Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

November 26, 1997, Page 24

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

 

IN THE Good Old Days

 

Compiled by Dee Zimmerman

 

Clark County News

 

December 1877

 

Thanksgiving passed by quietly, here, the usual number of good dinners having been served.

 

Attention is called to a notice given, there will be an oyster supper served for the benefit of Presbyterian and Methodist ministers.  Through the generosity of the parties organizing the supper the entire receipts will be devoted to the purpose stated above.  Let the people of Neillsville, who are noted for generosity in everything else, manifest the same spirit in the support of those who minister to their spiritual wants, bearing in mind the servant is worthy of his hire.

 

The annual meeting of the Neillsville branch of the American Bible Society will be held in the Presbyterian Church, Sunday evening.

 

Last Sunday a deer was seen making a tour of our village, passing through the most populous part of town, very leisurely.  It was evidently a victim of misplaced confidence if it thought the holiness of the day would be its protection.  Several hunters were soon on its track, but with what success we are unable to say.

 

J. W. Lynch, or “Wick”, as he is generally called, has become associated with Oscar Jaseph in the harness business.  They are a couple of worthy young men.  Their shop is on Courthouse Street, two doors west of Hewett & Woods. (Now corner of Hewett and 5th Street. D. Z.)

 

Loyal News:

 

Gile & Holway’s shops at Loyal, together with their contents, consisting of tools, stock, and eight pairs of new logging sleds, were totally destroyed by fire on Thursday of last week.

 

A. W. Raymond, the landlord of the Loyal Hotel will put on a grand dance at Gwinn’s Hall on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24.  An invitation is for all to attend.

 

There will be a grand masquerade at Fireman’s Hall, here, on the evening of Jan. 1st.  Costumes will be furnished for those who wish to rent one.  Supper will be served at Mrs. Reddan’s Hotel, tickets $2.00.

 

A settlement has finally been reached between the counties of Clark and Taylor as its proportion of the funds, securities and properties at the time of the division of counties has been placed at two thousand dollars.  Half of the amount, one thousand will be paid in tax sale certificates on the territory now a part of Taylor County and formerly of Clark County.  The balance amount will be due on Feb. 1st of 1879.

 

Greenwood News:

 

Warner’s schoolhouse lot is nicely fenced and a fine wood shed has been added.

 

A new firm has opened in Schofield’s building, selling general merchandise.

 

Wm. Pollis, of La Crosse, spent Monday night in town and dropped $25 for the church.  Send up some more like him.

 

December 1897

 

Henry Bartel and his brother from Oshkosh have rented the French store building at Hewett and Fifth Streets, and will soon open up a meat market.  The new cellar just completed under the entire building will be used by the new firm.  They are butchers by trade and will handle the very best meats.

 

Lands for Settlers: – The Wisconsin State Board of Immigration has issued a very neat folder of 28 pages.  The “Home Seekers Guide” has tables and maps for 7,000,000 acres of Wisconsin Lands.  Every county has a listing of new lands.  Clark County’s listing for settlement is about 6,000 acres.  Owned by land and lumber companies, 50,000 acres; $2.50 to $10 per acre.  Owned by state, 1,500 acres; $1.25 to $3.00 per acre.  Owned by railroads, 31,000 acres; average price $5 per acre.  Owned by U. S. Government; 3,080 acres.  Distance from railroads, 5 to 10 miles; mostly high and dry land.  Timbered land-maple, basswood, elm and hemlock; watered by running streams.  There are good markets, roads, schools, and churches throughout the country, situated from one to ten miles from unsettled lands.  A dozen creameries and many cheese factories are within the county.

 

N. C. Foster Lumber Co., of Fairchild, has good prices on Cutters; they buy in car lots, direct from the manufacturer and can save you at least 25 per cent.  A first-class business sleigh for $15, swell body cutters are $18 and high grade Portlands for $19.88.  Send for illustrated catalogue with prices.

 

The Schwartz Bros. have opened a blacksmith shop in the Kerns building, corner of Grand Avenue and 5th Street.

 

Rev. Thrun returned from New Ulm, Minn. on Friday, where he has hired Mr. Sarahn, formerly of Anhapee, Wis., to teach the Lutheran parochial school in this city.  The Lutheran school will soon open and run nine to ten months a year. 

 

The Unitarian Thanksgiving Day Dinner was enjoyed by many.  The menu included turkey with sage and oyster dressing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, rutabagas, white bread, steamed brown bread, cabbage salad, celery, pickles, mince pie, apple pie, cheese, cake and coffee.

 

December 1927

 

The city aldermen voted and the petition to have two street lights installed on Park Street was granted.

 

Walter Zbinden began work on a new addition to the Pine Valley Cheese factory.  The 40’ x 60’ addition will be built on the west side of the old factory, corner of Grand and Sixth St.

 

In addition to raising the license fees for dances in this county, a new ordinance was adopted at the recent session of the County Board. The ordinance makes restrictions on the number of dances that can be held in any buildings used as granaries or barns – only one dance in a month to be held in such buildings.  That would mean only five or six dances during the year, a few, if any can be held after cold weather sets in.

 

Last Friday morning at least 400 interested people visited the Hosely Motor Co., in Neillsville, to get information about the new Ford car.  According to Henry Ford, it will be of the same quality as the Model T, a pioneer in its field for more than nineteen years.  On Monday night, a sample car of the Tudor style arrived from Fond du Lac by way of Marshfield to be on display all day.  A big crowd of viewers surrounded the car throughout the day at the Ford Garage.  Besides the new truck, six styles of cars are on the market; sport coupe, phaeton coupe, Tudor sedan, four-door sedan and a roadster with rumble seat.

 

The prices quoted are as follows, F.O.B. Detroit: coupe $495; sport coupe $550; Phaeton $395; Tudor sedan $495; Four-door sedan $570; truck chassis $460; truck complete $610.  The buyer has a choice of four colors: Niagara blue, Arabian sand, dawn gray and gun metal blue.  The car has the standard selective gear with all the new ideas on ignition and cooling; four wheel brakes and multiple disc dry plate clutch of the same type used on high priced cars.  Every car is equipped with five steel spoke wheels – in fact only steel wheels are used on all the cars and trucks.  Every car is equipped with a starter, wind shield wiper, speedometer, gasoline gauge, door lock, dash light, rear view mirror, rear lights and stop light, oil gauge, theft proof lock, hydraulic shock absorbers and a complete set of tools in a tool box.  It is said to run as fast as 50, 60 or even more miles per hour and make 20 to 30 miles on a gallon of gas. 

 

(The 1927 Ford car and truck were vehicles with many new features, an automotive revolution such as, no more cranking to start the motor and possibly getting a broken arm if it kicked-back.  It even included a set of tools needed in doing repair work on the vehicle, somewhat different than the present year’s models.  Wondering what the “phaeton” model car was, I called an antique car buff and learned the phaeton was the 6 passenger canvas convertible top vehicle.  There were many in the pre-1927 era.  Thanks, Howie. D. Z.)

 

The Clark County Highway Committee will meet at the Christie hall on Dec. 12 at 10 a.m. and at the Globe Store the same day at 2 p.m. for the purpose of receiving open bids for the following gravel jobs, specifications to be made known at the letting.

 

1 – County Trunk G to be surfaced about one to 2 miles from previous end of surfacing, then north three to four miles on Town Line, Weston and Seif, gravel pit one and ¼ mile west of G.

 

2 – The Christie Marshfield road, Town of Weston, east mile, gravel pit on Nick Schaefer’s farm.

 

Christmas Air Mail service will be available this year by work received from Postmaster A. C. Martin.  This service is given for 10 cents per half ounce.  There are now 15 air mail routes flying, making a network covering practically the entire country.  This will relieve the congestion of the railway mail service.

 

Krumery’s barn burned last Friday evening.  The fire company succeeded in putting out the flames before the upper part of the building fell in but was almost a total loss.  Two good cows, one owned by Krumery and one owned by Ed Gehrt perished in the barn basement as well as some hay and ground feed.  Krumery’s auto and several items belonging to O. J. Lewerenz were stored on the second floor, of which most was damaged by the fire.

 

Out of appreciation to the fire department a fine lunch was served by Otto Neverman, O.J. Lewerenz and Frank Bartell on Friday evening.

 

Lowe’s Furniture Store special’s for your home or the home of newly married friends!  For Christmas give a gift of furniture – attractive easy chair with foot stool,$17 & up; Mahogany Secretary desk, $22 & up; tapestry chair with mahogany frame, $9 & up; solid walnut octagon table, $6; solid walnut wall desk, $12; walnut or mahogany hardwood Spinet style desk, $18.

 

A set of fine china for a wonderful Christmas gift can be purchased at Frank E. Brown jewelry and Electrical Supplies.  They have complete assortment of important German China and English Porcelains in new patterns.

 

Paulson’s Hall, 5th Street & Grand Ave., Coming Events – Wed., Dec. 7, balloon Ball, music by Johnny Lahman and his Virginia Vagabonds, with a balloon scramble at 11 p.m., dollar bill in each balloon. 

 

X-mas Dance, Mon. Dec. 26, music by Rasmussen’s Harmony Kings, dance, fun carnival in decorated hall. 

 

Shop Roehrborn’s Store for “All the Christmas Trimmin’s.”  Kraut, 25¢ per gallon, bring your own jars; dill pickles, 2 doz. 25¢, 100 lbs. $1.85; Greening apples, $1.35 per bushel.

 

Remember, A. Hauge & Son Co. is giving tickets with all $1.00 purchases of coal, wood, gasoline and oils or payment on accounts.

An early pickup, circa 1920, owned by William Joyce, Sr. served as a milk hauler on his farm.  The canvas top and side curtains certainly didn’t keep the cold weather out as many of us can remember.

 

The early 1920s Buick, Dodge, Ford, Chev., Pontiac, Overland, etc. 6 passenger cars all sported the snap-on canvas tops known as the phaeton style.  Removal of the snap-on canvas top became a handy feature when the owner needed to transport farm products to market.

 

 


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