Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

September 4, 2002, Page 28

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

 

 

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clark County News

  

September 1882

 

The conference year is nearly ended, at which time the Rev. Swartz will have served the Greenwood M. E. Church faithfully and well for two years.  A donation was taken last evening for the benefit of Rev. Swartz, the meeting being well attended after such short notice.

••••••••••

It is very well for health journals to tell people who are restless and unable to sleep at night to place the head of the bed toward the North.  However, this method does no good unless you take the baby to the other end of the house and place his head toward the South.

••••••••••

Isaac Usher, of the La Crosse Chronicle and his daughters, Misses Nellie and Susie Usher, came last night. They are spending a few days at Philander Schofield’s home.  The young ladies are very anxious to see some of our pine trees and want to pick some Clark County blackberries.  We think it very possible that a change from the La Crosse sand banks and the malaria of the Mississippi to the beautiful country about Madison will be beneficial to their health and exhilarating to their spirits.

••••••••••

On the first day of September, 1882, Messr J. L. Gates & Co., who has conducted a private bank in this city under the name of the Madison Bank, transferred the business to Richard Dewhurst, who will continue the same business, under the same name.  Joseph Morley will continue to be cashier and Miss Mary Dewhurst will be bookkeeper.  We know Judge Dewhurst will give the bank his personal attention and will invest in it adequate capital to supply all the wants of such an institution in Clark County.  This will give Madison a banking house with means sufficient to supply the wants of all our businessmen and with a credit equal to that of the best banks in the state.  It will be to Neillsville, what the Batavian Bank is to La Crosse.  Judge Dewhurst has resided in Clark County since 1856 and is well known throughout this part of Madison as well as among all the lumbermen in La Crosse and down the Mississippi, who have ever done business on the Black River.

 

Dewhurst has amassed a fortune by a shrewd foresight of the rise in value of our pine timber and by giving attention to all the details of his business.  He has never moved recklessly nor stepped into dangerous positions.  He has always been known as a conservative, a cautions man in all his undertakings.  Such a man cannot help but gain the confidence of the people.

 

Joseph Morely (Morley) has had a good business education, is a graduate of the Law School at Madison and has had the benefit of a year’s experience as cashier with J. L. Gates & Co.  The business public will find him courteous and attentive to the business.

••••••••••

The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad has arranged an excursion over their road to Western Minnesota, Southern Dakota and Northern Nebraska. The rates are so low and the time allowed for the return trip so extended that it will attract many people from this vicinity.  The excursion will leave Merrillan at 2:15 p.m., Sept. 12, arriving at St. Paul at 8 a.m., Sept. 13th.  The passengers will enjoy a daylight ride through Southern Minnesota; Mankato, Lake Crystal, St. James, Windom, Heron Lake and Worthington.  Tickets will be good to stop over at St. Paul and any station west of St. Paul.  This ticket will enable the passenger to return home within 40 days from the purchase.  The fare from Merrillan to Norfolk, Nebraska and return is only $16.  Our Clark County people who desire to see Dakota and Nebraska have never had such an opportunity.

 

September 1937

 

Preparatory operations for installing REA poles in the northern townships of Clark County were started on Monday.  The Ulen Contracting Company of Lebanon, Ind. was the successful bidders on the project.  The company brought 27 of their trucks with a quantity of equipment and is employing additional private trucks for the job. Temporary offices have been established in Owen.  All poles may be set before freezing time, but wiring is not expected to start until late in October.  The county agent’s notes give more details of construction.

••••••••••

The largest number of new rural schoolteachers in six years went to work Monday when all Clark County rural graded schools opened.  All schools went on a nine month school year schedule this year, for the first time, under the new law.  Only 13 schools ran nine months last year. Reading and readiness tests will be given to new first grade pupils this week, the same as last year. Although there was a record enrollment of 675 at the close of last year, rural pupils are expected to increase again this year.  No official report has yet been received.

••••••••••

The annual Mission Festival of the Green Grove Lutheran Church was held Sunday. The church, located in Green Grove Township, is under the direction of Rev. Goetsch.

 

Services were held during the day and a big dinner was served at noon.

 

Two visiting pastors assisted in the services.

 

The attendance this year was almost equal to former sessions. There was the usual attendance of the congregation and their many friends.

 

Among those attending from Neillsville were Henry Rahn, Register of Deeds and County Clerk Calvin Mills and family.

••••••••••

The new Art Carl building, at Sixth and South Grand Ave., will be ready for occupancy this week.  Carl will occupy some of the space with office and workshop for his carpentry and contracting.  The building will also be quarters for the Welsh Chevrolet and Oldsmobile showroom, the veterinary offices of M. E. Bennett and office of Joe Krause’s real estate-insurance business.

••••••••••

The Greenwood Memorial, picturing a Gold Star mother holding in one arm a fallen soldier and in the other, an American flag, will be unveiled October 3.  The memorial is the work of Prof. Ernest Durig and will be dedicated to the citizens of the community.  The Greenwood commercial club and the American Legion are cooperating to make this one of the biggest events of the year.  Busts of several locally prominent people will also be displayed during the day.  A large crowd of people is estimated to attend this event.

••••••••••

A strike was called, effective Friday, at the large Roddis Lumber and Veneer plant at Marshfield.  The plant will be closed during the period of the strike and union members will maintain picket lines.

••••••••••

So little water has fallen along the upper waters of the Black River in the past few months that the river bed is dry enough in many places that one can easily walk across on the bare rocks.

 

This condition is not new according to Everett Hart.  He recalls that in the summer of 1886, the river was almost dry.

 

Hart recalls the time because of a mysterious incident that occurred.  A workman on the Hewett farm found a boot on the river bottom. Within the boot, there were the bones of a human foot and lower leg.  A search was started to find the rest of the skeleton, under the leadership of Perc Tolford. There was very little water in most places along the river, so a skeleton could have been easily seen by the searchers. But, there was one water pool of considerable depth near where the boot was found.  Hart and another man took a pump, such as was used to draw water out of cellars in those days, to empty the pool to where the bottom could be seen.  However, no bones were discovered in the pool.  It as decided that the remainder of the body had been washed down the river by the high water in the spring.

 

The remains were believed to be that of a man who had been working in this vicinity and had suddenly disappeared one evening.  It was the night of a big party held by James L. Gates at the old Fourth Street Theater, to celebrate the opening of his new store.

 

During those festivities, the man displayed a large amount of money that he carried.  It was thought that he had then been killed by thieves who took his money.

 

The date can be approximated as to having been in the fall that a big fire swept across the area, burning Hewettville and surrounding countryside.  The big fire in Marshfield also occurred that year, as well as the entire region of Northern Wisconsin, due to the very dry conditions.

••••••••••

WPA workers are putting in curb and gutters along Washington Street in the village of Thorp.  Frank Boren, Thorp village president, came to Neillsville on Tuesday, to borrow specifications and expansion joints with which to work with until their materials arrive.

••••••••••

A Sears Roebuck Associated store was opened in Neillsville this week, at 142 South Hewett Street, by O. L. McDannel.

 

Carl F. TerHaar, formerly of Waupaca, is the manager.  W. McCarthy is the salesman and others are to be added to the staff as business develops, McDannel said.

••••••••••

Only five to six cases of Infantile Paralysis have been reported to the health department in Clark County as of Wednesday.  There is an indication that the disease is letting up due to the coming of colder weather.

••••••••••

Work has been started at the site of the new village hall at Loyal with J. M. Philpot, Loyal, as the contractor. The foundation walls are being built, as the excavating was completed some time ago.

 

Fred Lakoskey, president of the village of Loyal along with architect Johnson of the O&N Lumber Co. was at Madison last week.  They presented the plans and specifications for the new building which were approved by the Wisconsin Industrial Commission.

••••••••••

John Schiesel*, local Philco Radio dealer, is announcing Philco Radio week with a big sale at his store.  Schiesel has received a number of the newest models, which are attracting a great deal of interest. These are on display at his Maytag store. (*Transcriber found that the Shiesel name in the newspaper was incorrect, so has corrected it to Schiesel. DMK)

 

Schiesel states that trade-in allowances, easy terms and demonstrations are being offered to those who come in during this Philco showing.

••••••••••

Henry E. Rahn and Miss Virginia Milton will be united in marriage Thursday at 5 p.m., Sept. 30, at St. John’s Lutheran parsonage. Rev. Wm Baumann will perform the ceremony.

 

The groom is well known to the people of Clark County.  He is the son of Ernest Rahn of the Town of Green Grove, graduated from the Colby High School and the University of Wisconsin.  After serving four years as deputy county clerk, he was elected Register of Deeds and is now serving efficiently in that office.

 

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Milton of Pine Valley. She graduated from Neillsville High School in 1933.  She has for some time been employed in the Neillsville Bank.

 

The Press joins with many other friends in offering best wishes and congratulations.

 

After a few days’ wedding trip, they will be at home in Neillsville.

••••••••••

Thousands of bushels of apples have gone to waste in Clark County this fall.  The crop was far more plentiful than the market.  Many of the early settlers planted apple trees after they came here.  Those trees have thrived on most of those farms, providing much fruit.

••••••••••

The annual Get-Together was held at the Granton village hall, Sept. 15, by the Women’s Clubs.  Poor weather and silo filling kept several women from taking part in this yearly affair. The meeting was called to order by Mrs. George Johnson, president of the Women’s Civic Club, and the hostess club. At the forenoon session, Miss Bovee city Librarian, Neillsville, gave a very interesting talk and suggested that a reading room with books and magazines be established in the village.

 

The various clubs from adjacent communities had several fine pieces of handwork on display.

 

The flower display was small, but well arranged.

 

The antique display was very interesting and showed the value of these old time articles.

 

Lunch was served at the Union Church parlors.  After a few words of welcome to the visiting clubs, given by Mrs. Harold Lavey of the Granton Homemakers club, the Club Creed was repeated in unison by the audience.  A brief talk on “The Constitution of the U. S.” and its 150th Anniversary on Sept. 17, was given.

••••••••••

Marriage licenses issued in Clark County are: Harry Wasserburger, Neillsville, and Alice Haugen, Pine Valley; Gilbert C. Rohde, of Eaton and Lucille Schwarze, of Warner; John Bryan, of Levis and Cecelia Smitke, of Thorp; Julius Bohland of Maplehurst, Taylor County and Gertrude Petke, of Hixon; Robert Schilling, of Helenville and Norma Voss, Beaver Township; William Franz and Dorothy Markee, of Warner.

€€€€€€€€€€€

 

This 1880s scene was captured at the Neillsville railroad depot as people waited for the train.  The information on the photo stated that the group was bound for Black River Falls.  Baseball games, the Jackson County Fair and such events were accessible to the Neillsville residents by traveling on the train that passed through the city twice a day.

 

 


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