Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI, May 8, 2019, Page 8

The bicycle craze bids fair to rival that of any previous year, Henry Klopf, agent for the Waverly line, Andrae and Crescent wheels, already having sold seven machines to residents of Neillsville and vicinity.

The Thomas residence on Grand Avenue is to be entirely remodeled, and a handsome dwelling with modern improvements will soon occupy the site of this old home.

Luethe & Schroeder again surpassed all former shipments of eggs from this city, sending 140 cases to Houghton, Mich., Monday.

Fred Huntzicker and Fred Neverman took a premature plunge in the icy waters of the Black River last Sunday afternoon in an attempt to rescue their boat from the rapids and certain destruction in a log jam just below. They were unsuccessful, however, and the boat was completely destroyed.

A large catch of trout is reported from Humbird, one man capturing over thirty fair sized beauties, the largest of which weighed two and one-half pounds.

The departure from this city last Friday, of Mr. Wm. Eilert, was a matter of much regret to his wide circle of friends and acquaintances in this city, but it was likewise the occasion of a very enjoyable event on the evening previous, at which time members of the “Pintail Grouse Club” with which Mr. Eilert has been identified, tendered him a farewell and banquet at the O’Neill House parlors. It was well arranged and a party affair, designed to perpetuate the memory of, and to show their esteem for, one whom his associates have ever held in high regard. In a nicely worded speech Mr. Havre Rickard presented him with a handsome group picture of the members of the club, to which the pleased recipient responded in a happy manner.

(Ernest Eilert had owned and operated the Neillsville Brewery from 1884 until 1898, restructuring the building and equipment during that time, enabling it to produce a fine quality beer. After leaving Neillsville, he went to Los Angeles, CA, where he built and established a large brewery that became a very successful and well-known business. DZ)

The Sawyer & Austin farm, eight miles north of Greenwood, has been sold to Edward Bowen of Columbus, Wis., for $13,500 cash. It has been a supply farm for the Sawyer & Austin logging camps of that section for many years, and contains 400 acres, 300 of which are cleared. It is stocked with ninety head of horned stock, sixty head of sheep and considerable other stock. Bowen will take possession of the farm on June 1st.

In the absence of Health Officer Dr. Conroy, who is in Chicago taking a special course in modern surgery, J.W. Tolford is acting as health officer, and has this week been suggesting to property owners the necessity of cleaning up the alleyways and side street about town. .

What the Schiltz beer is for Milwaukee, toward making it famous, is being duplicated with regard to Neillsville by Val Blatz lager, now on tap at the O’Neill House. The O’Neill House bar is the only sample room in town that handles the famous Milwaukee brews of beers.

(The hometown “Neillsville Brewery” delivered its product to area taverns and homes upon request, which apparently was sufficient for most of the local people. DZ)

The Wheaton livery business now occupies new quarters in the Holverson barn on Sixth Street, due to the removal of the Merchant’s Hotel barn this week.

The largest fish caught, thus far this season was landed by W.G. Klopf below Dells Dam, last week. It was a muskellunge that tipped the scales at fifteen pounds.

Arthur Peterson, of La Crosse, a baseball hurler of some repute in that section, will pitch for the Loyal city baseball team this season.

A couple acrobats and horizontal bar performers gave an exhibition on the vacant lot, corner of Fourth and Hewett streets, Monday evening, and succeeded in picking up about enough nickels and dimes to avoid the necessity of walking out of town.
•••••••••

E.D. Webster contemplates making extensive improvements on his residence property this summer. His house is to be remodeled and made into a thoroughly modern dwelling.

A study of the garbage situation in Neillsville was requested of the city council by the Kiwanis Club at its session last Monday evening. They were asked to investigate the possibility of arranging with specified farmers to gather in a systematic way, and to utilize it in feeding pigs.

The discussion developed the common view that a general garbage collection, without utilization of the garbage, would increase municipal expenses. But the garbage, if properly sorted, has value as hog feed, and in many localities is gathered regularly for that purpose.

The club also went on record as requesting the maintenance of the tennis courts at Schuster Park. Mr. Peters, superintendent of schools, voiced the necessity of giving Neillsville young people a chance for wholesome recreation, and he considered it in order that the courts, having been constructed, should be kept in condition.

Both of these matters are to be presented to the council by the club’s committee on public affairs, of which Victor Nehs is chairman.

The Kiwanis Club also discussed steps, which might be taken for the promotion of Boy Scout activity. Robert Schiller spoke for the improvement of the camp owned and developed for the local Scouts, rather than participation in a larger camp at a distance. He said that if the boys were given work and had an opportunity to help in improving the camp, the result would be quickened interest. Earl Ruedy, who was present, took the names of several men who would agree to furnish work for Scouts during the summer.

Eighteen years ago, J.F. Schuster gave to the people of Neillsville a wooded park as a memorial to his father, Herman. Today the donor is happy in the gift, satisfied of the use, which has been made of it and gratified that the park has turned out to be a useful monument. When the gift was made, the thought was that such a monument of use to the fellow citizens of Herman Schuster and to their children, would be more satisfying than an elaborate memorial in stone. The hope has been fully realized.

Schuster Park does for Neillsville and the surrounding country all that could be hoped for in a rural community. It provides shade, in which children play, and in which the grown-ups picnic and rest. Situated next to the golf course, the park combines with it to give a pleasant main entry to the town. Ever since 1927, Mr. Schuster has been a member of the park commission; today he is its chairman. His associated on the commission are George Zimmerman, A. L. Devos and Matt S. Scherer, all of whom have likewise served from the first. One member of the commission, J.W. Hommel, has passed on; his place has never been filled.

“The park has been kept in useful condition,” said Mr. Schuster. “It has been necessary to proceed with due regard to economy, but funds have been provided for what has been really needed. It is a pleasure to see the use to which the park has been put.”

Happy of the advantage, which has been taken of the park, Mr. Schuster is interested also in all projects for the improvement and beautification of Neillsville. He has been impressed with the possibilities of O’Neill Creek, which he considers as already having no little beauty.

“Probably the most conspicuous sight in Neillsville is that from the bridge over O’Neill Creek. Almost all of us go over it frequently; we like to look up the creek, where there are already some beautiful trees. It is not difficult to imagine what this scene could be if there were planting of more trees and shrubs, in accordance with a well devised plan.

“I should like to see a plan made for such a project, and to see it carried through, if the necessary cooperation can be secured.

The above photo shows the entrance into Schuster Park, from Division Street, as it appeared shortly after the park’s opening in 1927. During the later 1930s, masonry entrance walls were built by WPA workers to replace the wooden structure.

Del Johnson, Greenwood High School hurler, who stood the Neillsville Flyers on their collective ear two weeks ago, ran his strike-out string this year to 37 in two games, by downing 19 batters via the strike-out route Friday.

Johnson’s pitching played a large role in Greenwood’s 3 to 1 defeat of Medford at the Taylor County seat city. He allowed only four hits during the game.

The seventy-fifth anniversary of the Zion American Lutheran Church of Grant Township will be celebrated next month. Plans are being made for the celebration by the pastor, the Rev. John G. Buth, and the people of the church.

The Zion American Lutheran Church is one of the oldest church organizations in this part of Wisconsin; perhaps the very oldest. Its early edifice was of log construction. Its ministers roamed far afield, preaching at points as far distant as Black River Falls. From the old Zion Church have sprung various Lutheran churches in this section.

The deacons are Henry Winter, Ernest Junchen and August Hillert; trustees, Oscar Krause, Louis Winter and Theodore Beilke; school board, Walter Roder, Alvin Grassman and Carl Braatz; church treasurer, Henry Winter. Officers of the Ladies’ Aid are Mrs. Herman Braatz, president, Mrs. Arnold Winter, secretary, Mrs. Alvin Grassman, treasurer. Officers of the Luther league are Donald Braatz, president, Norman Braatz, treasurer and Alice Thiede, secretary.

The city council, meeting in special session last Friday night, voted to purchase a General Motors Corp.three-quarter ton truck from the Reinhard-Davis Co. of Neillsville for $65.

The purchase includes the trade-in of the old Dodge truck used by the street department for several years. The new truck will be painted red to conform with the color of the other city’s trucks now in use.

High on a Hill, in the Town of North Foster, overlooking one of the most desolate country-sides in the county stands an old weather-beaten house. Its windows long since have been removed or broken out. Floors are ripped up; and here and there, a small splotch of plaster still clings to the inner wall.

A few years ago, a family lived there, eking a frugal existence from the soil and from their few milk cows. Now they are gone.

It is a forlorn scene. Yet, it rounds out a view of four distinct eras through which 117,000 acres of Clark County land, on its eastern and southern reaches, have passed.

In succession, a person will see first, the period just a few years back when this land was covered by a majestic evergreen forest. Witness the small clump of evergreens still standing. Then came the lumberman’s axe and the years of forest fires, which all but leveled the land. A period of farming, in which the land was coaxed to produce corn or grain, soil that was never meant to produce such crops.

It was during this period that the house was built. At first it was rough-hewn log cabin. Later, siding was nailed the outside and an attempt was made to convert the house into a “home” by plastering the log walls inside.

But the land just couldn’t produce the kind of crops a farmer must grow to succeed. So, the farm passed from hand to hand, being kicked about as one after the other tried his luck and lost. During this time, the township and the county lost much money in tax delinquencies on this piece of land and every other like piece of land.

Then came the most, recent era that points to the now tilled ribbon-like furrows; the era of the land’s return to its original forest crop; for these furrows are a sign of forest plantations now being carried on in this desolate land by Clark County’s Forestry Department.

This era is the important one, now; for it means that today Clark County is looking forward toward the future, and its preparation to make the land productive.

Saturday will be “Poppy Day” in Neillsville and in thousands of other communities throughout the United States. Millions of poppies, replicas of the flowers which grew in wild profusion along the Flanders field front, will be worn in honor of the World War I dead.

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