Clark County Press, Neillsville, Wisconsin

January 23, 2008, Page 20

Contributed by "The Clark Co. Press"

Presentation by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Compiled & Contributed by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

January 1913

 

The Neillsville Cheese Box factory is closing up its business here, having sold out to the Blum Bros. of Marshfield. They will enlarge their factory in that city and make all boxes there. This is unfortunate for Neillsville, as this concern furnished considerable employment here the past year.

* * *

I conclude to offer for sale my span of Banbury bay colts coming four years old.  I raised them for my own use but find I shall have no time to drive them.  Both colts were sired by Banbury and Brown Willkes, by George Willkes of Hamiltonian 10.  The dam of the horse colt is by Cedar and the dam of the mare colt by Bonny Monk.  Both have sweet dispositions and their lines are beautiful.  I wish someone in Clark County, who appreciates a fine team to own them and I wish them to remain where I can see them.  They can be seen at my farm in the town of Hewett, in charge of Mr. Buelow. I will name a very reasonable price to a man who will treat them kindly and keep them for his own use. Judge James O’Neill, Neillsville, Wis.

 (The Irish were known for appreciating and enjoying fine horses. D.Z.)

* * *

F.D. Calway brought home a fine new Cadillac car Sunday, from Owen where he bought it. Pete North went up with him and helped him pilot the new machine home. It is a 1914 model and a beauty.

* * *

There will be three families living in the Tioga hotel for a short time and during that time it will be hard to find a place to get a meal or stay over night. Some one ought to go there and start a boarding house.

* * *

Last week, two good farms in the town of Grant changed hands. The Julius Benedict farm, of 80 acres, was bought by Jos. Counsell, and the farm of S. Root, also 80 acres, sold to John Langreck, together with most of the personal property. Consideration for farm and personal property was $8,500. Neither of these sales brings in strangers as each farm was bought by a neighbor who knows what he is buying.

* * *

Pine trees may be a thing of the past in this section of Wisconsin, but pine snakes according to the Pittsville Record, yet are plentiful.

While digging for skunks, which they were hunting and which they had reason to suppose were under the ground near where they were engaged in digging, the Hill boys, out of Clark County, near Sherwood Corners, unearthed 26 pine snakes.

The pine snakes ranged in length all the way from two to six feet and fourteen of them showed immediate signs of life when taken from the ground. It is highly probable that the remainder were alive but in a state of torpor through the winter.

* * *

An entertainment and dance will be given at the Woodman Hall, Columbia Saturday evening Jan. 17. Performance begins at 8 o’clock sharp. Admission to entertainment is 15c adults, children 10c. Supper and dance cost is 35c per couple.  A good time is promised.

* * *

This week, V.E. Huntzicker sold the Black River flowage rights to the Weston Rapids waterpower, located about two miles above the city, to Judge O’Neill, C.C. Sniteman, M.C. Ring and F.D. Calway. Mr. Huntzicker’s interests in the West prevented his developing the water power and the local men bought it to prevent its going into the hands of outside parties. If the city should need the rights, they will turn it over; if not they hope that some other uses may be made of it, so as to assure local benefit.

* * *

Mr. O.E. Counsell and Miss Laura Heaslett were quietly married at the groom’s home in Grant, Wednesday evening, January 14, 1913. Justice of Peace Arlo Huckstead officiated at the ceremony.

The groom is one of the best-known farmers in Grant, a man of high standing in the community for his integrity and intelligence. The bride is a lady of equally good qualities, of quiet tastes and rare womanly endowments. We join in extending best wishes.

* * *

Ernest Hobbs has installed a new up-to-date outfit for manufacturing pop and other varieties of soft drinks. The machines will be operated by a gasoline engine. Mr. Hobbs has a supply of bottles and cases, prepared to begin business.

* * *

There will be an Auction Sale at the Merchants Hotel Barn Saturday, Jan. 31, at 1 o’clock. Cattle, horses and other kinds of personal property will be sold by an experienced auctioneer, for any persons bringing them in.

* * *

Miss Vivian Brooks, teacher at district No. 2 in York Center, went to Neillsville Saturday, purchasing an organ from J.B. Lowe. She bought it for the school and John VandeBerg brought it up from town Monday, so now there will be more music in the air. January 1953

Skaters of Neillsville have rivals for the use of O’Neill Pond. The rivals are drivers of motor vehicles, who have sallied forth upon the ice and one of whom has even questioned the right of city authorities to put him off.

Upon this skating rink, set apart for the skaters of the community and especially for the children, a motorcycle took a try Sunday. Then a little later a gas-propelled motor scooter circled around. Finally a full-fledged automobile drove out on the ice and drove around on it.

This use of the skating rink is a new one on the city fathers and it has stirred their dander. They are certain that there is no question about their right to control the use of the rink and they tell The Press that they will take whatever steps are necessary to keep the ice clear for skaters.

The city has full rights to the pond and to the dam; has owned them for many years. Hence they have a proprietary right to dictate the use to which the pond shall be put.  But that is not the only resource.  They can bring a charge of disorderly conduct against a driver in such a case and there is not much question but that the charge would stick, for no driver is in good order when he drives out upon the ice of a skating rink.

With the weather holding about as it was over the weekend, the purpose of the city authorities is to sprinkle water on the rink Tuesday, with the expectation that it will be smooth on Wednesday and in prime condition for skaters.

* * *

Thirty thousand cubic yards of earth have been moved on the grounds of Neillsville’s prospective new high school. This major operation of grading has been completed sufficiently to prepare the site for the new building. The operation has consisted in bringing down the top of the hill at the north end of the grounds and in moving the dirt from there to the south end.  At the south end, a level area has been made, in preparation for a football field.

In planning the use of the 15-acre field the architects were dealing with a substantial problem. The necessity was to provide a level area for a distance only slightly less than the entire western exposure of the building, which is 354 feet.  It was necessary to make such a grade that an exit could be made to Fifth Street at the north and to provide at the extreme end of the building or the basement containing the heating plant and the boys’ locker room.

The solution of the problem was to scalp off the top of the hill to depths varying from a maximum of 11 feet down to a few inches. All the dirt thus taken away has been moved to the future football field, where the extreme depth of the fill is 24 feet.

The decision was to place the floor level of the building just slightly lower than the present level of Fourth Street at its eastern end, with the expectation that the level of Fourth Street at the east end, will be brought down just enough to strike and exact level with the floor level of the building.

* * *

Charlotte Baer Cook died January 10 at 7205 W. Blue Mound Rd., Milwaukee. Services were held in Milwaukee Tuesday, January 13, followed, in accordance with Mrs. Cook’s wishes, by cremation. The ashes will later rest in the Neillsville City cemetery.

Mrs. Cook was widely known in Clark County, having at one time been local writer for the Granton News, which was conducted by herself and her husband, Francis Joseph Baer.

She was born Charlotte I. Stockwell, oldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C.S. Stockwell. She was born July 14, 1872, at Port Huron, Michigan. The Stockwells came to Wisconsin in 1877, locating in La Crosse County. There, Mr. Stockwell was Superintendent of Schools. The family came to Clark County in 1885. Mr. Stockwell held various county offices. His name has been perpetuated in local history by appearing in the name of one or more subdivisions of Neillsville. His daughter, “Lottie” worked in the office of register of deeds.

Lottie’s marriage to Mr. Baer took place in 1903 and it was then that they became partners in the Granton newspaper as well as in family relation. In addition to getting out the Granton News, they wrote and published a history of Clark County.

The Baers returned to Neillsville in 1921, having merged their newspaper interests with others published in the county. Their activities continued on the old Neillsville Press, predecessor of The Clark County Press. They also pioneered in establishing the Neillsville golf course. To that enterprise great effort and much money was devoted. A beautiful course was created, which remains a community monument to their enterprise, though something less than a commercial success. Eventually, after various vicissitudes, the course was taken over by the present non-profit organization, consisting of stockholding members.

Mr. Baer died in 1936. In 1938 Lottie married Samuel J. Cook of the town of Grant, an old friend. They lived in Neillsville until his death. Since then Mrs. Cook has usually spent the open season in her house on Fifth Street and the winter with her daughter Helene, Mrs. Milton Herold, at 7205 W. Blue Mound Rd, Milwaukee 13, Wis.

In addition to the daughter Helene, Mrs. Cook is survived by a granddaughter, Mrs. Ray Poplett of Chicago. There are two surviving brothers, C.D. Stockwell of Eau Claire and A.R. Stockwell of Neillsville, and two surviving sisters, Mrs. Ernest Wanner of Bismarck, N.D., and Mrs. William Holway of Madison. Daughters of Mr. Cook are Mrs. Alfred Magnuson and Mrs. Eugene Short, who reside locally.

* * *

The St. Croix Corporation has established a plant in the former Ford garage building in Loyal for the purpose of manufacturing glass fishing rods and dip nets.

The announcement, made this week by Leo M. Meyer, president of Loyal Industries, Inc., stated that the corporation already is in operation in its Loyal plant, having moved out of Colby. Eric Erickson, Unity, is plant superintendent; and the expectation is that the corporation will employ about 100 men and women when it is in full production. It will handle all phases of its finished product and has a well-equipped machine shop, electroplating department, complete brass works and glass extruding.

“The citizens of Loyal and surrounding community have cooperated marvelously with Loyal Industries, Inc., by purchasing the entire stock sold,” he stated.

Officers of the St. Croix Corporation are: Bob Johnson, president; Doug Johnson, vice president; John Olson, secretary; and Bill Johnson, treasurer.

Officials of Loyal Industries, Inc., which negotiated for the move of the manufacturing enterprise to Loyal, include: Mr. Meyer, president; Tony Zupanc, vice president; Max Langfeldt, secretary; E.A. Wepfer, treasurer; and the following directors, Frank Degenhardt, Maynard Erickson and Frank Wolf.

* * *

The Greenwood Indians won two more games last week when they rolled over the Withee Blue Jays 82-55 in a non-conference game on Tuesday and then tripped up the Loyal Maroons 69-51 in a 3-C tilt Friday night. Both games were played away from home.

Herb Fabian, sophomore center, was red-hot in the Withee game as he tossed in 14 buckets and 5 free throws for a total of 33 points.

* * *

The interior of Weddig’s drug store in Owen is being remodeled.  The entire interior furnishings of the store are new and the latest in design.

The Black River Bowman’s club is planning a venison dinner to be held January 31 in the Danish assembly hall in Owen.

* * *

Final details have been completed in the purchase of the F.L. Reinhard Co., Pontiac automobile and GMC truck dealer in Neillsville, by Wayne Wall of Chippewa Falls and Robert Horswill of Neillsville.

The business will be operated under the name of the W&H Pontiac Motors and will continue to occupy the building on East Sixth Street occupied by the Reinhard Co.

 

The above photo shows the interior of one of St. Croix Corp.’s factories, located in Unity, on the east side of Highway 13, circa 1950.

(Photo courtesy of Alan Gurtner’s historical collection) (Anyone who can identify those in the photo, or has other photos of the St. Croix plants, please call Alan at 715-223-4855.)

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