Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

January 3, 1996, Page 20

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Good Old Days 

By Dee Zimmerman

 

January 1, 1876:

 

Everyone went to Greenwood last evening to attend the opening party at the new hall in that village.

 

The snow has come and the able-bodied boys have betaken themselves to the timber.  Idle hands are scarce in these parts just now.

 

The Dutch parson who thought there was nothing in the world worth living for but the “gospel” and the “girls” never tried any of the cook, Mrs. Tibbitt’s best oysters. 

 

The new court house is to receive a calcimine finish for the present, with a view of frescoing in the future.  Several of the offices are nearly ready for use and will soon be occupied.

 

The merciful man is merciful to the dumb animals that come under his care, and he who abuses or overworks one of these mute creatures will fail of heaven, no matter what day he keeps for Sunday.

 

Horse trading has been lively here in the past week.

 

Invitations are being issued for a Centennial Dance, under the auspices of Whitcomb’s Quadrille Band, at Johnson & Comstock’s Hall, Merrillan, Monday evening.  Supper will be served at the Blair House.  Tickets including supper $2.50, A good time may be relied upon.

 

Charley Crocker, formerly of Black River Falls, now presides over Lloyd’s tin shop.  We have known Charley long and well, and can heartily congratulate George on having secured the services of a competent and faithful man in his business.

 

A dish-washing machine is the latest invention.  They will continue to invent washers; wringers, ironers, sewers, and one thing and another till women won’t be worth fifteen cents a dozen.

 

And now we are threatened with trouble from another source.  It is stated that the accumulation of ice at the North and South poles will tip this earth over in a few hundred thousand years and submerge this glorious country.

 

New Store at Greenwood – H. M. Weston, proprietor:  Staple and Fancy Dry Goods, Dress Goods, Clothing, Hats and Caps, Hosiery, Groceries, Dried and Canned Fruit, Notions, etc.  Also, Lumber Agency, with all kinds of sawed and dressed lumber, shingles, sash & doors.

 

January 2, 1896:

 

‘Tis leap year – now the girls propose, if they are disposed to – because matrimony is a leap into the dark.  The boys know it, and are shy.

 

Logging in the vicinity of Thorp, will not be as extensive as in former years for the reason that one firm, Nye, Lusk & Hudson, will purchase timber in that vicinity.  This firm will stock its mill at Eidsvold to its full capacity with its own timber, and also its mill south of Boyd, should the weather prove favorable.

 

Mr. Ren Meader has purchased H. D. Eyerly’s interest in the grocery business of Stannard & Eyerly, and took possession yesterday, January 1st.

 

Lynn – Wm. Sternitzky and Oscar Anding have improved their places with new wells.

 

Oscar Johnson, F. Helen, Ernest Sternitzky, Robert Krauser and E. F. Brooks are among the number piling up their oak timber.

 

Shortville – The next sociable will be an “Old Hat Sociable,” at Mrs. James Carter’s, on January 9.  The ladies will bring old hats and some trimming.  The gentlemen will have to trim hats for the ladies to wear while eating supper.

 

New Jail – A new county jail was ordered to be built by the county board, to be built during the coming season.  The board also ordered that the room now used as probate court room be transformed into a fire-proof vault for the use of the register of deeds.

 

Married at the residence of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Rossman, January 1; Mr. Arthur Darton of Beaver and Miss Olga Rossman of Greenwood by the Rev. James T. Ford.

 

On December 29th, in six hours work, Ed Raether, at Lowrey’s camp skidded 113 logs, which scaled 42,170 feet.  That’s a tall 6 hours work.

 

January 4, 1906:

 

Our new Neillsville High School is now practically completed.  Started in the fall of 1904 when ground was broken and foundation for this new building was started, the work has carried on.  This summer the grounds will be leveled off, cement walks built and grass seed sown.  When this is done the building and grounds will be complete in every way.

 

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

 

A number of people from Shortville and Dell’s Dam attended a New Year’s dance at Shaffer’s Hall.

 

Walter Gerhardt and a few of his young friends were entertained by his aunt, Mrs. Counsell, on December 26th.  Music and games were the order of the evening, and a good time was reported.

 

January 8, 1931:

 

This year’s taxes for the City of Neillsville total $98,384, a slight decline from 1930.

 

Hugh G. Haight of Loyal, successor to V. W. Nehs as district attorney for Clark County opened his office this week in Suite No. 9 over the First National Bank.  He and his family have moved into the Gilman house on South Grand Avenue.

 

Fire Saturday morning starting from sparks falling on the shingles of the Carl house on South Clay Street, occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Art Russell and family, resulted in considerable damage to the home and contents.  Mr. Russell, who recently returned from Eau Claire where he under went an operation, was carried from the residence to the Wm. Campman home.  Later in the day he was taken back to his home.

 

W. F. Schiller purchased the home formerly occupied by the Kunert Treatment rooms from Mrs. Mattie A. Hebron and will remodel it into a funeral home, he announced Tuesday.  Mr. Schiller plans to do extensive remodeling.  He will occupy a portion of the building as a home.  The home was formerly known as the L. B. Ring residence.  It was built by Dr. W. J. Brewster. (It is now Gesche’s Funeral Home.)

 

Thieves came upon the John Sonheim farm in the Town of Levis Christmas night and made off with a portion of a Buick car, taking the top, front wheels, axle and a spring.  The car, which had not been used for a while, stood in a garage on a part of the farm some distance from the residence.

 

January 2, 1941:

 

Dairy Quality Improvement Program coming to Clark County in January.  Sediment and blue tests will be required, both necessary in determining the quality of milk.

 

Neillsville Free Library reports a total number of book borrowers of 2,750 for the past year.  The most popular books to be borrowed were “Grapes of Wrath and ‘Mein Kampf’.”

 

Postal receipts reached the new all-time peak at the Neillsville post office for year 1940, according to Postmaster Louis W. Kurth.

 

This log cabin post office of the frontier was typical of the many early settlements through out the Midwest.

(The above photo was contributed by Donald W. Moore)

 

Neillsville Grade School built in the late 1800’s was located at State and 4th St. corner

 

Neillsville Women’s Moose Lodge

(Picture taken at Moose Hall c.1950)

Front row – left to right – Evelyn Begley, Emma Larson, Sarah Seelow, Irene Tibbetts, Louise Tibbets, Dora Champeau, Alma Zickert, Pearl Wasserburger;  Second row – left to right – Mattie Grosnick, Belle Mazola, Fay Wasserburger, Beatrice Owens, “Toots” Schock, Lillie Moldenhauer, Ms. Brooks;  Third row – left to right – Evelyn Oliver, Marion Linster, Gertrude Reams, Lucy Harrington, Marion Ziegler.  (Photo courtesy of Clark County Historical Society Jail Museum)

 

 


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