History of Barron County Wisconsin, Part 12

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1922
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1767

USA > Wisconsin > Barron County > History of Barron County Wisconsin > Part 12

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Action looking toward improvements along these routes was to be initiated by the towns. Any township desiring to improve any portion of the county highway system lying within its boundaries, could initiate action by making an appropriation of not less than $400. A similar sum was then to be appro- priated by the county, and an equal amount by the state. Thus for every

Digitized by Google

HISTORY OF BARRON COUNTY

dollar appropriated, a township received another dollar from the county, and another from the state, up to the amount of the county's allotment of state money based upon the county's ratio of tax valuation, as compared to the tax valuation of the entire state.

At first not all of the townships in the state were enthusiastic about the twenty-foot wide roads provided for in this act, and consequently there was enough state money to meet the full appropriation of all the towns which took action. Later, as the work became more popular, the state appropriation was not sufficient to meet the town and county appropriations in full, but was dis- tributed on a ratio system.

The county board of Barron county laid out its county system of trunk highways on Nov. 18, 1911. This system, published in the supervisor's pro- ceedings of that year, was most admirably suited to the traffic needs of the county, and has been still further improved by changes made from time to time since.

At this 1911 session, only three towns, Chetek, Sumner and Crystal Lake, made application for county and state aid. At the 1912 session every town in the county applied for aid under this law.

The County Board did not elect a highway commissioner at their 1911 session to take charge of the work during the season of 1912 so the Wisconsin Highway Commission appointed Robert Reese, who acted as highway commis- sioner for that year. At the 1912 session the board elected Simen S. Berg, who served until September 1, 1917, when he resigned on account of ill health. Edward Gleason was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by Mr. Berg's resig- nation, and has held the office continuously until the present time.

Under the 1911 act, considerable road improvement was done in Barron county, before 1917. But while it was all done along the designated routes of the county system, it was done in patchwork fashion, here and there. Human nature being what it is, it is natural that most of the improving was done in places where it would do the most good to the men most influential in town affairs.

But however haphazard the fashion in which these patches of improved roads were located, they were an education to better road building. No one could pass over such an improved stretch without wishing for further continua- tion of such a stretch, especially where it would be of more distinctive advan- tage to himself. Therefore, the impetus toward better road building continued.

It has been said often that Barron county received more value for high- way money expended than any county in the state. This result has been due not only to the intelligent and painstaking work of the county highways com- missioner, especially the present one, but also to the hearty co-operation, loyal support and enthusiasm of the Road and Bridge Committee.

The 1915 Legislature passed a law creating what is known as the County, State, Road and Bridge Committee. This committee is elected by the county board and may consist of three or five members, who may be chosen from members of the county board or otherwise. This county has never gone out- side of the board for members of this committee. From 1915 to 1917 the com- mittee had three members. From 1918 to 1921, inclusive, there were five mem- bers, and the 1921 county board cut the membership to three.

The first committee appointed in 1915 consisted of Robert Reese, Edward Gleason and F. W. Swant. Edward Gleason resigned on Sept. 1, 1917, to be- come county highway commissioner. The committee appointed in 1917 con- sisted of F. W. Swant, Ole E. Lien, C. D. Cochran, C. D. Nelson and George L. Anderson. The last named went out of town office, and consequently retired from the board in the spring of 1918. The committee appointed in the fall of 1918 consisted of F. W. Swant, Ole O. Lien, C. D. Nelson, James Hanson and 1. H. Baland. The committee appointed in 1921 consists of F. W. Swant, C. D. Cochran and W. F. Barber.

Digitized by Google

HISTORY OF BARRON COUNTY

As originally passed, the 1911 law made no provision for road improve- ments in cities and villages. In 1913 an amendment was passed by which the highways in cities and villages of less than 5,000 were placed on the same status as the rural highways, and the gaps which had been left in the county trunk system through such cities and villages were filled up.

At the same 1913 session, the Legislature raised the annual state aid appropriation from $350,000 to $1,200,000. This was in force for two years until the 1915 Legislature reduced the amount to $785,000 annually. This fea- ture of the law is still in force.

The duties of this committee are numerous; in reality they are a board of directors to assist the highway commissioner in planning and directing all road and bridge work in which the county is financially interested.

In 1917 the State Trunk Highway Law was passed in accordance with a Federal Aid Highway Law previously passed by Congress. Under this act, the Government, the State and the Counties, each appropriate an equal amount of money for the building of certain designated routes.

These state trunk line routes must connect every county seat and every city of more than 5,000 people. These routes, as originally designated, em- braced 5,000 miles. In 1919 the mileage was increased to 7,500.

Under the Federal Aid Highway Act of July 11, 1916, Wisconsin has re- ceived for the years 1917-21, inclusive, $1,913,205.36. Under the Act of Feb. 28, 1919, Wisconsin has received in 1919-21, inclusive, $5,091,075.31, making a total of $7,004,280.67 received from the Government by the state.

Barron County received $111,587.37 of these federal aid funds, to which was added an equal amount from the state and the county, making a total of $334,762.11 which was made available for federal aid construction.

A move has been started in Barron county by which the county board seeks the co-operation of the county boards of the state in bringing influence to bear upon the state officials and law-makers to the end that all the expense of the building of the State Trunk Highways be borne from the federal and state funds, and the counties be left free to devote its moneys to other lines of highway improvement and maintenance. This is the plan followed in other states, but in Wisconsin, the law-makers, enthusiastic at having the state money doubled by the Government, decided also to have it doubled by the counties.

In addition to the money appropriated in equal thirds by the Government, state and county, for the construction of state trunk highways, the annual state appropriation, inaugurated by the state aid law of 1911, is still made, as already noted.

The first fifty per cent of this state aid money, must, like the state and federal trunk line money, be spent on the state trunk lines. In using this first fifty, as it is called, the state pays forty per cent of the total cost, and sixty per cent must be raised in the county, of which the county itself must pay 36 per cent. Twenty-four per cent may be assessed against the unit benefited. In other words, the state pays 40 per cent, and the county 36 per cent, and the unit benefited may be assessed 24 per cent.

The remaining or "second" fifty per cent was used in road improvements in municipalities not benefited by the state trunk highways, these in Barron county being Dallas, Prairie Farm, Haugen village, and eight townships. In 1917-1919 this "second fifty per cent" in Barron county was equally divided between these eleven municipalities. But the sum for each was so small that in 1919 when the law was changed, a provision was made by which the county board has authority to put as much of the amount as seems desirable in any one of the municipalities not benefited by the State trunk highways, prefer- ably in sums not less than $3,000, and thus each of the eleven will take its turn. In using this "second fifty" of the state's money, municipality, county and state appropriate an equal amount. Under an amendment of 1921, how- ever, the county and municipality may, if desired, appropriate respectively, more than the amount which the state duplicates.

Digitized by Google

HISTORY OF BARRON COUNTY

Any town desiring to still further improve any portion of the prospective state highway system within its borders in addition to the work being done under the state aid plan, may appropriate a sum of not less than $500 and up to the limit of the amount which can be raised by a tax of one mill on all taxable property. The county then duplicates the sum appropriated by the town, and the work is then done under county supervision. There is one exception to the rule requiring a minimum of $500 as there was to the previous rule requiring a minimum of $400. Where a little gap is to be filled, and the town's share of the required cost is less than the minimum, the rule regarding the minimum is waived.

Roads not on the state or county trunks are still improved and maintained under an exclusive town system. Each town has a road superintendent, and some most excellent work is being done, so that the town roads of the county are for the most part well graded and well maintained. Oak Grove, especially, has done good work, having probably done more town road improving than any other town in the county. It owns its own tractor. Stanfold also owns a tractor and has done some good work. That town is fortunate in that its two principal highways are county trunk highways, thus leaving the town with a large opportunity to develop its town roads. Cumberland, too, has been a leader in town road work, and has done considerable graveling. There are also other towns which own considerable equipment, and are doing high class work.

Edward Gleason, as noted, took office as county highway commissioner Sept. 1, 1917. Previous to this a request for $3,000 from the county board by a highway commissioner for maintenance and machinery had been considered a bold one. Mr. Gleason is a man of vision, he saw the real needs of the grow- ing county. He therefore asked for $30,000 for maintenance and machinery, and was granted $15,000. In 1918 he was granted $10,000 for machinery and maintenance. In 1919, in addition to the money appropriated for construction, he asked for $50,000 for gravel and $50,000 for maintenance and machinery. The time was propitious. The roads for a few weeks previous to the board meeting had been covered with deep mire. The members of the board experi- enced difficulty in getting to the meeting. At the annual banquet given to the board by the business men of Barron, one of the evenings during the session, he outlined his ideas. Consequently, when he asked for the $100,000 its need was apparent to every member, and he was granted all he asked. In 1920 he asked for and received $40,000 for gravel and $50,000 for maintenance and machinery. In 1921 he asked for and received $25,000 for gravel and $60,000 for maintenance and machinery.

The portions of the trunk line highways in the county, as designated under the 1917 act, are as follows:

No. 11-Entering the county at New Auburn, passing north through Chetek, Cameron and Rice Lake, and northward through Oak Grove township to the county line.

No. 14-Entering the county near Lehigh, and extending westward through Cameron (where it crosses No. 11), Barron, Poskin, Almena and Turtle Lake to the county line.

No. 51-Starting at Almena (on No. 14), and extending northward through Cumberland, leaving the county at Barronett.

When the law was amended in 1919 to increase the trunk mileage in the state from 5,000 to 7,500 miles, another route was located in the county as follows :

No. 25- Starting at Barron (on No. 14), and extending southward through Hillsdale, and leaving the county at Ridgeland.

No. 14 is graveled from Barron to the west county line, and from Canton to the east county line. Plans are made this season for the graveling of the strip between Barron and Cameron. This leaves a six-mile strip between Cameron and Canton, which will probably be graveled this season, also. South

Digitized by Google

HISTORY OF BARRON COUNTY

of Canton, where the road turns westward, some heavy grading has been done, for about a mile, and a big bridge put in.

No. 11 will be all graveled before the end of the present season. Con- struction work has been done from New Auburn to Chetek and the graveling will be done at once. Construction work is being pushed from Chetek to Cameron, and will be graveled this summer. From Cameron to Rice Lake the road is being graveled, and north of Rice Lake will soon be graveled to connect with the seven-mile strip already graveled north of the county line.

No. 51 has been constructed and graveled from Cumberland to Barronett. On the strip from Cumberland to Almena, the south five miles has been lightly graveled. All the route in this county will be completed and graveled this season.

No. 25 has been constructed and graveled from Barron to Hillsdale, and graded from Hillsdale to Ridgeland.

Considerable graveling has also been done on the county trunks. No. N from Rice Lake to Cumberland is all graveled. From Barron the road is grav- eled north to meet the Rice Lake-Cumberland road. From a point half a mile north and a mile east of where the Barron road joins the Rice Lake-Cumber- land road, five miles has been graveled northward, four miles in Stanfold and one mile in Bear Lake.

No. C has been graveled six miles north and south in Cedar Lake, exactly dividing that township, and extending another mile into Doyle township, mak- ing seven miles in all.

From Almena south on the line between Almena and Clinton townships, the road has been graveled nearly three miles.

From Cumberland to Comstock the road is partly graveled, and there are stretches of gravel between Prairie Farm and Poskin and between Prairie Farm and Clear Lake.

The county has 1,616 miles of highway. It has 107 miles of state trunks, all patrolled. Of county trunks, 163 are patrolled.

The patrol system of trunk highways was inaugurated in 1918 and has been in operation for four seasons. In the fall of 1919, thirteen miles on No. 25 were added to the patrol territory of the state trunk system, and 100 miles to the patrol territory of the county system. In the fall of 1920, 45 miles more were added to the patrol territory of the county system, and in the fall of 1921, twenty miles more. In 1921 there were 13 patrolmen on the state trunks and 17 patrolmen on the county trunks.

The county trunks are maintained, in part, by a sum received from the state, amounting to 25 per cent of the money received by the state for automo- bile licenses in the county. In 1921 this sum in Barron county amounted to $12,814.16. This amount is supplemented by the annual appropriation for main- tenance placed at the disposal of the county highway commissioner by the county board.

The state trunks are maintained from state funds, apportioned to the counties in a ratio provided by law. Under this plan the minimum paid each county per mile of state trunks is $135 and the maximum $275. Barron county is so happily situated in regard to population, mileage and wealth, that it re- ceived the maximum of $275 a mile which, in 1920, amounted to $28,930. The state maintenance funds are derived from automobile licenses.

The county has just (winter of 1921-22) completed at Barron, a county machine repair shop, blacksmith shop and sheds. The plant is well equipped for looking after the county road equipment. The county owns seven gravel trucks, three large grading tractors, two tractor patrols, two big screening plants, camp equipment, graders and tools, and other machinery, all of which will be housed here.

A feature of the highway improvement work is the Road School which is held every April. The first was held in 1920. All persons in charge of any road work in the county, officials, and interested citizens, attend the meet-

Digitized by Google

HISTORY OF BARRON COUNTY

ings, valuable talks and instruction are given, and a real impetus is given to better road work.

The first postoffice in Barron county was established at Prairie Farm in 1866. The number increased in the next few years to accommodate the lum- ber camps and settlements. In the early seventies there were offices at Prairie Farm, Rice Lake, Barron, Chetek, Sioska (old Sumner) and Stanfold (the French settlement north of Rice Lake).

On Feb. 10, 1875, the county board asked the Legislature to memorialize Congress, asking that mail routes be established in the county as follows: 1-From Vancville in Chippewa county, via Sioska (old Sumner) to Stanfold, returning via Rice Lake and Chetek, semi-weekly. 2-From terminus of North Wisconsin railroad, via Barron to Rice Lake, daily. 3-From Rice Lake to Stanfold, semi-weekly. Prairie Farm, on a route out of Menomonie, across Dunn county, was already provided for and is not mentioned in the memorial.

The postal service was gradually increased until 1903 when, in addition to the present offices in the county, located at Rice Lake, Barron, Cumberland, Chetek, Barronett, Haugen, Brill, Campia, Comstock, Canton, Cameron, Poskin, Almena, Turtle Lake, Hillsdale, Prairie Farm, Dallas, Mikana and Lehigh, there were offices at Tuscobia (section 19, Oak Grove township), Eng (section 19, east, Dovre), Chapman (section 25, Lakeland), Horsman, Mireau (section 3, Rice Lake), Perley (section 8, Almena), Arland (sections 18 and 19, Arland), Reeve, Howe (section 17, west, Dallas), Sioski (Old Sumner, section 31, Sum- ner). Cartwright, the present new Auburn postoffice, was then this side of the county line in Barron county. Clayton and Ridgeland, then as now, were just over the line. The only postoffice established in the county since 1903 is Angus.

The rural routes in Barron county are as follows : Chetek, 5; Rice Lake, 6; Barron, 4; Cumberland, 4; Dallas, 3; Prairie Farm, Turtle Lake and Cameron, each 2; Almena and Barronett, each 1. Routes from Clayton also extend into this county. The city of Rice Lake has the only free city delivery in the county.

Railroad transportation in the county has already been mentioned. The Omaha line in the western part of the county, north and south, was put in operation in 1877-79; the Omaha line in the eastern part of the county, north and south, in 1882-83; the branch from Tuscobia, northeast, in 1902. The Soo line was put through the central part of the county, east and west, in 1884; the Blueberry branch of the Soo, north and northeastwardly, in 1894, 1900 and 1901. With the railroads came the telegraph service.

Telephone lines now network the county, and service through the various companies is available to practically every farm house in Barron county. Not until 1896 was there local telephone service in the county, and not until 1900 was there telephone service with the outside world.

The Barron County Telephone Co. was incorporated Feb. 5, 1896, by De- Witt Post, N. M. Rockman, W. H. Brandt, C. J. Borum, T. W. Borum and C. C. Coe.

The Cumberland Telephone Co. was incorporated Feb. 19, 1898, by S. H. Waterman, F. W. Miller and F. L. Olcott.

The Prairie Farm, Ridgeland & Dallas Co-operative Telephone Co. was incorporated Sept. 15, 1906, by C. S. Johnson, J. M. Rassbach, Sever O. Moen, A. L. Best, Arndt O. Lien, Fred Kahl and C. H. Roemhild.

The Canton Farmers Telephone Co. was incorporated Dec. 31, 1908, by Oluf Arneson, F. E. Lowell, L. E. Losey, William Locke and Fred Block.

The Almena Farmers Telephone Co. was incorporated March 20, 1909, by G. R. Wolter, Aug. D. Miller, Amund Moen, S. W. Sparlin, Jos. Ross, John Lueck and Math. Zitzelberger.

The Chetek Telephone Co. was incorporated Feb. 14, 1910, by E. J. Mor- rison, A. A. Haffie and G. H. Ross.

The Town Line Telephone Co. (Cumberland) was incorporated Jan. 24, 1912, by C. E. Hook, Will Williams and W. N. Fuller.

Digitized by Google

HISTORY OF BARRON COUNTY

The Chetek Rural Telephone Co. was incorporated March 20, 1917, by O. R. Kienitz, I. O. Sherwood and George S. Thrasher.

The Turtle Lake Telephone Co. was incorporated June 19, 1918, by L. H. Rivard, B. A. Pieser, R. E. Dusel and W. S. Davison. An earlier company, the City Telephone Co., was incorporated at Turtle Lake, Jan. 20, 1914.

The Cameron Farmers Telephone Co. was organized in 1907 as a co-opera- tive concern. It purchased the exchange and lines at Cameron from the Chip- pewa Valley Telephone Co. which, in turn, had purchased it from the Barron County Telephone Co.

The Mckinley Telephone Co., at Cumberland, was organized in 1909 by E. J. Pfluger and C. J. Poulter.

The Brill-Long Lake Telephone Co. was incorporated April 22, 1908, by Iver O. Hugdahl, O. H. Kjorstad and George N. Keesey. Later the line was sold and the company dissolved.

Digitized by

Google

CHAPTER XIII.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEOLOGICAL REVIEW.

The intimate life of the community is best told in the personal stories of its citizens. In such a work as this, the historical chapters can contain little more than a bare skeleton outline of the events which have gone to make up progress of the county. The color, the romance, the descriptions of circumstances and personalities must be supplied by intimate reviews of the lives and acts of the men whose lives and work have made the county.

Who these men were, where they came from, what their experiences had been before they came here, what induced them to choose Barron County as their residence, how they and their families set about the work of establishing their homes, how they labored and toiled amid hardships and privations, and how their efforts resulted not only in individual success, but also in the glorious prosperity of the present day-all these facts constitute a story of never failing interest, a story to give honor to the past, satisfaction to the present, and inspiration to the future.

Biographical facts, indeed, not only provide permanent geneological ma- terial of the families of which they treat-material which will in the future be considered almost priceless, and valuable information to the historical in- vestigator, but also furnish an example for worthy emulation.

In so young a county as Barron, there are few men who have not started as poor boys, and attained their success by their own efforts. The story of their equipment for the struggle by birth, training, environment and experi- ence, is therefore of vital significance. So, too, is the story of the men of the younger generation, who with better preparation and under more favorable circumstances, have taken up the work which their fathers have laid down.

Therefore, as the most important part of this work on Barron County, the publishers of this volume, and the members of the editorial staff, have gathered biographical data from some fifteen hundred leading families of the county. The list is comprehensive, and thoroughly representative. The research involved in collecting the material has extended over a period of two years, and during that time the opportunity has been open to all those who have desired that their family story be thus recorded and preserved.

These biographical and geneological sketches have been gathered from personal interviews, from records, and from newspapers. They have all been submitted to some member of the family most concerned. While it is believed that a high degree of accuracy has been maintained, the responsibility rests with the families themselves and not with the publishers. The publishers must accept information as given, it is manifestly impossible to investigate the accuracy of the material which families furnish of themselves. In a few cases, sketches written from the original information furnished, and sub- mitted for correction, have not been returned to the publishers. In such cases the sketches have been printed as originally prepared, and if there are errors therein, the persons who have neglected to take the opportunity of correct- ing them are solely at fault.

The difficulties of gathering such a vast amount of material are many. Even brothers and sisters often give widely varying accounts, not only of the facts and dates concerning their parents, but even of the rendering of their

Digitized by Google

HISTORY OF BARRON COUNTY

parents' names. The human memory is uncertain, and desired facts are often vague and elusive.

While the information as to events and geneology has been gathered from the people themselves, all personal estimates of life, character, accom- plishments, influence and ability have been added by the board of editors, constrained throughout by a desire to avoid extravagant laudations, though in many instances the warmest laudations would be most thoroughly deserved.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Barron County Wisconsin, Part 12

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge Publication date: 1922 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1767

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1922
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1767