Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

August 2, 1995, Page 36

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

 

Good Old Days

 

By Dee Zimmerman

 

100 Years Ago

 

The Clark County Fair this year falls on Sept. 24, 25, 26 and 27 and secretary, C. M. Bradford states, that arrangements have been so-far matured that he can promise the best Fair Clark County has ever seen.  The display will far outdo the grandest ever previously seen as to farm produce and stock, and there will be hotly contested races.  Displays in the Art Hall are planned to exceed all precedent, and the Hall itself has been rebuilt inside, and rendered more attractive.  The poultry show will be very fine and the efforts made by our machinery men and merchants guarantees a great attraction in their departments.

 

Saturday night there was a church concert at the Christie Church and a delegation of musical people from this city went up to assist.  R. M. Campbell  took a two-seated rig and drove up, with Mrs. C. F. Grow, Mamie Walker, Cassie McMillian, Grace Grow and J. G. Schmidt – a good load, and talented.  Bob is a talented driver, bu6t along about midnight, on the way home, coming down Weston Rapids turn (a mile or so north of Neillsville) the near horse shied and ran the rig into the ditch, over it went.  Bob was knocked unconscious, but held the horses all right, and did nobly in that.  The people were all badly shaken up, but John Schmidt most of all, having his left arm broken just below the shoulder, his face bruised and being, for a few minutes, wholly unconscious.  The arm was dressed Sunday morning.  John will be laid up for a month or so.  The rig was a top buggy and the sides were down, so that the ladies were unable to get out promptly.  If the horses had got away an awful disaster might have occurred.  As it was Legare Potter, who was near by, brought Schmidt and Brace Grow, who was also quite badly hurt, home.  The other ladies walked home, and Bob was left with the rig, which a belated traveler helped him tip back up on its wheels.  He got home a little later, badly bruised himself, and the buggy top ruined.

 

Dr. T. O. Butler of West Pine Valley is transforming the Hand farm into a little paradise.  The doctor is no Foust, but transformations are right in his line.

 

C. Krumrey went to Loyal, Tuesday, on his wheel, did business at five stores, took dinner and returned to Neillsville in four hours. 

 

Jack Free decided late last week that he would immediately rebuild the planing mill recently destroyed by fire, and desires to announce the fact.  He will be ready in two or three weeks to make shingles, and will rush the new mill to a finish.  The new mill will stand a little further to the west than the old site.  The city has come to an understanding with Mr. Free and Mr. Withee, and will open a continuation of 9th Street west from the mill to the creek near the furniture factory.  Mr. Free has arrangements with his creditors t hat enable him to put in the new mill.  He is away this week after the machines necessary to start up with, and the new machines will enable him to do better work than ever when he gets running.  Good for Jack!

 

The baseball club will go to Merrillan tonight on the last train and display a match game with the club of that city Friday, forenoon, returning on the 1 p.m. train.  Good luck, boys!

 

The balloon will go up the 3rd day of the Fair with a man on board, and he will leap from clouds and rely on a parachute to save his life.  On the 4th day of the Fair a lady will make the assent with a pet dog in her arms, and the two will drop from the balloon together.  Everybody should see this daring thing done.

 

Can anything keep you away from the Fair this year?  Nosser!  You’ll be thar, a ‘Chewin and a ‘chaurn uv peanuts as usual, havin’ a good time. 

 

‘Nothing but a cyclone can prevent the greatest Fair Clark County people ever held.

 

The work on Geo. Wiesner’s cellar is going rapidly and will soon be done.  The Peter Johnson building has the front finished, cornice on and the tin roof.  It is a substantial and hands-on addition to Hewett Street.  Jno. Carter says he will go ahead and build his new house and barn on Oak Street, no matter about the lumber destroyed at the Free planing mill fire.

 

75 Years Ago

 

The sun smiled on the Clark County Fair for the second consecutive year.  The total attendance of the four days was close to the 15,000 mark and set a new record.  The big feature of the fair this year was the exhibit of pure bred cows.  The big new cattle barn was filled to over flowing.  The Holstein breeders who were there were Imig Bros. of Neillsville.  Capelle Bros. of Loyal; Hahbegger Bros. of Loyal; the Loyal Breeders Association; county Poor Farm; Geo. Miller of Granton; Henry Williams of Granton; Wayne Potter of Neillsville; Wm. Waterman of Granton; Nels Lee of Owen; and T. M. Wright of Granton.   The Guernseys were shown by W. S. Davis and Floyd Winn of Granton, the Shorthorns by A. A. Huckstead of Neillsville, the Ayer shires by A. F. Groelle of Unity and the Jerseys by G. Horrell of Humbird.

 

Another department of the Fair was the hog show.  The new hog house, built this summer, was filled to the doors.  In the sweepstakes W. C. Gerhardt won first, H. B. Farnsworth won second and Harold Huckstead won third.

 

The Loyal, Wausau and Neillsville bands furnished a high grade of music each day of the fair.

 

The Wausau and made its usual big hit and their concert Thursday at the American Legion fair on the court house lawn was highly appreciated.  The efforts of the American Legion in behalf of the success of the fair were quite commendable and the fair which they held Thursday evening was full of fun and pep, adding a lot to the county fair.

 

Used Car Bargains: 1 Ford Touring, 2 Maxwell Touring, and 1 Dodge Touring – all good running order; Wagner Motor Co.

 

For Sale: 1919 Ford Touring car in first class condition, M. Skoda, Neillsville.

 

The Neillsville Milk Products Co. has opened up its new creamery in the building opposite the drying plant and is now making butter.  Pete Severson is operating the plant and his ability in making cheesed and butter is well known.

 

For Sale: 33 acre farm, 5 cows, a team, and farm machinery.  Inquire Ralph Montgomery

 

Herman Albrecht and family were surprised Wednesday evening when two of his brothers and their wives came in a Ford and spent the night.

 

Notice – Dells Dam ladies – don’t forget to attend the Sewing Circle at Mrs. Max Opelt’s Thursday afternoon.  Bring your needles and thimbles.

 

For Sale – Seven acres of land on north side in Neillsville, between Catholic Church and water works.  Good building location.  Also, block of land on Grand Avenue, consisting of 18 building lots, directly south of water works.  See Charles Hudson.

 

50 Years Ago

 

Clark County Fair becomes a victory celebration when Japan Surrenders – headlined the August 16 issue of the Clark County Press.  As news of the war’s ending came a couple days before the annual county fair, the Fair committee quickly scheduled celebration events.

 

The city of Neillsville planned a celebration for the day after word was received that the war was over, officially ending on August 14, 1945.  On Wednesday morning, 10 a.m. a meeting was held with representatives of the local businesses and service clubs making the day’s plans for celebrating.  There was a parade at 2 o’clock followed by a bonfire and street dance in the evening.

 

The Neillsville high school band joined in with the evening festivities, marching up and down the street, playing for those who were in attendance.

 

On Tuesday evening, after the news of victory arrived in town at 6 o’clock, there was a time of calm and quiet upon the city.  Silence was broken at 6:40 when the Condensery whistle went off, followed by bells ringing from two churches.  Mayor Anderson used his persuasion to get some noise from the city siren at 7:30.  The Condensery whistle was then fastened down.  Cars began to course up and down the street with horns at work.

 

From 7:30 on there was no occasion to complain of undue quiet.  The Rotary club, intending to discuss various civic matters, found all discussion drowned out by the insistent din.  Accordingly Art Wagner grabbed a big drum and led the Rotarians out upon Main Street for a snake dance of a block and back.

 

Then the band appeared, with marchers behind.  For a time the band paused upon the Bank corners, played the Stars Spangled Banner, a solemn note in the general jubilation.  Then the band went into lighter music and presently girls and women were dancing around it.  Neillsville was expressing some of its pent-up feeling of relief after the long period of tension and anxiety.

 

Marriage Licenses Issued: Richard R. Grassman, town of Grant and Edith Jane Langrehr, Marshfield; Henry Budzinski, Town of Taft, Taylor County and Rose Marie Cieslek, Town of Withee; Joseph E. Zawacki, Town of Withee, and Lorraine Swinarski, Town of Hixon; Charles Pribbenow, Town of Hixon, and Ruth E. Awe, Town of Longwood; Wilfred Brenner, Town of Thorp and Evelyn Nevacil, Chippewa County; Earl Chubb, Town of Lynn and Carola Weichelt, Town of Lynn; La Verne C. Gaier, Town of Grant, and Jeanette Short, Town of Grant; Gilbert A. Kattre, village of Abbotsford and Alice Kalepp, village of Abbotsford; and Martin Kokaly, Town of Hendren and Ann Plautz, Town of Hendren.

 

Adler Theatre on Hewett Street featured four movies for the week: Laurel & Hardy in “The Bullfighters”: Rosalind Russell and Jack Carson in “Roughly Speaking,” Lulubelle & Scotty in “Sing, Neighbors, Sing,” and Marjorie Reynolds and Charles Ruggles in “3 is a Family.”

 

Brandt’s IGA advertised IGA Deluxe Coffee (IGA’s Finest) 31¢ a lb.

 

Penney’s featured school blouses for only $2.98.

 

Coast-to-Coast Store’s book of values, 100% Barn Paint $1.79 per gallon in 5 gallon lots.  Rob’t. Reimer proprietor 

 

Zimmerman Brothers, men’s new Portis hats, Suntan, Green spray, silver-cloud and woods brown…. Nature’s own colors!  In soft, mellow felt – starting at $2.25 and up.

 

The Neillsville Planing mills were owned by A. Hemp in 1909.  This scene was reproduced on postcards, one of which was kept and copied for this article.

 

The Clark County Fair midway as it appeared on September 4, 1913.  The old cattle barn can be seen in the left background.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

Ideas won’t keep.  Something must be done about them. – Alfred North Whitehead

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

Crank – a man with a new idea until it succeeds. – Mark Twain

 

 


© Every submission is protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.

 

Show your appreciation of this freely provided information by not copying it to any other site without our permission.

 

Become a Clark County History Buff

 

Report Broken Links

A site created and maintained by the Clark County History Buffs
and supported by your generous donations.

 

Webmasters: Leon Konieczny, Tanya Paschke,

Janet & Stan Schwarze, James W. Sternitzky,

Crystal Wendt & Al Wessel

 

CLARK CO. WI HISTORY HOME PAGE