Marathon County, Wisconsin - Chapter 34, 1913 (part 1 of 2)

Chapter 34

Incorporated Tozciis in Marathon County - Historical and Descriptive Sketches of the Tozcns of IVaiisau, Jl'esto)i, Mosinec, Texas, Marathon, Knozdton, Berlin, Stettin, Easton, Maine, JVien, Bergen Hull, Brighton, Holeton, Hamburg, Spencer, Rib Falls, Riethrock, Day, Johnson, Halsey, Cleveland, Eau Pleine, Kronenn'ctter, Pike Lake, Norric, Eldron. Harrison, McMillan, Ennnett, Frankfort, Plover, Cassel, Hczcitt, Ringle, Francen, Bern and Flieth.

The Town Of Wausau

What was the name of the first town in Marathon county? This question is not so easily answered. By the act establishing Marathon county, the "village of Wausau" was named as the county seat. The village of course was not incorporated at that time, and was named a village only because of the number of mills and buildings close together village-like. The election was held and the vote for county officers canvassed in the village, and the report of their canvass is recorded and appears in the minute book of the county board, or as they were then ternied "the board of supenisors," and their report speaks very distinctly of a "town of Wausau."

The report certifying to the election of county officers is signed by Charles Shuter, justice of the peace; John Stackhouse, clerk of board of super\'isors ; Edward A. Pierson, supervisor, and underneath the following: Attest :

"We the undersigned board of canvassers for the town of \\'ausau in Marathon county, Wisconsin, do hereby certify that we presided this day to canvass the votes polled in the several precincts in said town on the first

The whole county was governed by three supervisors elected by the people of the whole county, and while there were at least three election precincts, they were elected together by the people of the county. The whole county was only one town, that is, under one town government. There is nothing in the further proceedings which throws more light, but in the minutes of the board of supervisors held on the first Tuesday in January, 1853, there appears this entry : "C. A. Single, Hyram E. Dillon and B. F. Berry were appointed as assessors for the town and county of Marathon," and these two designations "town and county of Marathon" are found several times afterwards.

So it would seem that the town was named "town of Marathon," although it speaks first of a town of Wausau. In the meeting of the supervisors held on the I2th day of November, 1856, present Doolittle and Judson, the following appears :

"The board then proceeded to divide the town and county of Marathon into towns, with separate town organizations as follows : The town of Wausau to .embrace all of township 28, ranges 2. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 and sections 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of township 28, north of range 8 east, and all of townships 29, 30, 31, and 32 of ranges 2 to 8, inclusive. The town of Mosinee to embrace that part of the county lying in townships 26 and zj, north of ranges 2 to 9, inckisive, and the town of Eau Claire to include all of town 28, range 8, except sections 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of township 28, and townships 28, 29 and 30, north of range 9 east," and the following voting places were fixed ;

The first town meeting in each town to be held on Tuesday, December 16, 1856, for the town of Wausau at the village of Wausau, for the town of Mosinee at the house of William G. Blair, and for the town of Eau Claire at the house of Milo Kelly. That disposed of the town of Marathon for good at the time, because the whole territory of the county, at least that part which was surveyed, is included in the division of the three towns.

The name "town of Marathon," which was dropped in this division, was given to a new town created November 10, 1857, to have township 28. ranges 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, but the town was not organized, and was later recreated on the 5th day of April, 1859, with the same territory, and in the same meeting the name of the town of Eau Claire was changed to tow^n of Weston. The territory of this town (Wausau) was frequently changed, and it includes now only thirty sections in township 29, range 8, the northeast sections having been attached to the town of Texas, but it has kept its name.

Although there is nothing absolutely reliable on hand, it is very probable that farming was begun in this town as early as in any one, and it is certain that the "Mechanics Ridge Settlement" was the first farm settlement in this county; that is to say, that there was a concerted movement to go on land with the intention to farm it, and that a settlement was started among the mechanics at work at ^^'ausau for that purpose, although the settlement was stretched over several miles. This settlement was referred to. and it is also stated that the mechanics did not farm very long, but sold out. only James W. Nutter remaining on his land.

This town is one of the most populous in the whole county at this time. The sections bordering on the city of Wausau are cut up in small holdings owned mostly by workmen, who either live on the land or in the city and culti\ate the land garden-like, to help their incomes by raising vegetables or pasture a cow.

There is one saw mill in the town owned and operated by Paul SejTnour ; it w'as erected over thirty years ago and has been in continuous operation every year. It does a large amount of custom sawing for fanners, enabling them to get their lumber for buildings and repairs close at hand and gives them also a market for their surplus timber. Near the mill is a grocery store kept by William Fradrich and a blacksmith shop conducted by Herman Hahn. There is one creamery and cheese factory in the town, and at the store there is a public hall. The town has five good school buildings ; one near Nutterville is a new solid brick building with a state graded school having two departments. The principal of this school is Miss Marie Ehmke ; assistant, Miss Emma Van Kannel ; the enrollment is sixty-two.

There is only one church in this town, a German E\'angelical-Lutheran Church. It is named the "Holy Trinity Church." The congregation was organized by Reverend Hudtloff forty years ago and services were conducted for some years in a schoolhouse. Reverend Hudtloff being the visiting minister. The present church edifice was built thirty-two years ago. The first resident pastor was Rev. Martin Buerger, who is the resident pastor of this congregation for over thirty years. Another congregation has its edifice just across the town line, but members from this town belong to that other congregation.

The Town Of Weston

was originally organized as the town of Eau Claire as one of the first towns in the county on the 12th day of November, 1856. Its first settlement goes back in the forties, only a few years after the coming of Stevens to Wausau or rather "Big Bull." It was to consist of township 28, range 8, except sections I to 7 inclusive, and townships 29 and 30 in range 9, and Milo Kelly was the first chairman.

Milo Kelly's mill was located above the present Manser mill and came into possession of Milo Kelly's sons, William P. and N. T.. and they afterwards acquired the Goodhue mill, and rebuilt the same, which is the present mill of John Manser. After the Goodhue mill had been rebuilt, the upper Kelly mill, as it was named for some time, was abandoned and manufacturing done at the lower mill. After the death of the brothers Kelly, this mill was sold to B. E. Jones, and he in turn sold it to John Manser, the present owner, who is still operating it and has a large tract of timber to keep it running for many years to come.

The name of this town was later changed to "Weston," why, is not apparent. It would seem that the first name was more fitting, it being the name of the river which drains a large territory - nearly the whole of the territory of that town - and is one of the largest tributaries of the Wiscon- sin. The flood of 191 2 swept away the dam at Manser's mill and the boom, and did othenvise damage, which has been repaired, and the mill is ready for operation with the opening of the sawing season of 19 13.

Another and probably the largest manufacturing company doing business in Marathon county, is located in this town. It is the Marathon Paper Mills Company, which manufactures high grade "Mitscherlich fibres and specialties." It is one of the largest paper mills in the state. It was organized February 13, 1909, with a capital stock of $1,600,000. It has three paper-making machines, with a capacity of seventy-five tons per day, also a sulphite mill and a bleaching plant of equal capacity, and a ground wood mill of twenty-five tons capacity.

The mills were started in November, 19 10. The motive power for this immense plant is obtained by damming the W'isconsin river and converting the energy of the falling waters into electricity. The building of this dam was a big engineering work which presented some difficulties, which have been overcome, and this mill has now- the whole energy of the flow of the Wisconsin river with the big reservoir created by this dam. The reservoir thus obtained forms a big sheet of water called Lake Wausau. The officers of this corporation are: President, C. C. Yawkey; vice president, Walter Alexander; secretary and general manager. D. C. Everett; treasurer, B. F. Wilson, who. with C. J- \\'inton, Neal Brown, and W. H. Bissell make up the board of directors. The mill employs 325 men, many of them living in Wausau, but a village has grown up near the mill of goodly dimensions.

The Rothschild Park

situated about half a mile above this paper mill on the bank of the river is the popular amusement place for Wausau people. There is the splendid pavilion of the Wausau Street Railroad of stone and steel construction. The hall has splendid acoustics and is an ideal location for Chautauqua assemblies. It will easily accommodate 2,000 people, and is visited summer and winter alike. On the lake so-called are row and gasoline boats for boating, a swimming pool, and other attractions, which make this park the popular resort that it has become. The street cars run to the park and on particular occasions give a reduced rate which othenvise is ten cents.

Farming was not carried on in this town to a large extent until lately. The lands in the Eau Claire valley are a sandy loam against which there was a prejudice, the soil being deemed too light for the production of grains; but experience has shown that no better land for potato culture can be had, the soil being of the same quality as the celebrated potato fields of Waupaca county, and large crops of this root are now raised and exported. Also corn planting has turned out a success, the corn being cut and put in siloes for cattle feed, and stock raising is profitable. A creamery near Kelly's is doing a large business.

There are five school districts in this town with as many schoolhouses. The village of Rothschild and a part of the town of Flieth form a joint school district, with the schoolhouse in the village. The children from the town of Flieth cross the Wisconsin river on the dam which forms a bridge, being of concrete and a perfectly safe crossing. The school there is a state graded school having four departments. The schoolhouse is a solid brick building, costing $10,000. The principal is Miss Goldie Linder; assistant, Miss Catherine McCallin. Only two departments were used, but a third department is being instituted, and three teachers will be engaged in the coming year. The enrollment is one hundred.

There is a Presbyterian church at Kelly's which is a mission of the First Presbyterian Church of Wausau; it was built in 1895, and from thirty-five to forty families scattered over quite a large territory are members.

This town was established in November, 1856, to consist of townships 26 and 27 in ranges 2 to 9 inclusive, extending from east to west throughout the county. Its present area is parts of township 27 in ranges 7 and 6, having in all very little over forty-one sections. At the time of its organization there was probably not a settler outside the mill settlement at the village of Mosinee and in the immediate neighborhood. All that territory is now settled upon, and especially on the western part are some of the finest farms in the county.

At the same time there were also established the towns of Wausau and Eau Claire; the reason for it undoubtedly was to get the people living on and along the Stevens Point road to help in getting the road in some state of improvement, to make it passable, if nothing more. In former years there were several saw mills located in this town, but the pine timber has disap-

There are six public schools in the town, one of which, a solid comfortable brick building, in the joint district in towns of Mosinee and Be'rgen at Moon, is a graded school with two departments. The principal is Miss Marie O'Connor, with Miss Jessie De Lisle having charge of the primary department and with an average attendance of about sixty pupils. This town was very sparsely settled until lately. It was after 1893 that a number of Bohemians, some from Chicago, some from Cedar Rapids, came into and settled upon the lands, and that nationality constitutes about one-half of the town, if not the majority. They are an intelligent and industrious people and have made fanning a success. While there is no saw mill in that town, there is one just across the town line in the town of Bergen, at a place called Moon, and farmers can go to the village of Mosinee or to Moon to get their sawing done at whichever place is nearest to their farm.

The farmers from this town have no church as yet, the settlement being still small, and the settlers belonging to different Christian denominations attend the churches in the village of Mosinee. That farming is carried on profitably is shown by the fact that this small settlement supplies two cheese factories in that town with all the milk needed to run the same throughout the season.

The town of Texas was established November 12, 1856, at the time when the county was first divided into the towns of Wausau, Mosinee, Eau Claire (this name was later changed to "\\"eston"). Marathon, and Jenny and Texas. This last named town was given the territory in townships 30 and 31 and 32, of'range 8, and east I/2 of township 31, range 7, and all that part of township 30, range 7, east of the Wisconsin river.

It will be remembered that saw mills w-ere built on Pine river in the decade from 1840 to 1850; that the mill in Merrill was built by A. \\'arren in 1849, and there must have been some means of communication between the logging and saw mill points, and while there was no road or highway until towards the end of the fifties, there was no doubt a trail connecting these settlements with each other besides the river. Along this trail which became afterw-ards with some slight changes the Wausau and Merrill Road, there began a farm settlement a little earlier in point of time than settlement of "Mechanics Ridge."

The first farm sei:tler, although he was a logger in the main, was Martin Hobart, who settled on land and cleared the Hobart farm. Martin Hobart, who made the original entry from the United States Government, soon sold part of it to Philip Marshall, whose land was located at the crest of the hill bearing his name, and others followed in succession along the same trail somewhat later on. With the exception of the Hobart farm, which was a well cultivated farm of nearly eighty acres clearing in 1870, and the Marshall farm, somewhat smaller in extent of clearing, there was no farm deserving such naine on this road until after 1870. There were what might be called at best some improvements, clearings from five to fifteen acres, hardly more until that time. The Hobart farm passed through several hands and is now the property of Dan Healy and Towle, and the Marshall farm is owned now by M. Groff, although a rumor is current that it has been sold lately.

The Trappe river saw mill was built in the early fifties as a water-power mill and later changed to a steam mill, and there was a small settlement of native Americans around the mill, who owned the land and made the improverfients when not otherwise engaged in logging or lumbering.

Another pioneer of Marathon county. Levy Hinton, brother of Thomas Hinton, also settled in the town of Texas, and his son, Walter Hinton, is the only descendant of the pioneer race, who still owns and occupies the old farm, one of the best in the town.

These farms were all on the Merrill or Jenny road, as it was then called, scattered from Wausau to Trappe river. When the road was cut out, it followed the section line north and south running in a straight line over Marshall hill at its steepest point, which folly can only be explained on the theory that the supervisors, in laying out, believed the roads must be on the "line." This hill is one of the steepest in the whole county and remained the terror of teamsters for nearly a score of years. All the supplies for Merrill, Pine River, and in all the camps as far north as Grandmother Falls, and even further, had to go up that long, steep hill, and no heavily loaded team was ever able to get on the top unaided. It passes understanding why the Wausau lumbermen did not get another better route, which could have been easily done by united work. There was no improvement on this part of the highway until the year 1876, when B. G. Plumer. A. Stewart, of Wausau. and J. T. Gallon, from Texas, were members of the county board and obtained from the county the sum of $500 to be spent in bettemient of that part of the road, and were appointed as commissioners to supervise the work. These commissioners instead of spending the money on the old road, laid out a new road around the hill, winding around the edge of the same, as it is to this day, and very little money has been spent on the part of the road since because the road there is hard and stony, and will not easily wash out.

The first settlers in this town, as in most others, were native born Americans, and the first Gemian settlers to come into these quarters were David Hollinger and his two sons, and Philip Gensman, who came in the last part of the fifties. At this time came also Henry Paff, Adolph La Piere, and Mark Latour. These settlements were scattered from five miles above Wausau, from Marshall farm, which was the first one from Wausau going north, as far as Pine River, but in the second half of the decade from i860 to 1870, and later, came a strong influx of German emigrants in that town. Among them were Charles Weinkauf, Charles Weiland, August Buss, Fred Pagel, Carl Bliese, Martin Bohm, and others. The native American born population, with a few exceptions - as, for instance, Walter Hinton - have emigrated, but the German born population has remained and is the backbone of the town.

The renowned granite quarries of Marathon county were first opened in that town by Grothe & Peters, already referred to. The worses of the Marathon County Granite Company have been removed to Wausau.

At Heights, a short distance above the railroad station, the brothers Anderson and a Mr. Johnson opened a shop as co-partners to carry on the business after Grothe & Peters had closed up their business, and from this small beginning in 1885. their business has grown to big dimensions. They employ now upwards of seventy-five men, and their products have become one of the most important articles of export from Marathon county and will remain so for all time to come. They own their quarrv', which furnishes as fine a granite as can be found anywhere, which for taking a fine polish is unsurpassed, and their monuments are in demand in every state of the Union. The firm is now incorporated with the following persons as officers : President, Charles E. Johnson; vice president, Gustav E. Anderson; secretary, Orlaf Anderson ; treasurer and general manager, William N. Anderson.*

One large creamery has been in operation in this town for fifteen years, which is worked on the co-operative plan, and does a profitable business for both owners and patrons.

The German St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran congregation was organized as early as 1870 and services held regularly in a schoolhouse until 1882,

* This corporation has made arrangements to remove their works to Wausau to get the advantage of railroad transportation on both railroads at Wausau without extra transfer.

when the present church was built. In the first few years the resident minister from the St. Paul's congregation at Wausau conducted the services, but since the completion of the church the Rev. Martin Buerger, resident minister in the neighboring town of Wausau, holds religious service for the congregation.

Another German Evangelical Lutheran congregation is organized in the northern part of the town, holding meetings and service in a schoolhouse, with a minister from the city of Merrill in charge thereof, and the building of a church is already contemplated and will be carried out in the near future.

A Methodist congregation was organized about fifteen years ago, which erected a church building a few years afterwards. This congregation has a resident minister in the person of Rev. Paul E. Teige.

The Town Of Marathon

This town originally comprised the whole territory of Marathon county, but when the county was organized and the county seat was named "Wausau," and there being only one town in the whole county, this name as the name of a town was lost for some years, but was revived April 5, 1859, when a new town was created out of portions of the town of Wausau, and the new town was given the name of "Marathon." This new town embraced in its territory township 28, from ranze 2 to range 6, inclusive.

The history of the village and the town of Marathon are nearly identical. The Pittsburg settlers' club, into which each member paid $100, for which sum he could get, or was entitled to get, eighty acres of land near to the newly laid out village of Marathon City, and one village lot and three acres on the outskirts of the village, made each settler at the same time the owner of real estate in the village and interested in its future. But there was no business in the village, nothing but dense forest, and settlers had to move on the land and go to farming. The platted village served only as a point for a meeting place, and more so after the church was built and regular service held.

The growth of the town of Marathon was very slow for many years, slower than the towns of Berlin and Stettin, and Maine. The cause of the faster growth of the latter towns was this : the emigration from Germany was much stronger from its northern part - from Prussia, particularly from Pommerania - and the settlers in these latter towns being almost, without ex- ception, from that portion of Germany, attracted these newcomers. The emigration from the southern and extreme western part of Germany, from where the people hailed that settled in Marathon City, was not nearly so great, and the influx of newcomers from Pittsburg almost ceased after the war between the states broke out. The town of Marathon enjoyed its most rapid growth after 1876, when through the judicious advertising given the Marathon county lands by J. AI. Smith and somewhat later by Fred Rietbrock, new settlers came in, going to the town of Marathon, and even more so to the present town of Cassel. Most of these newcomers were of Polish nationality, but a good portion were Gennans.

These German emigrants coming from Pittsburg and their descendants, or a majority of them, are still living on the old farms made by their parents, and so are the second group which came after 1870. In the town of Marathon the descendants of the German emigrants are still in the ascendancy. The town is pretty well settled ; not much wild land is held by nonresidents. There are splendid fanns, good houses, good bams and good roads, good schoolhouses and everything to make farm life agreeable. Rural routes bring the daily mail and newspapers, villages are near by and telephone stations bring the farmer in immediate connection with other cities or towns.

There is one small saw mill in this town given to custom sawing. There are four cheese factories which do a fine business, distributing probably over one hundred and fifty thousand dollars to the farmers in this town.

It is a fact worthy to be mentioned that from the very beginning there was a better stock of cattle kept in this territory, which included Cassel, than in most other German towns. The German fanner from the south took more to cattle than to grain raising, in which latter the North Gernian farmer in the eastern and northern towns of Stettin, Berlin and Maine excelled. \\'ith the establishment of creameries and cheese factories there has been a change everywhere in favor of a better grade of cattle, and good breeds are now to be found in every town.

In the town are three joint school districts, each of course with a well equipped schoolhouse, everything needful in the instruction of the young being readily furnished.

There are no churches in this town; the population, mainly adherents of the Catholic church, are members of the congregation in Marathon City, while those of the Polish nationality worship at the Polish Catholic church in the neighboring town of Cassel.

And Represextatr'E Citizens 541 The Town Of Knowlton

The settlement in this town was one of the earhest in Marathon county, but, like the settlement in W'ausau and Alosinee, it was a pinery settlement. There is a tavern which stands to this day, not used as a tavern now, still in the possession of the family of Leonhard Guenther, who purchased it from the former owner in the early fifties - the historic Leonhard Guenther tavern, or Knowlton House, the most popular roadhouse, which had a very large number of patrons until the building of the railroad to Wausau in 1874 ended the road travel. The settlement was confined to immediate surroundings of the tavern, and the saw mill of the Starks, father and sons, which was located a short distance below the tavern. The town was created by the county board in the year 1859 to consist of township 26, in ranges 8 and 9, and all of range 7 of the same township, lying east of the Wisconsin river. This settlement has been noticed in Chapter IX and it did not materially grow after the railroad was built.

There is a tradition that a mill once stood on the Wisconsin river at the mouth or just below the mouth of the Eau Plaine river, which empties a little more than a mile above Knowlton, at a place called Warren's place, and it is barely possible that Andrew Warren thought of building, or had a little mill there (it must have been a steam mill if one was there at all), but no reliable data can at this time be ascertained. Certain it is, that since 1850 no mill has been there.

In the last six years, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad has nm a spur track for about four miles east to a saw and planing mill owned by F. W. Huebner. and still further east for about eight miles, more to assist in the settlement of the lands in that territory.

In the village of Knowlton there is a saw mill owned by Charles Guenther, doing custom sawing, a grist mill owned by the same gentleman ; a general merchandise store conducted by C. Guenther & Sons, and a general merchandise store conducted by L. Breitenstein.

There is a creamery in the village which has a very large patronage and its products are shipped to the east. A public hall owned by Adam Feit is the central meeting place for social entertainings and public meetings.

There is a Catholic church in the village, built by Leonhard Guenther in the year 1875, and it is visited by the resident priest at Mosinee.

A Methodist congregation was organized in 1900 by Rev. Burton Richardson and services held in the schoolhouse. On January, 1905, the eleven members of the society purchased half an acre of ground from the Wendell Stark farm for a church site and in the same year, with the assistance of their neighbors, regardless of rehgious behefs, finished a tine chapel costing about twelve hundred dollars - which was dedicated December lo, 1905, by Rev. Perry Millar, D. D., assisted by Rev. Oliver Saylor, local pastor. The memberships consisted of the following persons : Mrs. Jane Wilcox, ]\Irs. F. A. Wilcox, Mrs. St. Rogers, Mrs. Robert Brace, Mrs. L. Kuntzmann, Mrs. R. Wilson, Mr. and Mrs. Arleigh Peabody, Mrs. Maria Baxter, Mrs. Kate Richmond and Miss Bertha Richmond.

The lands east of the village which are yet nearly uninhabited, will, from present appearances, be taken up and settled upon in not far time.

The Town Of Berlin

The oldest real farm settlements were made by German fanners in the towns of Berlin, Stettin and Marathon about the same time in 1856 and 1857; not that there were no other famis in other localities, as for instance, on Mechanics Ridge in the town of Wausau, and others mentioned in chapter on "Early Settlements," but those settlements were rather of a sporadic character, made by loggers and mechanics who carried on farming only as a sort of side line to their regular lumbering employment, and who made not much progress as farmers. But the men that went into the town of Berlin - and that includes those w-ho settled in the town of Maine and a few in the town of Hamburg - came for the sole purpose of farming, intending to live by farming and make a living for themselves and their families, and grow up with the country. They all had families when they came, and few if any that ever settled in the present town of Berlin ever emigrated therefrom.

The heads of the families staid on the land, clearing and planting, letting their sons work in the pinery for some time and with the money thus earned improved their holdings, by getting stock and getting up better buildings. In ten years after the first settlements in the town of Berlin, there were already a ntimber of good farms, and a populous tow^n, this town growing faster than any other one. But the oxteam was still the team universally used, horses being at that time not much in use, because fanners thought they could not afford to pay the high price for them, and also because horses were more expensive to keep than the oxteam.

In the size of cleared lands, the town of Berlin was far ahead of anv other town in the first twenty years after settlement, but when a farm was large enough, had cleared land enough, the farmer was careful to preserve the rest of the timber, and by doing so, obtained a good price after railroads had come.

The town of Berlin was created by the county board in February, 1859, to consist of township 30, in ranges 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, and all of township 30, in range 7, west of the Wisconsin river. The first election was held at the house of John Kopplin, and William Drost was elected chairman.

The first settlers have all gone now to their long rest, and the second generation is getting well along in years, but as a rule the land first settled upon by the pioneers is still occupied by their sons or grandsons. The buildings are exceptionally fine, good houses and barns ; houses with a heating apparatus and water supply are not a rarity ; the roads are in good condition all the year around, and the land in a state of high cultivation. The number of cheese factories and creameries has caused the farmers to improve their stock greatly. The town consists now of township 30, range 6 east, and is one of the smallest in the county, because the correction line on the west makes ,'it-a. little less than thirty-six full congressional sections. But the town is one of' the richest in the county. It is doubtful whether a single eighty acres is owned by anyone not an actual settler or occupant. There are one creamery and five cheese factories in the town, two general stores with a good stock of merchandise, one conducted at Naugart by Albert Fehlhaber, and one near the southwest corner of the town by William Beilke, both sons of pioneers.* There is located in this town a large saw mill owned by the widow of Henry Sellin, which is well stocked with logs by the fanners from Berlin and Hamburg. It has been in operation for thirty years, sawing millions of feet of pine, and there is timber enough in the towns of Berlin and Hamburg to supply the mill for twenty-five years more.

There are seven school districts, each with a good frame sclioolhouse, with a course of study up to the eighth grade, open eight months a year. There are three Lutheran churches in the town, one at Naugart in the center, one at or near the northwest corner and one on the south side of the town. These three congregations were originally one, founded about fifty-two years ago, but in later years they separated at least in two.

The congregation at Naugart has a fine church, as good as can be found in the county, costing $10,500, not reckoning much of the work done and material furnished without charge by the individual members of the congregation. There is a good parsonage for the resident minister. This congregation celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their organization and the dedication of their church (the first being a log building) on the 12th day of August, 19 10, with great festivities. There was present on that occasion the first pastor who had assembled them together, and held missionary service, Rev. J. Strieter, who was then over eighty years of age. He had expressly come to visit his flock from Bay City, !vlichigan, bringing with him his wife. His voice was yet clear, although his eyesight had weakened. His sermon preached on that occasion was full of the love of God and love for man. Of course he found many changes; of the original congregation and of the men who signed the original membership roll of fifty-four, only two were left, to wit: Edward Nass and William Voigt.

The first minister at Naugart was Rev. J- J. Hoffmann, who was succeeded in 1867 by Rev. William Hudtloff, but soon afterwards the congregation separated and built a church and parsonage, and Reverend Schroedel was called as minister. Under his pastorage the present new church was built and the parsonage. He was succeeded by Rev. W. Bergholz. who remained about eight years and was followed by Rev. John Glaser, who remained with the congregation about nine years, and was succeeded by Rev. H. Brands, who directed the spiritual affairs until the year 1904, when the present minister. Rev. Theo. Hartwig, took charge of the congregation. The ministers ser\'ing this congregation also had charge of a congregation having their church edifice on or near the northwest corner of the town, which was established nearlv at the same time as the one at Naugart. The present \-oting strength of this congregation is 90. with 275 communicants.

The German Evangelical Lutheran Trinity church stands on land deeded by Fred Aschbrenner on the south side of the town, which church was erected in 1 888- 1 889, but services were held ever since 1861 in the schoolhouse by the resident minister, J. J. Hoffmann, who had organized the Naugart congregation. There was a parsonage erected on the land of Fred Krenz which was occupied by Rev. J. J. Hoffmann and his successors. The trustees of this church are : F. Aschbrenner, H. Grewin and Louis Fehlhaber.

Rev. A. J. Koepp is the resident minister of this congregation, and occupies the parsonage, about half way between this church and the Evangelical Lutheran Lnmanuel church in the town of iSIain, which is in charge of the same minister.

There is another German Evangelical Lutheran church near the northwest comer of the town which was organized thirty years ago and which was sen-ed by the resident minister at Naugart. About twenty-five years ago the congregation built a church edifice and has become strong enough to warrant the calling for a pastor, and it will be but a short time when that church too will have its resident minister.

The town of Stettin was created February, i860, by the county board of Marathon county, to consist of township 29, ranges 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 east ; the first election was to be held in the spring of the same year, which resulted in the election of Charles Buttke as chairman. The early settlement has been referred to in Chapter IX, the four brothers Buttke and their cousins being among the first ones, all strong, active, industrious and intelligent men. They soon had nice farms, but the lure of the west with its great prairies attracted them, and most of them went to the Dakotas after having made big famis here. One, the younger, Carl Buttke, died on his farm in Stettin when his children were very young, but his widow kept the property and family together. The town consists now of township 29. range 6, and sections 2"] to 34 in township 29. range 7 east.

The farm settlement in Stettin flourished together with that in Berlin, and while a great number of the original settlers have gone to the Dakotas, Nebraska, Iowa and as far as Oregon, the majority still reside on the original homesteads, the land being now held by their sons and grandsons. It is one of the richest towns in Marathon county, with splendid farms and fine buildings.

There are four cheese factories, all well supplied with milk. One little portable mill purchased in 1882 by Carl Buttke, William Buttke, Othmar Sauter and John Loy, which did a large amount of custom sawing for farmers for twenty years, has been sold and moved into the southern part of the town, where it is still in operation by August Seehafer. Another mill, owned by Fritz Erdmann, makes shingles and laths. Another mill is operated by Fitzke & Plautz on Little Rib.

The town is divided into seven school districts, each having a modern schoolhouse. There are two churches, each an Evangelical Lutheran church. The first congregation was organized by Rev. A. F. H. Gebhard over fifty years ago; the present frame church edifice was built in 1885. This congregation celebrated its fiftieth anniversary on the 2d day of June, 191 2. It was a profound and solemn celebration. The anniversary services were held in the forenoon in the church, which had been renovated and decorated with flowers, and Reverend Ehnke and President Ahl of Oshkosh, and Reverend Gebhard, the founder and for twenty-eight years pastor of the congregation, spoke of the primitive conditions under which it was organized; and of the hardships with which the founder had to contend. Of the founders who had signed the roll of membership only two, the Reverend Gebhard and A. Kippke, were present; some had moved away, but the majority rested in the cemetery around the church, and in words which sank deep in the heart of his hearers. Reverend Gebhard remembered the dead. In the afternoon there was a festival in the grove at the church, where greetings from neighboring congregations were read, addresses made and the women of the congregation did the honors to the many guests that took part in the celebration. Revs. P. Spiegel of Wausau and P. Ficken of Edgar each made an address fitting the occasion and the memary of this anniversary will not pale in the hearts of those who had the good fortune to be present. The present pastor is Rev Paul Martin Pilz.

Another nice little brick church is situated near the northwest corner of the town built about seven years ago. where Rev. Ernest Wendtland, the resident minister at the town of Rib Falls, holds sen-ice.

The Town Of Easton

The town of Easton was created by the commissioners of ^larathon county, who then constituted the county board, in the year 1861 ; the first election was ordered to be held in the house of A. L. Ackley, who lived in range 10. The town was given townships 28 and 29, north of ranges 9 and 10, and township 27, north of range 10. As now constituted it includes only township 29, north of range 9 east.*

The first farm settlement in the present town was made by Dennis Manning and his brother, who came there in the year 1859: there were a few other settlers in range 10, including A. L. Ackley and John Hogarthy, and a few Canadians who had Indian wives. Dennis Manning and brother Michael each made a large farm and left their families in good circumstances, and one of the sons still resides in the town.

The farms were very few and far apart for a long time, until the German emigration set in in 1866 and the following 3'ears. Carl Rick and August Uecker came in 1866 and Carl Sternberg, Herman Sternberg and William Jaecks came in 1867, and the town was more and more settled by the German emigration, which still for some years to come preferred the western to the eastern towns, apparently for no other reason than that the western towns were stronger settled upon.

are now as large as in any of the towns and there is a large amount of hardwood still standing, which brings good prices now. One creamery and three cheese factories take all the milk that is produced and the output is large. There is a large stock of registered pedigreed Holstein cows owned by Nicholas Grimm, who purchased the big farm of one Knowles, a native American who settled there at the end of the fifties. A blacksmith shop is kept by William Rollenhagen. The town is divided in five school districts, each with a modern schoolhouse.

The German Evangelical Lutheran St. John's church was Iniilt thirty years ago; it is a fine, large brick building where Rev. Martin Buerger, the resident minister from the town of Wausau, conducts religious services.

The Zion's Church, another Evangelical Lutheran church, was built eight or nine years ago with a parsonage, and Rev. W. Braem is the resident minister.

A Scandinavian congregation was organized a few years ago near the northwest corner of the town, where services according to the Lutheran rites are held in the Scandinavian language for the settlers residing in the towns of Hewitt, Harrison and Plover.

A Presbyterian chapel existed near the southwest corner of the town, which has lately been purchased by a newly fonned German Evangelical Lutheran congregation, Rev. W. Braem being visiting minister.

The Town Of Maine

The town of Maine was one of the first settled towns in this county. The first Gennan settlement has been referred to as being made in 1856, with a slow influx of Gemian emigrants from year to year until the town was fairly well settled, and it is curious to learn that the north portion, township 30, was sooner thickly settled than the southern portion, in township 29, and latest of all was the land settled nearest to the city of Wausau.

The town was set off from the town of Wausau in 1866 when the county was governed by the three commissioners, August Kickbusch, Aug. W. Schmidt and John Week, and the first election was ordered to be held in the house of August Kell. It was given all the territory in townships 28. 29 and 30, in range 7 east, although a small portion lying east of the Wisconsin river was cut off from the main part of the town and had no means of communication with it, unless by the circuitous route to Wausau, or unless a crossing was made by boat, in the summer, or on the ice in the winter.

The town was given its name from U. E. Maine, who was probably the first settler ; he was a native American and at one time county surveyor. He had the largest farm when the town was organized. His wife was a woman of Chippewa descent, with whom he brought up a large family of very intelligent and industrious sons. He sold his farm in the latter part of the seventies to Matt. Gallon, who still owns and occupies the same. It was surmised at the time of the sale that the desire of U. E. Maine to keep his children from associating with Indians prompted him to sell his fami and move west. He had nearly eighty acres cleared and under good cultivation when he sold.

There is a small saw mill owned by Hackbarth & Laatsch, not operating at present, but which will be running in a short time again. One brickyard opened by Frank Mathie in 1868 is still making excellent brick; it is owned and conducted over thirty years by William Garske. Its close proximity to the city of Wausau is a strong point in favor of this establishment.

For the purpose of testing the lands of Marathon county on the productiveness of apple culture, the state rented ten acres for a long term of years and planted apple trees, with the best of success. It proved without doubt that apples can be raised with profit and that soil as well as climate are favorable to the culture. Encouraged by the result, B. F. Wilson, who owns a farm not over four miles from the city, has put a number of acres into an orchard and the young trees planted promise the best results. The farm with the experimental state orchard is now owned by Jacob Gensman of Wausau or his son.

The German ^Methodist church is probably the first, certainly one of the first Protestant congregations organized in this county, the first minister gathering the flock together appearing here either at about the same time, or a very little earlier, than Reverend Stricter, who organized the Evangelical Lutheran congregation at Naugard, in the town of Berlin.

It was in the time from 1859 to i860 that a missionary minister, the Reverend Pfefiler, from came in this territory and held religious sen-ice for the congregation at stated times. There was for some time no church building and sen-ice was held in a private house, but the members kept up their organization and adhered to each other. The next minister to visit it was Reverend Schaeffler, who held service in the house of one Pophal, and after him came Rev. WiUiam Meyer, under whose direction a log house was erected for a church at the site of the present church in the year 1861. Reverend Scheffler was succeeded by Rev. Nicholas Eiffler, and with the growth of the congregation in numbers and their better material condition a fine church edifice and parsonage was erected in the early eighties. It was dedicated by Rev. John Beinert. The first resident pastor was Rev. Conrad Eberhard, who was succeeded by Rev. Philip Hummel. The minister of this congregation also served two congregations, one in the town of Rib Falls and one in the town of Coming, at that time in town of Berlin in this county, now in Lincoln county, both of which congregations have neat church edifices. The present resident minister is Reverend Wagner.

The oldest of the Evangelical Lutheran churches has its edifice at the postoffice, Taegersville, the organization of which dates back to the first organization of the Lutheran churches in Marathon county. It was united in the beginning with the congregation in Naugard, town of Berlin, and both had Rev. J. J. Hoffmann as their pastor, and afterwards Rev. William Hudt- I6ff, until the Naugard congregation separated. The first church was a log building put up over fifty years ago. A new church was built in 1899. Its name is the "Immanual's" church, and its trustees are Karl Klinger and Fred Hintz. The resident pastor is Rev. August J. Koepp.

Another German Evangelical Lutheran congregation has a fine church building on the Merrill road, in township 30, which was built over twenty-five years ago, with a large membership. The resident pastor is Rev. Joseph Fiehler and he serves another congregation as a mission in the town of Scott, in Lincoln county.

Another congregation of the same faith was organized about 1868 in the southern part of the town and held their sendee in a schoolhouse, where a minister from Wausau visited them, until a fine church was built in the year 1895. Its trustees are: H. Marquardt, F. Schuett and K. Ziebell. The religious services are now conducted by Rev. Aug. J. Koepp.

A fourth congregation was organized and erected its church in 1886- 1887, the most prominent members of the time of its organization being John Kufahl, Edw. Nass and John F. Strehlow. It has a resident minister in the person of Reverend Meyer.

The Town Of Wten

This town was set off from the town of Marathon November 12, 1867, and estabhshed as a separate town, the first election to be on town meeting day in the following year. The town was named after the capital of Austria (Vienna), the first settler in that territory having come to America from that city, where he had followed the occupation of a "ladies' tailor." When asked how he came to go so far from every settlement, he said he had bought his land in Pittsburg, from speculators, and was shown a plat representing the city of Marathon City, showing the steamboat landing, church, schoolhouse, market square, and was told that the country was well settled, and more settlers streaming into that territory; that Ijelieving in these statements, he did not wish to be too close to the city, because he wanted to keep cattle and expected to have more pasture room some distance away from Marathon City, and took up the land eight miles further west. When he came up there the bunch of settlers going to Marathon City, had not yet arrived ; he found neither road nor path to go there, and returned to Berlin and waited for some of the settlers, with whom he came to Mosinee again, and they then made a sort of road to Marathon City, and he had a sun-eyor show him his land eight miles further west. He did not go with the very first settlers who went up to Marathon City by canoe, but waited for the second arrivals.

Being the first settler in that territory, the town was named after his home city, the other large cities having already been remembered by naming the towns of Berlin and Stettin. Charles IMarquardt. Fred Hamann, Fred Baumann and William Garbrecht came later in the same fall, and some miners from Pittsburg, who did not remain, and returned to Pittsburg, and refusing to pay taxes, preferred to lose their land rather than undergo the hardships of pioneer life.

The town of Wien, being township 28, range 4 east, is distinguished by a more gently swelling surface, no hills of any dimensions are in this township. Of the oldest settlers, only one, Fred Baumann, is still alive, and he emigrated to the Far West about twelve years ago, where he is in good circumstances, having invested in western lands to good advantage.

This town was always distinguished for good schools, there being the town school system in vog^ie, by which the whole territory was taxed for school purposes, and the income divided among the school districts.

There are two German Evangelical Lutheran churches in the town, both on the extreme west, which give the people of the town of Frankfort a chance to attend and become members of the congregation, the eastern portion attending divine service in the village of Edgar.

In the early years of the settlement Rev. J. J. Hoffmann, and after him Rev. William Hudtloff, visited the congregation monthly and held service in the schoolhouses, while the few Catholic pioneers attended service in Marathon City, they being near the east side of the township.

A regular congregation was organized in the year 1885 and a church built in the same year, and Pastor Busch was the first resident minister. He did not remain long, and was succeeded by Rev. P. K. Pitzler, who remained until 1890, when he was followed by Rev. P. Karl Schmlaz of Oconto county, who has been continually in charge to this day. Under his pastorage, the congregation progressed in every way, the membership is trebled, the church renovated and newly furnished, without any debts on the property. The congregation also owns a parochial schoolhouse.

There is a Ladies' Society, a Young Men's Society, a male and a mixed choir. The same pastor also founded the St. Peter's congregation in Fenwood as a mission from Wausau and another at Stratford. The original congregation in the town of Wien celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary in 19 10; it has a membership of 115 families in the town of Wien, 56 in the village of Stratford and 10 in Fenwood. The congregations are served by the same pastor, who has been the resident minister in the town of Wien for the last twenty-three years, and they live in the utmost harmony.

Another congregation organized and held their meetings in the schoolhouse and were visited by a minister from Colby, and in 1886 this congregation also built a church, small, though big enough for their wants, and in the year 1908, when it had grown to larger numbers, built a church edifice of large dimensions, solid brick and thoroughly well finished. It has a resident minister since the church was built. Reverend Schieman, and the two churches are near each other, and the best of hannony prevails between both con.gregations. Like the other congregation, it has its Ladies' Aid Society, choirs and Young Men's Association. About seventy families belong to this congregation.

The Town Of Bergen

The town of Bergen was created January 10, 1870. to consist of township 26. north of ranges 2, 3, 4, 5. 6 and that part of range 7 lying west of the Wisconsin river. Its first chairman and representative in the county board was the pioneer, John Week. There was at that time no other settlement in this town than the saw mill of John Week, which was one of the old established mills in the county on the Big Eau Plein river, and was a large mill where millions of feet of white pine were annually manufactured.

There were a few settlers in that town in what was known, or became later known as the Campbell settlement, where farming was a negligible quantity. With the building of the Wisconsin Valley Railroad a station was established called Hutchington, now Dancy, on the extreme east of the town. As soon as the station was established, John Week or the town rather, built a good road to that station and lumber was taken from the mill for shipment.

The lower course of the Little Eau Plein river which flows through the town, is sluggish and fomis "Rice Lake," and the land along the river is low and wet, with a rich deposit of alluvial humus and fertile subsoil. In later years much of this land has been drained and makes the best of garden land.

Besides this joint school district there are five schools in this town and three churches. One, a Norwegian Lutheran church, is visited by Rev. O. T. Boe of Wausau ; a German Lutheran visited by Reverend Wagner of Junction City, and a Methodist church visited by Reverend Scott of Brokaw, who conduct the religious services.

Town Of Hull

Hull was the first town organized on the "line," having been established on March 3, 1873. It took its name from David B. Hull, the pioneer settler mentioned in an earlier chapter. Its first representative in the county board of Marathon county was D. B. Hull, after whom the town was named. Its territory was limited to township 28, range 2 east ; on the same day the county board established also the town of Brighton, but the act estabhshing town of Brighton was repealed in the same session, leaving "Hull" as the only town from the "line."

This town was more rapidly settled by farmers than any of the others; the good government lands which could be taken under the homestead law, within from one to ten miles from a railroad line were very inviting to landless men, and had much to do with the rapid growth. There is now one saw mill in the town at a place called "Cherokee," a little distance north from Colby. The mill is owned and operated by E. V. Kautzki, of Colby, who buys logs and does custom sawing for farmers. With this exception the population is composed of farmers. The first settlers were, with but few exceptions, native Americans, but there has been a change. Most of the farmers are now naturalized citizens of Gennan and Slavic descent.

There is one Presbyterian and one Methodist congregation, each having a neat frame church, with ministers holding regular services coming from Abbotsford, most of the settlers belonging to some of the congregations in the nearby villages or the city of Colby.

Town Of Brighton

This town was organized in the year 1874. The settlement dates back to the building of the Wisconsin Central, when the first homesteaders went into that town, referred to in chapter on "Early Settlements." As a rule, they were American born, many of them veterans of the Civil war. The Gennan emigration came somewhat later, but in the years 1879 and 1880 there was already a good sprinkling of German farmers in that town. August Bruesewitz, William Martin, and August Luepke being among the first to move in, and they reside upon their splendid farms to this day.

The first chairman of the town was J. H. Cook, who removed to Appleton in 1883. The town is well settled now, as appears from the census reports of 1910. There are four school districts, each with one good, modern, up-to-date schoolhouse.

Two small saw mills exist in the town, one owned by the Upham Manufacturing Company, of Marshfield, and one owned by Anderson Brothers, which are still operating.

One German Lutheran church exists, whose history dates back to 1878. The members, being then twelve voting members, undoubtedly included nearly the entire German settlement. The congregation was organized by Rev. W. C. Schilling in October, 1878, and a small frame structure was erected in 1881, which gave way to the present fine, large brick edifice, which was erected in 1910. The congregation consists at preseint of 46 voting members and 180 communicating members. It also supports a parochial school, where the resident minister teaches the children the doctrines of Christianity. The first minister was Rev. W. C. Schilling, who remained with the congregation until 1880, followed by Rev. J. Schuetty, who remained four years and who was succeeded by Rev. F. Siebrandt, who remained until 1893; from 1893 ^ 1899 Rev. J. Todt had charge, and from 1899 to 1909 Rev. A. F. Imm attended to the spiritual wants of the society. He was succeeded by Rev. K. E. J. Schmidt, who remained three years, and since November 4, 191 2, the congregation has been in charge of the present resident minister. Rev. A. F. Ziehlsdorff.

It may seem a little curious that there is neither cheese factory nor creamery in this town, but that is easily explained by the fact that the settlement is so near the railroad line and the milk is taken to the factories at the stations along the railroad.

The Town Of Holeton

The town of Holeton was established September 16, 1875, and organized with the election of town officers in the spring of 1876; A. G. Stoughton was the first chainnan of this town. Its territory was confined to township 29, north of range 2 east. The early settlers of this town were, without hardly an exception, men who took the land under the Homestead Act. as mentioned in earlier chapters. Their hardships as pioneers have been related, and also how the exemption of the lands of the Wisconsin Central Railroad from taxation bore hard on them, but the town of Holeton is now as fine a fanning town as any in the county. It is particularly distinguished for its good roads.

How did it happen that this town succeeded in getting good roads sooner than most other towns? The answer is that roads were made after a plan and according to a system. First, the road was cut out its full width to let the sun shine on it and dry the ground, and the stumps were removed out of the traveled path. Secondly, the water was drained and kept off the road, which is the most important part in road-building. Thirdly, because the ground is good clay soil, not so much mixed with stones or rocks, which, when left in the traveled part, are apt to cause holes where the wheel slides off a rock.

which on the first rain fills with water and becomes deeper; and, lastly, because the roads seemed to receive better care from officers and overseers.

Of the pioneers few are left; time has thinned them out; some have died, some sold out and gone to other parts, and the present old settlers are of the group that came in after 1877. Among those still on the land who came with the building of the railroad are : Charles S. Ouimette, who now is and for thirty years was the town clerk of the town, with hardly an interruption; he still occupies his original farm with his family. Others of the earliest settlers still on their lands are Charles Brown, Gustav Striebe, Henry Jacoby, and the Kleinmann family.

In this town, consisting of thirty-six sections, and a comparatively new town, too, the farmers supply with milk one creamery and five cheese factories, which bring a good income to them without going to the market.

The town is divided in five school districts with six schoolhouses, district No. 3 having two schoolhouses, and all are modem, up-to-date buildings.

One German Evangelical Lutheran church was organized before 1900, and a minister from some neighboring town or village came to hold ser\-ice; but nine years ago a church was built and there are now regular services held by the resident minister of the village of Dorchester. Many of the families of this town are members of the congregations in the near villages of Abbottsford, Colby, Dorchester and in the town of Johnson, which joins this town on the east.

The Town Of Hamburg

The town of Hamburg was set off from the town of Berlin February 10, 1876, to consist of township 30, ranges 3, 4 and 5. The first chairman and member of the county board was Carl Kleinschmidt. Hamburg was settled simultaneously with Berlin and Maine, but the settlers remained few and their number grew slowly. They were all Gennan emigrants for a good many years, coming from Pomerania, in Gennany, the same province from where nearly the whole German emigrants hailed.

When the fanners of the present town of Hamburg made application to the county board for a separate town organization, township 30, range 5, was well settled, but only two families were in range 4, township 30. Range 6, the present town of Berlin, was as well settled as it is today, but the famis were smaller, of course, although farms with sixty acres clearing were many.

Fred. Sellin had been for many years town clerk of the old town of Berlin, and the suit against the Wisconsin Central Railroad to stop the issuing of the bonds to that road, was carried on in his name. Politically he was the most prominent man in the town for many years, and lived in the territory organized as the town of Hamburg and became the town clerk and the organizer of the new town.

The splendid white pine stood all through the hardwood forest of that town and furnished the logs which kept several mills running in this town for years, and there is a good supply of white pine standing in this township yet, although at this time the whole township is settled and big famis are on every section. The pioneers have nearly all gone to the long rest, but their children occupy and own the lands and fane farms which they helped to make.

The saw mills existing in this town, built after 1880, have all quit operations and have been removed ; still much timber from this town is supplied to keep the Sellin mill in operation, which lies in the town of Berlin at the boundary line between the two towns.

At Ziegler Postoffice, which is also on the same boundary line in the town of Berlin, being range line between ranges 6 and 5, there is in the town of Hamburg a cheese box factory, a feed mill, a lath and planing mill which is owned and operated by William Krinke; a tavern kept by Henry Huehnerf uss ; a store by Bean ; and a blacksmith and wagonmaker shop kept by Albert J. Bothner.

A good old road runs along the range line from the north county line as far south as the town of Emmett ; at Ziegler's it is crossed by the Wausau and Athens road and quite a country business place has sprung up at the crossing of the road, being known in popular parlance as "Little Chicago."

In the town of Berlin, at Little Chicago, there is the store of William Beilke carrying a large stock of general merchandise, and a shoemaker and harness shop conducted by Leo Brandt. A cheese factory is three-fourths of a mile east from Little Chicago in the town of Berlin, and another one mile west on the same road, where there is another store carried on by E. Helke. All together there are one creamery and four cheese factories in the town of Hamburg, and much cream is collected by the creamery in Athens.

Four German Evangelical Lutheran churches, each with a substantial good church edifice, testify to the Christian character of the community. At least two of these congregations, and probably three, trace their beginning back to the Rev. J. J. Hoffman, who was the first resident pastor in the town of Berlin - which included Hamburg at that time - and to his successor Rev. William Hudtloff.

The trustees of this congregation are A. Hoff, A. Mueller, F. Zastrow, and Frank Marth. The present pastor of this congregation, Rev. A. Koepp, resides in the first parsonage built in the town of Berlin for Rev. J. J. Hoffman. He has several missions besides the St. Peter's congregation.

The German Evangelical Lutheran St. John's congregation built its present church in the year 1893; forty-three families belong to this congregation.

The German Evangelical Lutheran St. Paul's congregation built their present edifice in 1895. The number of families which hold membership is twenty-six.

The last three mentioned congregations have been for the last ten years under the spiritual care of Rev. J. Fraund, who resides in the parsonage adjacent to the St. John's (Johannis') church. All these congregations have joint or separate parochial schools.

Town Of Spencer

The town of Spencer was organized in 1877, to consist of township 26, range 2 east. Its first chairman was John K. Hayward. The Wisconsin Central Railroad enters the township on the southeast corner and runs practically exactly diagonally through the township. It seems that the first homestead entered in all the territory along the Wisconsin Central line was made in this town. The earliest settlers in this as in other towns along the line of the Wisconsin Central were native Americans, many of them veterans of the Civil war. The German emigration set in afterwards, and a great majority of the town of Spencer belongs to that nationality. Some of the earliest farm settlers in that town who made fine profitable fanns were: Charles Rienow who died about six years ago (but his family occupies the fann) and Gottfried Riendfleisch, Aug. Griepentrog, and Charles Cramer, who have excellent farms, although the clearing and getting out the stumps was unusually hard in that town because of the very large pine stumps which were on the land. There is a little saw mill in that town owned by the Consolidated Farm Company, which is doing some custom sawing for farmers. There are two cheese factories located in this town. The town is divided into three school districts, each having a good modern schoolhouse. The largest part of the settlement is on the east and north side of the town.

in the western portion of Marathon county settled through the efforts of Fred. Rietbrock, of Milwaukee, and the town was justly given his name. The first settlers were of Polish nationality, in their majority workmen from Milwaukee who bought their land on favorable terms from Rietbrock. Most of them succeeded by hard work, industr}', and economy in becoming well to do farmers and able to give their children a fair start in life, which they would hardly have been able to do in the congested district where they came from. Some of the newcomers returned to Milwaukee after a short stay, being unable to accustom themselves to the lonesome work in the woods, but the majority remained, and with the influx of more settlers, Germans among them, the burdens of the new settlement were more easily borne.

In a few years the growing village of Athens furnished a market for logs, there being the saw mill of Fred. Rietbrock and a grist mill at Rib Falls was already in existence not to exceed from three to ten miles from the settlement.

A postoffice named "Poniatowski" was established where Joseph Chessak kept a store and took the farm produce in exchange for goods and helped the farm settlement along to the best of his ability.

There is now one creamery and one cheese factory established in this town, and there is a good market for all sorts of logs and cordwood at Athens.

The town is divided into four school districts, with as many good schoolhouses. It is an undisputable fact that the crop of children in ]\Iarathon county, especially among the farming population, is above the average.

At Poniatowski there are two Catholic churches, both fine, large brick buildings, and a similar parsonage, all in close proximity. The population is largely of that faith, but being of Polish and German nationality, the desire to have the sermon preached in their mother tongiie, in the language which they best understand, was the detemiining factor in the erection of the two churches. Rev. Florian Kuppke is the resident rector of both churches. He speaks not only the Polish and German languages, but is just as proficient in the English tongue, and there is complete harmony between both congregations.

The Holy Family Polish Church was founded in the year 1882. The first priest was Reverend Macz^mski. and after him came Rev. A. Gara, under whose patronage the first church was built in 1S88. and who remained with the congregation until 1898. He was succeeded by several priests until the present rector, Rev. Florian Kuppka, arrived in July, 1908. The membership of this congregation is ninety-five families.

The Town Of Day

The town of Day was created June 10, 1881, and elected Andrew Daul as its first chairman at the ensuing next spring election. There were a few settlers in a part of this territory, which moved into the same from Week's mill on the Big Eau Pleine river, which settlement was known as the "Campbell" settlement, to which reference has already been made. These first settlers made not much headway as fanners, and the country was substantially new when the Wisconsin Railroad ran its line north of Stevens Point and on the west line of Marathon county. Many of the new settlers that came after the railroad ran to Marshfield were farmers from the southern part of the state - from Dodge, Jefferson, Washington, and Ozaukee counties. Being conversant with clearing of new lands and having some means, it was but a few years when this town showed big farms finely cultivated. It was in this town and in the neighboring town of McMillan that corn was first raised in large quantities and the fact established that corn can be grown profitably in this county. This town consists of only one township, but supplies one creamery and three cheese factories with milk, although it must be classed among the younger towns, that is, later settled.

The Catholic Church - This congregation organized as early as 1880 and built its first church edifice in 1881. After a few years it became necessary to enlarge it. When the first church was built there were only twentyeight families to worship in it. The edifice was enlarged by building a sanctuarium 16 feet by 16 feet. It was at that time a mission of the parish at Marathon City, Rev. J. Reiser holding regular religious services; later it was attached to Marshfield, which was much nearer in point of distance. In 1892 a parsonage was built, and in 1893 Rev. A. Schauenberg became the first resident priest at Rozelville. Soon after his arrival, the present fine large church was built, and in 1904 an elegant two-story parochial schoolhouse with full basement was erected. The schoolhouse has three depart- ments and a chapel. The cost of the building was $18,000, but it could not be replaced for the same amount now. Church, school and parsonage are heated with furnace and water plant. The parochial school was erected under the pastorage of Rev. P. Trierweiler. The congregation has now 105 members, meaning by that heads of families. The growth of this congregation is also the growth of the town. There are three school sisters to attend to the teaching, and one sister attends to the house work. The present rector of the parish is Rev. Math. Wernerus.

The Evangelical Lutheran congregation has a neat frame church on section 4, where regular service is held by Reverend Thorn, the resident pastor in Marshfield.

The Town Of Johnson

This town was created November 15, 1883, to consist of township 30, ranges 4 and 3 east, and in the following spring John Junke was elected its first chairman. At that time is was very sparsely settled, but the fine hardwood lands attracted settlers and Fred Rietbrock doing his best to advertise his lands and bring newcomers into the country. The town of Johnson is now well settled with many good cultivated fanns and has good substantial buildings. The farmers supply one creamery and one cheese factory with sufficient milk to run the whole season.

The Abbotsford-Eastern Railroad, now owned by the Sault St. Marie & M. R. R. runs through the town from Athens to Abbotsford and has two stations; the first one out from Athens is called Corinth, and there is a general merchandise store kept by Stallmann Brothers. There is also a landingplace for loading logs hauled east to Athens and west to other stations.

The next station is called Milan, from "Milano," where there is a saw and planing mill owned and operated by Martin Ellingson, and a store conducted by his fimi. Also a hardware store kept by George Blank, a blacksmith shop by H. Otterlein, a meat market by Mr. Leonhard with some other houses, making quite a village.

Five school districts each with a new modern schoolhouse provide ample room and opportunity for the instruction of the numerous children in that community.

There are two German Evangelical Lutheran congregations ha\ing churches in the village, but no resident pastor. In one of the churches the resident minister from Athens holds divine service, and in the other a minister from Colby comes for that purpose.

At another little village in the southern part of the town called "Wuertzburg," there was a Catholic congregation organized in the year 1905 and a church built by the same in 1906. This was first a mission of the Catholic church of Edgar, but since the church was finished in 1906, this parish was assigned to Rev. Anthony E. Muehlenkamp, the rector of the St. Mary's Catholic church in Athens. The membership consists now of thirty-five families, living in the towns of Johnson, Wien, and Frankfort. The foremost promoters of this congregation were Joseph Kremsreiter, Joseph Hilger, Joseph Reis, Ludwig Kremsreiter, Martin Rodlinger, Anton Schmirler, and Jacob Mollig. The congregation is in a flourishing condition and so rapidly increasing that an addition is already contemplated.

The Town Of Halsey

The town of Halsey covers township 30, range 4 east, and was set off from the town of Hamburg November 15, 1883. At the ensuing spring election William Rietz was duly elected the first chairman of the town. As indicated by its name, the town was largely settled through the efforts of Fred. Rietbrock of the law firm of Johnson, Rietbrock & Halsey. Carl Fiebke operates a saw mill on the line of the logging railroad running from Athens nearly straight north to the county line and then into Lincoln county. There is a large crop of logs taken out by this road every year.

This town was one of the hardest for the settlers to reach, because the distance to Wausau from its nearest point was twenty-four miles and twelve miles to the line of the Wisconsin Central, west, but there was no road to it for years. The absence of roads made the township hard of approach and delayed settlement. Some of the first settlers, who had come at the end of the fifties, John Millert and Ziebell, left and abandoned their farms in that town after having made quite an improvement.

The town is now fairly well settled, and roads lead in every direction, more particularly to Athens, which is the trading point for the whole of this town, and one cheese factory has been established for some years, giving a good market to the farmers for their milk.

This town was set off from the town of Mosinee November 14, 1884, and organized in the spring of 1885, electing its town officers with Edw. Hayes as chairman - a deser\'ed compliment to the oldest settler in the territoryconstituting the new town. Grover Cleveland had been elected president in the same fall, and the town honored him by taking his name. It embraces township 27, range 4 east.

This town fomied part of the "Irish Settlement," as the name of the first settlers sufficiently indicate, namely : Hayes, Hughes, Bradley and others, whose descendents are living in the town on large, good cultivated farms. Other old settlers are the brothers Kurtzweile. The German emigration set in after the building of the Wisconsin Central Railroad and the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad from \\'ausau to Marshfield, among the first of that nationality being the Kaiser family and Louis Spindler.

The Chicago & Northwestern enters this town one-half a mile southwest from Fenwood and leaves the town at Stratford on the west. On the south side of the town is situated a railroad, running east from Stratford to section 10 in township 27, range 5 east, in town of Emmett. It was originally built as a logging railroad by the Connor Company to supply their mill at Stratford with logs, but it was obliged to incorporate under the law as a general railroad in order to exercise the right of eminent domain.

One saw mill, doing custom sawing, exists in this town and is owned by Albert Naehring. There are two cheese factories, having a large output.

A Gennan Evangelical Reformed congregation has a fine frame church building and pastorage, where Reverend Schroedel is the resident minister. It is a strong united congregation existing for about 23 years.

The town of Eau Pleine was set oft' from the town of Brighton on November 14, 1884, and in the election the following spring, the town elected its first officers with Edw. Lessig as chairman. The territory of this town is township 27, range 3 east.

Two large saw mills were running in this town before its organization and have been in operation ever since. One, the "Stadts" mill, so-called, is situated on the Northwestern railroad, about two miles southwest from Strat- ford; the other owned by the firm of Dowd, Sons & Co., is situated at the little village of March Rapids nearly in the center of the north boundary line of the township.

A logging railroad extended from the village of McMillan six miles into this town, hauling the logs to the McMillan Brothers' mill at the village of McMillan. This mill has shut down for good for want of timber. There are two cheese factories in this town.

The farni settlement in this town was very weak in numbers when the town was organized. The town is now fairly well settled, especially the western part. The religious sen-ices were held sometimes in private houses under the lead of a visiting minister. In the year 1899 an organization was effected and the services were held in a schoolhouse in the village of March Rapids. In 1899 the congregation was incorporated and a church building was erected, 34x52 feet in dimensions in the year 1900. The resident minister of the Evangelical Lutheran church of the town of Mcj\Iillan ministered to the spiritual needs of the congregation, consisting of thirty-one families. The present pastor is Rev. August Paetz, resident minister of the Evangelical Lutheran St. Peter's congregation in the town of McMillan.

A few Catholic families in this town erected a chapel over 20 years ago at a place called "Weber town," which is now a mission of the Catholic parish in the village of Stratford.

The Town Of Kronenwetter

was set off from the town of Mosinee November 12, 1886, to consist of township 27, range 8, and all of township 27, range 7, lying east of the Wisconsin river. It was named after the pioneer Sebastian Kronenwetter, who was duly elected as its first chairman. At the time of its organization there were but few fanners in the town, and the only industrial enterprise therein was the saw mill of S. Kronenwetter located on Bull Junior, where it empties into the Wisconsin river.

The town has undergone a great chance since. New settlers have come and large farms with good substantial buildings are now the rule not the exception. The little saw mill on Bull Junior is no longer operated, but another establishment of large dimensions exists now in this town. It is the plant of the the first complete plant of this kind built in the United States, which is a source of great pride taken by the citizens of W'ausau and of Marathon county, as showing the great advance made in this county in industrial pursuits, and as an example of what the splendid water power of the Wisconsin river is to be used for in the future. At this plant there is manufactured both sulphate pulp and sulphate paper, popularly known as Kraft pulp and paper. The mill manufactures about 50 tons of pulp a day and 30 tons of finished paper. The latter is used mainly as wrapping paper, although it is also used for sandpaper, bag paper, cover paper, and envelope paper. In the manufacture of this pulp there is utilized the various coniferous woods that grow in our country. The mill also uses to some extent the refuse from the saw mills. In the erection and planing of this mill special attention was given to the welfare of the employes in the heating, lighting, and the ventilation of the rooms. The main building is 548 by 74 feet, and contains rooms for paper machines, beaters, wet machines, and screens, washing tanks, digesters and alkali tanks. Another building is 160 by 80 feet and contains boiler rooms and soda recovery department. The third building is of wood 120 by 40 feet, a four-story building with basement. Besides there are several smaller buildings and the pump house. The chimney is 205 feet high. The power house is located in the village of Mosinee across the river on the spot where the Joseph Dessert mill was operated for so many years. It stands about 2,000 feet away from the factory proper, and has two A. C. generators with a capacity of 2,000 K. \V.

The machines in the paper mill are driven practically each by an individual motor drive. The mill, power house and dams are constructed in the most substantial manner, and the machinery is the outcome of the latest development in pulp and paper mill machinery construction. The total output of sulphate pulp and Kraft paper manufactured in 19 12 was 10.200 tons of pulp and 6.600 tons of paper. The production is increasing so that there is now a daily output of thirty tons of paper and fifty tons of pulp. The mill employs 200 men. The company was incorporated in 1910 with a capital stock of $700,000.

The officers of this corporation are : President and manager, Carl Mathie ; vice president, Louis Dessert; secretary, W. C. Landon; treasurer, F. P. Stone, who with Neal Brown, M. C. Ewing, G. D. Jones, and B. F. Mc- Millan constitute the board of directors.

And Representative Citizens 567 The Town Of Pike Lake

This town was created December 30, 1886, and had for its first representative in the county board and chainnan, August Marks. Its present territory consist of townships 26 and 27, range 9 east. The settlement of this town began from Portage county after the building of the Wisconsin Central railroad; for many years there was no communication or road to W'ausau, the county seat, and people did their trading at Stevens Point. Then roads were opened and good communication from Wausau to Bevant, the village in this town, and clear to the south boundary line at a little place called "Pike Lake," by roads, also telephone connections, exist now.

The soil of that territory is excellently adapted for the raising of potatoes and corn. Some farmers raise thousands of bushels of the root crop, especially since the railroad takes them to market. The Chicago & Northwestern Railroad runs a railroad clear through townships 27 and 26 in range 10 from Eland junction to Roshhold in Portage county, which is near enough to enable the farmers to market their crop at this railroad.

The inhabitants of Pike Lake are nearly all of Polish nationality with few Bohemians and Germans. There is a little village called Bevant, where there is the Catholic church and the meeting place of the people. At that place are two stores keeping general merchandise; one is being conducted by Roman Woijtasik, another by Peter Knippel ; also a creamery operated on the cooperative plan by farmers. A blacksmith shop is conducted by Joseph Cherek. J. Wanta operates a portable saw mill in this town.

The first Catholic church and parsonage was built about 1883, but a large new edifice was erected in 1896 at a cost of $15,000. It is contemplated to commence building a parochial school this year. About 200 families are members of this congregation. The present rector of the church is Rev. Ignatius Latorski.

The Town Of Norrie

in the spring of 1887, with I. AI. Jennie as chaimian. It was organized as a separate town in the year 1887 with townships 26 and 27 north of range 10 east as its territory.

There is a very beautiful small lake in that town, known as "Mayflower" lake, on the shores of which are several very neat cottages belonging to Wausau people who spend their summer vacation there. The Chicago & Northwestern Railway traverses the town, the railroad station being eighteen miles east from Wausau. Like all the rest of Marathon county, this part was heavily timbered, there being little logging done until the railroad ran through the town on its way to Wausau, in 1880. Then a number of saw mills came in, one at the village at Norrie, which sawed a very large amount for nearly twenty years, and then shut down. The earliest settler in that town - in the village rather, before there were any farmers around there - was Richard Jewsen who built a hotel in the village and a saw mill. He died some years ago and his saw mill quit running when the timber near the mill was exhausted. There is now one little saw mill in the village operated by William Kuehn. who does custom sawing mainly.

The farm settlement is still light, but there is another village in the same town named Hatley, where there also were saw mills which have disappeared.

At Hatley there is a Polish Catholic church styled the St. Florian church, which was erected in 1898, while Reverend Garus was in charge of the congregation. The first organization of the parish goes back to February of that year. First services were held in the schoolhouse, then R. E. Parcher who operated the mill at that time gave the society fifteen acres of land for a church site, and in the same year the church was built and consecrated. For some years there was no resident pastor, and the services were conducted after Reverend Garus by Rev. Leo Jankowski, Rev. John Adamowski, and Rev. John Kula. The spiritual affairs were conducted later on by the Franciscan Fathers of Green Bay for nearly a year up to July, 1903, and by Rev. Hieronimous Schneider. The following pastors visited once or twice a month and held service, to-wit : Stan. Elbert, Ladislaus Slisz. Then the following became the resident pastors: Rev. Ignatius Mordaski, Rev. Joseph Miller, Rev. J. Orlowski. and the present pastor, Rev. John Karcz. Under the administration of the last named one, the church debt has been paid, and $1,200 are now in the treasury for the purpose of erecting a new and larger church. It is expected that in the year 1913 a new edifice will be built, for which plans have been adopted; it is to be a solid brick building 135 by 50 feet. The congregation was very small when originally organized.

but now it nmnbers over 135 families. It belongs now to the diocese of La Crosse. The present trustees are : Rev. John Karsz, president ; John Kozmeja, secretary, and John Podjaski, treasurer.

The Congregationalists have a church in the village of Norrie, named the First Congregational Church at Norrie, which was organized on February 22, 1892, with Rev. Margeret Elliot as pastor and nineteen members, and the present house of worship erected during the same year. Since that time some of the old members have moved away, some (Norwegians) have joined the Scandinavian church, which has been organized since, and others have come to take their places. The present congregation numbers eighteen and it has no resident pastor. The Sunday school has been kept up regularly, is well attended and has a total membership of sixty, including home department and cradle roll. Mrs. A. R. Bucknam is the clerk of the congregation, and to her earnest and faithful work is due the continuous flourishing condition of the congregation.

The Town Of Eldron

This town was organized with the election of town officers in the spring of 1888 and I. S. IngersoU was elected the first chairman. When established the town embraced townships 26 and zj in range 10 east, but later township 27 was set ofif and established as the town of Franzen.

This town borders on Shawano and corners with Waupacca county, and some settlers came in from that territory before the building of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad, now the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. A spur track of that road runs now clear through these two townships in range 10, and into Portage county to a place named "Roshhold," giving passenger service although the main trafific consists in taking out freight, such as logs and farm produce. There was much logging and lumbering done in this town after the railroad came in, and not much attention was fiven to farming. The mills have now all gone out, except one syiall saw mill owned by August Sigasz, which is doing cvistom sawing for farmers.

Farms have become larger and more in numbers lately, and there is sufficient stock to keep one creamery supplied with milk all during the season, and milk is shipped out by railroad. The best farms are on the eastern portion of the town, and there is also the biggest population at present, and it is fast advancing as a farming community.

The largest farm is owned by A. J. Plowman, who has a fine stock of registered Guernsey cows and is a very successful breeder of this class of cattle. The population is mixed, there being Germans, native Americans, Scandinavians, Polish, and Scotch people, the Gennans seemingly to be the most numerous. The first settlers in this town were Calvin Day, who came in 1880, and G. V. Ackerman and Joseph Hall, Samuel \\'illiams, who came in 1882.

At the station "Eldron" quite a village has grown up where much business is done. The village is lit by electric lights; it has the central office of the Eldron Telephone Company which has toll lines into ^^'ausau, Roshhold. \^'ittenberg. Eland Junction, and Bevant. John Dexter has a carpenter shop, and another one is W^illiam E. Allen. Ed. Vance is the blacksmith and wagonmaker of the village.

Stores keeping general merchandise are conducted by Thomas O. Thompson, Mr. Charbeneau, and T. M. Hicks. A. J. Plowman conducts a flour and feed warehouse, and the Stark Company and P. X. Peterson conduct potato warehouses. Potatoes are an important article of commerce and are shipped in large quantities from this locality. There is a hotel kept by Fred. Evert and a restaurant by William Donahue. A canthook stock factory is run by the Eldron Produce Company.