Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

Clark County News

August 1878

The building committee of the Odd Fellow’s society will give a dance in the lower part of their new building next Wednesday, for the benefit of the building fund.  Until now, there hasn’t been such a place for dancing and may not be again for sometime, as walls will soon be put up in the building.  The area is large and airy, with the slickest kind of an oak floor which will be great for a dance.

The steam road wagon, which was to have taken the $10,000 reward offered by the State, was sold to a lumber firm at Dorchester.  It is being used as a locomotive on the lumbering company’s tramway.  The steam wagon’s builders, of Green Bay, built another locomotive like it and competed for the State reward, but it went to pieces on a trial trip.  The second engine was apparently built in too much of a hurry, and poorly constructed.

The ice famine, which has reached nearly every part of the country, has finally struck here.  The ice supply has been short for the season.  Also, the quality of the ice is very poor and during the hot days of July it melted in the ice house as it would in an April shower.  The thickest ice harvested last winter was only 14 inches thick, was of very poor quality and does not last as long as ice put up eight inches in thickness.  All the dealers have stopped regular sales, and will reserve the little remaining amounts of ice for their own use.

Last Friday, Bert McIntyre and P. S. Dudley went to Turner’s Eddy, a short distance north of Neillsville on the Black River, for the purpose of killing fish with dynamite.  After having driven some fish into the eddy, they proceeded to discharge the dynamite, as it is ordinarily put up, divided it into two charges and adjusted fuses.  When all was ready, they proceeded to light the fuses so as to explode the four charges at the same time.  McIntyre lit one of his charges and set it down by his feet as he hastily lit the second charge.  But while he was lighting the second charge, the first one exploded with terrific force.  McIntyre was riddled with fragments of tin and sand which had surrounded the dynamite charge.  Though stunned, he had the presence of mind to seize the other charge which had fallen from his hand.  He threw the dynamite over the water, where it exploded in the air before hitting the river’s surface.  Dudley, who was standing about four rods down the river from McIntyre, threw his charge in time to save himself, just in time.  The accident happened on the opposite bank of the river from where they had left their team.  With the assistance of Dudley, McIntyre put on his clothes (for he had become disrobed when the explosion took place) and waded across the river to reach the buggy.  He was brought home in a very helpless condition.  The doctor found McIntyre’s body to be perforated, on all parts, by sand and tin.  The most serious injury may have been to his lungs by the concussion as the flesh wounds will heal in proper time.  The accident was caused by some defect in the fuses.  (The moral to this story could be, “Don’t dynamite fish.”  D.Z.) 

The blackberry harvest is about the largest ever known in this county.  Thousands of bushels will go to waste within our area.  Everybody should have enough berries to eat three meals a day until next year’s crop ripens.

Robert Howard, who lives eight miles east of town, furnished proof of his fine apple orchard.  His entire orchard escaped the frost last spring and every bearing apple tree is loaded with fruit.  The apples, mostly of a larger variety, have an average circumference of ten inches.  Howard has evidence of what can be accomplished in apple raising in Clark County.

The sons of Herman, here in our town, will give a social dance at the hall of Neverman and Sontag on Friday evening, August 30.  All lovers of the German dance are invited, as well as those who love to trip the light fantastic in Quadrille.  Tickets for the dance are one dollar.  Music will be provided by H. Klopf’s Quadrille band.  All those wanting to eat supper can be accommodated at Mrs. Tibbett’s Restaurant.

Dr. Lacey has sold his drug store to Henry Myers.  Myers will be assisted by Mr. Slocum, who has already established an excellent reputation as a druggist.

John Graves & Son, of Loyal, have recently enlarged and greatly improved their flour mill there.

Robert Schofield has commenced building a very large and elegant residence in Greenwood.  From the plans shown us by Mr. Montgomery who has the contract, we judge the house will exceed anything in Clark County at this time.  It will replete with all the modern improvements in hydraulic and heating arrangements.  It will be located near the Greenwood turnpike, facing the road that leads to the mill.

There will be a grove meeting this week, in the Town of York, near the center of town.  It will be one-half mile west of Camp Diamond, on the north branch of O’Neill’s Creek.

August 1908

The H. J. Grelle Butter & Egg Co., of Johnson Creek, has purchased the Lange Creamery here.  Yesterday morning, they opened up the business and are operating it in full operation.

Misses Melvina and Selma Walters and Ed Schoengarth went to Loyal, on Sunday, in Ed’s automobile.  After leaving Loyal, they went to Chili; the young ladies will visit there this week.

Mrs. E. Bruley wants a few apprentice girls to learn the millinery trade at her shop.  One of the girls must be able to speak German.  Each apprentice will be given a $5 hat at the close of the season.

Frank Marg, one of the best farmers in this vicinity is completing an elegant new farm home on his farm northwest of the city.  It is a home that would do credit to anyone.  It is handsome in appearance and is comfortable in its interior arrangement.

Miss Marion O’Neill, F. D. Calway and Mr. and Mrs. Will Campman are camping on the island at Christie.

L. Cardorelli has lost a two-year-old, deep red colored heifer with a white line on her back and is dehorned.  She strayed from his farm in the Town of Pine Valley.  Any information about the heifer’s whereabouts would be greatly appreciated.

Saturday night, L. H. Howard, F. W. Balch and their wives had a slumber party in Hy Hart’s boat at Hatfield.  They drove down in an automobile and decided to stay there all night.  The ladies slept on the boat cushions.  As a result of sleeping in the bottom of the boat, Fred Balch is striped like a Zebra and Len Howard wore some skin off his body.

The Riley brothers have purchased the O’Neill House Livery Stable from Frank Lynch.  The livery stable, located on East Sixth Street assures careful drivers and good horse may be rented day and night.  Robert Riley traded 560 acres of land near Lindsay to August Schoengarth for the O’Neill House and the Frank Lynch Livery Barn in the rear of the hotel.  Riley took possession of the barn Monday, but the trade will not affect the lease of the hotel held by Bert Dresden.

For Sale at a sacrifice – 360 acres cut-over lands in the Town of Seif, six dollars per acre, cash.  Description of the property may be obtained at the Neillsville Times office.

There will be a special election held in the Town of Green Grove on Sept. 1.  Purpose of the meeting is of bonding for the town to raise necessary funds to build new roads throughout the town.  This move is crowded upon the town due to the fact that so many settlers have moved in recently.  The settlers need good roads to get their farm produce to market.  Plans are that the Town of Green Grove will be able to borrow money from the State, which would require three and one-half or four percent interest charge.  The loan would be made for 12 years.

The Merchants Hotel bus will carry passengers to and from all trains at the Neillsville depot to any part of the city for 15¢.

Byron Judd of the Town of York severely injured a finger on one hand as it got into a cog wheel when he was repairing a windmill last Sunday.  He went to Loyal and Dr. McGonigal put stitches in to bring the lacerated flash (flesh) together on the injured finger.  Judd said, if there had been more wind blowing at the time, he probably would have lost the finger.

August 1948

Globe’s baseball team moved into a half-game lead in the Southern Clark County Baseball League Sunday by ringing up a 5 to 3 victory over Grand View.

The Grand View team, which has been on the top of the league since the start of this season’s play, fell before the pitching of Herman Hagen.  Bernie Suel was the losing pitcher.

An intense moment came in the last half of the ninth when Globe nipped a Grand View rally which could have tied up the ball game.  Grand View had two on bases, with two out.  Its pitcher, Suel, was at bat.  Hagen fanned him on three consecutive pitches.

Globe took the lead with a run in the first and Grand View took the lead at 3-1 in the fifth; but Globe came back with a run in the sixth, one in the seventh, and topped off with two in the eighth.

Development of an extensive winter sports area on Bruce Mound, between Neillsville and Merrillan, is projected by the Half Moon Ski Club of Neillsville.

For the purpose of development of various trails and slides, as well as tobogganing areas, and snow shoeing areas, an easement on a 160-acre area has been granted by Joseph Pasek, an official of the Town of Dewhurst.  Other adjoining property is owned by Clark County.  The hope of the Half Moon Ski Club is that the county will permit the use of some of this land in the development of the project.

Principals in the formation of the club and development of the Bruce Mound project include Richard H. Van Gorden, James E. Hauge, Calvin Swenson, Dr. M. C. Rosekrans and John M. Peterson.

Plans are being made to start developing the area this fall by cutting out some ski trails.  The location affords sites for beginners’ ski slopes, as well as more difficult slopes for the expert and near-expert skiers.

The first meting of the local American Legion Post membership in its fine new building bordering O’Neill Creek on Hewett Street will be held tonight at 8 p.m.

While the building is far from completed, the hall is sufficiently constructed to permit the meeting to be held there.  The meeting will basically be held to concern itself with problems pertaining to the construction and financing of the new hall.  For this reason, Adj. Walter Beyer urges all post members to attend tonight’s meeting.

Two Neillsville Churches here are studying a merger plan.  The Zion Reformed and the Congregational Church members are discussing the problems in reference to their present church properties.

This season’s first no-hit, no-run baseball game in this area was hung up Sunday afternoon by Toddy Wall and the Neillsville Teenagers.  In a seven-inning tilt, the Teenagers slashed out a 17 to 0 triumph behind the baffling servings of young Wall.  The game, ordinarily scheduled for nine innings, was called because of darkness.

Only 23 Lynn batters faced Wall during the seven frames.  Wall’s feat was most remarkable because he did not issue a single walk.

Several poisonous swamp rattle snakes have been killed in the Sherwood area.  It is believed the dry weather has driven the snakes up from the swamps near Hay Creek.  Lawrence Freedlund, Connie Bayko and Theodore Schwanebeck have each found poisonous rattlers in their farm yards recently.

The good work of humanity does not wait to be done by perfect people.

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Service to others is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this planet.

A station hack commuted railroad passengers from the railway station to the hotels or other places within the town.  The above hack traveled the streets of Greenwood at the turn of the Century.  (Photo from Geo. Bishop Collection)