackers and moonshiners for once into the open.  Through their endeavors we had in 1988 (1888?) a fair standup fight.”  Later, in closing the speech, Bromley said, “Patience; Patience, my friends!  No party ever was immaculate, none ever free from self-seekers, none ever exempt from mistakes.  Ours is a party of human beings, with human purposes and aims and with human weaknesses.  It does not promise to bring in the millennium to-day or to-morrow, or next week.  But it does believe in all things that contribute to the general welfare; all things that are true and honest and that have for their ultimate end the amelioration of hard conditions and the up-building of mankind.   …It has always stood for something, meant something, fought for something.  Its record is before the world; the story of high endeavor and great achievement.  We, stand on it, waiting only the order to go forward.”