Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

April 23, 1992, Page 28

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Oldies 

By Dee Zimmerman

Supervisors, Clark County, 1939

Members Present

 

Jos. Pachal

Beaver

Fred Seefeld

Unity

H. C. Conklin

Butler

Arthur Schwarze

Warner

Wm. E. Gosse

Colby

Paul Schultz

Washburn

W. L. Murphy

Dewhurst

Thomas Thomas

Weston

Fred Drew

Eaton

Wallace Dobrzynski

Withee

W. H. Wiegert

Foster

John Techmeier

Worden

A. W. Beil

Fremont

Elmer F. Anderson

York

Lewis E. Scholtz

Grant

Charles Hoffman

Abbotsford

Louis Hardrath

Green Grove

Anthony Hennlich

Curtiss

Arthur J. Klarich

Hendren

August P. Muller

Dorchester

W. C. Ambelang

Hewett

D. S. Rausch

Granton

Matt Maki

Hixon

Corwin C. Guell

Thorp

A. E. Stadler

Hoard

Wm. Creed

Unity

Elmer Buddenhagen

Levis

A. R. Martin

Withee

E. F. Braun

Longwood

H. A. Krepsky

Colby, Second Ward

Wm. Deuermeyer

Loyal

W. W. Payne

Colby, Third Ward

Clark Brooks

Lynn

Chas. A. Varney

Greenwood

Lee Jensen

Mayville

Wheeler E. Forman

Neillsville, First Ward

Wm. A. Schlinsog

Mead

F. D. Calway

Neillsville, Second Ward

Max Schenk

Mentor

C. R. Sturdevant

Neillsville, Third Ward

Wm. Zank

Pine Valley

V. C. Woelffer

Neillsville, Fourth Ward

Percy Marshall

Reseberg

Eino Backs

Owen, First Ward

John Seif

Seif

E. W. Kidd

Owen, Second Ward

Lowell Schultz

Sherman

Eino Luoma

Owen, Third Ward

Oscar Brinkmeier

Sherwood

O. E. Parkinson

Owen, Fourth Ward

Roy Forster

Thorp

Ed. Bertz (not in group)

Loyal

 

   

This week, Tuesday, The Clark County Board met for the first session of business since the April 7th election.

 

There was a re-districting within the county, recently.  The election determined sixteen new and thirteen re-elected super-visors which makes up the total of twenty-nine on the board.

 

Through the years, there have been various changes within the county government, as there has been in everything in general.

 

Looking back in the county’s history, we found information about he beginning of Clark County’s government.

 

The First Period in the government of Clark County was the Pine Valley Period dating from November 14, 1854, to June 6, 1857.  During that period the supervisors of Pine Valley sat as the supervisors of Clark County the business of government was set into motion, a contract was let for building the courthouse, taxes were levied, financial matters adjusted, and two townships created, making three in all.

 

The Second Period in the government of Clark County was the adjustment Period dating from June 6, 1857 to March 3, 1862 the attention of the board at that time was mostly devoted to financial matters.  The first courthouse was completed and occupied, the first provision made for county help in the matter of roads and bridges.  Plats of the county were procured, and on abstract of Clark County land entries were obtained from the land offices at La Crosse and Eau Claire.

 

The Third period was the commissioner Period.  The Commissioner System of County Government went into effect January 1, 1862 and that period extended from March 3, 1862 to May 23, 1870. Under that system, Clark County was to be governed by three supervisors or commissioners elected by district.  The question of finances continued to be an important one.  Little cash was to be had; it was difficult for the county to secure enough actual cash to pay the state tax and outside expenses.  County orders and tax certificates continued to be the medium of exchange in county affairs, and to a certain extent the same was true of township and county orders.

 

The Fourth or Modern Period of county government dated from March, 1870 when the supervisor system was resumed.  By then the county was divided into eight townships, Eaton, Grant, Levis, Loyal, Lynn, Mentor, Pine Valley and Weston, and consisted of eight members, one for each township.

 

On May 12, 1874, standing committees were appointed on: 1) Claims of sheriff, justice and constables; 2) Illegal tax claims; 3) General Claims; 4) Town organization; 5) Appropriations; 6) Printing and printer’s claims; and since the system of transacting the business of the county largely by committees, the general supervision of the county board had been in vogue.

 

The act of creating Clark County provided that a county judge should be chosen at the regular November election of that year, the voting place was at O’Neills Mills, and the county seat at Section 2, township 24, Range 2 West (Weston’s Rapids).

 

The county clerk and treasurer were directed to divide the county into towns previous to the spring election of 1853.  Organization, however, was perfected later.  The first election of Pine Valley Township was held April 4, 1954 (1854).

 

The first meeting was held at the home of James O’Neill, Sr. (Chairman) James French and Hugh Wedge; Clerk, B. F. French; treasurer, B. F. French; superintendent of schools, James O’Neill, Sr.; overseer of highways, James Conlin, Conrad Dell and Elijah Eaton.

 

(County government in Clark County, was inaugurated November 14, 1854.)

 

A county board meeting in the old courthouse, 1954 or 1955. 

(Click to enlarge)

 

County Officers Present

 

O. W. Schoengarth………………………County Judge

Hugh Gwin……………………………District Attorney

Calvin Mills……………………………….County Clerk

J. H. Fradette…………………………County Treasurer

Herman Olson………………………..….County Sheriff

Herbert Olson………………………..….Deputy Sheriff

Oluf Olson………………………………………. Janitor

 

 Compiled by Terry Johnson

 

Neillsville FFA earned an “excellent” rating at competition at Wisconsin State University—River Falls.  Pictured with the award were Robert Sebesta and Mark Janicki with ag instructor Richard Quast.

 

In city alderman races, Joseph J. Wavrunek was re-elected in the fifth ward; Martin (Max) Feuerstein was re-elected in the first ward; and Mary Zilk lost in her bid to become the first woman member of the City Council.  She was defeated by incumbent Wayne Grap, second ward. 

 

FIFTY YEARS AGO

 

A free series of lessons was scheduled at C. E. Seif & Son to teach women how to run tractors and other farm machinery.  International Harvestor Co. was conducting a nationwide campaign of this instruction to relieve the farm labor shortage during the war.

 

A front page story on spring elections opened with this lead:  “War and work are taking some of the spunk out of the spring township elections.”

 

On page 3, a picture with the headline, “Floral Tribute to MacArthur.” And this cut-line: “Mrs. George C. Marshall, wife of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army is shown with a bouquet of ‘Douglas MacArthur Sweet-peas’ presented to her by David Burpee, who developed the new flower, ad named it to honor the hero of Battaan.  Mrs. Marshall came from Virginia to receive the bouquet at the opening of the National Flower Show in New York.”

 

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

 

Quoted from the Glenwood City Tribune, “The village of Somerset is endeavoring to secure a local newspaper to herald its multitudinous advantages to a waiting world.  Rumor has it that it will be a four pager, the first page to be printed in French, the second in German, the third in English and the fourth in Chippewa Indian.  Such a combination, will, of course, require that it be printed on asbestos and religiously kept away from powder, gasoline, squirrel whiskey and other explosives.

 

ONE-HUNDRED YEARS AGO

 

In the proceedings of the County Board meeting held March 1st and 2nd, 1892, a report was read and adopted by the board from D. H. Ebbe, overseer of the poor farm.  His report addressed to H. M. Root, County Clerk.  “Dear Sir:  The following are the amounts due the county from the several towns of Clark County, for the board, medical attendance, medicine and burial expenses of their paupers at the county poor farm for the year commencing March 1st, 1891, and ending Feb. 29th,  1892… Total of all charges $982.90.  Dated March 1st, 1892.”

 

Pictures provided by Ken Olson and Bob Lulloff

 

 


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