November 1881

On the Sabbath evening of October 29, 1882, Mr. Albert Raether was married to Miss Elizabeth Oldham, both of the Town of Levis.  The marriage vows were exchanged at the Methodist Church parsonage in the village of Neillsville.

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The three floors of Emery Bruley’s new brick block are now lighted by gas, the first building in the city of Neillsville thus lighted.  It adds considerably to the attraction of our business street.  Such a change is usually followed by similar ones, so Neillsville doubtless will finally be illuminated by gas throughout its length and breadth. When that time comes, then look out for the electric pole, unless something better is invented before that time which is barely impossible.

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The Clark County Board of Supervisors has appropriated $2,000 to assist the Town of Weston to build an iron bridge across the Black River on the road leading west from Robert Christie’s.  Supervisor Harriman informs us that the probable cost will be $3,000 and that an excellent location for the bridge has been found.  Harriman is looking sharply for the interest of his township.

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Last Saturday evening, George Ure and Willett Moffatt ran a race from Hein & Graf’s store to Wood’s corner and back on a bet of $5.   The distance, six miles, was made in one hour, with Moffatt winning the race. 

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Edgar Foster, of Dorchester, visited out city last Thursday for the first time.  Foster is principal of the school in that village and will remain there during the present school year.  Foster is formerly from Friendship, Alleghany County, New York.  He belongs to that class of energetic and intelligent young men who are constantly pushing West to make their fortune.  The people of Dorchester should congratulate themselves upon the acquisition of Mr. and Mrs. Foster to their society.

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Ed Eaton’s saw mill, located at Longwood, is completed, or so far advanced in assembly that it is running.  Hastings Baird is foreman of the mill.  We hope, and as Eaton has promised, the scarcity of lumber with which we are afflicted, will be discontinued.  Eaton says he will soon have a stock on hand for sale.

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F. D. Lindsay and John D. McMillan, who purchased the Colwell tract of pine in the Town of Warner, have put in a camp in section T.27-4w and expect to put in three to four million feet of logs into the north fork of the Eau Claire River.  (This area would have been in the Town of Butler. DZ)

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The Hon. F. D. Lindsay extended an invitation to H. J. Hoffman, E. L. Hoffman, L. B. Ring, Messr James Hewett, W. S. Colburn and others to come to his residence last Saturday evening.  The guests were able to witness the first illumination of his residence by means of the De Witt Portable Gas Works, which had just been placed therein by William Blackburn, of Chicago.  The machine used has a capacity of 25 lights, but 27 have been put into Lindsay’s house with 26 kept constantly burning while we were there.  The tank, which holds the gasoline, is placed under ground about 30 feet from the house, thus ensuring against any explosion.  A pipe from the tank supplies the generator, which is placed in the cellar.  A riser from the cellar supplies the different pipes that lead all over the house.  The fixtures in the Lindsay home are very elegant and the imported glass globes are traced with handsome designs.  Blackburn informs us that the cost of such a machine, including the piping, is about $275.  Two barrels of gasoline will supply fuel for lighting an ordinary residence for six months.  The cost of gasoline, in Chicago, is $2.50 per barrel.  This is the same kind of gas works lighting that has been placed in Bruley’s store and in Huntzicker’s hotel.

November 1937

Friends of the Christie Methodist Church are urged to attend the 9:30 morning service on Sunday, Nov. 7, and rejoice in the improvements that have been made.  The walls and the ceiling of the church building have been covered with wall-board and paneling.  The woodwork has been newly painted.  The church school has purchased a picture that is to be placed behind the pulpit.  A special program is being planned for Sunday.  The public is invited to attend.

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“Diblikava Dceruska” Whether you can pronounce it or not, it’s the name of a very interesting play which is to be given at Levis community hall.  The play will be given on Saturday, Nov. 13, for the benefit of the Bohemian lodge, Z.C.B.J.

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Thousands of children in Clark County have been immunized and vaccinated in the various school centers of Clark County this past month by different doctors and nurses.  The work has been under the direction of Miss Gertrude Clouse, Clark County nurse.  The work is nearing a close this month.

Wednesday, the immunization work was progressing in the school at Abbotsford and also in the public and parochial schools at Colby and Dorchester.

Thursday’s school schedule is Pleasant Hill, Curtiss, Beehive, Woodland, Clovernook, Cleveland, Hilltop, Brady, Park, Elmhurst, Hoard Center and Midway.

Friday’s schedule is Sand Hill, Cloverdale, Sunshine, Soo Grove, Groveside, Willow Brook, Little Grove and Plainview schools.

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The new Zilk Villa is one of the finest super-service stations in the northwest for a city the size of Neillsville.  The credit goes to Joe Zilk, the enterprising owner.  Greetings are being extended to Zilk by those who had a part in the building and furnishing of the fine new station.  Also built this year are Zilk’s new home and two new, modern cabins on the adjoining property.

Joe Zilk has been a resident of Neillsville for the past 24 years.  He has been in business at the present station site for the last six years.  Previously, he was in the oil business for eleven years.  Preceding service in World War I, Zilk was a salesman.

The new Zilk Villa is a handsome structure with artistic stone exterior, 20 by 40 feet, in size, on a corner lot 160 feet square.  He has installed a new type of hoist, grease equipment and will sell tires besides doing simonizing and washing of cars.  Of his six cabins, three are fully modern and electrically heated.  Zilk’s new home, near the station, is 28 by 28 feet; two stories high and modern in all respects.  It is a handsome addition to the residential section of the city.

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WPA crews have completed mapping three Clark County townships for the government.  Additional men will be added as soon as they are available or can be transferred from other various WPA county projects. 

Over 200 persons will be added to aid in the pioneering fight for the “future of Wisconsin” in the WPA cover-mapping project to be completed before December 1^st, announced Earl D. Hilburn, project director.

There is a constant demand for land information by the federal housing administration, conservation agencies, agricultural, game management groups, recreation, and business officials.  The information will be revealed in the detailed cataloging of every Wisconsin acre within eight months.

The misuse and exploitation of forest and agricultural lands of former prosperous areas is indicated on these land cover maps.  It will show the far-reaching effect of ruthless destruction of Wisconsin’s natural resources.

According to Hilburn, data gathered from these maps on dried up lakes, improper drainage, deforested areas, eroded soil, wildlife, and timber stands will be used for Wisconsin’s extensive rehabilitation.

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The cornerstone of the new $70,000 Neillsville post office was put in place Wednesday without ostentation or ceremony.  Apparently, very few knew when the cornerstone placement would be.  Inspector Cook stated that at the Rice Lake post office there also was no ceremony.  A ceremony takes place if a fraternal or civic body asks for the privilege of one.  Sometimes such ceremonies interfere by delaying the work schedule.

Good progress is being made on the brick laying, with eight men at work.   It will take about 15 more days to finish the work.

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Vern Howard, president of the Clark County REA, made an inspection trip of 100 miles along completed lines last week as a guest of the Ulen Construction Co.  This company, the largest in the United States, befits building the largest REA project in the USA.  They are working on 10 REA jobs now, including five in Indiana.

The Clark County REA project with lines, poles and transformers is to be completed and ready for government inspection on Dec. 20.  Near Owen, the Ulen Company set 667 poles in one day and also strung and tied 304,000 feet of wire in one day.  The company will move its headquarters from Owen to Neillsville and Greenwood about Dec. 1^st.

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A forestry management plan is being developed in the office of Clark County Forester Allen Covell.  It is hoped this plan will grow into a permanent policy to carry on the work systematically from year-to-year regardless of the changes in the county committee or the administration.

At a recent conservation congress held in Wisconsin Rapids, Covell was urged to set up something of this kind that can be tried out here as a model for other forest areas.  It was suggested that the forest in Clark County is already so well organized that it will most easily be used as a model for other parts of the state.

Covell is preparing maps to show the work that has been done.  Also other maps can be used to sketch in the work as it progresses, all showing at a glance the development of the area.

A bookkeeping system has also been set up to show, with little difficulty, the cost of each feature of the work.

The report of the Forestry and Zoning committee, consisting of W. R. Schlinsog, Elmer Buddenhagen and Lowell Schultz, to the county board; sets forth in detail, the work accomplished, income and disbursements in the forest area.

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E. W. Deal, of Neillsville, Royal Teatz, of Granton and Mrs. Ole P. Larson, of Granton were the three winners in the flour-naming contest conducted by H. H. Van Gorden & Sons.  The winning name was “Dairy Queen” Flour.  There were over 3,200 replies received in the contest from people in Whitehall, Black River Falls, Neillsville, and other places, showing a great interest in the contest.

The fact that Neillsville and Granton folks carried off the honors and will divide the five barrels of flour is very encouraging to their many friends.  There are over 8,000 names of flour in use in the United States so it was necessary to check carefully so there would be no infringement of copyright.  Kermit Clausen and L. S. Smith, who are affiliated with large flour firms in Minneapolis, were the judges of the contest.

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U. S. Highway 10 will be relocated for a distance of two miles, east of Fairchild, by a vote of the Jackson County Board, at Black River Falls last week.  The board also voted to relocate highways 95 and 27 through the village of Hixton.

O. H. Overlien was re-elected highway commissioner of Jackson County.

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The Clark County budget has been set at $401,493.06 for the coming year.  The increase of $6,000 for a bridge on County Trunk G to $27,000 and the addition of a new item of $10,000 for oiling county trunk roads raised the total.  It was an additional $16,000 above the estimates of the county finance committee, but still about $7,000 below last year.

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The Sioux Limited Lines are now operating 29-passenger buses between Chicago and Minneapolis.  The bus leaves Wagner’s Café, Neillsville, bound for Chicago at 12:09 mid-night.  The cost is $4.65 for one-way trip or $8.45 for round trip.  The Minneapolis bound bus, 5:50 a.m., $2.65 one-way trip or $4.70 round trip.  Buses may be chartered for special occasions.

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Used radios, battery or electric, may be purchased at Moen Radio & Appliance Co. in Neillsville.  The prices are $2.00 and up.

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This week’s specials at Hart’s Market are: Round Steak, 22c per lb; Pork Chops, 27c per lb; Bacon Squares, 25c per lb; Salt Pork, 22c per lb. and Bologna, 16c per lb.  We have fresh turkeys and chickens on hand and we deliver.

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St. Mary’s Catholic Church has a card party every Monday evening at their church hall.  The public is cordially invited to play Schafskopf, Bridge or 500.

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Purchase fur coat insurance at the Clark County Agency.  It is all-risk coverage, world wide insurance.  Rates are reasonable and you can’t afford to risk losing your fur coat.  Phone 228, Neillsville

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The dance of the year is to be held at the Marshfield Armory on Thanksgiving, Thursday evening Nov. 25.  Everybody’s favorite, “Archie Adrian and his 11-man band” will be playing.  Come Early! Stay Late!

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This is West Fifth Street from the Hewett Street intersection, Neillsville, in late 1800s.  The second building on the left, with the bell tower, is the city hall and the fourth building be recognized as the I.O.O.F. building.  The steeple on the right side is that of the Congregational Church.  This was also the era of the boardwalks.  (Photo courtesy of the Bill Roberts’ Collection)