Glenbeulah Village

Glenbeulah Village

The land upon which Glenbeulah stands was chosen as farms by a Mr. Pool and H. P. Qark. As is the case with Greenbush, the Mullet river flows through a portion of the village. In 1857 settlers and building increased in the locality and that year Stephen and J. T. Dillingham, Edwin Slade and Joseph Swift, having bought land and the water power, put up flouring and sawmill, to which was added a store. In 1859 Edward Appleton and Joseph Swift as agents for a company that had been organized, platted the land into village lots. It was about this time that the Sheboygan & Mississippi railroad was being constructed and in the spring of i860 was completed to Glenbeulah, which for nine years thereafter was the road's western terminus. Here a postoffice was opened, February 7, i860, having been removed from Elkhart. The village was given its name by Mr. Appleton in remembrance of his mother, who first name was Beulah, to which he prefixed Glen.

In the Historical Review, of 1910, a journal devoted to the publication of local history, appeared the following lucid and comprehensive review of the salient features of Glenbeulah*s existence. The greater part of the data was taken by the Review from Miss Anna Titel's sketch, entitled "History of Glenbeulah :*'

"The history of Glenbeulah can be said to date back to 1850, when Hazel Peckham Clark came to this county from Rhode Island and settled on a piece of land, a part of which is the site of the village. There was no village there for several years after Mr. Clark came, still he saw the possibilities in the fine timber growing in that region, and erected a mill, which until very recently was operated. Mrs. R. A. Vanalstyne is a daughter of Mr. Clark. At about the same time that Mr. Clark settled at what is now Glenbeulah, William Poole also settled there.

"It was not, however, until 1857 ^h^^ ^ village was thought of. It was that year that J. T. Dillingham, Edwin Slade, Captain Joseph Swift, Edward Appleton and Harrison Barret arrived in the town. As was said before there was a lot of fine timber in that region and a stream which might aflFord water power, and Messrs, Dillingham, Swift and Slade at once conceived the idea of utilizing the power and making use of the wood. They opened a store and established both a sawmill and a flouring mill. After several years they expanded their business by beginning to manufacture woodenware. It was in 1866 that the firm of Swift, Dillingham & Company dissolved, Mr. Dillingham taking the mills and factory and Mr. Slade, the store. Mr. Dillingham continued to operate his factory at Glenbeulah until 1884, when he removed it to Sheboygan, where it is one of the best enterprises of that city. The factory was of much importance to Glenbeulah, because it employed a number of men. During the period the factory was in the village, the place flourished. It existed long enough, however, to arouse a feeling of pride and to encourage public spirit, and to this day the people of the village hold to certain high standards. If it had not been for the factory a high school would probably never have been established in the village, but it is there and the people take a pride in maintaining it, an^ it was never more intelligently conducted than just now.

"Among the early comers was Edward Appleton, and he and Harrison Barret shared the honor of naming the place, and they certainly showed that they had poetry in their souls. It is a name which would attract attention anywhere for its beauty and euphony. It is explained that their invention was assisted by the beauty of the location in a glen and that the given name of Mr. Appleton*s mother was Beulah.

"While Clark and Poole were the original private owners of the land of Glenbeulah, a house was built there as early as 1848, by Donden Ferguson. In 1850 it was purchased of C. Conger by Clark, who transformed it into a sawmill. In 1857 Clark disposed of the mill to Mr. Dillingham, in whose possession it remained for about twenty-seven years, when it became the property of R. A. Vanalstyne, who owned it until recently, when he sold it to Gust Baumann. It was only a few years ago that the old landmark was torn down.

"Dillingham, Slade and others had scarcely come into possession of the land and water powers when the erection of a flouring mill, now owned by George Metzger, was begun. A store was built on the site of that now belonging to Goelzer Brothers. At about the same time the Glen House was erected and this hotel is now being conducted by James Mooney. The village was thus started in 1857.

"The mill was the property of Swift, Dillingham, Slade & Company, as was also the store. Herman Schnebly was the first to run the mill, the greater part of the product of which found its way to Boston and other eastern points. The partnership lasted until 1866, when Mr. Dillingham took the mills and the woodenware factory, which was established a few years before. The flouring mill was bought by J. Bauernfeind and a man by the name of Meyers, in 1873. For sixteen years it remained in their possession, when they sold it to Mr. Metzger, who subsequently disposed of it to his son, George Metzger, in whose possession it still remains.

"The Glen House, built by Mr. Dillingham in 1857, was at first merely a boarding house for the men employed in the construction of the dam for the flouring mill and in building the mill. Two years later it was made a hotel and thrown open to the public. It was then that G. Stannard took charge of it. The hotel has been successively owned or leased as follows : Mr. Scott, Mr. Hadley, Mr. Root, Mr. Miller, Mrs. Troop, Mr. Boggs, Mrs. Troop, Mr. Huntley, Mr. Imig, Mr. Maurer, Mr. Hitzler and Mr. Mooney. Not until Mr. Hadley came into possession of the hotel and livery was there any connection by rail between Glenbeulah and Fond du Lac. In the earlier days there was a stage coach running between the two places and it cost two dollars to ride from one place to the other, while at present it costs forty-eight cents by rail. Mr. Kendall drove the stage coach.

"The store erected in 1857 stood until 1892, when it was destroyed by fire. It was owned jointly by Messrs. Dillingham and Slade until 1866, when Mr. Slade became sole owner. He conducted it until 1891, when he sold it to E. Weaver, who had been in possession of it scarcely a year when it burned down. The site remained vacant until 1902, when Goelzer Brothers erected thereon their present store.

"The first meat market was opened by John Rossmann. The late Fred Beck, Sr., was the first to open a shoe shop in the village. Mr. Ladenberger was the first to swing the heavy sledge in the village. He opened a blacksmith shop in 1857, about the time the village was started. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Ladenberger, settled there in 1855, but the son spent two years, until 1857, in a machine shop in Fond du Lac. In 1875 he also began to deal in machinery and farm implements, and in 1884 he gave up blacksmithing and devoted his attention exclusively to his implement and machine business. Three years after Mr. Ladenberger established his blacksmith shop in the village, John Dennis opened a wagon shop. The latter stood on the site of the present residence of H. E. Garling.

"Among the early acquisitions to the business interests of the county was a hardware store owned by a Mr. Badger. It was located on the lot now occupied by the residence of Mrs. Clark.

"Glenbeulah was exceedingly fortunate in the character of most of its early residents. They were men and women of intelligence and enterprise, and sought to establish a community in which it would be an advantage and an honor to reside. The names Dillingham, Slade, Swift, Clark, Syron, Ladenberger, Dennis, Barrett, Vanalstyne, Beck and scores of others stand for the things which make for better conditions, and no one can doubt that had Glenbeulah been more favorably located for trade, it would rank only second to Sheboygan in size and importance among the places of the coimty. The village had been scarcely more than established when a physician opened an office there. It was no less a personage than Dr. Emerson, who had come from the state of Maine. He was not a recent graduate but he had practiced for some time, and among his patients in the Pine Tree state were the members of the family of Hannibal Hamlin, who was elected vice president with Lincoln in i860.

The Woodenware Factory

"The enterprise which for a time seemed destined to give prominence to the village was the woodenware factory, mentioned in the early part of this article. It gave employment to sixty persons and made Glenbeulah a live village for a number of years. When, however, the timber in that region b^^an to give out, the proprietor saw that he could operate his factory to a far greater advantage by changing its location and decided on removing to Sheboygan, which he did in 1884. This was a serious blow to the village and shattered the hopes of those who had seen in a vision the creation of a fond desire, a thriving and prosperous village. The factory produced many useful articles, such as cheese and butter boxes, measures, barrel covers, broom racks, cheese cases, hubs and others. Its yearly output was valued at about $75,000, and its product was widely distributed.

"Simultaneously with the settlement of Glenbeulah provision was made for education. A small log building was erected and stood at the foot of what is known as the Beck hill in the eastern part of the village. The wages of teachers were by no means high. Eight dollars a month was considered fair pay. Board was furnished, however, but the teacher was obliged to 'board around.' It was not long before the little log schoolhouse gave way to a frame building, which has since been remodeled into a store but is now occupied by the postoffice. Early the citizens of the place b^;an to agitate the subject of establishing a graded school and in 1861 it was decided to erect a building with several departments and, in 1862, the project was consummated. The structure still stands and is now the largest and most attractive building in the village.

"It may not be inappropriate to mention here that Miss Isabel T. Clark, now Mrs. R. A. Vanalstyne, was one of the first instructors in the village and taught for several years. It should be said in relation to her that she acquired considerable prominence as a teacher. The schools of Glenbeulah have always ranked well with the better schools of Sheboygan county.

High School

It was in 1877 ^^at the free school was established, J. F. Moran being principal. In 1882 the first class was graduated and consisted of the following: Fred Barrett, Maud Carroll, Anna Dennis,* Sarah Devoy and Minnie Shufflebotham. Mr. Burton was the principal ,when the class finished the course. It was made a four year high school in 1904, while R. M. Radsch was principal.

Sawed Wood For The Engine

Glenbeulah was one of the few places of the county favored with a railway in its early days. It was only three years after the village was started that the Sheboygan & Western railroad was completed as far as the village. March 20, i860, the first train entered Glenbeulah. A locomotive and three box cars on that date drew up to the depot, which had recently been built. The cars were loaded with wheat, and soon the first train pulled out for Sheboygan. Until 1867 Glenbeulah continued to be the westem terminus of the railroad. In that year the extension of the road westward was begun and the work in charge of S. M. Barrett was prosecuted until the road was completed to Fond du Lac. A fact which illustrates certain conditions regarding railroading in the county during those times is that wood was used for fuel in locomotives, and it is said of Jerry Donahue that he sawed with a hand saw all the wood required to run the engine between Sheboygan and Glenbeulah.

"In 1859 J' Rossman erected a hotel, which is now owned and conducted by R. G. Arnold, who purchased it from E. He)ai, also for a number of years proprietor of the hotel. A hotel was built by William Sinz in 1869. It is now conducted by M. Kirst, but was at various times in charge of Fred Titel, John Rauls and M. Feldmann.

"A creamery was built in the village in 1896 by H. E. Garling and was operated by the firm of Garling & Son. They did not long continue to make butter, but soon began to make cheese, which they have since continued to do.

"The building in which the postoffice is kept was originally a schoolhouse, and was the first frame building used in the village for educational purposes. It was early discarded for the present structure. It has since been successively a shoe shop, by Mr. Beck; a candy store, first by Mrs. Metzger and second by Mrs. Walters; a meat market, by Melvin Collins; a harness shop, by Mr. Rhines, and now a postoffice.

"Glenbeulah has three churches established as follows: The Roman Catholic in i860, the Methodist in 1883, the Lutheran in 1892. The Odd Fellows have a lodge in the village, organized January 17, 1867, with the following charter members: W. M. Qark, C. D. Gordon, I. B. Clark, W. M. Scott, J. A. Smith, Hiram Schnebly and R. A. Vanalstyne. The name of the lodge is Swift, No. 78. It is in a flourishing condition, with a membership of about thirty.

"Lyceum Hall was built in 1872, being completed July 4th that year, and a dance was held in the hall on that day, the first event in the new building. In 1884 the library was installed and the establishment of the library and the organization of the literary society were steps which have resulted in much benefit to the village.

"Better lighting has recently been introduced in the village in business places and the library, in the way of gas light ; and in 1908 the Glenbeulah Telephone Company was organized. Cement sidewalks are taking the place of wooden walks."

This congregation was established in 1865 by Rev. Father Haider, who was then resident pastor at Sheboygan. There are about twenty-five families in this congregation. At one time they had a resident pastor but only for a short period as the limited number of communicants made it impossible for them to maintain the expense. Rev. E. J. Meyer, of Plymouth, now holds services at this church.