Good Old Days

By Dee Zimmerman

December 1881

Will Cornick, Proprietor of the Neillsville and Greenwood stage line, is about to add another daily line, running tow stages each way, daily, between the two villages.  Under this arrangement, stages will leave here for Greenwood in the morning as well as, at present in the evening.  Stages will also leave Greenwood for her both morning and evening.

A fellow, of the Town of Lynn, came to town last Saturday and filled up with “benzene” after which, just at dusk, he started for home with his team, but was picked up by Under-Sheriff Myers and landed in the “cooler”, where he spent the night, for getting up too much motion in passing up Main Street, the speed obtained being estimated at a 2:30 gait.

In his dash through the street, he ran into and partly demolished one buggy, and came near running over several persons.  This is the first arrest that has been made for fast or reckless driving on the streets of this village but it is not the first that should have been made, or the last likely to be made unless that practice is discontinued.

An observer gave this update on the Village of Neillsville in 1881 – “The village looks busy and it looks are not deceptive.  Since the roads froze up so as to be possible to trade has been very brisk.  All the merchants, say they are rushing.  James Hewett’s store is packed with goods and what is quite as essential, with customers.  Mr. Chubb, the manager, is kept jumping and he knows how to do it.  Mr. Saupe has evidently struck it rich by coming up here and taking a hand in with Mr. Dickinson.  They are doing a good business.  Mr. Blakeslee, Mr. G. Lloyd and other merchants seem to be doing their full share and are very busy.

The most important bit of a new newspaper; there has not been entire harmony in the ranks of the party here.  A company has been formed consisting of N. H. Withee, J. W. Ferguson, James L. Gates, Robert Schofield, L. A. Doolittle and James O’Neill, Jr. and they will issue the first paper in about ten days.  It will be called “The Neillsville Times,” and the publication day will be Tuesday.  Mr. L. A. Doolittle and James O’Neill, Jr. will be the editors and M. W. Parker, late of the Courier, will have charge of the mechanical department.”

“The O’Neill House has gone into new hands and Mrs. O’Neill, who will not keep out of business, is running a restaurant.”

“The Reddan House is doing a good business and “Mack” the Clerk, “takes the entire bakery’ as an insinuating and popular caterer to the great army of travelers.”

“With three trains a day Neillsville is about as well fixed for railroad facilities as any town of its size in the state.  Its trains connect both ways with the Chicago, St. Paul and Minneapolis and Green Bay roads.  It is expected that the road will be extended to Marshfield another season.”

“The Neillsville loggers will generally go lighter than usual this winter, though that is not the case with James Hewett, who will put in about thirty millions and F. D. Lindsay ten to twelve.  George Lloyd and Chauncey Blakeslee will log light this season.  Capt. LaFlesh will put in two camps for Washburn.  The weather has been very good recently and the swamps are reported as freezing in good shape.  It is a little early yet for men to tell definitely what they will try to do, but the tendency is to go lighter than usual.”

December 1941

“Ridge” Folks and friends from Granton and Neillsville gathered recently in celebration at the Pleasant Ridge Church.  They honored George Vine who had been superintendent of the Sunday school for the past twenty-five years.

Vine, a native of the community, was born Feb. 8, 1876, on the farm now occupied by his brother, Fred Vine.  The home farm is located a half mile north and a half mile east of the church.  He was five when the church was under construction and just old enough to toddle down the road to Sunday school when the structure was completed.  Since that time he has been constantly connected with the institution as a member and worker in the Sunday school and church.

A potluck dinner at the noon hour was followed by an impromptu program.  Rev. Walter T. Scott, a former pastor, Rev. Obed Asp and Rev. G. W. Longenecker were the principal speakers.  A number of past teachers and pupils gave comments on these institutions in the community.

The first Pleasant Ridge Church built in 1881-’82 under the pastoral of the Rev. J. E. Webster, served the community for fifty years for it in 1932 that the old brick church was destroyed by fire.  The following year a new frame structure was erected dedication services taking place on Dec. 3, 1933.

At the close of that program, it was voted to make the homecoming an annual event.

Three wedding anniversaries were celebrated in the Town of Washburn vicinity. 

About 100 relatives and friends gathered at the town hall in honor of the 22^nd wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Hagie and Mr. and Mrs. Irvin Stevens.  Their anniversaries were Nov. 15 and Nov. 26 but due to deer hunting season the celebration had to be postponed.  Mr. and Mrs. Ordie Marshall held their wedding anniversary at their home. 

With the Untied (United) States at war, the organization of civilian defense units in Clark County was launched in Neillsville, this past week, under the direction of Leo Foster.

Several Clark County boys are in the service in Guam and Hawaii.

Among them are: Chas. Perushek of Willard, machinist mate on an aircraft carrier at Pearl Harbor.

Robert, 21, and James Cattanach, 24, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Cattanach of Owen, second class seamen on a cruiser last reported in Pearl Harbor.

Keith Colby, Loyal with an army unit in Guam.

Pvt. Phillip W. Haag, nephew of Leo Foster, Neillsville, at Pearl Harbor. 

Lt. B. B. Becker, brother of Richard A. Becker, Neillsville, stationed at Manila.

Clark County will sell Town of York poor farm and move personal property to northern county farm site.  The 160 acre farm will be sold by sealed bid.

December 1961

Area Guardsmen were entertained at Tufts home in Tacoma.  Located a scant six miles from Fort Lewis, Wash., Tacoma, the home of Co. and Mrs. W. B. Tufts is one of the “homes away from home” for national guardsmen of Clark County now in training there.

Col. and Mrs. Tufts recently held an informal gathering Nov. 25 and 26, when about 48 “old and new hands” were present; they included members of the Neillsville Company, and all others from the area in Clark County.

It was mid-1942 when Army Capt. Wm. B. Tufts bid farewell in the South Pacific to the Wis. National Guard Company he had commanded since 1935.

This weekend he said hello: Tufts, a retired Lieutenant Colonel living at 1736 S. Jackson St., opened his home Saturday and Sunday to men of Company E, 1^st Battle Group, of 128^th Infantry.

The Clark County Homemakers Chorus was reorganized at the V. A. Hansen home this past week.  Thirteen members attended the first meeting.  Mrs. Roger Heineck, of Neillsville, will be the new chorus director.

Fires leveled the Auto-Test, Inc. manufacturing plant in Neillsville and the Norman Poppe farm house, in the Town of Seif, this past week.  The Bob Kunze carpentry shop was also damaged. 

Tom Darski (Dorski), manager of the O & N Lumber Company yard in Neillsville for several years, has accepted management of the company’s facilities in Bloomer.

EAST SIDE OF HEWETT STREET LOOKING NORTH About 1885-1890

Balch & Tragsdorf corner store – merchants dealing in general merchandise (now Schultz Bros) Zimmerman Drugs – a short lived business.  Later Julie Neverman had a tea and coffee store and Nick Gangler a variety store at this site.  Later it was razed and added to Schultz Bros Store.

BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF NEILLSVILLE WEST

Looking west on 5^th Street circa 1910

Note: 3 church spires visible namely the Presbyterian in foreground, the congregational and St. John’s Lutheran.  All three churches are no longer, being razed or burned.  The Hewett Farm at top of hill with trees all around is present site of St. John’s Lutheran Church.