Langlade County, Wisconsin - Chapter 49, 1922

Chapter 49

Location - Boundaries - Government Survey - Organization in 1894 - First Township Assemblage - Why Ujiham Was Organized - Named After Then Governor-Elect William H. Upham - Early Roads - Town Hall - Last Boundary Changes - Settlements With Neva And Summit - Lakes and Streams - Early School Districts - Officials of Upham from 1895 to 1923 - Summit Lake Village - Lake Shore Railroad in 1881 - Bingham & Perrin Store - E. S. Koepenick Early Storekeeper - W. J. Empey Hotel - Lumbering - Early Postmasters - Schools of District - Present School Erected in 1906 - Destructive Fire in 1910 - Bass Lake - Koepenick District, Named in Honor of E. S. Koepenick - Its History - Forest District - Early Settlers - Area of District - Schools - Lakes, Soil, Roads - District No. 8 - Organization - Settlers - Officers.

Upham township lies immediately south of Elcho township, in congressional townships 33, north of Ranges 10 and 11 east. It is bounded on the north by Elcho township, on the south by Neva and Peck townships, on the east by South Ainsworth township and on the west by South Summit township. It is thus situated centrally and favorably among many beautiful lakes and the scenery about these lakes is incomparable. West Upham was surveyed in October, 1860, by H. C. Fellows, U. S. Deputy Surveyor. East Upham was surveyed by U. S. Deputy Surveyor H. C. Fellows at the same time.

Upham township has a diversified surface and presents to the homeseeker all variations of land, from the steep hillside to the low level marsh lands. Its natural resources, gravel and sand deposits, valuable timber, rich soil, springs of crystal pure water, wild fruits and wild game - all these were valuable assets to the pioneer homesteaders and land purchasers.

Purpose Of Organization

Upham township was created November 16, 1894, by the Langlade County Board in response to a petition from settlers from the original town of Summit and that part of Upham township previously in Neva township. The township was named in honor of Governor-elect Wm. H. Upham, Wisconsin's chief executive from January 7, 1895, to January 4, 1897. Township 33, North of Range 10 was detached from Summit township, with the exception of sections 32 and 33. Sections 34, 35 and 36 of Township 34, north of Range 10 East were also detached from Summit and Township 33, North of Range 11 was detached from Neva township to form the new township.

The voting precinct was established by a township resolution at Summit Lake. The ordinance did not take effect until the April, 1895, town meeting.

Philipp Ryan, Frank Schauer and George Bremer were chosen the first inspectors of election of Upham. H. G. Borgman, George Jones and Fred Jacobus, county solons, were selected to effect a settlement between Neva, Summit and the new township.

November 7, 1894, a petition was sent to the members of the County Board requesting the new township for two reasons: 1. There were no roads to travel the polls. 2. It required three days for some settlers to get from their homes to a town meeting, one day to go to polls, one day to attend town meeting and another to return home. The settlers did not wish to leave their families in the wilderness alone. The east part of Summit township charged that the west part of the township (as it then existed) secured larger appropriations for roads and schools by reason of a greater population. The Neva township petition's charges were the same. This petition was signed by J. J. Hanson, Peter Person, John Hedin, George Bremer, H. G. Harwood, Abe C. Alesond, M. B. Millard, 0. C. Bardwell, Frank Schauer, Mike Haney, Thomas Haney, A. F. Franz, August Sharman, Frank Pillar, Charles Gehrke, Henry Ebner, John Miller, John Shuh, Phillip Ryan, Dave Woodmansee, Peter Loos, J. H. Andritz, J. H. Gibson, B. G. Olson, C. H. Calkins, Joseph Hasep, James Hurlbutt, George Hoover, John Murphy, John Shuh, Jr., Sib. Leidheisl, H. Bielbe, Wenzel Niesbauer, Donat Kille, Pins Milsbauer and Otto Christsen.

First Town Meeting

The first town meeting was held April 2, 1895. N. B. Millard was temporary chairman and J. J. Hanson temporary clerk. Charles Gehrke was selected clerk of election and John Miller and Peter Loos as ballot clerks.

Otto Christensen, J. J. Hanson, Phillip Ryan, N. B. Millard, John Miller, Johannes Anschutz, James Hurlbutt, George Bremer, Chas. Gehrke, P. Loos and Frank Schauer petitioned the meeting to include the question of township school government in the election. The petition was granted. The school district system was adopted.

The resolution granting the petitioners' prayer was the first one adopted by the Upham township officials. Phillip Ryan was elected the first township chairman and J. J. Hanson, first township clerk. The township was divided into two road districts, May 18, 1895.

mer, Mike Haney and F. Pillar, who asked for a road from the northeast corner of section 24 running south to the southeast corner of said section of township 33, range 10, May, 1895. The road was authorized June 3, 1895. The road to Koepenick was built in 1895. The Koepenick-Kempster road was built in the fall of 1895 after a special town meeting was held authorizing a loan of $500 to finance the project. The money was borrowed from the Bank of Antigo.

The first highway overseers of the township were appointed May 10, 1895, and were John Miller, District No. 1, and Donat Killes, District No. 2.

George Bremer was the first to receive a license to retail intoxicating liquors "in quantities of less than one gallon," June 25, 1895. ( Saloons were operated before this as early as 1882.) The license fee was $100 per annum.

Town Hall

March 16, 1897, voters of Upham requested town officials to include the question of raising $75 for a town hall to be submitted to the electorate, April 6. 1897. The officers purchased lot 8 of block No. 5, Summit Lake, for $45. The building thereon was used as the first town hall. The vote on the town hall question resulted in 22-1 in favor of purchasing the property, rather than building a new town hall. The first meetnig in the "town house" was held June 28, 1897. It was used but a short time. At the annual meeting in 1899 the town hall matter was up again. The supervisors voted to appropriate $100 for a town hall of which $25 was to be applied on the old town hall indebtedness. The first session was held April 11, 1899, in the second town hall.

Last Boundary Changes

The reader will recall that sections 34, 35 and 36, Township 34, Range 10 East were attached to Upham township November 16, 1894. These sections were detached from Upham and joined to Elcho township in November, 1902. Sections 31, 32 and 33, Township No. 33, of Range 10 East were taken from Summit township and attached to Upham. These two changes squared but every township in Langlade County. The request for detaching sections 31, 32 and 33 of Township 33, Range 10 East was signed by Henry Buck, Thomas Griese, John L. Meyer, George Gnahn, Julius Bergman, Leo Nagel, Joseph Hufnagel, Conrad Hauenstein, Andrew Kuhl, George Zagel, ioseph King, Stephen Simon, Carl Dumjohn, F. Nibbler, G. Strobel, George Herbst, Henry Oldenberg, Michael Pilhofer and C. J. Dore.

Settlements With Neva-Summit

George H. Wunderlich, Phillip Ryan, John Gumming, Fred Jacobus and John Jansen, committee selected by the county board, made a satisfactory settlement between Neva and Upham, August 10, 1895, and between Summit and Upham, July 19, 1895. The statement of settlement was filed with J. J. Hanson, Upham township clerk, August 10, 1895.

Upham township has many streams and lakes. The headwaters of the east branch of the Eau Claire river runs through sections 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35 in East Upham township. The Hunting river runs through the northeast part of East Upham township through sections 1, 2 and 3. Lakes in East Upham township are: Four small lakes in section 31, Noboken Lake, Lack Lake, High Lake, Low Lake, Game Lake, Pence Lake. In the West Upham township the west branch of the Eau Claire has its headwaters in sections 7, 8, 18, 19, 30, 29, 32. Numerous other rivulets and streams are found. Bass Lake, Summit Lake, Partridge Lake, Duck Lake, Dynamite Lake and Lower Bass Lake are the principal lakes.

The C. & N. W. railroad runs through sections 1 and 12 of West Upham township and a branch line (Bass Lake branch) runs through sections 12, 14, 15, 9, 8, 7 and 18, West Upham. In East Upham the main line runs on the west through sections 31, 30, 19, 18 and 7.

May 10, 1895, Upham township was divided into two school districts as follows: District No. 1, the north half of township 33, range 10 and sections 34, 35 and 36, township 34, range 10, all of the north half of township 33, range 11, except the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 18 of said town. District No. 2 consisted of the south half of township 33, range 11 east and the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 18 of said town, and all of the south half of township 33, range 10 east except sections 31 and 32. The districts have been changed frequently and the present boundaries are found in the review of each separate district.

Justices Of The Peace Con. District No. 1

SUMMIT LAKE DISTRICT. This is the principal commercial district in Upham township and is also the oldest in point of permanent white habitation. The village received its name from the track laying officials of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western railroad, who found it to possess the highest body of water in Wisconsin.

With the railroad came the first hotel and a number of homeseekers. W. J. Empey came from Elmhurst with the railroad in 1881. He conducted the first hotel in the village. Other pioneer settlers were : Frank Schauer. Charles Gehrke, E. S. Koepenick, George Bremer, Mrs. Elizabeth Kunza, John Miller, Frank Pillar, Henry Ebner, Peter Loos, Art Nichols, Joseph Helmbrecht, Spencer Cole and Frank Schabel.

Lumbering was the principal pioneer industry. In 1884, Wm. Pool, associated with Smith Brothers of Oshkosh, erected a sawmill in the district. It operated until 1888 when it was moved to Jeffries, Wisconsin. Edward Baird started a saw mill in 1884, but it never was completed.

In later years the Paine Lumber Company and from 1915 to 1919 the Langlade Lumber Company had extensive lumbering operations in the district. They had many camps and a company supply station at Bass Lake. A post office operated at Bass Lake for a short time also. The camps and store are now located in Pearson, Ainsworth township.

The first store was erected at Summit Lake by Bingham 8f Perrin of New London, who acted as supply agents for the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western while track was laid in this vicinity. They sold in 1882 to E. S. Koepenick. who came to this village from Oshkosh.

S. Koepenick and Mrs. Elizabeth Kunza, present Postmistress. Smith Brothers, and a Mr. Phife were pioneer storekeepers, while Dan Hubbard was an early retail liquor vendor.

The first school was erected in 1882 on Section No. 1 and was used for a number of years. It was moved to its present site one-fourth of a mile from the present school and was purchased by the Lutheran congregation of Summit Lake for church purposes.

The modern Summit Lake school was erected in 1906 by 0. S. Sherwood at an approximate cost of $4,000. George Durler, Martin Steinert and Mrs. George Durler were members of the school board when that building was erected. It is located on section 1, east of the main C. & N. W. track. William Pool, - Nichols and Louis Stearn were early school board officials in this district. The 1922-23 school officers were : Peter Rassmussen. Treasurer; Robert Seering, Director and Mrs. Henry Joyce, Clerk. 1922-23 teachers were Miss Susie Daily and Martha Weix, principal and assistant, respectively.

In 1910 the most destructive fire in the history of this district occurred. The J. C. Nelson saloon, the Henry Joyce residence, and the George Bremer hotel were destroyed. A year later another fire occurred in which the old Wyenberg saloon and a hotel were destroyed by fire. The Frank Schauer residence burned then also.

Summit Lake district has an area of water in section 2 that has attained distinction as a summer resort. Hundreds of people from all over the nation come here in the summer months. Many beautiful summer homes border the lake, which has some of the finest bathing facilities known. Its natural beach is one of the best in northern Wisconsin.

The town hall is situated in the village of Summit Lake. Present business places are : The Charles Snowden grocery; Howard Payne restaurant, Warren Boucher, modern dance pavilion. The C. & N. W. Railroad station, John Kunza store, Post Office, George Bremer hotel, Stedner Snowden's hotel, pool room and grocery.

Summit Lake cemetery is situated in the NE I/4 of section 2, Township 33, Range 10 East. The cemetery was recorded September 8, 1908, when George Durler was Chairman and L. W. Filyes, Clerk of Upham township.

A school was held at Bass Lake, section 12, when the Paine Lumber Company had headquarters there. Teachers were Margaret Healy, Irene Day, Mrs. M. Smith and Yarda Parson. The building was sold when the township was redistricted to Truman Rice. Koepenick and Bass Lake schools were closed in 1913 when pupils from that territory were assigned to Summit Lake school. A buss hauled the children to and fro.

When the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western pushed north this district was one vast wilderness. Summit Lake was a hamlet with one or two prospectors within its present limits. Not until 1889 did Koepenick become a community as it now exists. In that year Andrew Bruette started a sav/ mill on section 18, Township 33, Range 11 East. Three years later he sold to Henry Sherry of Neenah, who moved it to High Lake, Upham township. For eight years the industry operated by Mr. Sherry. A. M. Millard of Antigo then took over the mill. He was succeeded by Henry Wunderlich, who, after successfully operating, sold to Fleet & Thompson of Wausau, Wis. The mill was then dismantled and moved to Michigan.

E. S. Koepenick moved to section 18, Township 33, Range 11 East, where he opened a store in 1890. He purchased his land from Thomas Spalding of Oshkosh. He was the first Postmaster of the village of Koepenick and continued as such until his death in 1914. He was then succeeded by Mrs. E. S. Koepenick, who is present Postmistress.

Tlie first Koepenick school was erected In 1892 on section 19 and was built by Frank Krall and Joseph Hoshek. The first school board consisted of J. J. Hansen, Peter Person and E. S. Koepenick. The pupils grew numerous and in 1903 a new structure was erected on section 18 at a cost of $2,000. Knute Anderson was the contractor.

Early teachers were Ethel Cardin, Nettie Hanson, Anna Beard, Pearl Williams, Josephine Donohue, Mattie and Maud Morson, Harry Hopkins, Clara Willlard, Lizzie Daily and Laura Spencer. Doris Sisel was the teacher In 1921-22 and Miss Margaret Gillls In 1922- 23.

Settlers in this district are Harold Mattmiller, R. W. Beattie, J. J. Hanson, Peter Person, Emil Person, Julius Mai, Frank Dempsey, Paul Tappia, John Bale, Orvis Vaughn, Harry Beach, Joseph Ruffle, Mrs. Henry Albright, Mrs. E. S. Koepenick and R. Harvey.

This district was originally a part of District No. 2 created August 10, 1895. The 1922-23 school officials were Mrs. E. S. Koepenick, Clerk; Emil Person, Director and Harold Mattmiller, Treasurer.

The first district school meeting was held at the old Turner school house on the evening of July 2, 1917. C. H. Turner in accordance with a request from the town board notified Robert Quick, Frank Long, Minnie Tucker, John Tucker, Mrs. John Tucker, Helene Kasper, Louis Learman, M. Quick, George Quick, Bertha Quick, S. U. Tucker, Warren McDonald and Mr. and Mrs.

John Simmons of the proposed meeting. Accordingly Mrs. Robert Quick, Louis Learman and George Quick were elected Clerk, Treasurer and Director of the school district. The 1922-23 school officials were: August Klever, Clerk; Louis Learman, Treasurer; and C. H. Turner, Director. Miss Mabel Schultz was the 1922-23 teacher. Early teachers were Yarda Bronson, Mabel Earlinson, Rosella Armstrong, Irene Hoyt and Miss Hoffman.

While this district is situated a number of miles west of Highway No. 39 and a distance from Kempster it has a good population, many of whom were early homesteaders. The early settlers who first came into this rolling country were : C. H. Turner, S. U. Tucker, Warren McDonald, Jesse Hess, Andrew Bovee, Feight Loomis, Robert Quick, Louis Learman, John Turner, George Quick and the Tinney family.

Settlers now in this territory are H. A. Tromblie, Glenn Wolf, Wm. Adkins, Homer Shelley, John Tucker, August Klever, R. E. Tucker, Roy Tucker, Ted Patterson, James Tucker, Alvin Klever, C. H. Turner, S. U. Tucker, Warren McDonald, Jesse Hess, John yield of crops. This is an ideal region for plums and apples and C. H. Turner, Louis Learman, Robert Quick and Warren McDonald have taken advantage of the fact and have some fine orchards. They should give the region a reputation in future years. A strip of level land runs five to six miles north and south of the Kempster road and many log farm homes have been erected near it. Principal occupation is agriculture. In the winter wood cutting, logging and trapping the wolf, fox and other animals, are the chief occupations.

This district was organized in 1921 and consists of sections 23, 24, 25, 26, 35 and 36 of Township 33, Range 11 East. The territory was detached from district No. 6. It was necessary to undergo many hardships and inconveniences before the creation of district No. 8. Roads were few and the children were unable to get to the Koepenick school except with great difficulty. Accordingly a hearing was held and the township authorities established the new district.

The Forest School

The first log school, still standing on section 28, just a short distance from the modern school, was used until the present splendid school was erected by August Klever. (See photo on page 37.)

There are more lakes within this region than any other like area in Langlade County. Among them are Horseshoe, Black Oak, Bass, Moses, Government Pond (a government lake). Sucker, Cranberry, Fish, Saddleback, Snag, Partridge, Long (there are two Long Lakes, only one of which is in this district), Green Bass, Squaw, and Indian lake, all small bodies of water. The west end of the district is swampy.

The soil consists principally of Gloucester sandy loam, Spencer silt loam, level phase, Merrimac silt loam and some peat. While vast stretches of the country is hilly and must yet be cleared, that which has been cleared and cultivated produces an abundant

School was at once opened. The first officers, Mr. and Mrs. George Linsdau, Director and Clerk respectively, and Fred Moss, Treasurer, lost no time in arranging suitable quarters for a temporary structure. An old frame camp (No. 6) of the Langlade Lumber Company was rented and was in use the 1921-22 session. The property is owned by the Rev. Fr. J. J. Kaster, New London, Wisconsin. A new school, modern and complete, will be erected. The 1922-23 school officers are Mr. and Mrs. George Linsdau, Director and Clerk, and Mrs. Fred Moss, Treasurer.

There are now eight settlers in the district. Matt Schja, Herbert Lutey, Steven Lacib, James McDougal, Fred Moss, George Linsdau, Carl Firch and Louis Langlois.

This territory was originally a part of the old district No. 2, organized August 10, 1895. Mrs. Emil Kramer was the first teacher in this district, 1921-22.