February 1877

A new hardware store is soon to be opened, in this village, by O. P. Wells.  Mr. Wells has been in the business before and is well known in the trade.

•••••••••

The steamer, Mountain Belle, a raft boat belonging to Messrs. Hewett & Wood burned last Monday, at the mouth of Black River.

•••••••••

If hanging on a front yard gate at a late hour is an indication of spring, then get out our garden rakes, for a case of that kind has been reported.

•••••••••

The recent thaw has completely destroyed the prospects of lumbermen for the present winter.  Most of the logging roads are as bare as in June.  The probabilities of the roads being good again, during the present winter, are not sufficiently promising to inspire much hope.  The present break-up has been the most disastrous, that has been known in this region within the memory of those who have lived longest along the river.

•••••••••

A bill is now pending in the Legislature for the establishment of a county road from some point on the Wisconsin Central Railroad, to the “twenty-six road,” then leading into our village.  Such a road is greatly needed and it is to be hoped that it may be put through.

•••••••••

Mr. James Thomas, foreman for Wm. T. Price at his camp in the Town of Fremont, has hauled into the O’Neill Creek, two million, four hundred and seventy-five thousand feet of pine logs, this winter.  They are now putting in at the rate of fifty thousand feet, daily.  They are hauling on crotches, the timber being near the banks of the stream.  Mr. Thomas has a force of forty men, nine yoke of oxen and six spans of horses.  They intend to haul until the first of April.  Mr. Thomas is a go-ahead man, and generally gets in as many logs every winter, in proportion to the force he has on hand, as most men on the Black River.

•••••••••

Mr. Hendren, our School Superintendent, has visited all the schools in the eastern part of Clark County.  Previous to the late election, it was said by the political opponents of Mr. Hendren, that if elected, he would be likely to introduce sectarianism into the schools.  As yet, he has not done so.  He says, he is well aware of the state law on this subject and will not attempt to violate it.

•••••••••

The hotel formerly known as the Tremont on the corner of Main and Front Streets, La Crosse, Wis., now to be the International, has been purchased by J. G. Robbins.  It was opened to the public, Tuesday, February 15^th.  The house, under the new management, will be thoroughly re-fitted, refurnished and enlarged during the coming spring and summer.  It will be kept in first-class style in every respect.  The large, commodious sample rooms will be furnished by commercial men.

Maurice W. Fowler, who has been connected with the International Hotel for the past eight years, will have charge of the office.  Nothing will be spared in making the traveling public suited with both rates and fare. The hotel rooms are $2 per day.

•••••••••

Mr. Walter Pedrick, of the Town of Loyal, commenced putting in his crops, last Wednesday, by sowing wheat. We have heard that many farmers, in the county, have done the same.

•••••••••

During the past few months, Neverman & Sontag have made many improvements in and around their brewery.  The most noticeable change is a fine hall, twenty-eight by thirty-seven feet, inside measurements. It can be used in connection with the premises as a sitting room.  For that purpose, it will be a fine resort for those who indulge in the use of lager, and their investment will doubtless prove a paying one.  The hall is now nearly completed, and the brick-work on the outside is being done, having been commenced the last of February.  The improvements they have made, furnished needed employment for several hands during the winter, those who would otherwise have been unemployed.

•••••••••

Andrew Ayers, while working at Price’s camp on O’Neill Creek, had his left arm broken below the elbow, when hit by a falling tree limb.  Jim Thomas, as foreman, presides over the camp.  Ayers was brought to town, in the evening, for repairs and Dr. Crandall put the broken bones in place.

•••••••••

All ministers of the gospel and physicians should report the marriages, births and deaths to the Register of Deeds.  There is a law compelling this under severe penalty for non-compliance.

February 1937

St. Mary’s Church, of this city, gave its weekly card party, Monday evening of this week, as a benefit for flood sufferers.  The organization turned the entire amount over to the local Red Cross.  There were 33 tables at the various card games, the women provided a fine lunch.  A large number of exceptionally fine prizes were given, being donated by the merchants.

•••••••••

A forest crop hearing was held at the courthouse, Jan. 28, for the purpose of determining whether certain tracts of Clark County land should be accepted by the state, under the forest crop law.  The hearing was held by L. W. Vinton, Superior, and C. T. Smith, Wisconsin Rapids, area foresters, and resulted in the admittance of the following 40 acre tracts, totaling 6,880 acres:

Sherwood, 11 forties; Washburn 4; Levis 2; Dewhurst 18; Hewett 11; Mentor 10; Seif 86; South Foster 10; North Foster 7; Mead 2; Butler 11.  This is a total of 172 forties, which means the amount to come into Clark County because of the acceptance of these lands will be $1,376.00.

Ten cents per acre will be used for forestry aid and 10c per acre under the forest crop law, divided as follows:

Forty percent will go to the towns’ general fund; 40% to the school districts wherein the land lies, and 20% to the county in lieu of taxes.

The total acreage in Clark County under Forest Crop law is 110,988.75, this county now having the third largest county forest in the state.

The total payment coming into Clark County as a result of forest crop entries and county forest reserve is $20,821.75 for 1937 and $22,197.75 for 1938, while the surprisingly low sum contributed to that fund by the taxpayers of Clark County is $3,851.20.

•••••••••

Theodore E. Kunce, of Neillsville, was enlisted in the Regular Army at Fort Snelling, Minn., Jan. 29, for three years.  Kunce has been assigned to the Third U. S. Infantry, stationed at that post.  This regiment is the oldest Infantry regiment in the Army of the United States.  Its history dates back to Revolutionary times and continuing through all wars in which this nation has been engaged.

••••••••••

Eva Clouse, this week, is celebrating the third anniversary of her establishment of her Fashion Shoppe.  She is holding a special sale to observe the event.

••••••••••

Monday night, which was bitterly cold, Dr. H. W. Housley froze several of his toes in traveling to reach the home of a very sick patient.  Part of the trip was made in his auto, part by team of horses and the last mile and a half on foot.

••••••••••

Frank Nauertz and Alice Heintz were married, Tuesday, by Police Justice A. E. Dudley

••••••••••

The law, demanding that all gold coins be turned in to the Federal Government, caused many to part with keepsakes, especially those who were honest enough to report their holdings.  Erwin Moldenhauer has a two and one-half dollar gold-piece that was given to his mother, Christina Wachtmann, when she was 14 years old, as a part payment for raking, by hand a large field of grain on the farm of her father, near Cedarburg, Wis., shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War.  After her marriage, her husband offered it as security to Wm. Lachman of the Town of Grant for chicken feed for which there was no ready cash, marking the coin with the letter “M” to distinguish it from similar coins.  It was not accepted, however, the friend stating that no security was necessary.  At the request of his mother, the coin came into the possession of Erwin Moldenhauer, after her death and he has naturally been very reluctant to part with it.

He reported it; at the time gold cons were called in, asking the privilege to retain it.  Until Monday morning, he thought his request was granted, when a letter that morning notified him that no exemption was provided for coins as keepsakes.

••••••••••

O. E. Counsell has in his possession, a much prized photograph of a logging camp crew taken in Robert Garvin’s camp, which was located ½ mile west and 1/2 miles south of the present Star Corner cheese factory, 51 years ago.  Only two of the 21 members of the crew are still living in Clark County; Mr. Counsell of this city, then 17 years of age, and Charlie Wagner of Globe.  Most of the men, including Frank Marg who passed away two weeks ago in Pine Valley, are deceased.  One of the four yoke of oxen, used in the camp, and a number of horses were also included in the picture.

••••••••••

J. Wittingham, formerly of Marshfield, has opened a new electrically equipped hatchery in the building formerly used as a restaurant, corner of 7^th Street and Grand Avenue.

The equipment is all new and up to date.

The community will welcome this new industry.

••••••••••

Walter Dangers, who recently asked the Conservation Department for an allotment of wild rice to (be) used for planting in Clark County lakes, was advised last week, that the commission has no funds for work of this kind.  Mr. Dangers asserts that the commission appears to have plenty of funds for the distribution of pheasants to other counties, but does not seem interested in doing anything for other wild life in Clark County.

••••••••••

This community, along with the rest of the Northwest, is gradually digging itself out of the worst blizzard in years, which started Saturday night and continued unabated until late Monday.  Traffic was paralyzed Sunday and Monday as high-way workers battled against over-whelming odds trying to remove snow, which piled up into 10 and 12 foot drifts in places.  Added to the great mass of snow as an under layer of slush, which froze to plow blades, making it impossible to proceed.

In Neillsville, it was stated by officials that the cost of removing the snow from the streets from this storm would total $500, while Otto Weyhmiller, county highway commissioner, stated the total cost in the county probably would exceed $4,000.  However, the county is reimbursed approximately 60 per cent of this amount by the state highway department.

The high school was closed Monday due to absences of students and teachers. Attendance is still far below normal, it is reported.

Milk deliveries, at the plants in the city, were almost at a standstill Sunday and Monday.  Deliveries are still said to be far behind schedule.

Hundreds of motorists were stranded in cities and villages along the main highways, Sunday and Monday.  At Augusta and Fairchild, between 70 and 80 cars were reported stranded with the occupants finding shelter in hotels, depots or in their own cars.  Monday night, every available room in Neillsville was taken by travelers and one couple and their children, who were unable to find room, appealed to the sheriff to provide them with shelter overnight at the county jail.

All main highways were open Tuesday and Mr. Weyhmiller said all roads in the county would probably be open by Friday.

(According to records, some areas of the Midwest received a total of 117 inches of snow during the winter of 1936 – 1937. D. Z.)

•••••••••••

Oren G. Montgomery, son of Peter and Amelia Montgomery, was born Nov. 2, 1878, in Fond du Lac County, Wis.  He died at his home near Granton, Feb. 12, 1937, at the age of 58 years.  He had been in poor health the past year, suffering from a heart ailment, and a recent attack of influenza proved too severe a strain on the heart.

Mr. Montgomery grew to rugged manhood in his native community.  He was married to Miss Alice Prindle of Wacoma, Iowa, on Feb. 14, 1900, at Ableman, Wis.  There were seven children born into this family, all surviving.

Following their marriage, he was for some time a cheesemaker in his home community.  They then moved to a farm near Plymouth, Wis., and a few years later, or in 1908, they moved to the farm near Granton, which is still the family home.

Oren Montgomery was a good neighbor.  He was ever ready to help one in need.  He had the respect and admiration of all who knew him.  He was, at the time of his death, a member of the town board, performing the duties of his office with utmost care, being very conscientious about this and all other labor.  He was an excellent provider, a good father and will be greatly missed by many people.

The surviving relatives are: his mother, Mrs. Amelia Montgomery, Granton.  His wife and all of his children: Rena, Mrs. Otto Holnbach, Granton; Pete of New Berlin, N.Y.; Ora, Mrs. Roland Quicker and Robert, Granton; Lela of Nekoosa; Allen and Byrl, at home.  There are also seven grandchildren and other relatives.  His only sister, Lottie, Mrs. Elmer James, preceded him in death, June 5, 1908.

Funeral Services were held at the home at 1:30 p.m. and at the Union Church, Granton at 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15.  Rev. E. P. Stone, pastor, conducted the memorial rites.

Pallbearers were Elmer Anderson, Oscar Smith, Bert Hayden, Fred Bartz, Floyd Pietenpol and Fred Tyler.  Flower girls were Eileen Bergemann, Mildred Nowack, Lydia Schlinsog and Marcella Holnbach.  The body was laid to rest in the Windfall Cemetery, Granton.

•••••••••••

An 1890 logging photo taken near the East Fork of Black River, where some of Clark County’s largest pine timber was harvested.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤