Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

  January 5, 1994, Page 24

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Good Old Days" Articles 

 

 

Good Old Days  

 

CLARK COUNTY OFFICIALS AND BUSINESSMEN OF 1906

 

By Dee Zimmerman

FRED W. DRAPER

 

Clerk of Court:

 

Fred W. Draper was born in Fond du Lac County in 1868.  When he was 4 years old, he came to Clark County with his parents and settled on a farm in Loyal Township.  He attended school here, graduating in 1884.  After school graduation, he attended Oshkosh Normal and taught in the common and graded schools from 1885 to 1898.  He was a member of the School Board and Town Clerk of Loyal during 1899 and 1900.

 

When Draper first went to Loyal, the town consisted of a store, a sawmill, a hotel and not more than a half dozen dwellings.

 

Draper owned and operated a farm which he had cleared himself.  He resigned his office of Town Clerk in 1889 to enter upon the duties of Clerk of court in Clark County to which office he was elected.

 

Draper was a member of the M. W. A. and a Mason. 

 

Upon accepting the County Clerk position, he purchased the Chandler residence on Court Street in 1903 where he resided with his wife and daughter.

GEORGE L. JACQUES

 

County Judge:

 

George L. Jacques, starting in 1898, served Clark County as county judge, retired as county judge in 1906, returning to private law practice. 

 

Jacques was born at Delafield, Wis., in 1862.  In 1874, the family moved to Calumet County later to Spencer and finally to Neillsville.

 

Judge Jacques attended the high school at Chilton and the Whitewater Normal.  For some time, he taught school at Green-wood, after which he came to Neillsville, and then decided to enter the practice of law by entering Judge O’Neill’s office.  He was admitted to practice in 1885.

 

Although his was in general law practice, he had considerable local tax title litigation work.

 

Other than his law practice, he was an active member of the Co A 3rd Wisconsin National Guard and the state sharp- shooters team.  He held offices of Chairman of Clark Co., Rep. Committee Chairman of 5th Senatorial District, City Attorney of Neillsville and District Attorney of Clark County.

JUDGE OSCAR W. SCHOENGARTH

 

County Judge:

 

A young Neillsville native, Oscar W. Schoengarth, took office as county judge on January 1, 1906, succeeding Judge Jacques.

 

Judge Schoengarth was born June 28, 1879, in Neillsville, spending most of his life here, except when he attended the State University where he graduated with a law degree.  He was an active partner in practicing law with Spencer M. Marsh for five years prior to being county judge. 

 

County Clerk:

 

Charles M. Bradford, (no photo) county clerk, came from Sheboygan county.  He came to the county in 1877, locating in the Town of Sherman.  His life was that of a sturdy pioneer.  He taught school in the winter and farmed in the summer. Eventually, he gave up teaching, devoted to full-time to farming.

 

After serving as town clerk and town chairman, he was elected county treasurer in 1892, filling that position for two terms.  He was then elected as County Clerk.

F. M. JACKSON

 

District Attorney:

 

F. M. Jackson, of Colby, was District Attorney, born in Green County, Wis., he graduated from Brodhead High School in 1889 and attended the University of Wisconsin, graduating in 1893.

 

Jackson was principal of the Colby High School for eight years and while he served in that capacity, he began studying law.  Later, he took a course in the Illinois College of Law, at Chicago, and was admitted into practice in April, 1902.  While at the State University, he was elected secretary of the inter-Collegiate League of 1902-03.

 

He was a member of the firm of Salter and Jackson, of Colby, law, loan and real estate.

 

JOHN HUNTZICKER

 

County Treasurer:

 

John Huntzicker was born on a farm in the Town of Eaton, near Greenwood.  He grew up in that area and attended school, also Wisconsin University.  He purchased a farm, near the old homestead.

 

He served as town clerk of Eaton for eight years, also was town chairman and was member of the County Board for three years.  Upon his election as county treasurer, he bought a home on the Neillsville city’s north side.

 

County Sheriff:

 

John Dwyer, born in Waupaca County in 1856, spent his boyhood on a farm and at lumbering.  He came to Clark County in 1862, with his parents settled in the Weston Rapids area.  They later moved to a farm where Greenwood city now stands. There was no road to Greenwood at that time, only a winding trail which was used by those traveling that direction.  After a short stay, the family moved to the old Town of Grant where their children grew up and were educated.

 

Dwyer married Jennie Parrett in 1883, locating in the Town of York, farmed and lumbered there for 18 years.  Selling the farm he moved to Neillsville, where he started a meat market in 1901, which he sold out after one year.

 

When a resident of the Town of York, he represented his township on the county board, and while in the city, became supervisor of the First Ward in 1902.

 

Dwyer was first elected sheriff in the fall of 1886, when he was elected on the Democratic ticket.  Becoming a backer of McKinley policies, he changed his vote to Republican.  In 1904, he was nominated and elected sheriff on the Republican ticket. 

 

OSCAR FRICKE

 

Register of Deeds:

 

Oscar Fricke, born in Washington County in 1863, was Register of Deeds in 1906.  Attending schools at Newburgh until 13 years of age, he moved with his family to a farm in the town of Eaton, where he helped his father clear a home in the middle of a pine forested area.

 

As a young man, Fricke purchased a farm near Greenwood where he resided until 1891.

 

Upon selling the farm, he entered business with B. Dangers at Greenwood, engaging in general mercantile business. Dangers withdrew from the firm with Fricke continuing the business with a new partner, Rossman -- naming the firm, Fricke, Rossman & Company.

 

Prior to being county register of deeds, he had served as a Greenwood city supervisor, assessor of the Town of Eaton and chairman of the town board, seven terms on the county board of which two terms were as county board chairman.

 

Dwyer & Wolff’s Meat Market

 

Frank Dwyer and John Wolff were owners of the Dwyer & Wolff Meat Market.  Both being butchers, they formed their partnership in 1903.  Wolff began the trade at age 16, working for Thos. Lowe for several years before joining the partnership with Dwyer.  Frank Dwyer had been in partnership with his brother, John, as of 1901 and until John became county sheriff in 1903.

 

 

CAPT. H. W. KLOPF

 

Henry W. Klopf was born in 1856 in Brooklyn, N. Y.  At an early age he left the East, settling in Sheboygan where he learned the trade and was in the jewelry business.  In the next few years, he was in St. Paul, and from there came to Neillsville for a visit.  Leaving Neillsville, he started a business at Owatonna, Minn.  In 1877, he left, coming to Neillsville to start a jewelry business.

 

Klopf enlisted in Co. A, 3rd Infantry, April 1885 and was commissioned First Lieutenant in 1891.  He transferred after five years in that rank to first lieutenant for the 3rd Regiment and after serving two and a half years went to the Spanish-American war.  After that service, he was recommissioned to adjutant, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Infantry.  He was made captain of Company A in 1902.

 

PAUL J. WALK

 

Walk, born in 1871 in Farmington, Wis., came to Neillsville in 1886, working 7 years for the B. Dangers store, on the corner of 7th and Hewett, (now location of Strangfeld’s Auto Body Repair).

 

He started his own business in 1894, a dealer in staple and fancy groceries, flour, provisions, crockery and Queensware.  Eight months later, he admitted his brother Carl to partnership and soon afterward took into the business their brothers, John and Rudolph.  The firm of Walk Bros. was dissolved by mutual consent in 1905 with Paul again being sole proprietor.

 

On September 20, 1905, a disastrous fire caused a heavy loss to the business.  Walk refurbished the store, replaced merchandise and re-opened the store for business on December 9, 1905.

 

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JANUARY 4, 1906 – NEILLSVILLE TIMES

 

Loyal – The Christmas Dance at the bakery was a success.  The music was fine and the attendance large.  The supper at the Green Front restaurant topped it off to a finish.

 

Hewettville – There was a watch meeting at Andrew Metcalf’s last Sunday night to watch the old year out and the New Year in.

 

Central Levis – Mr. Buttry’s family had quite a scare on Monday morning.  The roof near the stove pipe caught fire and burned quite a large hole, but help being at hand, the fire was soon extinguished.

 

Weston – Otto Kalso (Kalsow) and Emma Hoffman were united in marriage December 25 by Rev. Brandt of Neillsville.

 

Pleasant Ridge – Walter Gerhardt and a few of his young friends were entertained by his aunt, Mrs. Counsell, on Tuesday.  Music and games were the order of the evening, and a good time was reported.

 

York Center – Vernie Rowe, Earl and Orin Lawrence left the country Tuesday night.  Vernie went to Park Falls while the other boys went to Hannibal.

 

East Shortville – The New Year’s dance at Shaffer’s Hall was well-attended.

 

Thorp – Dr. P. McKittrick has resigned his position on the School board and Geo. Burke has been appointed to fill the vacancy.

 

Dells Dam – Hatty Schultz went back to Neillsville, Saturday, to work at the O’Neill House.

 

East York – Town Clerk, John P. Kintzele has delivered the tax roll into the hands of the treasurer, so just walk up and put down the plunk.

Residence of John W. Trogner, 108 Grand Ave., Neillsville

 

 


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