Wolf River Town

Wolf River Town

November 18, 1895, residents of Elton township requested the County Board to detach townships 31, 32 and 33 of Range 14 East and the west twelve sections of Township 31, Range 15 East from Elton township and create the Town of Wolf River. A. J. Wood, W. J. Wood, Marcus Wahleitner, Sr., G. T. Truesdell, C. S. Dempster, Joseph Wahleitner, Albert Rolo, John Wurzer, Michael Coughlin, Walter V. Dorszeski, John Evans, F. Dasynski, Frank Spaulding, Will Schroeder, L. P. Wahleitner, Simon Post, Ned Sawyer, John Olkoewick, Andrew Jagla, J. S. Smith, M. Dazinski, George A. Roix, Louis Motorum, Henry Juetten, W. B. Bell and Robert Gilray were the leaders of this movement.

Starks, town organization committeemen on the County Board, referred the request to the members. Strenuous efforts were made to defeat the detachment. While a new township was organized it was not until February 26, 1896, and then the division was not in accord with the petition from the Wolf River township leaders. Township 31, Range 13 East was taken from Elton township February 26, 1896, and was established as Wolf River township. The Wolf River does not flow through the township and this name was not appropriate. It was changed in May, 1896, to the Town of Evergreen by its settlers.

Cemetery Of Evergreen

April 7, 1903, a committee of ladies were selected to chose a site for a township cemetery. The ladies reported to the town board and the same year the cemetery was laid out, section 16.

District No. 1

COZY CORNER DISTRICT. There are five settlers in this region that lies in the sparsely and undeveloped southwestern part of Evergreen. The first settler was Simon Post of Oshkosh, who took up a farm on section 35. He was one of the pioneers of Langlade County and settled in the district in 1879. Simon Post settled on a little clearing made for oxen, used by Lyman Rumery, a prominent lumberman and logger of Oshkosh. Rumery was then logging pine in the district. Mrs. Post lived three years in this wilderness before she saw the face of a woman and she was a squaw. Albert Rollo, who came from Bear Creek, Outagamie County, was a pioneer in Cozy Corner. The Culber family of Portage and the Richard family settled on section 35. Later settlers were Ward T. Taylor of Omro and Nat Pomasl of Eau Claire.

The settlers now in this region are E. O. Finger, Nat Pomasl, W. E. Taylor, John McGee and Stephen Popelka. The 1921-22 school officials were: Mrs. W. E. Taylor, Clerk; E. 0. Finger, Director; Nat Pomasl, Treasurer. The 1921-22 teacher was Helen McCarthy.

Miss Francis McFarland, a niece of Charles Mc- Farland, was one of the earliest teachers. She is still following her chosen vocation. Among the first pupils were the Marcus Wahleitner, Sr., children and Maggie Post. The first school house, one of the oldest in Evergreen, was located on section 25. It was a one room log building. It was used but a short time when the present frame building was erected.

Cozy Corner was once a district embracing a large area. It now has but four sections, 25, 26, 35 and 36. The Yawkey-Bissell Lumber Company is engaged in logging, their camps being located on section 26.

With the hardwood cut, this district will forge ahead, as the Menasha Wooden Ware Company, heavy land owners, will sell the cut over land. An influx of new settlers is predicted.

District No. 3

SHERRY DISTRICT. This district received its name after Henry Sherry, a prominent mill owner, who logged extensively in Price and Evergreen townshis. Mr. Sherry operated a mill at Kent.

7, and B. Morse, who also located on section 7. Others were James Roe, section 8; Delaney Wheeler, section 7; William Bailey, section 8, and William Kevith, section 7.

These pioneer settlers emigrated to this hilly part of the county from Kentucky. The broken country was subdued only after much difficulty and hardships. Some good farms are now found. Much of the land is still to be cleared. The pioneers arrived in 1899 and 1900.

Section 7 is also the site of the frame school erected in 1899. James Lambert and Q. Rose were members of the first school board. Isaac Thornberry erected the first house in the district. The school is located north of highway 64, principal commercial artery to eastern Langlade County from Antigo.

Settlers in the Sherry community are: Everett Adkins, James Lambert, William Kevith, William Bailey, Delaney Wheeler, James Roe, Albert Basely, B. Morse, George Thornberry, D. H. Jenkins, Robert Lambert and Opal Tate. The 1921-22 school officials were D. H. Jenkins, Clerk; Robert Lambert, Director; B. Morse, Treasurer.

District No. 4

McKINLEY-WILSON DISTRICT. This district occupies western Evergreen township and is better settled than the Sherry or Washington districts. The settlers live in the vicinity of the schools, two of which are located in the district. Plans are being formulated for the division of the district, thus creating a separate McKinley district and also a Wilson district.

Pioneer settlers were Michael Servi, who settled on section 14; Anton Rammer, section 15; Samuel Mauk, section 15; R. N. Rose, J. H. Rose, section 11 and 2 respectively; James Sullivan, section 15 and Herman Zastrow, section 14. Other early settlers were George Brown and Thomas Campbell.

The McKinley school is located on section 11 and the Wilson school on section 14. They were named after William McKinley and Woodrow Wilson, American Presidents. The first school in the district was erected on section 10. It was moved onto section 11 to have it nearer the center of the district. July 8, 1915, the matter of a new school was discussed at the district meeting. Three thousand dollars was borrowed from the state with which to erect a new frame school. The old school was moved August, 1915, to section 11. This site was formally established by the settlers August 21, 1915.

The second school was erected by Charles F. Dallman, deceased Antigo contractor, at a cost of $2,985. It was contracted for August 7, 1915. This is the Wilson school, section 14. Mary Wurzer and Ethel French were early teachers.

The L. R. Roberts store is located on section 14. It was erected by A. R. Porter, who in 1919 sold to Mr. Roberts. There are about twenty-six families in

A Penticost church, frame structure, is located on section 15. George Brown conducts the services twice a month. The church was erected in 1921.

The 1921-22 school officials were: Charles Adkins, Director; A. R. Porter, Treasurer, and L. R. Roberts, Clerk. The 1921-22 teachers were M. Lenzner and Nellie Powers Rose.

District No. 5

ELTON VILLAGE. Among the early settlers of Elton village were M. J. Binder, Henry Juetten, Dan Murphy, M. Wahleitner, Sr., the Santner family, Joseph Ramer, Ignatz Plattenbacker, the Steiner family, Charles McFarland, J. Morse, Joseph and John Wurzer, Theodore Smith, and Michael Rammer. Later settlers, but early ones, nevertheless, were John Wickerham, Ward Taylor, Nat Pomasl, George Wanninger, Frank Patnode, William Teal, William Underwood and L. L. Pennington.

Suter Brothers, the Upham Lumber Company, A. Gill of Wausau, the Hilstrom Company of Plumb, Wisconsin, and lastly, the Crocker Chair Company have had manufacturing establishments in the village. The last named concern still operates at Elton.

Present Elton business places are : Elton Garage, William Gillespie, prop.; Elton Hardware, Mix & Maertz, props.; Elton Mercantile Company, W. B. McArthur, prop.; Elton Hotel, M. J. Binder, prop.; L. R. Roberts store, and the Grange Hall.

District No. 7

WASHINGTON DISTRICT. Washington District lies in the southwestern part of Evergreen township. It was settled in the early part of the twentieth century by Charles Bowen, who came to the district in 1904, Luke Powell, Miles E. Jones, Albert Crom, Joseph Powers, John Shelv and B. Rose. New settlers are constantly arriving in the district.

The first school was a small frame structure which is located opposite the present frame school built on section 29. It was used until 1912 when the new school was constructed and was named in honor of George Washington. Hazel Cunningham was the first teacher in the new school. Other early teachers were Irene McKinney and Miss Larzelere. The 1921-22 schools officials were Frank Tabor, Clerk; L. L. Pennington, Treasurer, and Joseph Powers, Director.

The settlers are from Kentucky. Much of the district is hilly and unsettled. Improvements are being made frequently by the residents. All the settlers are living within a short distance from Elton.