The Village of Loyal
A Spotless Town
Active Market for Rich Farming Communities on Every Side
Loyal to Clark County, Loyal to the State of Wisconsin, Loyal to the United States of America, Loyal to God Almighty,—Loyal.
That is the name of a village which more nearly approaches the Spotless Town of fame and fiction than any other place your wayfaring man will come across in many a day. In the center of a level stretch of the most fertile lands in the country, with evidences of prosperity and enterprise and civic pride plainly showing on every hand, this town of 1,000 inhabitants is located on a branch of the Soo line from Marshfield to Greenwood, in the central eastern portion of the county.
It was in the spring of 1886 (I think more likely 1866), on the 18th day of May, that the first settler came into that section of Clark County. He was John Graves and he came from Iron Ridge, Dodge County, Wisconsin. He had been up the fall before and built a log house in. the forest, and after winter passed drove his family up by team and located in section 16, having bought a school section. He put in a little mill and for three or four years was the only white man in those parts. His son S. D. Graves started a store about 1870 at the place where the Allen building now stands. Gradually the country settled up and a road was pushed through to the tote road from Neillsville to Greenwood and easy communication with the outside world established. It was in 1885 that the village plat was made by “Bill” Welsh and the village was incorporated in 1893 with a population at that time of 500 or 600 people. The 300 line pushed through its branch in 1889 after the C. M. & St. P. railroad had made a survey and started plans to extend its branch from Babcock through to Chippewa Falls. The 800, or Wisconsin Central, as it was at that time, got in ahead of the rival road, and as a result the St. P. branch has never come up any further than Ramadka, six miles south of Loyal, thus depriving that place of the advantages of two roads to which it is really entitled.
Notwithstanding this handicap, however, the city has gone ahead, steadily building up a sure prosperity upon the trade with the wealthy farmers. There is a good high school and grade school, Catholic and German Lutheran parochial schools, the start of a library, a heading factory, which replaces the mill which was operated for twenty five years or more with a capacity of 40,000 a day, three general stores, three confectioneries, one of which has a jewelry store in connection, 2 milliners, two blacksmith shops, 2 banks, two hardware stores, a drug store, Catholic, Lutheran and Methodist churches, a lawyer, 3 doctors and a dentist and a newspaper. B. Christman is president of the village, Albert Davel, treasurer, and T. C. Trirud, clerk.
It is the proud boast of Loyal that it does more business than any other town of its size in Wisconsin. It received its name because its founders were loyal to the union at the time of the civil war, a number of soldiers returned from the war being instrumental in organizing the new settlement. A. A. Graves, a son of the first settler, is one of the prosperous and prominent residents of Loyal at present.
Business Directory
Bauer, John, Saloon.
Braun, Andrew, Saloon.
Chamberlain, L. B., Grocer, Jewelry and Confectionery.
Christman, B., Heading and Staves.
Colby, B. W., General Store.
Davel, Albert, General Store.
Davel, Mrs. C., Millinery.
Davel, Joseph, Harness.
Etta, J. H. & Son, Flour and Feed.
Fauss, Walter, Hardware.
Gieger, John, Shoemaker.
Graves, A. A., Heading and staves.
Hall, Chas. H., Stock Buyer.
Hindeman, M. N., Photographer.
Horn, C., Pharmacy.
Jenks Creamery Co.
Joelink, Jos., Meats.
Joss, Christ., Cheese Factory.
Jung, Gus., Furniture.
Kalbskopf, Grocer.
Loyal Lumber Co.
Loyal State Bank. [Advertisement]
McGonigal, James & Son, Hardware.
Magadanz, H. F., Cheese Factory.
Mathew, Mrs. C., Millinery.
Muckerheid, J. M. Saloon
Neuenfeldt, Wm. D., Publisher.
Peickard, J. F., Confectionery.
Philpot, J. M., Contractor.
Picus, Ben, Gen. Store.
Pitkin, I. B., Blacksmith.
Rahm Bros. & Kunde, Hay, Grain and Wood.
Schuld, Edw., Saloon.
Schuld, Peter & Son, Saloon.
Shock, George, Meats.
Steuerwald, Fred, Implements.
Taylor, C. M. Co., Furniture.
Voigt Bros., Hotel
Wedel, J. Saloon.
Wichman, Wm. Saloon.
Wiric, John, Gen. Store. [Photo]
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