Clark County, Wisconsin - Chapter 19: Historical Contributions, 1918 (part 1 of 2)

Northwestern Clark County, 1870-1887. Until the dawn of the seventies the northwestern part of the county was a wooded wilderness, inhabited by roving bands of Chippewa Indians, and infested by wild cats, wolves, deer, bears and other wild animals upon which the Red Men preyed. The rich forests of oak and pine within their borders were then unknown to speculators, and the resounding stroke of the woodsman's ax had not yet broken the primitive silence of the vast forests of stately pines, except as one or two sturdy pioneers pushing their way farther into the woody wilds, began the erection of their log cabins and commenced clearing a spot on which to raise a few of the necessaries of life. Such was the condition of affairs when, in the year 1870, James S. Boardman moved from Minnesota and located his family in a little log cabin in the present town of Withee on a forty-acre tract. Mr. Boardman here began the first clearing within the borders of the present towns of Thorp and Withee. The nearest neighbor was ten miles distant, living where Longwood is now located. In the winter time Mr. Boardman made shaved shingles with which he loaded his sled, or "jumper," and took them to Black River Falls, a distance of over fifty miles, where he disposed of the shingles, loaded up his sled with goods bought with the proceeds of his sale and started on his return home. It took nine days to make this trip with a yoke of cattle. The nearest postoffice was at Greenwood, which, in those days, consisted of but one or two buildings. During the year 1871 D. R. Goodwin and George W. Richards moved into the present town of Withee, and Michael McCaffrey began the erection of the first farm house within the limits of the present town of Thorp. Many were the hardships endured by the first inhabitants of these towns struggling to earn a living, while endeavoring to hew out homes for their families in the midst of these mighty hardwood forests. Without roads or so much as an Indian trail for a guide, they blazed a road as near to the section lines as possible, over which, on "jumpers," they moved their families and household goods. Without lumber or nails they built log houses with "puncheon"' floors and "scoop" roofs. Making shingles or working in some logging camp winter and clearing their farms in summer they toiled on, packing in on their backs their supplies and getting their mail at Greenwood and Chippewa Falls. In winter time the howling wolves made strange music around their cabins, and roving bands of Indians kept their wives and children in continual fear.

Boardman erected a log shanty on the southwest quarter of Section 30, Township 29, Range 3 West, and in October Ephraim A. Boardman moved his family into it. Three weeks later a cabin was completed for James S. and his family on a site which afterward became the Thorp village school grounds,

Here on their homesteads these two brothers began to clear new farms. Both had farmed on the Minnesota prairies before seeking a home amidst Wisconsin's northern woods. In the summer of 1873 there were several new settlers, including George and Nelson Courter, William Buyatt, Zeph Worden and William Jerard. In the fall of 1873 F. M. Fults, from Rochester, Minn., homesteaded the northwest quarter of Section 30, Township 29, Range 3 West, and commenced a clearing preparatory to erecting a log house, An old settler says: "Mr. Fults began three clearings. It happened in this wise, as Frank informed us confidentially. He boarded with E. A. Boardman at the time and walked one-half mile to his work, After chopping one forenoon he shouldered his ax and went to dinner. Returning after dinner he searched in vain for his "chopping," but it failed to materialize, although he sought it carefully. Frank admits that he was just fresh from the prairies and not very well versed in woodcraft, but scouts the idea that his half-day's attempt at clearing had not made a sufficiently large opening but it might have been found. After this had been repeated a second time, Frank concluded, on the forenoon of the second day, that when he went to his dinner he would blaze a trail from his chopping to Mr. Boardman's house. Mr. Fults had really no objection to clearing up two or even three farms as a mere matter of exercise, but the idea of getting lost in going a half mile was becoming monotonous to him. He says he afterwards found where two or three trees had been cut down, yet thought it couldn't possibly be one of his lost clearings as the trees looked more as though cut down by a porcupine or beaver than with an ax; but he swears by an oath stronger than the kick of an army musket that his bachelor neighbor, Nels Courter, stole his first clearing to use for a pattern to start his own clearing by." In the spring of 1873, Mabel Boardman, the first white child born within the borders of the present town of Thorp, was born to Mr. and Mrs. J. S Boardman. In 1874 a log schoolhouse was built, and in it that year school was taught by Almeda Edmunds, of Black River Falls, a sister of Mrs. C. C. Clark. She boarded at J. S. Boardman's, and during the winter of 1874-75 , after every heavy fall of snow the portly form of E. A. Boardman might have been seen, as with goad-stick in hand he drove his yoke of cattle to and fro between his brother's place and the schoolhouse, breaking a path for the school teacher.

An old settler tells an amusing tale of the arrival of Wesley Fults and Willis Boardman. "In coming here with their team, cutting the way through the woods, and making what progress they could, a certain night- fall found them making their stop near a huge log, blown over by the wind. The snow was a foot deep, but scraping a place beside the log they built a fire and lay down to sleep. In the night they were awakened by a sharp, piercing screech, followed by a deep guttural moaning. Supposing the cry to be from roving bands of wolves, both men sprang for their guns, in momentary expectation of an attack. After the noise was repeated, however, it was found to be made by owls of the largest kind, but not dangerous. The camp once more became calm and the men disposed to slumber. tater in the night, however, a deer, attracted, no doubt, by the fire, came nearer the camp than Mr. Fults thought was right, whereupon he shot at him. Mr. Boardman sprang up from a deep sleep, supposing they had been attacked by Indians. It is hardly necessary to add that the deer immediately followed the example set by Mr. Fults' rifle and went off. It so went - and, as Mr. Fults adds, so far as he knows apparently as unharmed as if he had not shot at it."

In 1874 or 1875 the postoffice of Winnieoka was established at the farm of B. J. Brown, four miles east of this place, with B. J. Brown as postmaster. Mr. Brown also added a small stock of goods which he sold to the settlers. Prior to this the settlers had packed supplies from Greenwood, a distance of twenty-three miles. In 1875, E. A. Boardman also put in a small stock of groceries and provisions, hauling them on a "jumper'' from Colby, a distance of twenty-seven miles, and kept store in his log house.

Jan. 21, 1876, the county board, by an order to take effect April 3, 1876, organized the town of Thorp, taking from the town of Hixon for this purpose Townships 28 and 29, of Range 4 West, and the western tier of sections from Townships 28 and 29, Range 3 West, making in all eightyfour sections. April 4, 1876, according to the order of organization, a town meeting was held at the schoolhouse in charge of E, A. Boardman, F. M. Fults, George W. Courter and James W. Courter, inspectors of election, and the following officers elected: E, A. Boardman, chairman; C. D. Richards and 8. 8. Warner, supervisors; J. S. Boardman, treasurer; George W. Courter, clerk; Christian Nelson, assessor; Reuben Worden, John Moore, J. W. Courter, William Jerard, constables; B. McCaffery, F. M. Fults and N. A. Courter, justices; Zeph. Worden, sealer of weights and measures.

At this election there were twenty-nine votes cast, and the following taxes were voted to be raised: For road purposes, $1,000; school fund, $25; poor fund, $300; incidental purposes, $300. On May 18 the town board levied an additional tax of $300 for bridge purposes, and on June 26 the board divided the town into two school districts, the four tiers of sections on the west to be known as School District No. 2, and the three tiers ot sections on the east to be known as School District No. 1, The remaining portion of Township 29, Range 3 West, was annexed to the town of Thorp, and School District No. 1 built the frame schoolhouse, which was purchased by the Baptists and enlarged into a neat church. The cost of this new school building was $1,600, $800 of which was paid to Joe Sterling for construction, the materials, which were the best quality, being hauled

In 1877 the following officers were elected for the town of Thorp, which then comprised three townships and six sections: FE. A. Boardman, chairman; William Jerard and William Wright, supervisors; J. S. Boardman, treasurer; James A. Douglas, clerk; Jesse McCann, assessor; William Jerard and Israel Clark, justices of the peace; Jesse McCann and Marcus Sievers, constables. The usual taxes were voted this year, ineluding $1,000 for road and $300 for bridge purposes. At the fall session of the county board Ephraim A. Boardman came to grief. Being somewhat indifferent about the affairs of the county in general he failed to attend the board meeting and sent William Jerard in his place. Joseph Gibson, then chairman of the town of Hixon, presented to the board a petition, asking that all of Township 29, Range 3 West, excepting the western tier of sections, be detached from the town of Thorp and reannexed to the town of Hixon. But when the motion was introduced and carried it provided that all of the Township 29, Range 3 West, including the western tier, should be made a part of Hixon. This took Mr. Boardman from the town of which he was chairman. Remonstrances were in vain, and an entire readjustment of town affairs was necessary. At the annual town meeting held at the log schoolhouse in the Wright district in the spring of 1878 there were forty-six votes polled, and the following officers elected: William Jerard, chairman; William Davis and John Moore, supervisors; M. McCaffery, treasurer; Jesse M. McCann, clerk; George W. Courter, assessor; Robert Fish, Lynus Moore, James W. Courter, justices; John Smart, Jake Lucken and Matthew Peterson, constables.

July 4, 1878, Louis Bruno and Nora Warner, a daughter of J. B. Warner, were married at the residence of J. 8. Boardman, by William Jerard, justice of the peace. It was also the first wedding and the guests joined in a celebration. J.S. Boardman, during this year, erected a frame dwelling house, but during the absence of Mr. and Mrs. Boardman at N. N. Burrington's, attending a '"vaising," the house was burned, together with all their household effects. Mr, and Mrs. Boardman staid at the house of Mr. Burrington the night after the "raising," but sent their hired man, who lived in a log shanty, home to do the chores. About 2 o'clock at night he was awakened by hearing the report of Mr. Boardman's gun, which was in the burning building, but dared not venture out lest perchance Indians were prowling around, intent on mischief. Through the chinks of his shanty, however, he soon discovered that his employer's house was in flames, but it was then too late to save anything from the burning building. Shortly after this, Mrs. Boardman returned to Minnesota with the children, while her husband set about building a new house to replace the one burned. Although left in the world without a change of clothing for either himself or family, Mr. Boardman was not discouraged, and soon had a log house erected, and finished for occupancy.

In the spring of 1879 the annual struggle for town offices furnished the usual excitement incident to backwoods life. The election resulted as follows: William Jerard, chairman; Zeph Worden and Jake Lucken, super- visors; M. McCaffery, treasurer; J. M. McCann, clerk; Pat Kearney, assessor; William Jerard, James W. Courter and H. V. Jerard, justices; Reuben Worden, J. B. Clark, J. E. Lucken and Orlando Starks, constables; George Baker, sealer of weights and measures. There were forty-three votes polled and the proceedings were also enlivened by the vote of Henry Lord being challenged and rejected on the grounds of his being a non-resident.

During the year 1879 several important events transpired that brought about great changes in these two towns of Thorp and Hixon. The St. Paul Eastern & Grand Trunk Railway Company submitted a proposition to the town to build a railroad from Chippewa Falls to a point on the range line between Townships 28 and 29, not more than one mile from the Eau Claire River in the town of Thorp, in consideration of which the town of Thorp was to issue its corporate bonds for $5,000, payable in five annual installments, with interest bearing coupons. The Wisconsin & Minnesota Railroad Company also submitted a like proposition to build from Abbotsford station. The latter proposition was accepted by the voters, but before bonds were issued an injunction was granted, restraining the town from issuing them, and the vote on the proposition declared to be illegal and void because some of the signatures to the same were obtained on Sunday. But despite all this, the railroad company determined to build the road.

In the spring of 1880, as the annual town meeting drew near, the settlers erased the names on the old "slate" and began to fill it up with new names. There were forty votes polled and the following ticket elected: William Wright, chairman; J. E. Lucken and John Smart, supervisors; J. M. McCann, treasurer; H. V. Jerard, clerk; Christian Nelson, assessor; Lynus Moore, J. McCann and H. V. Jerard, justices; N. R. Starks, John Moore and John Warner, constables; John Dewitt, sealer of weights.

In May of this year diphtheria made its appearance. The first to succumb was Charles Pfrimmer. J. 8. Boardman and wife lost four children, all of them lying dead in the house at one time. C. C. Clark and wife lost four children, three of whom were lying dead in the house at one time, and Ephraim Boardman and wife lost two children, making eleven in all. During these days Wesley Fults acted as nurse to the sick ones. There was now but one scholar, Eddie Fults, left in the school in District No. 1.

But brighter days were coming. Crews of surveyors were chaining out the right-of-way for the Wisconsin & Minnesota Railroad Company, and these were being followed in turn by the choppers and graders. In fact, with the advent of this railroad a new era was about to dawn on these backwoods homes. No longer did the settler's wives, when alone in the woods sing to frighten away the wolves, and no longer were the babies rocked in sap-troughs and put to bed in cribs made of dry goods boxes. During all this summer the railroad crews were busily at work clearing and grading the right-of-way and laying the track.

store of BE. A. Boardman, and the log home and boarding house of J. S. Boardman and the log home of George Leslie. In May, 1880, L. O. Garrison came from Centralia, Wis., and began the erection of his ample store building. In June, 1880, George Leslie drew the first load of goods for Mr. Garrison from Colby. This summer E. A. Boardman built a store building. There were the first two stores erected in Thorp, then called North Fork. C. F. Kelner, of Centralia, also built in the summer of 1880 a house just north of the track in which he kept a saloon, though he had no license. In November, 1880, the track having been completed from Abbotsford to this place, the first train was run through to Thorp, the name given this station by the railroad company on November 23, bringing the first consignment of freight to the Garrison Bros. by rail. On the first passenger train came James Connors with a crew of thirteen men and took charge of the section as foreman. Mr. Connors and his crew boarded with J.S. Boardman. Connors, with his crew, cut down twelve big trees in the woods where the depot now stands, a box car was side-tracked and J. R. Craig, the first agent, occupied it as a telegraph office and station until the station was built in January, 1881. In December, 1880, George Leslie bought out and ran the boarding house owned by J. S. Boardman. Nov. 10, 1880, the county board of supervisors organized the town of Withee, the order to take effect April 4, 1881, taking from the town of Hixon for this purpose, all of Township 29, Range 3, and all of Township 28, Range 3, except the western tier of sections which remained in Thorp. In February, 1881, while Mr. Leslie was absent at Eau Claire buying provisions, his boarding house burned down between 12 and 1 o'clock at night, the family, together with Mr. Connors and his crew, barely escaping with their lives, being compelled to make their way to John Smart's place, one mile west of town, bare-footed and half clad, through snow a foot deep.

In the spring of 1881 the first annual town meeting was held at the store of E. A. Boardman in the town of Withee. The following set of officers were elected: William Reseburg, chairman; Herman Thiel and John Marshall, supervisors; E. A. Boardman, treasurer; L. O. Garrison, clerk; D. Carpenter, assessor; J. A. Douglas, justice; F. M. Fults, constable. It was moved by J. J. Hayes, and seconded by James Shanks, that the board grant no liquor license that year, and the motion prevailed. The following taxes were voted to be raised: Road purposes, $1,000; incidental fund, $300; bridge purposes, $300. Of the $1,000 voted for road purposes, $500 was expended on the range line, south from Boardman's corner, and $500 on the state road running east from the town of Thorp.

In the winter of 1880-81 the name of North Fork postoffice was changed to Thorp, and in the early spring of 1881 J. S. Boardman built the "Boardman House." In the fall of 1881 E. A. and J. S. Boardman platted the village of East Thorp, the village plat of Thorp having been laid out a short time previously. On October 18, by a vote of thirty-nine for, and three against, the new town of Withee voted to borrow 55,000 of the state to build roads with. This money was to be laid out two miles east, three miles south and thence east from Boardman's Corners, as far as the same would extend or build. The $1,000 raised in the town of Withee Was expended by building 200 rods of turnpike south and 200 rods of turnpike east of Boardman's Corners, the contract being let to W. H. Mead for $2.50 per rod. In the summer of 1881 H. Holzhausen built a house in the village. In October, 1881, John McGrogan came to the village and took a contract of the railroad company to clear eighty acres of land where the depot now stands. This fall Charles H. Sheldon and Melvin Nye built the sawmill, later owned by Nye, Lusk & Hudson, the size originally being 40 by 60 feet, and Mr. Sheldon moved his family here at the same time. The mill firm was Sheldon & Nye. The railroad company also built this fall "Sheldon's side track." Peter Schroeder and "Mitch" Du Cate came in this fall also, from Minnesota, and built the saloon now owned by Mr. Schroeder, 32 by 32 feet in size at a cost of $2,000, and Mr. Schroeder moved into it with his family.

In August, 1881, J. H. Sargent came to Thorp, erected the Forest Queen Hotel, 24 by 40 and 18 by 40, with a kitchen 19 by 20 in size, and also put up the barn 36 by 40 in size in connection with the same; moved his family here the same fall and opened up his hotel to the public. Thus, at the close of the year 1881 the village of Thorp, not then six months old, contained the general stores of Boardman and Garrison Bros., Du Cate & Schroeder's saloon, J. H. Sargent's and J. S. Boardman's hotels, the sawmill of Sheldon & Nye, the station and present houses of George Leslie, John McGrogan and J. A. Douglas, a schoolhouse and a log blacksmith shop run by Herman Holzhausen. The year 1882 was to witness a greater influx of population then even the year previous.

In February, 1882, the office of town clerk for the town of Thorp became vacant by the removal to the town of Withee of N. N. Burrington, and on March 25 of the same year the town board, consisting of B. A. Burss, chairman; C, Nelson, J. S. Boardman, supervisors, appointed George Bradley in his stead.

Jan. 5, 1882, T. O. Mosher staked out a lot in the snow and began the erection of his hardware store in the village. February 13 his family moved here and four days later he opened up his stock, the first general hardware stock brought to Thorp. In March, 1882, E. B. Brown purchased a lot and began the erection of the hardware store, afterward sold by him to Mr. Mosher, in September, 1885. In April, 1882, E. P. Brown moved to the village from Augusta with his family, and was appointed postmaster to fill vacancy caused by E. A, Boardman's resignation.

At the town meeting held in the towns of Thorp and Withee the following officers were elected: Thorp - William Jerard, chairman; Patrick Kearney and Zeph Worden, supervisors; R. A. Burss, treasurer; George Bradley, clerk; Christian Nelson, assessor; George Leslie and H, V. Jerard, justices; John MecGrogan and R. Worden, constables. There were fifty

The following ticket was elected in the town of Whitee: William Reseburg, chairman; Herman Thiel and C. C, Clark, supervisors; R. M. Eddy, treasurer; L. O. Garrison, clerk; D. Carpenter, assessor; James A. Douglas, justice; C. W. Christian, constable. The town of Withee voted the following taxes: Road purposes, $1,000; bridge purposes, $300; incidental, $400.

In April, 1882, George Burke came to Thorp village from Green Lake County, Wis., and also John Roth from Withee, where he had been section foreman one year, to take charge of Section No. 4, of which he had been foreman ever since. In the fall, John Burke came with his family, and he and his son, George, purchased the Douglas House, and refitted it for a hotel. In the early spring of this same year C. F. Stone and his father, John F. Stone, came from Augusta, and bought out the store of E. A. Boardman, and put in a stock of general merchandise and drugs. Mr. Stone's family came in June of the same year. During this summer Charles Sheldon built his residence and moved his family into it in the fall.

This summer the town clerk of the town of Thorp, George Bradley, forged town orders to the amount of about $250, and absconded. He was afterwards captured, tried and sentenced to serve eighteen months at hard labor in Waupun - three days of each month in solitary confinement. To fill this vacancy, T. O. Mosher was appointed town clerk Sept. 9, 1882, by the town board,

In the spring of 1882 H. Holzhausen built a blacksmith shop in the village, and soon another one. In August, 1882, E. R. Wiley built his store, as did also George C, Howard. In the same month Allen Arnold came and built his village residence. About this time George Henshall erected his hotel, Victor Fellows his hotel, and J. C. Reich built and stocked the first furniture store in town. The New London Stave Company, of New London, Wis., erected a stave and heading mill,

On July 22, 1882, the town of Thorp, at a special town meeting called for that purpose at Wright schoolhouse, by a vote of 35 for to 7 against, voted to borrow $5,000 of the state for the purpose of building roads. Pat Kearney, T. O. Mosher and John Hanna were the inspectors, and George Bradley and John 8. Clark clerks of this meeting. Of this $5,000, $3,000 was expended in turnpiking not quite four miles of highway, commencing on the west from this village, just opposite where the schoolhouse later stood, and ending at the corner one-half mile east of Chairman William Jerard's place. The remaining $2,000 was expended on the road, between Thorp village and the Eau Claire county farm, commencing at the svuthwest corner of Section 18, Township 28, Range 3 West, and running north as far as the money would build.

At the town meeting held in the town of Thorp in April, 1883, the following were elected to fill the town offices: William Wright, chairman; John Melbinger and J. D. Breed, supervisors ; R. A. Burss, treasurer; T. O. Mosher, clerk; Christian Nelson, assessor; William Burss and George W-

Courter, justices; John B. Clark and Reuben Worden, constables. The poll list at this election was swelled to the number of eighty-five by the large number of newcomers of the year previous in the town and village.

Seven hundred dollars of the above $1,000 raised was expended on the road east from Boardman's Corners, towards the Sterling mill, and $300 on the range line north from Thorp village.

During this year the village and towns of Thorp and Withee received many new settlers, and Ephraim A. Boardman found that he must plat his first addition to the village of East Thorp. Sylvester Collins also platted Collins' addition, and Mrs. Seaman platted Seaman's addition to East Thorp, these additions lying, respectively, on the east, south and north of the original plat of the village. This year the First Baptist Church was organized with a membership of five by John F. and C. F. Stone and wives, and R. A. Burss, and the Union Sunday School was also organized with C. F, Stone superintendent. S, A. Abbott, of Eau Claire, supplied the pulpit, The Methodist Episcopal Church was also organized, the pulpit being occupied by Rev. Greer. Nye, Lusk & Hudson this year bought out the mill firm of Sheldon & Nye, and began to make many improvements on the mill property, J. H. Sargent, during this summer, built his dancing hall and saloon, 32 by 72, with 26 foot posts, and dwelling back, 32 by 24 in size. School District No. 1 of the towns of Thorp and Withee began the erection of a school building 60 by 60 feet in size, and containing four departments, costing, with fixtures complete, $5,000.

Thursday, May 10, 1883, No. 1 of Vol. 1 of the "Pioneer," was published at Thorp by W. A. McIntyre, editor and publisher. In July, Thorp was made a money order postoffice, and on July 7 money order No. 1 was issued by Postmaster Brown to C. F. Stone in favor of J. H. Putman & Co., of Minneapolis, for $25.38. In November, 1883, Shafer Bros. & Wagner, of Colby, purchased of L, O, Garrison the "Pioneer,"' which had suspended publication after running twelve weeks, added more and better type, and on Noy, 23, 1883, No. 1, Vol. 1, of the "Courier," a five-column quarto, made its appearance. It contained a very brief sketch of the town and its business men, also the notice of the marriage of Martin Groher and Julia Frazier, by Justice N. P. Peterson, of Colby, the wedding supper at the Forest Queen House and dance at Henshall's hall, together with a long list of wedding presents from friends and relatives of the bride and groom, as well as other items of local interest.

April 1, 1884, the electors of the towns of Thorp and Withee held their annual town meeting and elected the following sets of officers: For Thorp - William Wright, chairman; John Smart and C. Banderob, supervisors; R. A. Burss, treasurer; T. O. Mosher, clerk; Christian Nelson,

The total number of votes polled was 134. A motion was also made and carried "to restrain all swine and horned cattle, except horses, from running at large." Sylvester Collins was elected pound master. For the town of Withee the following officers were elected: C.C. Clark, chairman; William Reseburg and George Burke, supervisors; R. M. Eddy, treasurer; L. O. Garrison, clerk; William Maddux, assessor; N. N. Burrington and J. W. Abbott, justices; C. W. Christian and John Masten, constables.

"Resolved, That hogs be not allowed to run at large, and that horses and cattle be shut up at night," and J. Masten was elected pound master. Three hundred dollars was raised for incidental and $300 for road purposes, ''to be expended on roads already built."

James Connors this spring resigned his position as foreman of Section No. 5, which he had held ever since the railroad was built, and rented Du Cate & Schroeders' saloon in Thorp, which he continued to run until purchasing another saloon building in the spring of 1886. In 1884 the Catholic Church Society built its church. Eben Meritt built his flour and feed store. School District No. 2 of Thorp had its school money stolen. Another doctor and a lawyer came to town.

On the night of Feb. 4, 1885, Chairman William Wright was shot dead by his son, Robert, during a frenzy in which he threatened to kill his three daughters with an axe and revolver. On Feb, 14, 1885, appointed V. R. Mead, chairman, to fill the vacancy. As Mr. Mead could not hold the offices of deputy sheriff and chairman, he declined the appointment, and on March 13, 1885, the board appointed E. P. Brown, who accepted the same and qualified. At the annual town meeting this year the following officers were elected in the town of Thorp: Egbert Mead, chairman; John Smart and C. Banderob, supervisors; H. Banderob, treasurer; T. O. Mosher, clerk; Christian Nelson, assessor; William Jerard, William Wagner and D. T. Donahoe, justices; Ole Anderson, L. M. Cornwell and H, A. Ferguson, constables. At this election there was polled the largest vote ever before polled in the town of Thorp, there being 165 votes cast. At the town meeting in the town of Withee this year the following officers were elected: William Reseburg, chairman; W. P. Randall and George Burke, supervisors ; William E. Maddux, treasurer; W. R. McCutcheon, clerk; C. C. Clark, assessor; N. N. Burrington and George Burke, justices; N. Van Valkenburg and E Zunke, constables. An incidental fund of $350 was voted. A motion to raise $1,000 road tax was lost, and a mill tax of seven mills on the dollar voted instead. The town of Thorp voted the usual tax for roads and bridges, and also voted a tax of $100 to build a road to Eidsvold cemetery, and also $100 to build a road to East Thorp cemetery in the town of Withee.

During this summer Nye, Lusk & Hudson built a large general store in Thorp, 28 by 80 feet, and a warehouse adjoining, 18 by 80 feet, at a cost of $3,000. In December, 1885, the Baptist Church was dedicated by Rev. D. Halteman, Delavan; W. A. McKillop, Eau Claire; J. Catchpole, Black River Falls; C. F. Rowe, Waupaca; M. Martin, Chippewa Falls; S. B, Ran- dall, Augusta, and N. L. Sweet, of Spencer. The church complete cost about $2,000. Rey. W. A. McKillop, of Eau Claire, donated the church an organ. The dedication ceremonies were preceded by the ordination of S. A. Abbott.

This year Michael Mertens, of Calumet County, purchased the store and stock of furniture of J. C. Reich, and the following year removed the same to his present stand on Washington Street. In the spring of 1886 were elected as officers of the town of Thorp: Egbert Mead, chairman; August Soderburg and Claus Banderob, supervisors; H. Banderob, treasurer; H. Holzhausen, clerk; Gustavus Schmidt, assessor; George B. Parkhill, Elisha Lanphear and W. F. Mason, justices; N. A. Courter, Ole Anderson and L. M. Cornwell, justices; William Gilloran, poundmaster. At the election there were 156 votes polled, and the usual taxes were voted to be raised for lawyer's fees, incidental fund and bridge purposes. In the town of Withee this spring the following officers were elected: J. J. Hayes, chairman; B. J. Brown and W, P. Randall, supervisors; William BE, Maddux, treasurer; Thomas Dunn, assessor; H. J. Fessenden and George Burke, justices; D, P. Elmendorf and Peter Biddle, constables. The sum of $368.83,, balance in the town treasury, was voted to be expended in the different road districts, according to valuation, and the board was authorized to levy a highway tax of seven mills on the dollar.

Among the many improvements in the village to be noted this year were the hoop factory of N. P. Nye, the cigar factory of N. E. Wagner, the drug store of C. H. Sheldon, Garrison Bros.' Exchange Bank, real estate and insurance office, the "Pioneer Hotel," by Luke McGuire, the boot and shoe store and shop of Louis Johnson, the portable sawmill of Adams, Howard & Mosher and the lease of a ten-acre site by the York Iron Company, preparatory to the erection this coming spring of twelve iron constructed coal kilns.

The inhabitants also endeavored to incorporate this year and took all the preliminary steps for that purpose. Judge Newman referred the matter to Col. C. C, Pope, of Black River Falls, who reported favorably, with the exception of making a change of territory. At a special election held at Sargent's hall on June 5, 1886, to decide the matter, some of the citizens who had hitherto favored the incorporation, but who had since changed their minds, worked strongly against it, aided by Leroy Graves, of Fond du Lac, owner of a meadow north of the depot, and the proposition was defeated by a vote of 79 nays to 38 ayes. This year Maddux & Sanders erected their meat market. E. A. Boardman began the erection of a store building north of his blacksmith shop, and two fine bells were put in the belfries of the village school and Baptist Church building. In December, 1884, Shafer Bros. withdrew from the proprietorship of the "Courier," and Mr. Wagner became sole editor and publisher. Jan. 1, 1886, William Wagner, who had been appointed postmaster by Postmaster General Vilas, took possession of the Thorp postoffice and made several very desirable improvements, including the putting in of a new set of call boxes and lock boxes.

Clark County. Where in 1880 stood the clearing of Epraim A. and James S. Boardman, is now seen the hamlet of Thorp, containing a population of seven or eight hundred people; an exchange bank, three general stores, one of which carries an average of over $13,000 worth of stock; four hotels, two meat markets, two hardware stores, one drug store, two blacksmith shops, one wagon maker's shop, one harness shop, one cigar factory, a flat-hoop factory, a stave and heading factory, one shoe shop, a fine graded school building with four departments, Catholic Church and Baptist Church, one barber shop, coal kilns in process of erection, a beer depot and warehouse, a livery stable and bus line, a large ice house of sufficient capacity to supply the whole village, seven saloons, a newspaper and job printing office, and two sawmills in operation, one of which Nye, Lusk & Hudson's last year, manufactured 5,000,000 feet of lumber, 3,500,000 shingles and 5,000,000 lath and pickets. This company now has over 5,000,000 feet of logs in their yard, and will probably reach 6,000,000 feet before the spring "break up." The town of Thorp contains within its borders the Eau Claire County's farm, which is the largest farm in Clark County, there being 650 acres clear of stumps, eighty acres more chopped, worth, with improvements, $41,100. Surrounded by a rich farming country of the finest hardwood lands in Clark County, the prospects of Thorp for the future are exceedingly bright. (From the Thorp Courier.)

BE. A. Beeckler came to Clark County in 1879. He was born in Westminster, Canada, in 1854, and at the age of six weeks was brought to Sheboygan County, this state, where he was reared. As a young man he worked in the woods of this state, and of Montana, and for a time had a homestead in Canada, at the headwaters of the Assiniboine River. Upon coming to Clark County he located on a piece of timberland in the town of Lynn, and for five years taught during the school terms, while devoting his spare time to clearing his land. His first school was in one of the first frame schoolhouse erected in the county. Mr. Beeckler says: "When I first came to Clark County I drove from Neillsville to Lynn Township. Nelson Marsh had started Mapleworks some years before, opening his large frame house for the accommodation of travelers. I found the hamlet a busy little place on the Marshfield-Neillsville stage line, with a store, a saloon, a blacksmith shop and a postoffice. At that time, and until the railroad came through, the village of Granton supplanted the hamlet of Mapleworks, all supplies were brought from Neillsville. Still earlier, supplies were brought from faraway Sparta.

"William T, Price conducted extensive logging operations in Lynn, Fremont and Grant townships, cutting about a 1,000,000 feet a season, and floating the logs down O'Neill Creek, During the cutting season I was camp cook, and during the run I worked at skidding and on the drive. Many a cold ducking did I get in the icy river.

"Farmers in those days raised but little, except hay and feed, which they sold to the logging camps, in which they themselves worked during the logging season. We had many good times going to spelling school and dances. The famous fiddlers in our vicinity were Nelson Marsh and William ('Fiddler Bill') Yorkston.

Horace J. Blanchard says: "I was born in Quebec, Canada, close to the Vermont state line, in 1838, to Daniel and Hannah Blanchard. I lived at home until 1863, and then started for Wisconsin. I came by train to Berlin, then, in 1864, by stage to Steven's Point. During the time from 1864 to 1872, I worked in the woods for Mr. McMillan, chopping in winter and running rafts down the Wisconsin and Mississippi River to St. Louis in the spring. When I came to Colby there was a little grocery store run by George W. Ghoca and two or three other little shanks. I was engaged in logging that winter, and for several years bought lumber. This country was all timber with no roads. We had to go through the woods and blaze the trail so we could find our way from one place to another, but soon after roads were cut through. Homesteaders sold the timber and got their supplies, which they had to carry on their backs. The usual method of traveling was with an ox team. After the first year we had plenty of dances and general good times. Everyone was sociable and acted more like brothers than they do now, and getting out to dances in those days was easy. When I first came here the railroad was built about a mile south of town. At that time all mail was addressed to Section 51. There was no town. Engines used to burn wood, instead of coal as they do now."

E. L. Wicker contributes the following reminiscences of the early history of Colby: "My parents, James D. and Adelaide Wicker, were both born in the State of New York, and went to Iowa in 1871, coming from there to Marathon County, Wis., in 1873, when I was three years old. They settled two and a half miles from what is now the city of Colby. Father walked from Steven's Point, following the trail through the forests as blazed on the trees. At that time there was nothing but heavy timber where Colby now stands. The land was owned by Mr. Coleman and the Wisconsin Central Railroad. In 1873 there was a sawmill, and the Commercial Hotel, built by George W. Ghoca, who put up the first building in the town, which was used for a hardware store. There was also a log shanty used as a trading post. Bune Bros, & Patterson built and operated the first real store, which was located on the Marathon County side. The town was started in 1872 and 1873, to supply the logging men, but settlers commenced to come in and the village began to grow. The town was first platted on the Marathon County side. The first postofiice was located at the old sawmill, which was owned by Ira Graves. The railroad was built in 1872-73. Pine lumbering continued until about 1889. Then came the hemlock and hardwood period. In 1875, E. Decker & Co. built a sawmill two and a half miles from the town. In 1877, A. Lamont bought the Decker mill and operated it until the late eighties."

John Welsh, in his early recollections of Colby, says: "I came to Clark County in 1870, and was one of the first settlers in Section 26, Hoard Township. There was no railroad, and I came by team from Necedah, Juneau County, Wis. I was all through this country logging, and while working in the timber located my farm. I drove ox teams and first brought supplies from Necedah, and later from Neillsville. I hauled sup- plies for the railroad contractor, F itzgerald, from Neillsville, and on that trip I used four oxen. It used to take me four days with oxen to make a trip to Spencer and back. While in Neillsville I stopped at the old O'Neill house, run by James O'Neill, There was nothing in Colby at that time. The first store was built after I came by George Ghoea. I used to carry groceries from here to my farm five miles northwest, to what was known as Welsh's Corner, named after me. I cleared my land and lived on the farm for forty-three years. I also helped to clear the right-of-way for the Wisconsin Central Railroad, which reached Colby about 1873. There were no settlers or town at that time. In August, 1917, I sold the farm, which was in a good state of cultivation, and moved to Colby."

Alfred D. Hunt, in giving his reminiscences, Says: "I came with my parents from Lodi, N. Y., to Dorchester, Wis., in 1874. At that time, two miles north from where the village now is, there was a section house on the railroad. The village of Dorchester was started in 1874 on land owned by the Wisconsin Central Railroad Company. The first residence building was log shanty on the homestead of Louis Robbins. My father helped him to build it. The first store was built by Dan Miltimore, and was run by him on a small scale. He also had the postoffice and was depot agent in 1874. The first sawmill was the Evans mill, and the second, the Sands mill, which stood where the present mill now stands. There was not a foot of road, nothing but heavy timber, and our supplies came in by the railroad. My parents came first to Colby and from there to Dorchester by ox team and jumper, following the railroad tote road. Father worked for the railroad company and bought wood and ties for them for several years. The village, or town, was started for the purpose of supplying the lumber camp and did not amount to much until about twenty years ago. A good many settlers came in, but they all had to work in the woods during the winter in order to live. The country was very wild and all kinds of game were plentiful, and father used to shoot deer from the door of his house. The first hotel was built the year we came here by S. Hugaboom, an Oshkosh man. Flour was $10 a barrel, and boots $10 a pair. Some people used to bring flour and other supplies from Colby on their backs. I went to school in the jog schoolhouse taught by Miss Cox. I attended there until the second schoolhouse was built, about 1880. This was used until the new building was erected. A big cyclone passed two miles north of the village after it was started. In 1905 a cyclone passed through this section from Curtiss and did considerable damage. It killed some people and stock in Curtiss, destroying the Curtiss church and many barns."

Mrs. August Homsted, in narrating her early experiences, says: "I was born in Ohio, in 1860, and came to Wisconsin with my sister to Steven's Point. The railroad at that time was six miles from that place. We drove from Steven's Point to G. W. Holtan's farm. I stayed with him - my brother-in-law - and took care of the children. I spent a good deal of my time at Neillsville and used to walk from the farm to Loyal in one day. There was no wagon road and I used to follow the cow trail through the woods. The trail was blazed and a part of the way cut. I stayed on the farm and at Neillsville until 1879, when I was married at Colby. I ran the

Colby Hotel for a short time, then went to Unity and ran the old Forest House for a couple of years, then came to Dorchester. My husband was a druggist, and after coming to Dorchester opened a drug store in a small building which we rented. We built the building where our store now is. The first postoffice was located in Miltimore's store, Bradley G. Miltimore being the first postmaster, serving for awhile under Cleveland's first administration. Henry La Bossier was appointed and served until Harrison was elected president. My husband, August Homsted, was appointed and served four years under Cleveland's second administration. Peter Shafer was appointed and served until his death in 1910. During the early seventies all supplies were brought in by team, except that some men carried them on their backs. When we first came to Dorchester the buildings were small frame structures. In 1888 fire visited the town and burned all the places of business, except one store and a building which stood where the Block Hotel now stands. In 1897 a second fire occurred. It started just beyond where the Smith Hotel now stands, and burned the entire block to the corner."

Andrew Sorenson, who was born in Denmark, and came to the United States in 1877, says: "I first went to Stone Bank, Wis., and from there to Dorchester in the fall of 1877. My father bought a farm one and a half miles from town, all timber. There were six of us boys, and we all helped father to cut the timber and clear the place. The timber was all hardwood and hemlock, which we burned to get it out of the way. I worked at logging in the winter and in sawmills in summer to help support the family. At that time there was but one store in Dorchester. A Mr. Benson later opened another store and furnished supplies for the settlers. We used to carry ours home on our backs. We cut logs and built a log house of one room, plastered with mud. There was one sawmill and four or five logging camps. We used to play hotassy and shuffle the shoe. The schoolhouse was used for the first church meetings, and all other meetings. Old Elder Patch used to come from Steven's Point and preach and occasionally old Mr. Dix came here and held meetings. I used to work in the mill twelve hours a day for $1.25; paid $9 a barrel for flour, $22 a barrel for pork, and 10 cents a box for matches. There were no roads at that time, but soon after they were cut through for five miles. We built our own beds out of pine boards, and mother pulled hay and filled the mattresses. We made our own chairs and benches; also a table out of pine boards, All was homemade except the stove, which was brought from Oconomowoc."

Felix Douphner, in recalling early days in Withee and the vicinity, says: "I was born in the Province of Quebec, Canada, in 1844. In 1865, when 21 years old, I went to Louisiana, then up the Mississippi River from New Orleans to St. Paul, Minn. I then walked from St. Paul to Stillwater, Minn., and engaged in rafting logs down the St. Croix to La Crosse, being thus occupied the first summer. The next winter I went into the woods chopping. In all I spent twenty-one winters chopping pine timber from Stillwater to Black River Falls, and La Crosse and Clark County. I came to Clark County in 1866, and logged on Black River, Wedge's Creek and Popple River. In 1874 I came to Hixon Township, then composed of four of the present towns, and settled a mile and a half west of where the village of Withee now is, in the timber. I cleared a part of the land, and had at that time four neighbors - John Gibbs, Frank Sturgeon, Charlie Johns and Joe Hibbard, I cut the pine on the land where Withee now stands, for D. J. Spaulding, and after the railroad came I assisted W. S. Tufts in clearing the stumps off of what is now the townsite of Withee. The first building was erected by Jim Chandler and was used as a saloon. E. A. Eaton put up the second building and started a small store, which he afterwards sold to W. 8S, Tufts. The next building was a saloon. Hamilton Brothers built the first hotel soon after the arrival of the railroad in 1880. We used to get our supplies from Hemlock, which were toted in during the winter on sleds from Black River Falls. In the summer time we used to go to Hemlock by boat and bring them in. The first mail was brought in by stage from Greenwood, after the roads were opened through the woods. When I first came here I stayed one year with my family, then rented a farm in Jackson County, and farmed there three summers, and in the winter worked at clearing my farm here. I remember I had two nice hogs, and one day a large, black bear came along and decided he wanted the boar hog, which weighed over 200 pounds. The hogs both put up a hard fight, but the bear carried off the hog. I learned to fiddle when I was young, and after coming here in the early days I used to fiddle for dances held in the logging camps. After the first schoolhouse was built we used to dance there, people coming in from the surrounding country with ox teams. There was an Irishman with us on the drive one time and one day an Indian squaw died and was buried with a red blanket, which the Irishman took a fancy to, and he stole it. The Indian found it out and went after him, but the Irishman managed to escape. There were many rough men here in the early days. I made a good living, but had to work hard for it. In 1896 I came to the village to live and started a hotel, which I am still running."

Mrs. Amanda Smith, who came to Clark County in 1878, says: "I was born in Rutland County, Vt., in 1838. My mother died when I was 3 years old. When I was 12 years of age I came to Manitowoc County, Wis., with my uncle. At the age of 15 I was married, and subsequently reared a family of eight children, all born in Manitowoc. In 1878 we came to Clark County, traveling by rail to Hatfield, then by team and wagon to a settlement called Christie. We passed through Neillsville, which at that time was a small village. There were some farms cleared, but most of the land was covered with timber. From Christie we moved to Greenwood and lived there one year, then went to Longwood. Here we built a house, which was all open. We could see stars through the roof at night. We had no stairs and had to climb a ladder to get to the second story. We soon started to repair and improve the building, and when completed we opened the house as a hotel. For a time our guests were obliged to sleep on straw spread on the floors. We finally enlarged the building and used to keep the logging crews. Just as we had gotten the house all fixed up and paid for, it caught fire and burned down. We then moved over the Longwood store, starting another hotel, and soon had a fine trade, but immediately started a new building, and soon had it ready to move into. We lived at Longwood, keeping hotel all the time, until 1900, when we came to Withee. The town has grown about two-thirds since we came here."

Early Days in Unity. Ed. Creed, writing in the Marathon County Register, issue of April 10 and 17, 1914, says: "In 1871 F. H. Darling and I started out from Amherst to explore this country, without blankets and with an old shotgun and about forty cents' worth of crackers and cheese. That was our bill of fare for six or eight days. The first day we got as far as Steven's Point. I remarked to Mr, Darling, 'I think we had better go to the land office and get some plats of this territory about here.' So we got plats of Towns 26, 27, 28 and 29, Range 2 Kast. In looking over the plats I noticed that there was plenty of land in Towns 28 and 29 vacant and subject to homestead entry, but scarcely any in Towns 26 and 27, except a few fractions on the west side of the towns. I asked Mr. Eaton, the register, how this was. He said he could tell me that very quick; that he had been register of the land office a number of years before; that in 1855 and 1856 there was a great rush for land in northern Wisconsin, and that Towns 28 and 29 were not on the market then, they had not been surveyed, and that Towns 26 and 27 had nearly all been bought by speculators. The Cornell company had made their selections, and that the Fox River Improvement Company had taken the best around Marshfield. Mr. Eaton told us that an eastern company had sent to him a bundle of land warrants to locate for them anywhere where there was_any government land. So he located them here in Town 27, as he thought that that would be out of the way of everybody. The railroad was not thought of then. This is the reason why Colby and the vicinity got the start of Unity in population.

"Well, Mr. Darling and I started out from the Point up the line to look for a location. We wandered around until we came to where the little Eau Pleine crossed the railroad line. Here were some vacant fractions. We looked them over and liked the location. There was the creek, a good place for a dam and pond. I thought there would be something doing here some day, so [ took the south fraction and Darling the next two. Then we went over in Town 28 and located Oliver Yerks on 160 acres across the road from where La Mont mill used to be; then a mile north we secured 160 acres for Bill Wicker, and a few other pieces for others, and then went back home. This was the time that Chicago and Peshtigo were burning up, and the fires were running in the woods here some. We had to dog around a bit to get away from the smoke.

'In January next, Bill Wicker and I came up with a yoke of cattle and built my log house. We camped down by the creek; there was a stack of hay some one had put up that came in handy for our oxen, besides a bed for ourselves. We intended to build one for Wicker also, but the snow was so deep we concluded to wait till spring. It took us six or eight days to build mine; then we went back home. I made a number of trips that winter, hauling up lumber and supplies to live, and on the first of April I moved there bag and baggage, with three horses and three cows. The next day Fitzgerald came along. He had the contract to do the grading from Spencer to Colby, and asked me to board a crew of his men, As he would furnish the supplies we concluded to take the men, and so I built an addition to my cabin for a dining-room. In a few days the crew came and went to work, so we had plenty of company and lots of work. After awhile my feed for the horses and cows got low, so I turned them out to browse; they would come up nights to get their feed. One night they failed to come home, all except a pony mare, my wife called her. I hunted for them off and on for a week but could not find them. One of the horses I never found; the other the Indians found for me near Marshfield. The cows I found next winter at Grand Rapids. We had quite a job to keep track of our two boys, Charley, four years, and Will, two years. They would stray off in the woods picking flowers. One day I thought we had lost them sure. We called to them but could hear no sound. After hunting some time I found them in a hollow stump of a tree where they had crawled and couldn't get out. We were afraid they would run onto a porcupine, as they were quite thick about here then; they used to come around the house nights and gnaw the pork barrels to get salt. I fre quently had to get up in the night and slaughter two or three. One morning my wife and the hired girl got up to get breakfast for the crew. They opened the dining-room door and found one old "porky" on the dining table among the dishes. I was called on to dispatch him. There was trouble in the camp that morning, every dish had to be washed. I told the women folks to just wipe them off a little, for that old "porky" was cleaner than some of her boarders; but no, every dish had to be washed, so breakfast was a little late that morning.

"I kept on boarding the railroad men that summer and winter. The next spring Fitzgerald began to get discouraged: he was losing money. He was an old railroad builder, too, who had built roads on the Union Pacific and got rich at it, but when he got up here among these pines it was a different proposition. He got two men by the name of Alexander and Seymour to take his job off his hands, but they did not last. By this time the road was graded and the iron laid as far up as Flink's Corners, half a mile south of here. The train - an engine, box car and caboose - used to come up from the Point every morning and go back in the afternoon. There was a short siding there where they would run in and unload what they brought up. Then there was dissatisfaction among the men that were doing the grading - could not get their pay, so the men struck and would not let the work go on. They even felled a big pine tree across the track that morning. The train came up as usual and switched in on their little siding. The strikers thought they would capture the train and hold it there, but they missed their calculations. The conductor was a big six-foot man and just ended two or three of the hoboes' heels upward and motioned to his engineer to go ahead. He got his train out and went back to the Point. After that they didn't come up any further than Spencer for some time.

"Previous to that my wife went down to Plover on a visit. When she started to come home she had not heard of the strike, and when she got to Spencer there she was, six miles from home and no way to get there except by Foot & Walker's line. But as luck would have it, a man came along with an ox team and wagon and gave her a ride home. He was going to Colby, A few days after this the men got their pay and the work went on.

"By this time Spaulding came on and commenced to build his sawmill, and there got to be quite a settlement here. Now we must have a town organization, so I was commissioned to go to Wausau with a petition for a new town. I started off on horseback through the woods one morning. When I got to the Big Eau Pleine River, about a mile south of Cherokee, where they used to ford the stream, the river was banks full, as there had been a heavy rain a day or two before. I was up against it now, but I had crossed worse places than that before, so I got my little mare down to the water's edge and headed her for the other shore. She had not gone many steps before she had to swim; but she was game; she breasted the breakers and got across. I got my legs pretty wet up as far as they went, but the weather was warm and they soon dried off.

"T got to Wausau the next day. I did not accomplish anything then, as Colby was ahead of me, and a town set off - Townships 26, 27, 28 and 29: they called it the town of Hull. That did not satisfy us, but it had to go that year. I went again the next spring and petitioned then for four townships - 26 and 27, Ranges 2 and 3. The board was in session. When the petition was read John Week from the town of Bergen, and Kronenwetter from Mosinee, jumped up and said they didn't propose to have their towns cut up in that shape; we had one town already and that was enough for our little mushroom settlements. At the same time their towns ran from the Wisconsin River clear across the county - as the Frenchman says, it was forty miles wide and six miles long, A nice little strip to collect taxes from, but it didn't stay that way very long. The Northwestern was building from Wausau to Marshfield, villages were springing up and they all wanted a town, so now Mr. Bergen and Mr. Kronenwetter had to be satisfied with their little towns like the rest of us.

"Well, we had a town and a railroad, but no wagon road, only trails cut through the woods. I used to feel sorry for old Doc Stewart. He was the only doctor there was this side of Steven's Point. Many times I have seen him traveling through the woods walking on a pole to get over the water-holes, going four or five miles to see a sick person . Sometimes he would get his pay, sometimes not; but if they had a couple of pipefuls of smoking tobacco, he was willing to wait until they could get it for him.

"We had to go to work making corduroy roads, but they were better than no roads at all, and there were miles of that kind of road made in Clark County, but they cost three times as much as a good turnpike should cost. Then we didn't know how to make a turnpike, any more than Fitzgerald knew how to build a railroad through those pine woods. We had no dynamite - I don't think it was made then. The first turnpike that was made was from Flink's Corner south a mile and a half, that was let for $3 per rod. We had a sawdust road through the village after the sawmill was built. Joe Greenwood has built miles of turnpike for a dollar a rod, and sometimes less; but Uncle Joe had a way of getting rid of the stumps quicker than some of us. If they weren't too large he cut them off close to the ground, then covered them up with dirt; that was the easiest way to get rid of stumps, and it would work - sometimes.

"Either Cook or Salter was always the head of the town board. At the spring election it would be Cook against Salter, the next year Salter vs. Cook, year after year; but I think the deacon had a little the leverage, as he would furnish the most lager and bologna, and that cut quite a figure at spring election. Well, no matter, they were both good men for the job and our taxes were not near as high then as now by about 300 per cent."

Writing Feb. 4, 1896, Mr. Creed said: "I moved here in the winter of 1871 from Amherst, Wis. There were no houses along the line then north of Spencer, to my knowledge. The railroad was only completed then as far as Waupaca, but the Phillips & Colby Construction Company had cut a 'tote' road along the line to about where Lamont's mill now is. A sub-contractor named Fitzgerald, had taken a job to grade ten miles from Spencer, then called Section 40, to Colby, called Section 50, and began work in the spring. i boarded a crew of his men and also kept. travelers over night, sometimes as many as three in the bed and one at the foot. Some had money and some had not. Provisions became scarce toward summer, it being next to impossible to get anything here on account of the wet spring, which had made the mud in the tote road over knee-deep to a horse.

"Fitzgerald's headquarters was then four miles north of here, about where Booth & Salter's mill stands now, and it took me all day to go there and back and bring four or five hundred pounds of supplies. People who complain of the roads now ought to have seen what we called roads in those days. Just before the beginning of the winter of 1872-73 Fitzgerald gave up his job and the Phillips & Colby Construction Company had to finish it themselves. About the same time Ira S. Graves and N. J. White built a sawmill on Dill Creek, a little south of where Booth & Salter's mill now stands. There were four or five settlers west of here who had located a year or two before, coming here from near Neillsville. In the fall of 1873 D. L. Spaulding built a sawmill here and that winter put in a stock of logs. This station of the railroad was then called Brighton and Spencer was called Waltham.

"When a post office was asked for at this place the name of Brighton was sent in to the post office department as the name selected for the new office, but as there was already an office of that name in the state, we tried again and sent in the name Maple Grove, only to be informed that there was also an office of that name already in the state. Some now wanted that name and some another, and before we could come to an agreement the department took the matter into their own hands and gave the new office the name of Unity. The officials at Washington evidently were a "unit" on that name, if the citizens of this place were not, and I was named as the first postmaster. There was some kicking because I was a Democrat, and in order to bring about peace in our little family of pioneers, I refused to accept the office and John Sterling was appointed.

He had just started a general store in a little log building that stood about where the Odd Fellow hall now stands and ran it about a year, when he sold out to S. A. Cook.

"Our town was organized in 1875, and 'thereby hangs a tale,' also. In the fall of 1872 the county board was petitioned to create two new towns - the towns of Hull and Brighton. 'Hull's' petition was granted, but for some reason or other ours was pigeon-holed, and not acted upon, and we were left a part of the town of Moninee, which was then six miles wide and forty miles long, a nice small town, At that time there was a nice bunch of money coming from the 'drainage fund' to the several towns and, I think, in 1873, the town of Hull received $2,000 from this fund with which to build roads. The next year our Wausau friends got their heads together and in the fall of 1874 attached Townships 26, 27 and 29 of Range 2 East, to the town of Hull, as there were getting to be too many towns in the western part of the county, and it was dividing the drainage fund too much, and Wausau must have the lion's share. In 1875 our second petition was granted and Townships 26 and 27, Range 2 East, were set off as the town of Brighton. We elected J. H. Cook first chairman; Frank Whipple, clerk; $. A. Cook, treasurer, and myself as assessor. Two years later the town was divided and the town of Spencer formed of Township 26, Ranges 1 and 2. We had great expectations then, but many of us have been sorely disappointed.

"Speaking of hard times now, I want to say that I do not consider that we are 'in it? with the winter of 1877-78, when I hauled pine logs that would go four to the thousand, three and a half miles to the Eau Pleine River and banked them and sold them to McMillan Brothers for $3.50 per M. We got ten and twelve pounds of sugar for a dollar and other supplies in proportion. Mr. A. Lamont bought 100 tons of timothy hay that winter for $5 per ton."

Alfred Cook, in speaking of the early days, says: "I was born in Lloydtown, Canada, and when four years of age came to Fond du Lac County, Wis., with my parents, William and Jane (McGarvin) Cook, From there they moved to Calumet County and engaged in farming. I stayed on the farm until I was 9 years old. My mother was lost on the 'Lady Elgin' and my father died when I was 11 years of age. I worked on farms and in 1870 came to Black River Falls, There I met Mr, McGilvary and eame with him to Unity and helped to build the mill for D. J. Spaulding. We cut our way through the timber from Loyal to what is now known as Spencer. We had four four-horse teams and carried all supplies for the camp. We erected the mill and cut the timber to cover it. From that time they logged and sawed for twenty years. After the mill got running I went to work setting the carriage, and was thus employed for three years. I was deputy sherifi on the line for seventeen or eighteen years, aud during that time many tough men were in the woods, and I chased them from one camp to another before I got them."

Cook's First Deer. Of Mr. Cook's early experiences, the Marathon County Register of Jan. 30, 1914, says: "In the winter of 1870 Cook, with forty-five others, was engaged in denuding the virgin forests of their white pine, he signing on as a driver of a four-ox team. In those days it required a man of considerable vocabulary to drive a single-ox team, and only artists were selected to draw a good stick over four of the ornery beasts, who, when excited, could put a blush of shame upon any mule team for pure cussedness. As we said, Cook was driving a four-ox team, making two trips daily for logs and four trips to the shanties for grub. It was on the last log trip for the day that he saw his first buck, a great big fellow with lordly antlers, who contested the right of way with his team and threw a scare into him that made his hand tremble and his knees knock, but he was game and put up a bluff. Throwing up his arms and making the welkin ring with a lusty shout, he startled Mr. Buck, who gave a mighty leap, landing in the deep snow about four feet from the road, and at the same time the oxen bolted down the road toward the landing. As the second team went past, Cook grasped the trusty bow of the neck yoke and with terrific speed kept pace with the frightened animals until the heavy load brought them to a standstill about twenty rods past the buck. When Cook got in he took his team immediately to the barn and had Jsaac Drake put them up for him, borrowed Drake's Zulu shotgun and started after the buck. He found him a few rods from where he jumped from the road, threw the gun to his shoulder, but before pulling the trigger glanced along his backward path to see that his get-away was unobstructed, and finding everything all right, pulled the trigger, and, 'boys,' says he, 'I believe I was on my way before the gun went off.' Continuing, he said: 'When I returned the boys asked me if I killed the deer and were somewhat surprised when I said I had. The next morning being Sunday, Mr. Rud, an old experienced woodsman, offered to go out and find the buck and at the place where I stood he pointed to my tracks and said, 'Deacon, who made those?' 'Well,' I answered, 'I guess those are mine.' 'Well,' says he, 'I guess you were going some.' He went over where the deer had stood and found that I had wounded him. He followed the trail for a few rods and found the deer alive, but wounded, and bringing his rifle to a position, shot him, while I, with the old Zulu, loaded to the mnzzle with buck shot, thought if one shot would be a good thing, two would be better, threw the gun to position and pulled the trigger. Now I am honest in my conviction when I say that I don't believe that I touched the buck. We returned to the shanties to find that the boys had organized during our absence, choosing a captain, drivers and burden bearers, and asked to be allowed to go and bring in the game. Well, you can imagine the sport that forty-five men would have on an expedition of that kind. Before going after the deer I had sold it to John Sterling, an early storekeeper here, for $13.50, so the men delivered it to John's store.

"It was then that Jim Denny, who had been elected captain, says to me: 'It was a pretty hard job to bring that buck out, Deacon, so you had better treat the boys to a case of Plantation Bitters.' 'Why sure,' says I, 'Here, John, give the boys a case of Plantation Bitters,' which pleased the boys and they seemed to enjoy themselves immensely; but they were soon gone, and Denny informed me that 'there hadn't been quite enough to go around,' and he thought it would be a good thing to just give them another case. 'Well, sure,' says I, and ordered John to set out another case, which soon went to join the first. I noticed on the way back to the shanties that the boys acted rather jovial; they were boxing, scuffling and singing. I thought nothing of that then; but I am now convinced that Plantation Bitters was but another name for 'Squirrel Snaps.' All day Monday the thought that I would have eight or ten dollars left from the purchase price of the deer cheered me on, and when evening came I went up to Sterling's store, and patiently waited until all the men had left. Then I approached Mr. Sterling and asked him if we couldn't settle the deer business. 'Why sure,' says John, 'how much do you suppose you have coming from that deer?' 'Why, six or eight dollars,' says I. 'Why, Deacon, you owe me $1.50. Those two cases of bitters you had were $15.00, and I charged you just what they cost me.' You can just imagine my feelings when I saw those six or eight cart wheels passing by me, but I was game and stood for the experience. It was a long time before the joke about the bitters leaked out, but years after Denny, who had acted as captain, related the whole story at a smoker, after lodge one evening, and it was months before the boys quit asking me the price of Plantation bitters."

J. A. Pettet, who took a prominent part in the early development of Unity, was born in Jefferson County, N. Y., in 1842, his parents being Ozias and Mary P. Pettet. In speaking of his early life, Mr. Pettet said: "T came to Sheboygan County, Wis., with my parents in 1850, my father buying 160 acres of land in that county. I staid on the farm with them until I enlisted in the army, June 1, 1861, in Capt. David B. Conger's Company B, Eighth Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers, which was the famous 'Eagle' regiment. I served until 1864, was discharged and re-enlisted, serving until the close of the war. I was wounded May 22, 1865, in the battle of Spanish Fort, and lost a leg. I returned to Sheboygan, and, after my marriage kept a store at Glen Beulah. In 1876 I moved to Campbellsford, in Fond du Lae County, where I remained two years. Then, in 1878, I came to Unity and opened a store in a rented building, There were two other stores, one run by 8. A. Cook and one by D. J. Spaulding, in connection with his sawmill. A hotel was built by Mr. Duval. The Wisconsin Central Railroad owned the land and plotted the town, which was started for the loggers. After six years I closed out my store, remodeled the building and ran a hotel for eight years. The building was afterwards destroyed by fire. Later I built a small store on the lot, and in 1906 built Pettet's Opera House. We used to be able to get up a dance in two hours. Everyone went to dances, and all were on an equal basis and had good times. I have sat in the hotel and seen black bears go down the street, and not later than six years ago deer came right into my yard. At one time I killed two four-pronged bucks at one shot. The country was all timber, and roads were made of sawdust and slabs. We used to carry supplies on our backs and on hand sleds."

C. B. Travis, in speaking of early days in Humbird, says: "I was born in the state of New York. When I was 6 months old my father died, and I lived with my grandparents and came to Madison, Wis., with them when I was 10 years old. In the fall of 1856 I came to what is now Humbird.

At that time this whole country was covered with timber and brush. We had to walk to Pole Grove, Jackson County, for mail, which used to be left at the farm house of Mr. Boss before the post office was started here. I returned to Madison in June, 1857, for the harvest. I traveled back and forth between here and Madison a few years, then entered the normal school at Madison, where I spent four years. I was married in Dane County, then returned to Humbird, where I have since lived. There was one store, built in 1872 by L. D. Wilder, and a blacksmith shop run by Peter Wilson. The first school was started about 1872 and was taught by my wife, Josephine Travis. During the winter of 1872-73 I taught in another district. When I first came here in 1856-57 I went from Madison to Prairie du Chien by stage, then up the Mississippi River to La Crosse, then by stage to Humbird, through the timber all the way, and most of the supplies were hauled in from La Crosse by team. I toted two winters for James Hewett. D, D. Travis built a sawmill two miles down the west branch of Halls Creek. I helped to hew the logs and made shingles used in the construction of this mill, which was operated by Mr. Travis for three years, then rented to a man by the name of Travis Lower. The land where Humbird now stands, all covered with timber and brush, was owned by Almond Alderman. Jake Humbird built the railroad through here. On July 4, 1857, the Houghton Brothers, who came from the same place in New York as I did, and myself and others, held a picnic. We worked our way through the brush to the top of the bluff which was selected as the picnic site. We got some ropes from a wagon, went down in the tamarack swamp, cut a liberty pole and hoisted it on top of the bluff, and Charles Miller recited the Declaration of Independence. Game was plentiful and in 1858 I shot a number of deer and one elk. The first newspaper to be published here was a small sheet containing four leaves about eight by twelve inches in size. It was started in 1872 by John Boyer and sold for 25 cents a year. I was elected justice of the peace in 1878, and have held the office continuously, except one year, for forty years." Rosana Horel thus relates her experiences: "I was born at Belfast, Maine, in 1839, and lived there until 15 years old. In 1854, with my parents, I left the place of my birth for Wisconsin. We traveled by way of the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes to Milwaukee, and by railroad from Milwaukee to Madison. In October of that year we went to Black Earth, Dane County. The next spring we moved to Richland County, where we lived for four years. In 1859 my mother died and I came with my father to Osseo, Trempealeau County. I was married there and lived there for six years, then came to Clark County with my husband and settled on a farm three miles west of Humbird, where I lived thirty-seven years, moving to the hamlet of Humbird in 1902. When I came to Clark County in 1865 there was no town of Humbird or Fairchild. The whole country was covered with tamarack and oak timber. The land where Humbird now stands was owned by Almond Alderman. The place was once called Rocky Mound City. Jake Humbird built the railroad through here in 1869, and the village was named for him. The town experienced quite a boom when they talked of building a railroad from here to Neillsville, but when the plans were changed to Merrillan it subsided. G. W. King had five sawmills and D. D. Travis owned and operated a mill two miles from this town. We used to haul all our grain from the farm to Sparta and bring back our supplies from there, taking about three days to make the trip. The stage coaches used to run through the Garden Valley from Sparta to Hudson, and the settlers used to take turns going to Garden Valley once a week for the mail. There were lots of Indians here but they gave us no trouble only by their everlasting begging. When we first came to Clark County we used oxen, which at night were turned out. One night our dogs made such a noise and fuss that the men got up to see what was the matter. When they went out there was a whole pack of wolves surrounding the open. We used to have plenty of wild game, and used bear grease for cooking. It was nothing to see a drove of deer pass by the door. One day a bear went by acting as though he was wounded and we thought we would get him, but when we got close to him Mr. Bear leaped over a five-rail fence and was gone. All our furniture in those days was of the homemade variety, including beds, chairs and tables. Everyone was sociable and all acted together, and while we had many hardships, we had some pleasant times. John Branstedter, Peter Beaver, A. Webster, Joseph Emer, Orin Wilson and Mr. Colgrove were some of the early settlers."

Orin Wilson, first chairman of Mentor Township, writing in 1876, says: "At the request of this Centennial committee I write a short history of that part of Clark County now comprising the town of Mentor.

"In June, 1856, the first settlers landed in the town of Mentor with our oxen, cows, pigs and chickens, our covered wagons being our only shelter. There was not a vestige of a road, no mark of civilization, with the exception of government surveys. Our colony consisted of twelve families coming from different parts of the world, five from England, two from Erin's Isle, one from Germany, three from the state of New York, and one from the state of Pennsylvania.

"As the season was far advanced our first work was with our noble oxen to break some of the prairie soil and plant and sow such grain and vegetables as would ripen. What the husbandmen would break and harrow in the forenoon, the wife and children, with their baskets filled with choice seed, would plant in the afternoon. But a few days elapsed ere we could look from our covered wagons on small fields of growing grain and garden vegetables.

"The next business that demanded our attention was to build houses, and we built them in old-time style, not as nowadays, with sawed and planed lumber, and all covered with paint, with a tower on top and all such modern improvements. We built them of logs. They were all straight and sound and hewed down on the inside; they were covered with hollows and rounds, and our floors were made of good substantial plank, split out with the axe. The last of June we moved into our log cabins; we were all happy and contented.

with them; yes, they were slick, and thick, too. Many a time have two of us filled a large wash tub in an hour, We used to pickle them by the barrel and dry them by the bushel, and preserve and can them. Well might we be called the whortleberry farmers,

"Well do I remember our first Fourth of July. We were all speakers and all listeners. We talked over our nation and the great improvements it had made in eighty years and then we had our picnic dinner. We ate sumptuously and went home feeling well.

"The first summer was a busy one and soon passed away. We joined teams and broke a few acres each, built log stables, and put up some wild hay to winter our stock. Each had a small field of buckwheat; it was the staple product. Winter came in earnest and hung right by until spring. The principal excitement that winter was hunting deer and elk. We killed a plenty for our meat, used their tallow for our lights and their hides for mittens and moccasins. The snow was so deep that we could not go afoot, so we hunted on snowshoes. But the long winter disappeared. The next summer a sawmill was built at the edge of our town by D. B. Travis. Our nearest gristmill was Wright's, and was the only gristmill in the country, and there we took our wheat and corn and Moses ground it for us. Our nearest post office was Black River Falls, a distance of twenty miles; also the nearest point to a store. That summer there was a postoffice established in Garden Valley on the Black River Falls and Eau Claire stage line, Union and harmony prevailed in our neighborhood. When one went to the post office he brought the mail for us all. Likewise when one would go to the store the rest would send by him for their dry goods and groceries.

"That summer we petitioned to our county father, James O'Neill, to come and lay out a highway for us. In answer to our call he came, bringing with him one of the side board, S. C. Boardman, and the county surveyor, and laid out a road through the town. This road proved to be the best route from the upper Trempealeau Valley to Augusta, and is today (July 4, 1876), the main thoroughfare. The next summer a road was laid out and made passable through the forest from Neillsville to our little settlement, a distance of sixteen miles. Previous to this we could reach the county seat only by way of Wright's mill. The opening of this road made a ready market for our produce, consumed by the Black River lumbermen.

"Unfortunately for our town it was given to a railroad company and a large portion was entered by speculators, consequently settlers came in very slowly. Year after year rolled by with few new settlers, yet we employed ourselves. Our lands produced well, our log cabins were turning into frame houses and our log stables into frame barns; reapers took the place of the old cradle, the mowing-machine the place of the scythe and the horse-rake was used instead of the old hand-rake.

"In 1867 the town of Mentor was organized, comprising Towns 24, 25 and 26, Range 4 West, being in the southwest part of Clark County. In 1869 the West Wisconsin railroad was built, which formed a direct line from Chicago to St. Paul. This road runs through the southwest corner of

"The soil is well adapted for a village, and the water is of excellent quality. There are two dry goods and grocery stores; in fact there is room enough for a flourishing town. It could be incorporated if there were people enough, and then it would be called a city. The people living there are very kind. They claim it was an honor for men to work and improve the country, and they love to see them do it. In the warm summer days they sit under the veranda on the east side of the street in the forenoon and on the west side in the afternoon. They prefer shade to sunshine. The topics of the day are fishing, bird shooting and fast horses,

"Tn 1872 there was a gristmill built on one branch of Hall's Creek in our town by W. T. Schmidt, and it makes the best quality of flour. Alas twenty years have passed away, though it seems but little improvement is made each year. We now have at our hands lumber mills of nearly every description, a good gristmill, a post office with daily mail running east and west and north and south, and stores and shops of nearly every kind. Yes, the change has been great since twenty years ago, and it is a fact that those twelve families who immigrated here in 1856 are still residents of this town, and have raised up families of sons and daughters that are an honor to their parents and society. We are looking forward to a brighter future, hoping that our lawmakers will strike at the root of all evil and that the American people will reach that state of perfection that they will look at wars and disturbances as something away back in the dark ages of the past and never to be any more."

(Taken from an address delivered by Orin Wilson at the Centennial Celebration held at Neillsville, July 4, 1876. Published in the Humbird Enterprise, Jan. 13 and 20, 1906.)

C. H. Ide is one of the most highly esteemed of the early settlers. His reminiscences, prepared for this work, are of much interest and value. He says: "I left Stockholm, St. Lawrence County, N. Y., Aug. 11, 1878, headed for Clark County, Wis. In Milwaukee I met Ransom Smith, an old acquaintance, and we journeyed to Humbird, stayed all night there, and walked to Neillsville the next morning - seventeen miles. Stayed that night with Edson Breed in the town of York. After leaving the dried-up region of northern New York, the green fields looked good to me. I visited a few days and worked a few days for I. B. Mason, and on the ninth of September, 1873, began underbrushing on the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 27, Town 25 North, Range 1 West. From that time until Dec. 3, 1917, the southeast quarter of Section 27 has been my home, with the exception of sixteen months spent in what is now Vilas County, Wis.