Fall Creek Village

Fall Creek Village

The following is a paper sent to Reinhold Lieban by Mr. Zeui])el, of Fall Creek, and as far as known was written by some nuMiiber of his family.

"History is a regular record of events arranged in chronological order. A very large part of school time during the first eight years is used in studying United States history, but little attention is paid to the story of our state's achievements, and we possess almost uo knowledge of our pioneer father's trouble while laying the foundation for what is noAV the prosperous and wholesome little village of Fall Creek. George Washington, it is true, was a great patriot and has attained an enviable place in our history as a sturdy pioneer, but so was Christopher Zimmerman. We revel in tales of frontier hardihood and our blood is thrilled by the recital of the doeds of Boone, Clark and Whitman, while they were winning- hoims from wildest nature and transforming the wooded slojx's into peaceful valleys. Did you ever stop to think that just such was the duty of Arthur Buck, Henry Horel and Jefferson Scott? So it will be my pleasure to call you back to some slight recognition of the fact that all things were not alwaj's as we know them, but that our security and comfort has come to us out of the hardships and struggles of many that were once well known but are now likely forgotten. The first settlers came here in 1850; Christopher Zimmerman cleared the first land in our vicinity. The early comers were Jim and Richard Horel, George Randall, Daniel Muenehow, J. M. Shong, Joseph Lindenthaler, Fred Reading and Daniel Zempel. They did not come in carriages before which pranced sleek and well fed horses, but in canvas covered wagons drawn by a team of oxen. These settlers did not build houses upon their arrival, but dug holes in the side of hills and covered them with twigs, or lived under their wagons. Next they cleared land in order to make the start for a small farm. This was very slow work and took a long time. After the land was cleared it had to be plowed or broken. The grain was not sowed or cut by machinery, but instead it was sown by hand and cut with a cradle. Nearly all supplies were gotten from Sparta. The lumber with which the dwellings were erected was gotten from Mr. Rheinke's woods aud sawed by Mr. Bens aud Mr. Jones, who owned the first sawmill which was located one aud a half miles northeast of here on the stream. At first there were but two roads which ran neaiour vicinity. One of these was the Pinery road, which followed the Eau Claire river, and the other was the stage road, which ran from Sparta through Black River Falls to Eau Claire. This was about half a mile south of our village. The early comers hardly ever took the stage coach, because it cost too much money. They would walk from Fall Creek to Eau Claire, a distance of twelve miles; there they wo\ild sell their produce at a very low price and come back the same day.

I can remember one of these piojieers telling me a storj' that may serve to illustrate the difficulty imder which they made their purchases. This is one of the stories of the times when he would go to Eau Claire with butter and eggs. Butter was sold for eight to ten cents per poimd and eggs for from five to six cents per dozen. You see these prices did not permit of any wild dissipation. At this particular time' the money for his produce, which was not very much, was invested in a jug of syrup. When he was almost home the horses made a side jump and the jug was broken, and low aud behold the beautiful golden liquid was in the wagon box. A pair of new boots had also been purcluised, and quick as thought the syrup was scraped up aud put into the boots. Who ever would now think of eating syrup brought home in a shoe? But what of that? They relished it even more than we do the delicious fudge made by some of our handsome village maids.

Fall Creek was surveyed in 1857. Our village gets its name from the stream which runs one-half mile north of here. The place where Herman Statenow is now located was the first boarding house erected ; it was owned by Mr. Murphy, but afterwards conducted by Mr. and Mrs. Randall. The first store was situated on Randall's corner, aud the next one was built where Mr. Patzwald's building now stands. PVed Reading owned the first blacksmith shop, which stood right across the street from where Mrs. Reading now lives. Mr. Reading frequently walked to Eau Claire, where he purchased heavy rods of iron to be used in blacksmithing. It was not uncommon for him to be forced to carry these rods home on his back. Michael Reading was the first dentist in our locality. He did not fill teeth with gold or silver, but was busily engaged in pulling them, as people did not know anything about filling teeth at that time. Neither chloro- form nor ether were ever used, probably never heard of. This was not because Mr. Keading Avas like our modern "painless dentists." He was fully able to hurt the patient just as much as tliey fiiii. l)ut among the trials and hardships which Avere daily met and coiKinci'cd a little thing like an aching tooth Avas hardly noticed. They just had them pulled; now Ave have them extracted. It sounds bigger, but I doubt if it makes the patient live longer. The first church services Avere conducted by Daniel MuenchoAV in a log cabin. It Avas not such as we hear today in a grand church, but although he was not a learned preacher he explained difficult parts of that Avhicli he read out of the Bible. A German Lutheran church Avas erected in 1873, Avith Rev. Julius Fredrich as minister. He served for twenty-seven years, Avlien Rev. Carl Baumbaeh Avas called, and is still the pastor in St. Jacob's church, Avhich was built in 1884.

Fall Creek is situated near a river and has a good Avater poAver, although it Avas not really used until 1867. In that year EdAvard Gessner erected a saAvmill. Mr. O'Mera and Hanaburg Avere the owners of the earliest flour mill, Avhicli Avas about two and oueJialf miles northeast of here, on the creek. Martin Martins owned the second flour mill, Avhich Avas started by Simon Randall, but before it Avas ready to start Mr. Randall Avas accidentally shot, and Mr. Martins purchased it. This mill changed hands a fcAv times until Mr. BrueseAAdtz became its OAvner. In 1903 the mill Avas destroyed by fire, and another one erected which is at present oAvned by P. 0. Vogler.

In 1869 the railroad Avas comjileted and trains stopjied to take on passengers half Avay betAveen the place Avliere R. 11. Zempel's farm is situated and where the depot noAv stands. The first depot was erected Avhere Mr. William Neibuhis's elevator now stands. That building burned doAvn and another one built on the same place, Avhich Avas later moved to its present location. At that time Fall Creek Avas called Cousins, in honor of a man in Eau Claire, but the people objecting to this name it Avas renamed Fall Creek. Our village is really built on the land Avhich Avas at one time OAvned by Mr. Lindenthaler. This village so increased in population that in 1890 it contained 450 people, and one building after another Avas erected. Today Ave boast of as good buildings as are to be found in any town of our size in the state. Probably few toAvns of our size anyAA'here can claim as many pretty and cheerful dAvellings as can Fall Creek.

1907 some of the moi-e progressive of our citizens could see wlicre incorporation as a village might aid. Accordiugly after the necessary legal steps we became a separate political unit entitled to our own representative upon the county board. As most of you doubtless remember, Mr. J. Zieman was our first president and J. E. Bartz our first supervisor. Much credit is due tlie lueii who have charge of our affairs as a village, for in this short time our streets have been wonderfully improved and substantial cement Avalks Avhicli are daily being added to have been placed on the imijortant highways. This brief recital of facts of our early history is by no means complete, but we hope that the truth has been told. Perhaps it may serve to excite your interest in events long gone bJ^ History is not all contained between tlie leaves of books. Let us who are living here in the ix'acc and security of the safeguard of our present government gratefully remember the struggles and hardships of the early pioneer settlers.

Fall Creek is a prosperous village of over five hundred people, situated on a creek of the same name, which is tribiitary to the Ean Claire river. The good water power runs a sawmill and a flour mill. The earliest settlers were the Horel brothers, George Randall, Joseph Lindenthaler, Daniel Muenchow, J. M. Shong, Fred Reading and Daniel Zempel. A German Lutheran church was erected in 1873 and Rev. Julius Fredrich, the first minister, served for twentj'-seven years, when he was followed by Rev. Carl Baumbach, the present pastor. The schools are good and since the incorporation of the village in 1907 the streets have been improved, many new houses have been erected, cement sidewalks laid and progress has been made steadily in many directions.