Visit our Christmas Card collection

Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

December 10, 1997, Page 12

Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Oldies" Articles 

Good Old Days

 

By Dee Zimmerman

 

 

Clark County News – 1877

 

The Christie House is one of the finest hotels on the Black River.  Robert Christie, proprietor, makes the house a comfortable and homelike place for all guests.  The tables are furnished with the best foods the markets have available and are served by attentive hosts.  Ample stable room is provided for carriage horses.

 

Be sure to have your longest-legged stocking cleaned and elevated in a noticeable location on Dec. 24.  You may be surprised at its contents on Christmas morning.

 

Last Wednesday evening, about twenty-five Indians, men and women came to town and broke the monotony of these dull muddy times.  They gathered at the Firemen’s Hall and quite a number of our citizens watched the festive affair.  After their dancing, all gave Hank Meyers a hug before leaving.  It was an affectionate scene and one that made quite an effect on all present.

 

For the first time within the memory of our oldest inhabitant of this area, Black River and its tributaries are at a fair log driving stage this third week in December.  Last Sunday, a log jam formed at the Humbird Bridge, but was broken up without damage to the bridge.  The good supply of logs should reach the boom at the river’s present rise.  Log driving by the lumbermen and plowing by the farmers is a common sight, here.

 

Last Monday evening, we had a grand sociable time at Nasonville, Wood Co., Wis.  All of Nasonville was present and everyone spoke in his own language.  But like the day of Pentecost, we understood them all.

 

Besides all the enjoyments, we had a splendid supper, prepared by the industrious ladies of Nasonville.  About 70 persons ate until they were satisfied.

 

A liberal donation was given to Rev. D. Borgers and his family, of which they were very grateful.

 

December 1912

 

A cooperative association in Sherwood has been organized by the farmers of Sherwood to build and operate a cheese factory near the town hall.  It is incorporated under the name of The Sherwood Dairy Company and a lot with building has been contracted for.  The building will be suitably remodeled and the necessary machinery installed.  The previous outlet for cream had been by means of a wagon to the Pittsville creamery.  A home area creamery will be much more convenient.

 

Clement C. Smith of Milwaukee arrived to inspect the La Crosse Water Power Company’s plant at Hatfield.  An announcement was made; the reorganization of the company would be completed within ten days.  The plan under consideration, which will cost $5,000,000 will include taking over the La Crosse City Railway Co. and the Winona Railway & Light Co.  The La Crosse Gas & Electric plant, which was recently sold, is not included in the deal. 

 

Don’t forget to attend the Christmas Party at the Methodist Church on Dec. 18.  The menu of the noon meal is veal loaf, brown gravy, jelly tarts, fruit jelly, mashed potatoes, scalloped corn, cole slaw, beet salad, rolls, nut bread, coconut cake, devil’s cake, tea and coffee.

 

Richard Welsh, letter carrier on Route 2, got a bad cut near this (his) eye Saturday when he was thrown from his motor-cycle while on his route.  Elmer Buddenhagen is substituting for him.

 

Ernest Schlinsog and Lena Balke were married Nov. 27 at the home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Balke.  They immediately went to house keeping on Schlinsog’s farm in Town of York where he has recently built a large brick house in readiness for the young couple’s arrival.

 

The new Central Hotel in Greenwood is completed and ready to serve the public.  All rooms are heated, have hot and cold water and a toilet on both of the two floors.  There is a public bath in the basement.  The hotel is centrally located between the two banks, near the post office and city hall, in the Christ Wallenberg block.  An auto and team livery adjoins and there is bus service to all trains.  W. R. Howard & Son are proprietors.

 

The Haack Cheese Factory in the Town of York located near Mart Lastofka’s farm burned this past week. 

 

Connor Retail Lumber Co. of Neillsville is buying pine bolts, cut as follows: to be not less than 4 ft. 1 in. long, 5 to 12 in. thick, straight and free of large limb knots.

 

This week Seif and Stelloh moved into their large new building on Grand Avenue.  The building is not entirely complete, but can be used for business.  Owing to the lay of the land, all three floors are accessible for machinery to be moved without an elevator. 

 

Rella W. Balch passed away recently.  Balch had been serving as deputy Clerk of Court at the Clark County Court house.

 

Born in 1859, at Sheboygan Falls, Balch had attended the state university and taught school for a while.  He came to Neillsville in Dec.1880 with his father, the late F. A. Balch.  Together, they established the mercantile business.  After his father retired, R. W. Balch formed a partnership with B. Tragsdorf which continued about fourteen years.

 

In 1886 Balch was elected Clerk of the Circuit Court and served until Jan. 1889.  In 1899 Balch and Tragsdorf built the Big Store, but owing to ill health he sold out his interest.  In 1904 he again went into the mercantile business with H. H. Heath, working together for two years, until Heath’s retirement.

 

Surviving Balch are his wife, Nettie B., with two sons, Leland and Harold, one brother F. O. of Milwaukee and a sister, Mrs. J. W. Sontag of St. Paul, Minn.

 

December 1937

 

While in Madison recently, Henry Rahn, register of deeds, negotiated with the state Bureau of Vital Statistics for photo static copies of the census of Clark County from 1905. In that year a thorough and complete census of the county was taken with the names, dates and place of birth of every person in the county, including other valuable data.

 

Previous to that date many births were not recorded, but since then nearly all children born have been registered.

 

The original census report can not be removed from the office of Madison, but the photo static copy is exactly the same in every detail.  The cost to the county will be only $139.

 

Five PWA stenographers furnished by the state will prepare card indexes of the records by townships, cities and villages and will arrange the cards alphabetically. 

 

The Crex Carpet Co. which formerly used tons of grass from Burnett County in manufacture of rugs, made an offer to the Clark County Board to settle delinquent tax claims on 20,000 acres if the taxes were reduced to an available figure.

 

Clark County’s three-day deer hunt this season was one of less deer killed.  Attorney Everett Skroch and Wm. Gallagher, known as “the hitch-hikers” got a big thrill Sunday when Skroch brought down a dandy buck near the Pinnacle west of town.  The young man with the help of a party of five Fairchild hunters dragged the buck out to the highway.  The Fairchild hunters had three bucks.

 

About 60 hunters were in a tavern at Pray and not one had bagged a deer.  While they were in the tavern, two Indian fellows drove by in an old car with two nice-sized bucks, one on, each side of the car.  A Polk County hunter shot a buck with 44 prongs on its horns with a 34 ½” spread.  Big money was offered for the horns.

 

County Clerk Calvin Mills reported 2,800 deer tags were issued in Clark County.

 

Adler Theatre in Neillsville has reopened after being remodeled.  New curtains, lighting and a complete re-decorating were done.

 

There will be a slot machine cleanup throughout Clark County.  County officials are determined to enforce the law banning slot machines in area businesses.

 

Kurth Oil Co. has a new Nash Ambassador Six with air conditioning, two Lafayette’s, one Master and the other DeLuxe on display as an introduction to the 1938 models.

 

A three-county meeting was held to protest closing of Camp Globe in this county, at the courthouse this week.  Officials from Eau Claire, Chippewa and Clark Counties voiced their concerns in losing Camp Globe which served the forestry interests of all three counties.  The war department at Washington, D. C. has issued orders to vacate the well-known camp.

 

Camp Globe, a CCC camp, is located on the boundary line between Eau Claire and Clark Counties, in the center of 180,000 acres of Clark County’s Forest Reserve.

 

This week, Clark County officials made a trip to Madison asking to be allotted more men on the WPA work program.  The county’s work list has been increased by 65 men which brings the county’s total up to 140.  Of the 140, 75 men are working on the wood lot and brushing jobs of county land.

 

The Withee Sentinel Newspaper building of the early 1900s

 

Pickrun’s Harness Shop was a thriving business in Greenwood during circa 1910.  Horse collars of all sizes, harnesses, bridles and rolls of tanned leather gave the shop an aroma of eh leathered goods.  (Photos courtesy of the Clark County Jail Museum)

 

Be sure to Visit our Clark Co., Wisconsin

Good Old Days Christmas Card Collection!

 

 

 


© Every submission is protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.

 

Show your appreciation of this freely provided information by not copying it to any other site without our permission.

 

Become a Clark County History Buff

 

Report Broken Links

A site created and maintained by the Clark County History Buffs
and supported by your generous donations.

 

Webmasters: Leon Konieczny, Tanya Paschke,

Janet & Stan Schwarze, James W. Sternitzky,

Crystal Wendt & Al Wessel

 

CLARK CO. WI HISTORY HOME PAGE