GREENWOOD

“The Hub of Clark County”

                       Bank Building and Post Office at Greenwood, Wisconsin.

Beautiful City on Main Highway and Where two Railroads Meet

Nothing could be prettier, nothing more satisfying either to the cold calculating eye of the practical man of affairs or the poetic sense of the beautiful in the aesthetic, than the little, city of Greenwood on the banks of Popple (actually Black) river in the undulating country to the north and south, its water tower showing for miles around as the traveler comes in over the hard smooth auto roads through the most magnificent country. Greenwood is an appropriate and beautiful name.. It is nearly in the center of the county, 17 miles north of Neillsville.

Greenwood High School.

This was the second city to emerge from the forest when the white settlers first came to Clark County. Straight up the river the march of civilization came. In 1854 Elijah and Frederick Eaton, after whom the town of Eaton is named, arrived to conquer the wilderness and on June 10, 1857.  Charles W. Carpenter came through from Neillsville, and built a home, took up a large tract which he later in 1859 sold to S. C. Honeywell, the Andrews residence now occupied by the Kolden family. Robert Schofield also was one of the pioneers in this settlement, he having come in 1855.

The first store was started in 1870, operated by Chandler and Brown who came from Black River Falls.. It was at the place now occupied by Aarons brothers.

The name of Greenwood was given by Miss Mary Honeywell, now Mrs. Smith Honeywell; and was surveyed and platted in June 1871 when there were five houses and one store in the place. Charles Hogue, Oscar Nutting and Frank Brown did this work.

Homer M. Root who is still one of the prominent citizens of Clark County came to Greenwood in 1871 from Chenango county, New York, and started his successful operations which in after years has made him so prosperous. Old timers recall the year 1872—73 as the Epizoodic winter when the natives suffered hard times and from disease and were thoroughly discouraged. They also recall the “Al Brown winter”, 1877— 78, when a $75,000 failure and a mud winter combined to depress the country financially and physically.

The season of 1871 was a tremendous logging year, it being estimated that 350 million feet of timber went down Black river in the spring following the winter’s operations in the woods that year. It was only two or three years later that the pineries were practically denuded, and the record of Black river’s logging days closed. It is said that 800 billion feet of timber was sent down the Black river from 1844 when the first settlers came to 1873, which was about the last year of the drives, enough timber to make 121,000 miles of sixteen foot lumber, five times around the earth.

On the Road to Greenwood.  

Stretch of New State Aid Road, Just South of Hoseley's Corners.

In 1900 Kippenhan & Palms started a heading mill but it was destroyed by fire in 1904 with a loss of from $10,000 to $15,000.

Greenwood was incorporated in l890. The Wisconsin Central, now the Soo line, came through from Marshfield in 1891, and the Fairchild and Northeastern came through from Fairchild on the C. & N. W. line in 1895. Greenwood with Owen has the distinction of having two railroads, the only towns in the county which can make that boast. It has a commercial organization, the Farmers and Citizens club, which is ever on the alert to promote the interests of the city, and owns its electric light plant and water plant and gives a 24 hour service. The mayor at present is Ed. Buker; Supervisor H. F. Stabnow; treasurer A. White; city clerk A. H. Schwartz (actually Schwarze); city attorney W. J. Rush; Aldermen, E. F. Wollenberg, Frank Zetsche, H. M. Pratt and E. N. Paul. There are two banks, five general stores, two blacksmith shops, two hardware stores, one department store, two meat markets, 2 millinery stores, 2 restaurants, an automobile garage, a drug store, newspaper, local telephone company, three implement dealers, a photographer, a furniture store and undertaking establishment, three hotels, three real estate offices, a planing mill, a flour mill of 100 barrel capacity, a feed mill, a lumber yard, three doctors, one dentist and one veterinary. There are Methodist, Baptist, German Lutheran, Norwegian Lutheran, German Reformed, and Catholic churches. There is a prosperous co-operative creamery and the local organization of the American Society of Equity buys stock regularly. The population at present is about 800.

Barns of the Imig Brothers.

Bright Farm, Near Greenwood.

Alfalfa Field on John Bryden Farm Near Greenwood.

Following is a List of Greenwood Businessmen:

   Arbs & Buker, Garage.

   Arends Bros., Dry Goods, Groceries

   Arms, O. H., Garage.

   Armstrong,  Al., Livery.

   Barr, A. C. Blacksmith.

   Behringer, Rudolph, Cheese Factory.

   Beyer, Arnold, Cheese Factory.

   Bishop, George, Furniture and Undertaking.

   Black River Telephone Co.

   Bryden, John, Hotel.

   Carter, Mrs. N. J., Millinery.

   Catlin, Mrs. A. G., Confectionery.

   Clute, V. J. Mfr. Concrete blocks.

   Diel, Julius, Livery.

   Farmers Co-operative Supply Co.

   Farmers & Merchants Bank.

   Fisher, Arthur, Confectionery.

   Greenwood Co-operative Mercantile and Shipping Co.

   Greenwood Garage.

   Greenwood Roller Mills.

   Greenwood State Bank. [Advertisement]

   Gullard, P. W., Drugs.

    Hartson, H.H. & Son, Publishers.

   Hoehne, C. C., Hardware Co.

   Howard, W. R. & Son, Hotel.

   Johnson, Henry, Confectionery.

   Klinke Bros., Implements.

   Krokson. Axel, Saloon.

   Leach, Tom, Meats.

   Masters, R. A., Saloon.

   Noetzel, A. H., Gen. Store.

   Oelig, F. H., General Store.

   Prellwitz, Otto A. & Co., Flour and Feed.

   Sheets. Mrs. E. K., Millinery.

   Schwarze, Alb., Blacksmith.

   Stalon, John, Meats.

   Volk, Jacob & Bro., Tailors.

  Warner H., Restaurant.

   Wescott, H. A., Saloon.

   White, A. M., Hardware.

   Wuethrich, John, Creamery.

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