Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

December 18, 2002, Page 25

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

 

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

 

 

 

Clark County News

  

December 1917

 

On Nov. 27th, the marriage of George Frei, Jr. and Miss Angelina Schuld was solemnized in Neillsville, the ceremony being performed at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.  Following the ceremony, the invited guests gathered at the home of the bride’s parents where the event was fittingly celebrated.  The bride is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Simon Schuld of the Town of Loyal.  She is a young lady of many estimable qualities. The groom is a son of George Frei, Sr., and is an industrious and highly esteemed young farmer.

••••••••••

Cash Eide has sold his farm, in the town of York, to Mr. Elmhorst who has moved here from Illinois.  All of the livestock, machinery and other farm equipment were passed on to the new owner.

 

Eide has retired from the strenuous work of farm life after a long and successful career.  During that time, he accumulated means amply sufficient to enable him to spend the balance of his days as he chooses.  For some 30 years he has been a prominent citizen of the Town of York, representing it on the Clark County board and in other capacities. Thirty years ago, he visited his old home in New York State.

••••••••••

Knorr & Rausch, of Granton, sent their salesman, Kearney Davis over to their new Ford agency building on East Fifth Street in Neillsville, on Monday.  Davis was taking orders for new Ford cars to be delivered in the spring.  Knorr will take charge of the Neillsville agency while Rausch will look after the Granton garage.  The new brick and cement Ford garage building in Neillsville is on the site of the former Rossman hotel.

••••••••••

Mrs. Ida Ring has sold her home on the corner of Fourth and Hewett Streets to the Masons, who intend to build a temple there at some future date.  The property includes considerable ground, running back to West Street.  The house may be moved to the West Street front or divided into two houses.

••••••••••

Stelloh’s auto truck slipped on the ice at Cunningham Creek hill on Monday.  The truck slid around once or twice, shot off through a fence, turned and tackled the fence again, almost going into the creek.  Two long pipes on the truck and two men were thrown off.  Fortunately, the men received no broken bones. The unruly truck was roped and put back on the road unharmed.

••••••••••

Lightless-nights are being recommended by government conservationists now during World War I.  The young couples who spend their evenings sitting in the parlors think that is a wise move.

••••••••••

One day this week, M. Hoesly’s team of horses ran away. During the escapade, the residents of Fifth Street thought that there was a cyclone loose among them.  The team ran amuck through back yards, stopping for nothing.  Emil Glopf had taken refuge in a small out-building, which was in the path of the team.  The team ran into the building, tipping it over, Glopf and all. When the cyclone of horses had passed, Glopf emerged from the wreckage considerable mussed up and with a bewildered expression on his face.

 

December 1952

 

The 90th birthday of J. D. Elmendorf, of Thorp, was celebrated in Neillsville on December 4.  Fifteen relatives gathered with his granddaughter, Bonnie Patrick, in her cabin on Division Street.

 

At the age of 90, Elmendorf has an active mind and recalls many events of the early history of Clark County.

 

Elmendorf was born December 4, 1862, in Hebron, Jefferson County, Wisconsin.  He came to Unity at the age of 14.  He got a job on the dam at Hemlock, which was then the first dam in the series owned by the Black River Improvement Company.  The dam, located about four miles north of Greenwood, backed up a large pool of water, which was released for the drives, carrying the cut logs with it.  The method of getting the lumbermen’s logs down to Onalaska and La Crosse was used until about the end of the nineteenth century.

 

In the spring of 1881, Elmendorf drove a stage from Greenwood to Spencer for Chet Stow, then a prominent businessman in the county.  He also hauled mail from Loyal to Spencer.

 

In 1885, Elmendorf purchased 80 acres of land in the Town of Thorp, half a mile west of the city of Thorp on what was then the turnpike but what is now Highway 29.  He paid $9 per acre for the land.  He built a house on the farm in 1887, which is still standing.  He farmed there for years, until 1927; then rented the land for 14 years and finally sold it in 1951.

 

Elmendorf was in Neillsville on July 4, 1881, when the first train came over the trestle west of the city.

 

Elmendorf drove a team of oxen for Nyron Withee when steel and ties were laid for the railroad in Thorp.  He also pulled stumps in preparation for laying the main street of Withee.

 

Elmendorf was married in 1887 to Eliza Alger. She died in 1918.  There were six children, of whom four are still living, as follows: Maude, Mrs. Frank Schultze, Thorp; Harold, Seattle, Wash.; Cletus, Auburn, Wash.; Bernard, Woodinville, Wash.  He has 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

••••••••••

Harry McIntyre is leaving his position as assistant cashier of the Neillsville Bank and is taking a similar position in a bank in a suburb of Portland, Ore.  He will leave Neillsville on Dec. 26.  He recently made a trip to the coast to acquaint himself with his prospect there.

••••••••••

An empty jail is the unique Christmas present, which Clark County District Attorney Clarence Gorsegner, hopes to give Sheriff and Mrs. Frank Dobes.  With the help of various other jurisdictions and with a good boost from the people of Clark County, he believes that he can make this present pan out.  In that case, Mr. and Mrs. Dobes will be able to celebrate upon a family basis and will not be obliged to feed prisoners who are behind the bars.

 

The thinning out of prisoners was on the way early this week.  The jail held five Monday, but was down to one by Tuesday night. That last one will be out in a day or two also.

 

Now the kink in that entire plan is whether the rest of the population will behave and leave the jail pleasantly empty. Gorsegner asks the cooperation of everybody to this end.  He really wants to give Sheriff and Mrs. Dobes that empty jail for Christmas and this can be done if everybody works at it.

••••••••••

O. W. Schoengarth, County Judge of Clark County, has been honored with a citation by the state board of county judges.  This citation, engrossed upon an artistic scroll, was presented to Judge Schoengarth at a meeting of county judges, held last week in Milwaukee.

 

The citation was recognizing the service of county judge of more than 47 years, a longer consecutive service than that of any living county judge of Wisconsin.  The citation sets forth in detail the long and valuable public service, which Judge Schoengarth has rendered.

••••••••••

Thirty-six years ago, in the spring of 1916, a young man by the name of Ralph Short, of Neillsville walked into Norman Rausch’s place of business, in Granton, to purchase a new automobile. This was a big day in Short’s life, because he picked out a brand new, shiny, black 1916 Model T Ford automobile.

 

Short laid out five hundred hard-earned dollars, which marked the bill of sale “Paid in Full,” and he drove his newest and most prized possession home.

 

Short said that his first long trip with the Model T was taken to Camp Douglas.  Thirty-six years ago, this could not be exactly termed a pleasure cruise, as it is today; for the roads were mere sand trails, hewn through brush. ‘The old Model T took Short there and back without serious difficulty.  Even then, at that early date, when Short entered into the Ford Family, he knew that the name Ford meant reliability and dependability in automobile transportation.

 

Short has chosen Ford automobiles ever since.  This week, Short took delivery on the first new 1953 model Ford of which Frank Svetlik handed him the keys.

 

Records at Svetlik Motor Company show that Short bought a new Model T in 1922 from the Byse Garage, in Neillsville.  Byse was the predecessor of Svetlik Motor Co.  Short has continued an unbroken string of Ford ownership by buying a new 1935 V-8 Ford which gave him 14 years’ service.  Then he bought a 1949 Ford Tudor Custom from Svetlik Motor Co.

 

Short again traded Fords in 1950 and now is taking delivery on the most beautiful 1953 Ford custom line.

 

Short has given his Fords real tests, summer and winter, year after year, through his work as a county PMA official, with which he has been connected for the last ten years. Also, during those ten years, he has been selling insurance.  He has driven thousands of miles through various roads, mud, drifts, and smooth sailing on good, open roads.  (Svetlik Ford Adv)

••••••••••

Pfc. George Reinart, son of Mrs. Martin Reinart, 205 W. 10th Street, is stationed in Korea.  He wrote to his mother recently saying that he had driven one of the jeeps that had escorted President-Elect Eisenhower when he visited Korea.

 

They drove around for three days in zero temperatures with their jeep top down, one day driving 15 miles.  Reinart is a mechanic, repairing trucks and jeeps.

••••••••••

Mrs. Ray Barth, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. John Barth of Lynn, drove to Iola Sunday.  Then, on Monday, Mrs. Vandenbergen, the John Barth’s daughter, joined them when they drove to Milwaukee.  At Milwaukee, they met a plane that brought Ray Barth, U. S. Navy, home for a leave to visit his wife, parents and to get acquainted with his new infant son, whom he had never seen.

••••••••••

Many of the 60 Clark County Homemakers Clubs have been putting the essence of the Christmastide “Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men” into action during the past weeks.

 

Four clubs made a special effort to give one family in their community a happier Christmas. The family recently lost their home and most of their possessions in a fire.  Three clubs, the Fremont Homemakers, the Goldenrod Club and Forestside Homemakers, Chili, gave the quilts which the club had tied.  In addition, they gave gifts of money and of canned goods.  The Veefkind Homemakers in the Loyal Center dispensed with giving gifts at their club Christmas party and used the money to purchase paper and paint for fire victims’ new home.

 

The Friendly Homemakers club of Withee also decided not to exchange gifts this year.  Instead they took the money and purchased treats for youngsters at the Northern Colony School at Chippewa Falls.

 

During the year, the Frenchtown Homemakers, also at Withee, completed a lap robe which they sent to the Wood County sanitarium.  They are making a second lap robe this year.  Each member makes at least one 10-inch square for the robe.

 

At Loyal, the Beaver Center club took money from the club treasury and purchased a gift for one of the patients at the Wood Hospital.  They also packed a special box for one of the men from the community who is serving in the armed services.

 

The Coles Corner club made up a special box for a needy family of the county.

 

The Granton Happy Homemakers decided to spread their Christmas cheer throughout the year and make a point of remembering service men of the club members’ families with Christmas and birthday cards.

•••••••••••

Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow.

€€€€€€€€

 

A bridge club Christmas party, held in 1952, at Keller’s Supper Club along Highway 10, west of Neillsville.  Left to right, standing in the back row by the fireplace were; Evelyn Schwantes, Marie Covell and Harriet Peterson.  Front row: Esther Parry, Beth Munger, Lorena Rude, Alta Allen and Edna Russell.  (Photo courtesy of the Covell Family Photo Collection)

 

 

 

 

 


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