White Lake Village

White Lake Village

A year before the Yawkey-Bissell Lumber Company, lumber kings of Wisconsin for a half century, located, rumors floated about to the effect that a large saw and planing mill would be erected at White Lake. The rumors became facts when in July, 1916, the Yawkey-Bissell Lumber C6mpany began clearing land east of White Lake for a village and mill site. August 16, 1916, work was started on the large saw mill which commenced operations June 1, 1917. A year later ground was broken (August, 1917) for the planing mill which was completed and in operation January 1, 1918.

White Lake schools. The large enrollment is increasing every year. The White Lake rural school is still used on section 29. For three years it was vacated. W. D. Cavers, Director, B. C. Nelson, Clerk and H. F. De Horn, Treasurer were the 1921-22 officers in charge of the high school, White Lake graded and White Lake rural schools.

Shipping facilities are good. Passenger service is not. The Yawkey-Bissell Lumber Company have enough timber in Langlade and Forest Counties to run until 1944. 15,000 acres were purchased in 1916 from the Menasha Wooden Ware Company. Most of this timber is in Langlade County. In 1919, 18,000 acres were purchased from the Kimberly-Clark Company. This tract is in Forest County. Smaller tracts were purchased from the Oconto Lumber Company, the C. & N. W. Railroad Co., and the S. W. Hollister estate.

Two camps operate all year around. Peter O'Connor, early Antigo citizen, whose wife was the first Antigo school teacher, is Wood Superintendent for the lumber concern. J. C. Horgen was the first manager at the store.

The Large Sawmill Uf Ihe Vawkev-Hissell Lumber Company

Leitl. The lumber concern also has a boarding house where many employes live. R. Pagel conducts it. In September, 1916, the depot erected at Van Ostrand by the Wisconsin & Northern railroad was moved to White Lake and W. H. Gamble became the first agent. A store was built by the lumber company in November, 1916. William Obendschein is in charge of the store and Julius Strauch of the meat market. A barber shop is operated by P. J. Reis. In August, 1917, the C. & N. W. Railroad Company built a depot at White Lake. The Yawkey-Bissell Lumber Company office was erected in 1916 and by January 1, 1917 was completed. A splendid club house, dance hall and community center building was erected at an approximate cost of $15,000 in 1918-19. It was opened June 1, 1919.

The White Lake graded school was opened October 1, 1917. The school was built at a cost of $13,000. In 1921 a union free high school, including about twothirds of Elton township, was organized in

The Yawkey-Bissell Lumber Company has ten miles of track connecting their camps in the southern part of Evergreen township with the mills at White Lake. Annual cut is 30 million feet, while the capacity of the mill is 60 million feet.

White Lake has two churches and three church organizations. The St. Mathews Lutheran church, erected in 1917, has Rev. A. Hoswald as resident Pastor. The St. James Catholic church, erected in 1920 is in charge of Rev. Victor Happa. Rev. J. Landusky was the first pastor, followed by Rev. F. A. Bemowski. The Presbyterian faith is represented by a local organization. Services are held monthly in the club house with Rev. Westphal of Neenah as Pastor.

Many of the residents of White Lake have been employed for years by the Yawkey-Bissell Lumber Company, who at the beginning of the twentieth century had large saw and planing mills at Arbor Vitae, Vilas County and Hazelhurst, Oneida County.

Employes at the Yawkey-Bissell Lumber Company general offices at White Lake are : E. G. Woodford, Sales Manager; 0. A. Olmholt, Assistant Sales Manager; L. E. Prahl, Stenographer; Charles W. Wickstrom. Bookkeeper; John Anderegg, Timekeeper; W.

District No. 4

WOLF RIVER DISTRICT. The first settler in the Wolf River district was Charles H. Larzelere, who came down from Lac Vieux Desert on the newly constructed military road in the winter of 1870. He had a short time previously driven north from Janesville with a yoke of oxen to the state line. Mr. Larzelere settled on section 3, township 32, range 14 east. 0. J. Yates was the next early settler. He came from Maine in 1873 and settled on section 10. Isaac Farrow, came at the same time from Oshkosh. He also settled on section 10. John J. Springer, a Canadian, settled on an adjoining section No. 3, about that time. John Gibson came from Littletown, New Hampshire, with the first settlers and took up a claim on section 3. Thomas Hutchinson, who later moved to Price township, settled on the banks of the Wolf river in section 10, this district, in a very early day. Charles Mc- Farland, pioneer writer and timberman, settled on section 10. Mr. McFarland was from Racine, Wis. Other early settlers were : Frank Derinski, who came from Poland, settling on section 3; Peter Novak, Poland immigrant, who cleared out a home for himself on section 10; Michael Baker came from Chicago and began farming on section 10; Robert Gilray, Canadian native, settled on section 10. H. McConley came from Bell Plaine, Wisconsin, settling on section 3. These settlers were all here very early.

The first school in the county was erected in this district on section 3. It was taught by Mrs. C. H. Larzelere, Addie Wescott, Annie Nolan, Wealthie Doolittle, Anna V. Cole, Carrie J. Larzelere, Myrtle Griffiths, Francis Churchouse, Orville Pulcifer and H. B. Kellogg, all early teachers. A second school was later erected on section 10. Both of these pioneer school buildings were frame structures. A third school followed. The fourth building was erected in 1908 by Kraisin Brothers of Tigerton, Wisconsin, at a cost of $4,233.00. The contract was let July 6, 1908. The 1921-22 teachers were : Lulu Livingston and Anna Cusick. The 1921-22 school officials were : Mrs. M.