April 1919

We have all heard the old saying, “What is home without a mother?”  What could Clark County be without good old Shortville?  In speaking of scenery, we can’t be compared with Yellowstone Park, but we have some of the best in this part of the state.  We have the Cunningham Creek one-half mile north of Main Street, with its beautiful wooded banks and rocky dells.  Also Tom Winters’ picnic grounds and summer resort close to the iron bridge on Grand Avenue.  We also have some of the best professional men in the country.  Among them are Dr. M. C. Thomas, who guarantees to cure any ailment in men or beast; Harley West, real estate agent, who will trade-off anything you have except your wife; Eugene Hagie, violinist and musician, who can make you laugh and cry at the same time; Horace Rodman and Amos Kegley, professional trappers, who can catch anything.  And last but not least, we have Geo. Strubing a professional frog trainer is known to train a frog to do anything from singing Yankee Doodle to dancing to tango.  With a lineup like this, we think we ought to keep our name on the map for some time to come.

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Wm Schmitz and Albert Quicker of Lynn were in Neillsville on Saturday.  The young men have but recently returned from service in France.  Mr. Quicker returned a few weeks ago while Mr. Schmitz returned Thursday.  Quicker was a member of the old Marshfield Guard Company and Schmitz was a member of the old Neillsville Co. A, and went with the “home boys” to France.  He was transferred from the 32^nd into the 1^st Division.  Both young men saw much service in France and both are recovering from the effects of being gassed.  They had many experiences fighting in the war, which they are able to tell about.

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The Neillsville City Council formally passed the new paving resolution and it would appear now as if the city of Neillsville will soon have the business streets paved from the corner of the Big Store to the train depot.  The Ordinance covers Hewett Street from the Big Store to the bridge at the Condensary, or 4^th Street to the Hewett Street Bridge.  It was decided to pave with vitrified brick with asphalt filler and it is understood that the entire job will be finished in about 40 days after the contract is let and work started. The brick will be laid on a concrete foundation and in this instance there will be but little excavation necessary.  Mr. Shafer of the John Shafer Co. was here Thursday night consulting with the city council.

In an earlier meeting, Mr. Shafer, who specializes in street paving, classified the various paving materials and explained the method of construction and relative costs.  He stated that creosoted wood blocks stood at the head of the list both as to durability and appearance.  However, wood blocks are also the most expensive in the first cost, but naturally are the most economical in the long run.  Vitrified brick followed wood blocks, in Mr. Shafer’s estimation with the method and construction of the present times makes them about as durable as wood and are practically noiseless.  The cost of brick is also very much lower than wood.  The modern method of laying brick is to lay them in a coating of asphalt, rolling them down into the hot pitch so that no water can possibly get under them.  The asphalt also prevents the chipping off of the corners and the consequent breaking up of the pavement.

Mr. Shafer characterized crushed rock and bitumen as third in the list, cement as fourth.  He did not recommend concrete on Hewett Street as the grade is too great for safety to horses that would be traveling on it.

In 1919, downtown Neillsville’s Hewett Street from the intersection of Fourth Street to the O’Neill Creek Bridge was paved with vitrified brick, the first paving project in the city.

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There will be a basket social and dance at the Tioga blacksmith shop for the benefit of the Church School Saturday evening, May 3^rd.  Ladies, each bring a well-filled basket.  There will be a prize for the prettiest decorated basket.  Everybody come.

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T. E. Dean and Jack Riplinger were here from Tioga, Monday.  Mr. Dean is just back from service overseas and has assumed charge of the Palms store at Tioga in which he was interested prior to the death of Mr. Palms.  His return releases Jack Riplinger from the store and he has returned home where he is again at his position at the Condensary.

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The Levis Sewing Circle will give their annual dance and circle fair at Riverside Park Friday evening, May 2^nd.  The fair begins at 8:30 sharp and lasts one hour.  Dance tickets 50¢, with free lunch and hot coffee included.  There will be good music by the Opelt orchestra with fun for all.

April 1959

D. Vance Mack of Machinato, Okinawa, came Friday night and visited until Tuesday at the home of his mother, W. I. Mack, and brother, Sherrin Mack.  This is the first visit home for Vance in over 11 years.

He has recently retired from the U. S. Navy and now has a position with California Orient Trading Co., as a manufacturer’s representative.  This work takes him to many places throughout the Orient and the United States.  When he reaches his home in Okinawa, he will have visited on this trip: Tokyo, Alaska, New York, Bermuda, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Honolulu, Guam and Manila.

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J. C. Penney Company is celebrating the 57^th anniversary of its founding with a three-week Festival of Values.  This year’s anniversary theme depicts colorful aspects of America in the turn of the century.  Replicas of the brightly colored circus barker and the once familiar peddler’s wagon are typical of the celebration’s motif.  The anniversary is expected to be the biggest in the company’s history, according to Edward C. Diehl, manager of the Neillsville Penney’s store.

James Cash Penney founded the company in a modest, frame building in Kemmerer, Wyo., in 1902 with savings of $500 and $1,500 borrowed.  Since then Penney’s has grown to be the largest chain of retail department stores in the world with nearly 1,700 stores in 48 states and yearly sales of more than 1.3 million.

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An old fashioned barn raising was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Wagner, with 11 neighbors joining in.  Mrs. Erna Richardson assisted Mrs. Wagner with the meals.

A barn, 36 by 80 feet, is being built over the concrete basement constructed two years ago.  Assisting were: John Putz and Norman Sage, of Hewett; August Klann, Herbert Wagner, Fritz Wagner, August Nemitz, Fred Dux, Frank Zank, Robert Opelt, Clifford Winters and Walter Wetzel.  In addition to the 12 men, there were five others from Fall Creek who supervised the construction.

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A communion service held Thursday evening at the United Church of Christ, conducted by co-pastors Rev. Jack Grether and Rev. Frank B. Harcey, received nine members by letter of transfer or by an expression of faith.  They included the Rev. and Mrs. George Grether, Mr. and Mrs. David Stucki, Miss Arla Graves, Mrs. Faye Shegonee, Miss Louis (Louise) Kippenhan and Mr. and Mrs. Everett Juntunan.

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The spring moving bug has settled down on two old time business institutions of Neillsville. 

This coming weekend the Red Owl Agency store, owned by P. T. Holum, will move into a new and enlarged location next to the Neillsville Bakery.

Galstad’s Studio moved last Tuesday into a ground floor location next door to the new Red Owl location. This institution, long operated by D. E. Thayer prior to Wilfred B. Galstad’s purchase several years ago, was in an upstairs location over McCain’s store.

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August Ender, 77, who published The Clark County Press for a brief period 20 years ago, was buried Monday morning following services in St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Durand.  He died April 3^rd following an illness, which had hospitalized him for several months.

Mr. Ender came to Neillsville with his family in 1937, when he purchased the old Neillsville Press.  Shortly afterward he bought the Clark County Journal, a second weekly newspaper published here and combined the two newspapers.  The Granton News was bought in 1938 and its list was added to that of the Press.   August 28, 1938, he sold the Press to the present owners and returned to Durand, where he purchased the Durand Courier-Wedge, a newspaper he published until his death.  Active management of the Courier-Wedge has been in the hands of his son, William, who was editor of the Press under the ownership of his father here.

During his life, Mr. Ender owned or was co-owner of 21 weekly newspapers and a daily.  The largest of them were the Chippewa Herald, a daily, and the Rice Lake Chronotype.  He spent 14 years in Rice Lake before selling out to his partner, Warren D. Leary and coming to Neillsville.

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The Cozy Corner School district, of the Town of Fremont, held a meeting of the school Friday evening for the purpose of voting whether to run the school the coming year, or to close it.  It was voted by a large majority to close the school.

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For Sale on U. S. Highway 10: Grocery store and Texaco Gas Station with 5-bedroom Home along side the business.  It must be sold within 30 days.  Contact: Ray Strebing, or Ray’s South Side Food Market, Neillsville, Wis.

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In honor of being on the first American ship to arrive at Honolulu after the voting of Hawaiian statehood, and to be received in Hawaiian hospitality and splendor, was an experience, which Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Georgas of Neillsville will never forget.

The 700 passengers on the U. S. S. Lurline were enroute from San Francisco to Hawaii when they received the news March 12, of Hawaiian statehood, then passengers and crew went all out in celebrating.  Someone came forth with an American flag of 50 stars, plans were made for a banquet and celebration, which lasted well into the following morning, the Georgas’ recalled on their return home last week.

As the ship approached Honolulu on the morning of March 16, which was Mr. Georgas birthday, ships came out to meet them, bringing leis and other Hawaiian flowers for all on board.  The reception committee boarded the Lurline and extended to the Americans the welcoming key to the Islands of Hawaii.

Mr. and Mrs. Georgas were entertained by Lt. and Mrs. C. W. Adair, friends from Navy days in World War II, at their home in Honolulu where a birthday party was held the first evening for Mr. Georgas, with native Hawaiians bringing gifts and food for the occasion.

“We had read and heard considerable of Hawaiian hospitality,” said Mr. Georgas, “But we never realized how friendly they could be until we visited them and felt the kindness and the wonderful feeling of friendship.”

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People throughout the area who want a little fun and some enjoyable tom-foolishness, along with their shopping will find it in Neillsville, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

It’s the first “Krazy Daze,” sponsored by the retail committee of the Chamber of Commerce, with merchants cooperating to the hilt.

Maxwell Street, famed for its street-side merchandising, “jawing and jawing,” will have nothing on Neillsville during these three days.  Parking will be eliminated on Hewett street, between Fourth and Sixth streets, so that uninhibited salesmen and prospective clients won’t be damaging cars when they talk and barter.

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Five Christie area families enjoyed the first outdoor picnic of the season Sunday along Cawley Creek.  They included Mr. and Mrs. Henry Seebant, Jr and children, Mr. and Mrs. Lisle Armitage, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Urlaub and children, Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Halle and children, and Mr. and Mrs. Helmuth Lavandowska.

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A hearing on a petition to attach the Mound School district to the Neillsville School district will be held May 7, at 8:30 p.m. in the Mound School, one mile north of Christie on Highway 73.

The hearing was scheduled by Clark County School Superintendent Leonard Morley who serves as secretary of the county school committee.

Involved are the farms in about six sections of land in northern Weston Township, with a row of 40’s in Eaton Township in the northern border.

Boundaries of the district are: on the south, County Trunk H; on the west Black River; on the north southernmost row of 40s in the Town of Eaton; and on the east 1 ½ miles east of Highway 73.

The school this year has an enrollment of 28 pupils and its equalized valuation in 1957 was $371,700.  Mrs. Helen Schultz of Granton is the teacher.

The Mound School building was completely remodeled last summer and has automatic heat and inside lavatory facilities.

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Mr. and Mrs. William Diercks, who had made their home at Willard for three years, have moved back into their residence on 10^th Street, which was recently vacated by Mr. and Mrs. Gene Ross.

Mr. and Mrs. Gene Ross and family have moved into the residence at 1149 Emery Street, which they recently purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Ed Zank.  Mr. and Mrs. Zank and family have moved to the residence, which they recently built on Bruley Street.

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The Kearns building at the corner of Grand Avenue and Seventh Street will house an automatic coin laundry sometime after May 1^st.

A five-year lease of the building which was used by the hospital auxiliary for its periodic Thrift Sales was completed last week.  It will undergo considerable remodeling before the new business is opened.

Mrs. Julia Haenol of Fairchild will be operating the automatic laundry; and she also operates the Fairlane Nursing Home in Fairchild.

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