Clark County Press, Neillsville, Wisconsin

July 23, 2008, Page 20

Contributed by "The Clark Co. Press"

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

Compiled and contributed by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

July 1873

 

A July 4th celebration in the Town of Grant was a success in every particular, the storm in the morning not interfering with the programme in the least.  R. J. McBride, Esq., was on hand and delivered a very nicely written oration, which is pronounced by those that heard it, as eloquent and appropriate.  The attendance was large and the enjoyment of the occasion general.  The dance in the evening was as successful as the day’s celebration and afforded a most pleasant time to all that participated.

 

Owing to the programme in town being postponed until afternoon, the Brass Band could not fulfill their engagement, which was the only disappointment that had to be put up with.  There being about $25 left in the hands of the committee after all expenses were paid, it was decided to invest it in a flag to be owned by the town.

•••••••••

A very neat portico, with cast iron balustrade, has been put in front of Hewett & Woods block.  It sets the building off very nicely.

•••••••••

The whortleberry business is very lively at Humbird at present; hundreds of bushels being bought and shipped weekly.   Buyers are paying $1.25 per bushel.  (Whortleberry is another name for blueberry. D.Z.)

•••••••••

The old bridge across O’Neill Creek went down under the weight of a heavy loaded wagon on Tuesday, the north middle pier giving way.  The logs composing it were completely rotten.  The bridge has been temporarily repaired, but should be speedily replaced by a new structure.       

•••••••••

James Delaine has just completed his new wagon and blacksmith shop on the north side of O’Neill Creek. The shop is ready for all the work that may be brought in.  He has made among other things, some of the finest buggies in use here.  He just finished a very elegant buggy for Mr. Austin, which may be taken as a fair specimen of his handiwork.

•••••••••

Mr. George Lloyd, who has been missing for some time, is in the hands of a marshal in the eastern part of the state.  George never made a bit of fuss about it, but gave himself up voluntarily.  His friends will not forsake or look down upon him on his return, for it was a clear case of justifiable matrimony.  The young couple has our congratulations and best wishes.

•••••••••

The people of Greenwood and vicinity have at last got a good bridge, or rather three good bridges, across the three channels of the Black River, at Schofield’s Mill.  The bridges are all substantially built and will meet the wants of that community for many years.  A road running in a direct line from a little south of Chandlers store, in Greenwood, to the bridge, has been cut through and will soon be put in good traveling condition.

•••••••••

Mr. George Huntzicker has nearly completed a fine new hotel building, 30 by 50 feet in size two stories in height.  His former building is attached to it, which makes it a very extensive building. It is as good a frame building as we have ever seen and slighted in nothing.  We were especially pleased to see the splendid foundation on which it is built.  The demand for greater accommodations on the northern road has met with a ready response from Mr. Huntzicker, for which he is deserving of the most genial patronage.

•••••••••

By a recent decision of the Supreme Court of the United States, the bonds voted to the West Wisconsin railroad by the towns along the line will have to be paid in full, with interest, by the towns.  It is a pity that the West Wisconsin cannot be brought to honest terms through the same tribunal, but what is sauce for the goose is not sauce for the gander in this case.

•••••••••

Several bummers from Merrillan visited Humbird, last week, and took a saloon in the latter place by storm.  After mauling the proprietor, who was alone, they ransacked his premises and robbed his money drawer.  But before they had time to decamp, reinforcements arrived and the Merrillan heroes were summarily stripped of their laurels and plunder.  They left town in different directions, badly demoralized.  One named Butler went down the railroad track and with martial and distilled spirits pervading his heart and stomach, endeavored to butt the incoming freight train from the track.  He was again unsuccessful and was picked up and brought back to Humbird on the train.  Dr. Crandall, who happened to be in Humbird, examined and dressed his wounds, which proved to be nothing more serious than some severe cuts and contusions on the head.

 

July 1943

 

The George L. Lloyd property is now in the ownership of LeRoy Allen, whose farm lies just to the east of it.  Included was farmland of about 40 acres and it was to extend his own farm, chiefly the reason Mr. Allen made the purchase.  The sale was made by Clyde D. Lloyd of Bellingham, Wash., a son of the later George L. Lloyd.

 

This sale carries with the ownership, one of the largest residences in Neillsville and a property, which was once one of the finest.  The house is of brick, very large, with fine hardwood floors and trim.  It was the pride of Mr. Lloyd, who was a successful lumberman and merchant of Neillsville’s earlier days.  The house was built some 40 years ago.

 

Mr. Lloyd died about 25 years ago.  As time passed it became evident that the residence, however well suited to the pride and family of a successful lumberman, was not suited to the size and viewpoints of modern families.  So the place has gradually depreciated, although it is still intrinsically a splendid building.

 

One of the assets of the property is a spring, which in the old days was harnessed as a private water supply for the Lloyds.

 

The Lloyd house is said to have cost about $15,000, at a time when the dollar was larger than it is now.  It is eloquent of the changing taste and viewpoint that the house and the whole 40 acres should have been sold for $2,000, the price that Mr. Allen is said to have paid for it.  And as for the house itself, its present value is highly debatable, as it is vacant, seemingly useless and depreciating steadily.

 

(The Lloyd house was later sold and the interior changed.  There is an old quote, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”  Some years ago, a local couple, Ray and Mary Jo Meier saw great potential in restoring the Lloyd home to its original state.  Working on the interior, as their schedules allowed, within a time frame of seven or eight years, the project was completed with a part of the Lloyd family’s legacy and Neillsville’s history saved. D.Z.)

•••••••••

An effort is being made to secure a quarter of a million feet of lumber for replacement of barns torn down by last week’s tornado in and adjacent to Clark County.  The decision to make this effort was reached Monday evening at a meeting held in Eau Claire, attended by representatives of the War Production Board, representatives of Clark County War Board and lumber dealers of Clark County.  Axel Sorensen, chairman of the county war board, presided.

 

It was reported to the federal representatives that, with 18 barns lost in and near Clark County, lumber is lacking for more than two or three barns altogether.  Except as lumber is shipped in under a priority, it will be impossible to replace the barns lost by the storm.

 

The outlook was regarded as doubtful, after the decision was reached.  The government is still making heavy demands for the war effort and even the replacement of storm damage must take second place to this.  So the local men do not feel at all certain that a sufficient supply of lumber can be secured.

•••••••••

Lieut. Eulalie Beffel, of the WAAC, who taught in Neillsville during 1927, has recently published a book, entitled, “The Hero of Antietam.”  The story is that of Maj. Gen. Matthew Yawn, a hero in battle, ill at ease in civilian life, who marries an attractive and sympathetic chambermaid in his Washington hotel after the Civil War and returns to a small Illinois city.  Sinclair Lewis encouraged Miss Beffel to write the novel and made suggestions as to the handling of Yawn’s story.

 

Miss Beffel was teaching in Madison until a year ago when she left to enlist in the WAAC.

•••••••••

The final chapter in the story of the Loyal State Bank has recently been written with the discharge in Circuit Court of the trustees.  In this failure, a casualty of the Depression, depositors received dividends aggregating 2.5 percent of what they had put in, but that is only part of the sad story, for assessments were made with a heavy hand upon the stockholders.  The failure was primarily due to the heavy shrinkage of securities, which would ordinarily have been regarded as first-class.

 

The failure was an especially heavy blow to Lanny Graves, whose losses and assessments are said to have approximated $120,000.  Mr. Graves had been a prominent logger and operator of sawmills.  He was a man of confidence in and good will toward his son-in-law, Romaine Jenks, who, after this and other troubles, took his own life.

 

The discharge of the trustees in this matter followed by only a few months the discharge of the trustees of the Clark County State Bank.  In that instance the depositors received a final dividend of 42.96 per cent.

 

It was losses such as these that led to the establishment of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which guarantees the safety of bank deposits and gives full protection to all depositors.

•••••••••

A new six-inch water main is being laid in Fourth Street from Forest to Oak Street.  This will accommodate eight users, who have been managing for years with what water could trickle through a one-inch pipe.  The length of the main is 330 feet. After the 330 feet is used, the city will have 1,200 feet of water pipes left, purchased while the buying was good before the war.  There will be no more pipe available for the duration, according to the present outlook.

•••••••••

Elmer R. Bender has been chosen to receive a certificate of recognition at the State Fair, selected upon his record as a farmer.  Mr. Bender moved to his 71-acre farm in the Town of Lynn about 18 years ago.  The land had been logged years before, but had not been stumped and had no buildings.

 

Mr. Bender’s first job was to build a house and basement barn.  The house, now completed, is one of the finest in that part of the county.  Other buildings have been added through the years.

 

Mr. Bender’s herd consists of 20 Brown Swiss, 12 of them in milk.  They are purebreds and high grades.  The Bender’s also have a flock of 12 sheep, two brood sows, 75 laying hens and 200 chicks.

 

Their farm work is done with the help of a fine line of modern machinery and tools.

 

Mrs. Bender is the former Agnes Hohlenbach.  There are three children: Merlyn, who graduated from the Granton High School; a daughter, Joan; and a young son Roger.

 

For this recognition the Bender family was selected from a large number of worthy local farmers, whose names were submitted by the Future Farmers of the Granton High School at a meeting held for that purpose on the evening of July 8.  The meeting proceeded under the direction of the new Ag teacher, Neilus Larson.  The final selection was made in accordance with the qualifications laid down by the State Board of Vocation and Adult Education, Madison.

•••••••••

Robert Cattanach of Owen, one of the personnel of the lost cruiser Helena, is safe.  His parents, Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Cattanach, have received word that he survived.

 

Mrs. Lillian Schweinler of Neillsville has received news that her nephew, Pfc. James Schweinler, a bugler in the Marines, was on the cruiser Helena, which was sunk by the Japanese in Kula Gulf, Solomon Islands, July 7.  No details were given and it is not known whether James was rescued.

 

It is known that most of the personnel of the Helena were saved and it is now reported that 161 survivors have been rescued from an island, upon which they had taken refuge.

 

James Schweinler is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Charles Schweinler of Belvidere, Ill., and a nephew of the late Dr. F. W. Schweinler, Neillsville.

•••••••••

The rural schools of Clark County are in a tight situation for teachers, but there is nothing desperate about it.  The outlook is that practically all the schools of the county will be provided by September 1.

 

Right now there are eleven definite vacancies in the 121 rural schools of the county.  For these vacancies there are a few possible applicants, who would need to teach on emergency certificates.  Thus the actual shortage in the county as of the present date might be set at only five of (or) six.  Within the past week or ten days several situations have been cleared up, giving some encouragement to Superintendent Slock and school authorities.

•••••••••

Women’s organizations of Neillsville will stage a Molly Pitcher day here on Saturday, August 7.  On that occasion the women will put on a sale of war bonds and stamps, with booths in various parts of the business section and with girls giving out tags to purchasers.

•••••••••

If electronics is going to do everybody’s work after the war, one supposes that practically everybody will be employed in the electronics industry.

•••••••••

The last chance locally, to arrange for canning sugar will be afforded next week at the gymnasium room of the Neillsville High School.  At that time registration for the extra allotment of 15 pounds per person may be made.  The registration will take place Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., including the noon hour.

 

The 15 pounds per person is to be thus arranged for in addition to the 10 pounds provided by stamps 15 and 16 of Rationing Book One.

•••••••••

 

 

George L. Lloyd was a successful lumberman who invested some of his assets in building and operating a hardware store on the northeast corner of 5th & Hewett Streets (First building visible on the far right of the photo.)  In the late 1930s the building was razed and replaced with a new structure.  Lloyd’s home was built in the late 1890s and elegantly stands along a Neillsville street (on the north side) which bears his name.

 

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