History of Barron County Wisconsin, Part 190

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

USA > Wisconsin > Barron County > History of Barron County Wisconsin > Part 190

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HISTORY OF BARRON COUNTY

butter a week. The farmers now began to take an interest and sought to buy shares. After operating the plant for two years, Mr. Scheunemann sold it for nearly $7,000 to Bondeson & Gerland of Rice Lake, who then took hold of it, Mr. Gerland furnishing the capital and Mr. Bondeson acting 88 manager. After a year or two, Ernst W. Shiel became butter maker and manager. About 1910-11 Mr. Shiel bought the plant from Mr. Gerland and for awhile did all the work, making a number of improve- ments, and adding the manufacture of ice cream to his other business.

In the meanwhile the farmers decided that a co-operative creamery could be made to pay if properly managed, took steps toward The location of this bank seems to have made a strong appeal to criminals. In 1901, just before the new building was occupied, an attempt at robbery was made, but was frustrated. On Oct. 10, 1919, burglars succeeded in getting away with $5,000, but the bank lost nothing as it car- ried sufficient insurance. The money was obtained by blowing the safe. The vil- lagers were aroused and a number of shots were fired, but the yeggs succeeded in mak- ing their escape. One citizen, Sidney Ward, was shot and killed by the bandits. creating a new organization of their own, and hired two men to sell stock in it. They then approached him with an offer to buy. The sum he demanded, $10,000, being con- sidered too high, they employed appraisers to determine the value of the property. The result of this move proved a surprise to them, as the appraisers placed the value at $14,000. On Dec. 1, 1916, the farmers purchased the creamery from Mr. Shiel, and the Turtle Lake Co-operative Creamery Association was incorporated with a cap- ital of $15,000. The business for the first The Security State Bank of Turtle Lake was organized and incorporated in Novem- ber, 1916, by T. A. Birch, Frank E. Fisk and others, with a capital of $12,000. The bank opened its doors for business about Feb. 1, 1917, in temporary quarters at the location of the old Commercial Hotel. The first officers were: L. H. Rivard, president; Axel Johnson, vice president, and T. A. year amounted to $99,000. About three years ago, when the manufacture of cheese became profitable, the necessary machinery for its production was put in, and the farmers then received more money for .their butter fat. Anton Hennlich, the last cheese maker employed, left in the latter part of July, 1921, and at present the fac- tory is making only butter. During the . Birch, cashier. This official board was con- year 1920, the factory was operated only tinued until May, 1921, when T. A. Birch was succeeded as cashier by N. P. Swan- son, who now holds that office, the other officers being the same as at first. The present board of directors is composed of L. H. Rivard, Axel Johnson, Charles Hil- big, G. A. Peterson and Paul Richter. No change has been made in the amount of capital stock. Nov. 1, 1921, the surplus was $1,300. In the fall of 1917 the bank erected the one-story brick building which it now occupies, situated at the corner of Main street and Railroad avenue. six months, though milk was received for nine months, the surplus being disposed of in Minneapolis. The amount of milk re- ceived for cheese amounted to 1,007,433 pounds. the amount of cream received for butter being 505,696 pounds. The amount of cheese manufactured was about 86,000 pounds. and the amount of butter, 177,229 pounds, of which latter commodity 48,000 pounds were sold locally, the balance being shipped to Chicago and New York. During the year the factory had an average of 133 patrons, who were paid for milk and cream delivered the total sum of $108,786.43. The total amount of business for the year was nearly $140,000.

The officers of the company in 1921 were .as follows: C. D. Cochran, president and manager; C. Neuenfeldt, secretary; Ed- ward Pfeifer (who became connected with the creamery in 1918), assistant secretary and assistant manager; O. F. Scheunemann, treasurer, and William Nichols, creamery operator. The directors were C. D. Coch- ran, C. Neuenfeldt, Martin Schramske, R. Fredericks, C. A. Youngberg and Jess Young.

The Bank of Turtle Lake was incorpo- rated March 17, 1900, and opened its doors for business July 2, 1900, in a small wooden shack on Paul street. The organizers were F. C. Wickenberg, John H. Bunker, L. M. Richardson and Francis G. Mckenzie. The

first officers were: President, L. M. Rich- ardson; vice president, J. H. Bunker; cash- ier. Francis G. Mckenzie. The first board of directors consisted of J. H. Bunker, L. M. Richardson and F. C. Wickenburg. The first officers are still serving. On Oct. 2, 1901, Katie Bunker was elected director to succeed F. C. Wickenburg who had resigned. She has held the position ever since. On April 17, 1905, the capital was reduced to $10,000, at which it now stands, there being a surplus of $2,000. The present sightly banking house was erected in 1901, and opened for business in November of that year. The bank carries deposits of about a quarter of a million dollars.

The telephone system of Turtle Lake is owned by John Prosser. The City Tele- phone Co. was incorporated Jan. 20, 1904. by Frank E. Fisk, John Hogan and W. W. Fisk. The Turtle Lake Telephone Co. was incorporated June 19, 1918, by L. H. Rivard, B. A. Pleser, R. E. Dusel and W. S. Da- vison for the purpose of buying the City Telephone Co. The deal was not carried through, however, and the stockholders of the Turtle Lake Telephone Co. withdrew their investments. The City Telephone Co. was sold Feb. 9, 1920; to John Prosser, the present owner and manager. The territory covered by the system includes about fif- teen square miles, mostly in Almena and Turtle Lake Townships, Barron County, and Beaver Township, Polk County. This rep- resents about eighty miles of pole lines and about 335 phones, with Turtle Lake Vil- lage as the center. The office is located in

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a brick building owned by Mr. Prosser, who came to Barron County from Minnesota in 1900.

In 1911 the Wisconsin Pea Canning Co. established a factory at Turtle Lake, the plant, including the ground, covering two and a quarter acres. The product handled is confined to peas, the factory operating from one month to six weeks each year, during which time about 125 hands are em- ployed. The amount canned in 1919 was 60,000 cases, and in 1920, 41,000 cases. Be- sides Turtle Lake the company has facto- ries at Amery, Manitowoc, Sheboygan and Two Rivers. For the last five years Bert Chambers has been manager of the Turtle Lake factory.

The Pickle Station located near the rail- road depot is owned by M. A. Gedney of Minneapolis, who buys cucumbers from the farmers, salts them and sends them to Min- neapolis, where they are bottled. Henry Wolff was manager here for seven years until three years ago, and since then the manager has been George Fowler.

The Farmers Co-operative Shipping As- sociation of Turtle Lake was organized Aug. 24. 1920, by the farmers of the vicinity for the purpose of shipping stock and handling farm supplies. During the year 1920 the Association shipped 42 cars of stock, the gross receipts amounting to $20,000. The cattle and hogs shipped took 40 cars, while there were two cars of sheep. The ex- pense of shipping was about $1,900, includ- ing freight rates and commission. The om- cers of the Association in 1920 were: J. J. Golden, president; Fred Klockerman, vice president; T. A. Birch, manager, and. O. F. Scheunemann, treasurer. In 1921 the om- cers were the same except that Mr. Birch was no longer connected with the Associa- tion, his duties as manager being assumed by the president, J. J. Golden.

The village has a weekly newspaper called the Turtle Lake Times, the more de- tailed history of which may be found else- where in this volume.

A small schoolhouse was built in Turtle Lake in 1879. and the first teacher was Mr. Knight. A graded school with two de- partments was erected in 1887, and the old building sold to Charles Brown, who fitted it up as a dwelling house.

In 1903 a four-room frame school build- ing was erected on Main street, which was in use until 1917, when, it being found in- adequate, a new and better building was provided in the northeast part of the vil- lage, constructed of brick and tile and con- sisting of two stories and basement. It had been in use but four or five months when, in the spring of 1918, it was destroyed by fire, nothing being saved except a small amount of material. Not discouraged by this disaster, the citizens put their shoul- ders to the wheel and in the following sum- mer erected the present fine building, cost- ing about $43,000, which was occupied in the latter part of the year. Its ground di- mensions are those of the previous build- ing, 91 feet, six inches by 56 feet, four

inches, and it was built on the same site and foundation. It is constructed of brick and tile, with steel girders, and consists of two stories and a basement, the latter being of concrete. The equipment includes a good electric signal system and fire alarm system, with other modern conveniences. There are ten class rooms including the physics laboratory, and, in addition, the assembly room and a library of 2200 or 2300 volumes. The institution is a con- solidated free high school, accredited to the state university as a four-year high school, and with the usual eight grades of the common school department. In No- vember, 1921, there were in the high school about 67 pupils and in the grades about 294, more than half the pupils coming from the rural districts. The high school can boast of good athletic teams, the boys hav- ing a baseball and a basketball team, and the girls a basketball team which has the best claim to the championship of this re- gion, as last season it met with no defeat, though it challenged all comers, meeting all the girl teams except those of Rice Lake and Spooner; but as Rice Lake and Spoon- er were defeated by Cameron and Minong, and Cameron and Minong were defeated by Turtle Lake, the claim of the home team would seem to be well founded. From $1200 to $1500 are raised by the school each year to finance athletics. Turtle Lake is the only school in the county that publishes an annual. The principal, Lyle Thomson, com- menced his duties here in the fall of 1919. Seven teachers are employed in the grade classes and three in the high school de- partment. The local opera house is used for basketball and other entertainments.

St. Anne's Church of Turtle Lake, Roman Catholic, originated about 1880, when serv- ices were held in private houses by visit- ing priests. The work of organization was performed by Father Paradis. The Catholic population at that time was composed large- ly of French Canadians employed in the lumber industry. After a while missionary fathers, who, it is believed, were from Chip- pewa Falls, erected a small church edifice, and the Rev. L. Darche became the first resident pastor. After he left, the parish again became a mission, and as such was served by Rev. John Klop, who came in October, 1900, and left in August, 1901. Under his successor, the Rev. Leonard Trompeter, St. Anne's again became a par- ish. Father Trompeter remained in charge from August, 1901, until April, 1907 .. In 1903 he built the present parsonage and in 1905 made a substantial addition to the church edifice. When he left he was immediately succeeded by Father Francis Luett- schwager, who remained until March, 1908. The Rev. Louis Charron, the next pastor, served from 1908 to January, 1911. After him, in February, 1911, came the Rev. Flo- rian P. Gerhardt, who performed the du- ties of pastor until April 8, 1914. The lat- ter was succeeded by the priest now in charge, the Rev. Michael Pulch, who has improved the parish house in installing modern conveniences, including a good heat-

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ing system, new flooring and painting. The parish now contains eighty families, or about 400 souls, representing several dif- ferent nationalities. A few of the original French, or their descendants, still remain, but the congregation contains Germans, Hungarians, Irish and others. A mission at Amery was formerly attended from this parish but was detached in 1920. St. Anne's cemetery is the only one within the limits of the village.

St. Phillip's Church (Protestant Episco- pal), of Turtle Lake, was organized about 1896 at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Everitt, where occasional services were held for several years by pastors from different places, including Barron, the first being the Rev. Francis Vey. Later the congregation met for worship in the Odd Fellows' hall, and about the year 1900 Bishop Isaac Lea Nicholson confirmed the first class, and Rev. James Trimble began holding regular services. Among the other pastors who served the church from time to time, and for different periods ranging from a few months to two or three years, were the Rev. A. T. Young and Rev. Mr. Harris, of Barron; Rev. Jas. J. Crawford of Shell Lake; Rev. M. B. Goodall, of Rice Lake; Arch-deacon William F. Hood, of Eau Claire; Rev. H. E. Chase, of Spring Brook; Rev. E. C. Whitall, of Star Prairie; Rev. Richard G. Kirkbride, of Clear Lake, and the Rev. Clyde Blakeslee, of Shell Lake. At present the Rev. Clarence Frankel, of Hudson, preaches twice a month. In 1906 the congregation erected, at a cost of from $800 to $1,000, the church edifice now in use, a frame building with a stone base- ment and belfry. The lot was donated by the "Soo" Railway Company at the solici- tation of Mr. Trimble. The Ladies' Guild, which had been organized by Mr. Trimble on Feb. 10, 1900, earned, by means of en- tertainments and otherwise, all but $155 of the cost of the building, that amount being raised by the general congregation. The ladies of the Guild also gathered some of the stone for the foundation. The bell, which formerly hung on the village hall, was bought by the Sunday school, which also purchased and presented to the church the baptismal font in memory of Bishop Nicholson. The church was free from debt at the time the first service was held in it. The officers of the Ladies' Guild, elected at its organization, were as follows: Presi- dent. Mrs. Kate Turner; vice president, Mrs. Anna Pease; recording secretary, Mrs. Mildred Mckenzie, treasurer, Mrs. Agnes Cornwall. Mrs. Anna Pease, who was not a member of the church, held office but two months, and was succeeded by Miss Winnie Everitt, who filled out her term. The pres- ent officers of the Guild (October, 1921) are: President, Mrs. Anna Wickenburg; vice president, Mrs. Mildred Mckenzie; secretary, Mrs. Anna West; treasurer, Mrs. Myrtle Solberg. There is a girls' club in connection with the Sunday school.

In the early eighties the United Brethren at Turtle Lake and the vicinity organized a society for religious worship and for

a while-probably for several years-held meetings in the schoolhouse. The original members were for the most part men em- ployed in the Richardson sawmill in the village, with their families. At first the church was officially known as Chetek Mis- sion, and the church records, as printed in the Conference Journal, show that Rev. W. M. Smith was installed as the first reg- ular pastor in 1884. In 1886 the name was changed to Turtle Lake Mission. As soon as the members were able they erected a small church building, which was first lo- cated near the top of the hill southeast of the village, Joel Richardson, proprietor of the mill, donating the site and most, if not all, of the lumber. The church was dedi- cated by the pastor and the Rev. A. J. Hood, according to Mr. Hood's recollection, in 1887. During the next few years, after Mr. Smith left, a number of other minis- ters preached here. In 1901 the Rev. Ida Richards was called to the pastorate and remained until 1908. While she was here -in November, 1904-the church edifice was removed to its present location in the village. It was a small frame building of one room and forms a part of the present structure, a substantial addition having been made to it about 1916 during the pas- torate of the Rev. J. A. Richardson. At the same time a basement was put under the whole building and a furnace installed. In 1910, when the Rev. F. E. Taylor was pas- tor, the present neat parsonage was built, being completed June 10. Mr. Taylor has as his assistant, a young man, the Rev. W. H. Adams, who remained about a year and then left to assume a separate charge. While away he took his seminary course, and on May 16, 1918, he returned to Turtle Lake to assume the office of pastor, in which he has since continued.

The present membership of the church (November, 1921) is 107. A Sunday school is conducted in the church building and there is also another held six miles west in the country, in the Beaver school dis- trict, composed of members of the church, and forming a joint organization. The pas- tor holds church services there occasionally to accommodate those members who are unable to come to the village. The com- bined Sunday school enrollment is about 160.

There are two German Lutheran Churches in Turtle Lake Village, belonging, one to the Missouri Synod, and the other to the Ohio Synod. They have, however, a com- mon origin dating back about 25 years and placed geographically in Beaver Town- ship, Polk County, close to the Almena Township (Barron County) line, which lo- cality is scarcely more than half a mile west of Turtle Lake Village. There the original society was formed, numbering among its prominent members Albert Engwer and family, the Richter family, Fred Scheune- mann, Carl Jeske and Mr. Linchman. A frame building was erected and services were held once in two or three weeks by ministers coming from Almena, Deer Park, Barron and other places, each of whom,

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. however, acted as pastor but a short time. In 1907 differences of opinion in the con- gregation caused a separation and those of the members who adhered to the Missouri Synod, retaining possession of the build- ing, moved it into the village of Turtle Lake. The other members, who favored the Ohio Synod, formed a church under that government and erected a new edi- fice on Martin avenue near the western limits of the village, at the same time call- ing a pastor. They have since become de- pleted in membership and are no longer active. Their last regular pastor, the Rev. Henry Hiltzhausen, left in the fall of 1918, and after that the congregation was served for a while from Comstock, but for some time there has been no preaching in the church.

The church belonging to the Missouri Synod still has a good organization, there being at the present time (November, 1921) about 50 voting members. Their first resi- dent pastor here was the Rev. R. Pautz. who served about four years. After him the Rev. John Viening was pastor for two and a half years, and then came the Rev. Wilhelm Brandt, who served eight years,

resigning in the fall of 1921. The Rev. Otto Bream was then called to take charge Nov. 27, the same year. The church prop- erty is valued today at about three thousand dollars.

In the village are lodge organizations of five or six of the principal fraternal socie- ties, nearly all of which have been estab- lished for quite a number of years. They represent respectively the Masons, Odd Fellows, Modern Woodmen of America, Bea- vers, Yeomen and Catholic Order of For- esters. In connection with three of these lodges are the affiliated women's branches, namely: an Eastern Star lodge affiliated with the Masons, a Rebekah lodge affiliated with the Odd Fellows, and a Royal Neigh- bors lodge affiliated with the Modern Woodmen. The Eastern Star lodge is new, having been organized in 1921. The Odd Fellows, who established their lodge here 25 years ago or more, own their own build- ing, in which all the lodges in the village hold their meetings, except the Catholic Foresters. The last mentioned order or- ganized their lodge here 20 years ago, and the Beavers and Yeomen are also old lodges.

CHAPTER XXIII.

CAMERON VILLAGE.

Cameron is situated in Sections 20, 21, 28 and 29, Stanley Township (Town 34 N., Range 11 W.). It is at the junction of two railroads, the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie, usually referred to briefly as the "Soc", and the Chicago, St. Paul, Min- neapolis & Omaha, in like manner known as the "Omaha". Twelve passenger trains arrive and leave daily, and direct market facilities are afforded with Duluth and Superior at the head of the lakes, and with the Twin Cities, as well as with Milwau- kee, Chicago and Sault Ste. Marie. In addi- tion to the railroads the village is traversed by the Yellow trail and trunk highways No. 14 and No. 11.

The village is accessible to one of Wis- consin's best agricultural and dairy sections, the soil being well adapted to the raising of small grains, corn, potatoes and clover seed, and dairying is extensively practiced. The numerous lakes and trout streams in the vicinity, together with an abundance of game, attract many sportsmen. Close by is a tract of low-lying marsh land, 1,000 acres in extent, and known from early days as Cranberry swamp, through which runs a stream called Cranberry Creek.

Cameron is supplied with all the neces- sities and most of the conveniences of a fair-sized city. It has waterworks, a 24- hour light and power service and a well- equipped fire department, one of the finest high schools in the county, four churches of different denominations and several

strong fraternal lodges. Its business in- terests include a well-equipped and sub- stantial bank, a telephone company, two hotels, a real estate company, a creamery, cheese factory, cheese storage warehouse, flour and feed mill, three general stores, two hardware stores, three or four garages, a drug store, lumber yard, implement com- pany, four restaurants, a meat market, tailor shop, two blacksmith shops and a tire vulcanizing shop. There are also two phy- sicians and a dentist. The population of the village in 1921 was about six hundred. In the sixties the Knapp-Stout people built a logging dam at the outlet of the Cran- berry Marsh, thus making a large artificial lake. The demolishing of this dam left the lake bed in its present condition as a marsh.

The village was started a mile and a half south of the modern village, at the locality now called Holman's Crossing. It was started in 1879, when it became known that the Chippewa division of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway was about to be constructed and pass through that locality. The road was completed as far as Cameron in 1882, and a station was built which was formally opened on Sept. 25, that year. After a suspension of work for four weeks the rails were laid north to Rice Lake, which place was the terminal until the following spring, when the con- struction work was carried as far as Spooner.

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The site of the village was owned by L. C. Stanley, who platted it in the spring of 1882. The settlement grew quickly and flourished for several years, or until the construction of the "Soo" road in 1884, which passed a mile and a half to the north. This caused a general exodus to the junc- tion, which began in the spring of that year, and continued until practically every- thing had been moved to the new site, in- cluding the postoffice, schoolhouse, store and hotel buildings and residence houses. Thus the village had a new birth and be- gan its second and more permanent stage of existence. The early settlement is now referred to as "old Cameron." Among the buildings moved was the Omaha station, which was enlarged and made into a joint station, the two roads dividing the expense. The first train on the "Soo" passed through the village in the latter part of the year, the line then extending between Turtle Lake and Bruce.

The first general store at old Cameron was opened by J. B. Shipman, who for a while operated it alone and then took George H. Rapley as partner. Another store was soon opened by Lancaster & Parker in a building owned by L. C. Stan- ley. Henry Radermacher started a black- smith shop, Stephen A. Soost had a saloon. hotel and butcher shop, Elias and August Nelson conducted a saloon, Nelson also being proprietor of a hotel. The village had one physician, Dr. Leonard, who left, however, before the general removal.

One of the principal industries of old Cameron was a large flour and grist mill, which was established by Hayes & Witter, and was operated by steam power. They later sold it to Jared W. Taylor, of Barron, and the latter made a motor mill of it, steam power having been found too costly.

As soon as the "Soo" railroad began the construction of their tracks, Edward C. Coleman and Ole Frederickson, with a part- ner named Gates, built and opened a gen- eral store on the site of the new village. The early arrival of the stores and other buildings from the first settlement created a scene of bustling activity which lasted . until they had all been permanently located. A sawmill was built here by F. H. Fay, and was conducted by him for two years, when he sold it to other parties who moved it to Poskin Lake. The hotel of August Nelson now forms a part of the Travelers' Hotel opposite the railway station, while that moved here by Mr. Soost is now known as the East Hotel. Henry Rader- macher, who had likewise moved his black- smith shop, operated it here for two or three years. He was then elected clerk of court and went to live in Barron, where his wife opened a millinery store. Later they both operated a general store there. R. A. Bur- ton was depot agent in Cameron, as also in old Cameron, and the first postmaster was R. A. Wheeler, J. P., who had also been postmaster at old Cameron. He continued to serve until the spring of 1883, and was succeeded by W. H. Snashall, a Democrat. who opened the first regular hardware store

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History of Barron County Wisconsin, Part 190

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

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