Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

July 19, 1995, Page 12

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

 

Good Old Days

 

By Dee Zimmerman

 

The Neillsville Times

 

100 Years Ago

 

Governor Upham visited Greenwood on July 4th and made a speech.

 

A dance on July 4th was about the only thing alive in Neillsville on that day.

 

The new Methodist church is taking unto itself a shape of beauty, and the town is proud.

 

The Times wants three or four cords of dry pine store wood, cut and split cook stove size, and at once, or as soon as possible.

 

There was a frost Monday night and one a week ago.  This beats the record, with a frost for every month in the year.

 

The Klopf, Servanty, Gilman, Tom Lowe and Frank Brown folks are camping near Mason’s farm.

 

The Epworth league will serve ice cream and ice cream soda at Enckhausen & Co’s drug store Saturday evening, July 13, from 6 to 10.  Everybody invited.

 

Marshall J. W. Hommel is completely remodeling his house on Grand Ave. and now that it is finished as to outline one can see what it is to be.  It will be a pretty, neat and comfortable home.  Part of the old house – recently injured by fire – has been used, and the structure is made two-story throughout, modernized and so changed as to make the place very handsome.  Tom is one of our old settlers, and it is gratifying to see him putting up a home that will meet his needs and make him comfortable.  (The Hommel house was later owned by his granddaughter, Marie Covell and husband.)

 

The city lock-up has had a stone foundation put under it, and is being sided.  It is to be painted also.  The foundation is a surface affair, and is sure to be ripped apart by the frost, but still and with all the transformation is a good one.  The city pound next to the jail has been taken out of the alley.

 

The Norwegian Lutheran church is up and enclosed, and from the outline it can be seen that when completed it will be as handsome a building as the city contains.  It is to be brick veneered.

 

The Ferguson building has been vacated and dismantled and the proprietor, Peter Johnson, has determined to transform this property into a first class block.

 

The C. C. Sniteman block is going steadily upward, and will be a handsome structure when completed a regular stone, brick and the Pete Johnson building complete the solid, final fronts on the street between 5th and 6th streets, except the wooden tenements owned by Geo. L. Lloyd and now expansion must go on in place of reconstruction.  Let us push forward toward greatness.

 

A rear extension 32 feet long and full width of the building; is being added to Marsh Bros.’ store to give them room for their increased business.  It will consist of basement, a floor about level with the sidewalk at that point on 5th Street, and an extension of the main store floor 32 feet back. (Later, was Penney’s, then the Skogmo store)  The addition will not include the upper or Masonic lodge story.

 

Marriages: Frank Austin and Julia Wack of Pine Valley, July 4th.  Wallace Jones and May Dutler of Eleva, Trempealeau Co, July 4th.  Herschel Rodman of Pine Valley and Aggie Fischer of Washburn, July 4th.  Robert W. Pinder and Evlyn A. Otis of Winona, Minn., July 3.  All knots tied by Rev. G. N. Foster.

 

Notice to Contractors: Bids will be received for repairing school house in District No. 2, Pine Valley, up to one week from date-sealed bids only.  The bids will be accepted for part or whole of the work.  For further information come to my office; the board can reject any or all bids.  L. Garfield, Clerk.

 

75 Years Ago

 

Lost – Crank for Buick car.  Return to this office.

 

The West Weston Community Club will hold a picnic in Erich Schoenherr’s woods next Sunday, July 18th.  The members are requested to bring the lunch and refreshments will be served.  Everybody invited.

 

Most of the Pleasant Ridge people went blueberry picking Sunday.

 

Mr. Arch, Mr. Parkel and Joe Ozanich of West Eaton helped Joe Arch move household goods from Greenwood.

 

The school meeting of Eaton last Tuesday evening was well attended and everything fine.  Theo. Meinholt was elected clerk and all voted for a new two room school house, to be built this spring.

 

Potato bugs are about the only plentiful things now days.

 

Harold John the infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Thoma, Globe, was baptized at church Sunday.

 

Erick Schoenherr, Jr., had a barn raising bee Monday.

 

Last week on the way home from a Town of Grant school meeting, Alfred Schnabel’s Overland refused to pull, so he and some neighbors were compelled to walk home.  The next morning he went down with his team, some wrenches and finally the car went home of its own accord.

 

Quite a few folks from the North Janesville Settlement attended the barn dance and picnic at Willard Sunday afternoon.

 

On Wednesday evening of last week a number of folks from Grant vicinity gave a serenade for Mrs. Brucheiner at the Aug. Holtz home, and on Friday evening they had refreshments at Leo Korths

 

Frank Sonnentag is preparing to open up a soft drink establishment in the Wasserburger building on 7th Street.

 

The Duplex Storage Battery Co. of Milwaukee has made final arrangements to move their business to Neillsville, hopefully to be in operation here by Oct. 1st and will employ 125 men.

 

Last spring when people were getting ready to put in their crops, a certain farmer living up a country road here in Panther Creek area, stuck up a sign on his gate post that read: “Good seed oats wanted: bring them in gunny sacks” and that night some kids came along and rubbed out the letter O in oats and put in a letter C instead.  We can imagine the farmers surprise when during the next few days there were about 20 gunny sacks full of cats, all sizes and colors piled on his porch.  Moral: It pays to advertise in your local paper.

 

50 Years Ago

 

Electors of the local school district voted to raise $3,275 for a second school bus and voted to raise $10,000 to add to the building fund.  They authorized an operating budget of $32,000, in addition to the above making a total tax of $45,275.

 

Clark County hits high mark in Seventh War Loan – her total purchases are $952,026.25 well over the $745,000 set quota.

 

Stamps for the wounded – Geo. Crothers has made one shipment of stamps for the wounded, and is preparing to make another.  The box for collecting stamps is still in the Farmers’ Store.  All commemorative issues are wanted and regular issues above the three cent stamps.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Albrecht of the Town of Hewett announce the birth of a son Friday, July 6 at the Neillsville Hospital.

 

S/Sgt. Tony Svetlik of army air force arrived Saturday to visit his brother, Frank.  He is on furlough from his station in Kansas.  Svetlik is on a B-29 crew.

 

S/Sgt. John Herian, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Herian, has returned to his home after 39 months of overseas duty with the United States Army.

 

A letter received by Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Kunze from Major Gregory G. Floiris, Commanding Officer of their son, Donald Kunze, now in Germany; “By Regimental General Order as of 21 December, 1944, Technician Fourth Class Donald A Kunze has been awarded the “Medical Badge.”  This distinction and honor is given only to ‘front line medics’.  Because of his work and denotation to duty many American wounded boys are alive today. 

 

Pfc. Elmer Lichte is home from Germany, visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Lichte of Rt. 4 Neillsville.

 

Norwegian Lutheran Church, built in 1895, was located on West 12th St.

 

Shortville School students and teacher during 1910 or 1911; Anna (Kosmoski) Carl, age 96, now living in Neillsville was one of the students at that time.  She wrote down names of 20 students enrolled at the school, though only 18 are in the photo as two must have been absent.  Anna is the first girl on the far left.  Other students were: Hubert Carter, Encie Carter, Lulabel Carter, Irvin Stevens, Art Stevens, Eva Stevens, Violet Nelson, Ella Hagie, Alpha Hagie, Edith Carlson, Art Carlson, John Hall, Beatrice Hall, Morris Hall, Dimple Wesenberg, Willie Wesenberg, Clara Frantz, Elmer Frantz, Mary Kosmoski, Miss Galbreath – teacher.

 

Near the top gable of the building is wording which reads Dist. #1, Town of Washburn, 1900.  The outside school bell was added some time after 1912.  Anna remembers the teacher using a hand bell with an 18 inch handle which she ran after noon hour and recesses.  (Thank you, Anna, for your remarkable memory.  Also, Thanks to Edith Short for the photo.)

 

1948 Shortville School

(Left to right & front to back) Arlene Trachte, Daisy Hart, Janice Hanson, Larry DeHart, Billy Hanson, Roger Phillips, Wayne Phillips, Sharon DeHart, Arnold Trachte, Jerry Hanson, Mary Lou Hagie, Joan Matuzsak, Ellen Holub, Ann DeHart, Joanne Stevens, Pat Phillips, George Reinart, Mrs. Della Botnen, Teacher.

 

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