History of Barron County Wisconsin, Part 191

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

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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).

here. Mr. Snashall continued to handle the . . mail until the fall of 1888, when, fearing failure in business, he left town abruptly, giving out that he was going to St. Paul to hear ex-President Cleveland, then run- ning again for the presidency against Ben- jamin Harrison, deliver a speech. He did not return, but his postoffice accounts were found in good order. He was succeeded as postmaster by Andrew Stacy, who held the office until the second administration of President Cleveland, when Malcolm Mc- Naughton was appointed and served some- what over four years. The next appointee was George H. Rapley, who held it less than three years. C. E. Bartlett, the next post- master, continued as such for fourteen years, and was succeeded by J. F. Samson, who passed the office on to Wayne Beggs. Mr. Beggs was succeeded by Homer Sam- son, who is still serving. The building now in use is leased by the government and was first occupied four years ago.

From time to time other stores and places of business were started and the village continued to develop until it assumed its modern aspect. One of the principal mer- chants here for a number of years was Frank Swanson.

The present village site was platted as North Cameron, May 5, 1884, on land of Ole Frederickson by Lewis W. Leete, surveyor. An irregularity having been found in the plat, it was replatted Jan. 31, 1885, the owners then being Isabella J. Coleman and the Sault Ste Marie Land and Improvement Company. Washington Bird was the sur- veyor.

Cameron was incorporated as a village in 1894. A petition signed by J. H. Dunham, M. McNaughton. D. C. Locke, S. W. Co- ville, G. H. Rapley and M. C. Howard was favorably acted upon by the court on Sept. 25, that year. At the election held Nov. 20, 1894, all of the 39 votes cast were fa- 'vorable to the incorporation, which ac- cordingly became effective on that day.

The city hall was built about eighteen years ago. The fire depatment occupies the front part, while the council room is in the rear. The fire department was organized in the fall of 1902, the equipment at the time consisting of a home-made hose cart (still in use and in good condition) and 500 feet of hose. Three years later an- other hose cart was purchased and also a hook and ladder truck. Still Jater a chem- ical engine was added. The department has now 32 members. J. F. Drost, after serving a full term of three years as chief, is now in the first year of his second term. The assistant chief is John Dryland, the secretary C. C. Allen, and the treasurer Magnus Larson. All these officials have proved efficient and Mr. Allen has held bis post as secretary for about nine years.

A water supply system was installed in Cameron twenty years ago, consisting of a tank, well, mains and hydrants, the power being furnished by gasoline engines por- chased from the Fairbanks-Morse Co. In or about the year 1912 an electric system was put in, since which time the power

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has been obtained from what is now the Wisconsin-Minnesota Light & Power Co. The use of gasoline engines was abandoned. The present system is one of direct pres- sure, the tank not having been used for Ave or six years. Auxiliary power is ob- tained when needed from two compressed air cisterns operated by an electric motor. The first schoolhouse in Cameron was a frame building erected in "old Cameron" in 1882, which was moved to the present village in the spring of 1884, when the "Soo" railroad came through, being placed on the lot south of that on which the Catholic Church now stands. After being in use for about ten years a new and larger building was found necessary, and a two-story frame schoolhouse was accordingly erected on the adjacent lot north. This latter building was in use for school purposes until 1906, by which time the number of pupils had so increased that a new building had again become necessary. In the fall of that year, therefore, a two-story brick building with basement was erected on a two-acre lot sev- eral blocks east. It contained four rooms in addition to the class rooms. The frame building was sold to the Catholics and has since been used by them as a church. In 1913 the schoolhouse was enlarged by a considerable addition, which doubled its former size and provided eight rooms in addition to the class rooms. This enlarge- ment, including the installation of the heat- ing plant, involved a cost of about double the original outlay. In 1920 a new heat- ing plant was put in at a cost of $8,102. In December, 1921, there was an enrollment of 156 pupils in the grades and 64 in the high school, nearly all of whom were resi- dents of the village. Seven teachers are employed, including the principal. In addi- tion to the usual high school courses, in- struction is furnished in domestic science, manual training and agriculture, and the school takes high rank among the best in the county, or, indeed, in this part of the state.

Many years ago a co-operative creamery was started in Cameron, in which quite a number of people took stock. After being operated for about a year, through poor management, or otherwise, it got into bad shape, and the stockholders, having lost their money, gave up the enterprise and sold the building to other parties, who moved away. Later, about 1894 or 1895, J. A. Breitenbauch erected a wooden build- ing in the west end of town and started another creamery, the citizens giving him a bonus. This was on the same site as the first building, there being a difference of but a few feet in exact position. Mr. Brei- tenbauch conducted it for some five or six years, and then gave it up, being unable to withstand the competition of the more mod- ern and better equipped factory which was then established here by the Eau Claire Creamery Co., and which is still in opera- tion. In 1920 this creamery turned out half a million pounds of butter. For the last five years John Hanson has been the manager.

The Bank of Cameron was established and incorporated in 1901 under its present name, with a capital of $10,000, the incorpo- rators being M. C. Howard, Geo. G. Bart- lett, L. I. Roe, S. O. Mauseth and G. E. Soli. The first officers were: M. C. Howard, president; L. I. Roe, vice president, and G. E. Soli, cashier. About 1912, M. C. Howard resigned as president and was succeeded by L. I. Roe, S. O. Mauseth becoming vice president. In 1903 C. H. Museus became cashier and so remained until 1910, when, on account of ill health, he temporarily re- tired and Ingval Egstad was elected cashier. In September, 1919, the capital of the bank was increased to $25,000 and the bank was reorganized. The new officers were: C. H. Museus, president; A. Gulickson, vice presi- dent; Ingval Egstad, cashier, and W. W. Pieper and Ragna C. Romsos, assistant cashiers. These officers are still serving.

The Cameron Farmers' Telephone Co. was organized in 1907 as a co-operative concern. It purchased the exchange and lines at Cameron from the Chippewa Valley Telephone Co., which in turn has purchased them from the Barron County Telephone Co. There were about 150 stockholders, O. K. Olson being manager. In 1912 the company was incorporated as a private con- cern, which it has since remained. The ter- ritory covered includes the village and the surrounding country and the company has about 280 phones. Connections are made with the Barron County Telephone Co. and the Bell (long distance) lines. In Decem- ber, 1921, the officers were: Christ Hol- men, president; S. E. Severson, vice presi- dent; Miss Odie E. Romsos, secretary- treasurer, and O. K. Olson, manager. The directors were Herman Lemke, Ole Erick- son, T. O. Malum, Ed Erickson and Charles Elmlinger. Martha Romsos is chief opera- tor, the other operators being Clella Hoff and Myrtle Bombarger.

The Cameron Flour Mill was built and the business started by Edward Ludwig, a man who had over twenty years' experi- ence as a miller and who constructed the mill for flour manufacture and feed grind- ing. The building measures 30 by 54 feet, with a height of 50 feet, and is equipped on all floors with machinery operated by electric power, the roller process being used for grinding wheat flour, rye and buck- wheat flour, and cornmeal, the capacity being 26 barrels a day. There are four strands of rolls, all compact, with a good feed mill in connection having a capacity of one ton of feed per hour. Mr. Ludwig conducted the mill until September, 1921, when through a business deal it came into possession of C. J. Holman, and it is now owned and operated by C. J. Holman & Son, who are doing a general milling busi- ness.

The C. A. Carlson Co. of Chicago, ope- rates a wholesale cheese warehouse at Cam- eron, occupying a building just east of the railroad depot, and measuring 30 by 60 feet, with two floors. It has a capacity of sev- eral carloads. Both brick and American cream cheese are purchased from the

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cheese factories and handled in large quan- tities, being shipped in car lots to Chicago and afterwards distributed to the cheese trade throughout the United States. The business was established at Cameron nearly four years ago. The local manager is Julius Olson.

In the summer of 1919 the C. A. Carl- son Co. built a cheese factory in the village and began its operation in August, that year. They make American and Swedish style cheese, and in 1920 turned out be- tween 500 and 600 pounds a day, which called for a supply of 5,000 to 6,000 pounds of milk daily. Since January, 1920, Jo- seph Leisz has been the manager.

The Methodist Episcopal Society orig- inated about 1890, the members holding services for a while in the old frame school- house which had been moved from old Cameron, and which was also temporarily used by other denominations. Later they met for service in a store near the center of the village. By 1894 they had become strong enough to build a church edifice, which was accordingly erected in that year under the direction of the Rev. L. Bigger, who was the leading spirit in the enter- prise. The building is now being remodeled and furnished with an outside coating of magestone stucco. A basement is also being put underneath, one room in which, 25 by 36 feet and 12 feet high, is designed for a gymnasium and for community meet- ings by the societies connected with the church. These improvements, when com- pleted, will cost about $4,000. For a num- ber of years in its early period this church was an outpost of Chetek, and later of Rice Lake, being served by pastors from those places. The Rev. J. W. Charitan, who was pastor here about four years, took an ac- tive part in building the parsonage, the building, erected in 1910, costing $2,000. The subject, however, had come under discus- sion during the previous pastorate, that of the Rev. J. F. Franklin. Other pastors under whom the church made considerable progress were the Rev. Charles P. Keast, who was here in 1906, and Rev. M. C. Mc- Kibben, who served four years at a later period. The present pastor, Rev. J. B. Johnson, came here March 1, 1921. The present membership of the church is 45; the Sunday school enrollment 110, while the Epworth League has 45 members. There are also two other active societies, the La- dies' Aid and the Woman's Foreign Mis- sionary Society.

The German Lutheran Church of Cam- eron. The earliest members of this church first worshiped with the congregation at Sumner in the schoolhouse on Sumner Prairie. This was about thirty years ago or more, and, among the earliest Cameron members were William Pieper, William Schultz, Frank Spikerman, Herman Pieper, Ludwig Tonn, Carl Kreclow, Carl Lucht. Julius Reese and Julius Voight, with their families. The first preacher was the Rev Answalt Lugenheim. After a number of years the two branches of the congrega- tion separated and the Cameron members

bought the old schoolhouse which had been moved from old Cameron and converted it into a place of worship. It served as such until the present church edifice was erected in 1901. This is a neat-appearing building with bell and belfry and cost $1500 to build. The lot on which it stands was bought for $75. Twelve years ago the building was remodeled and slightly en- larged. The old school building previous- ly used is now a residence next to the Cath- olic Church. The pastors who have served the Lutheran Church in Cameron are the Rev. Johannas Friend, Rev. C. C. Harten- stein, Rev. Fred Motzkus and Rev. Walter Motzkus. The Rev. Fred Motzkus, father of the present pastor, died while serving here three years ago. The parish now con- tains 32 families. The auxiliary branches of the church are the Sunday school and a Ladies' Aid Society.

St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church in Cameron was organized in 1908, by the Rev. F. Schmidt of Rice Lake, who served the congregation on a few occasions. The first members were Henry Hassel, P. H. St. Louis, Martin Gass, Mrs. Louisa St. Louis, J. A. Breitenbach, Mrs. Veasey, J. F. Drost, Louis Wilkins, Wenzel Beranek, Henry Reaux, Joe St. Louis, Andrew Finley, Joe Vachleda, Wayne Bartlett and Robert Kleve. All the men mentioned in the fore- going list were married, except Joe Vach- leda, and their wives and families were in- cluded in the membership, as also was Joe Vachleda's mother. The two-story frame schoolhouse, which had been discarded for educational purposes in 1906 on account of not being large enough for the increased school enrollment, was purchased by the Catholics and consecrated as a church and has been since used by them as such. After being purchased it was provided with a steeple and the property in general was improved by the laying of cement side- walks After the Rev. F. Schmidt other priests ministered to the congregation from time to time, including Father Jos. Pilom, of Spooner. and Father Beaudette, assis- tant priest at Rice Lake. During the last few years the church has been served from Chetek, as it was also for a while formerly. The congregation now numbers about fourteen families.

A number of years ago a few people in Cameron tried to form a Presbyterian so- ciety but their efforts were unsuccessful.

Union Camp No. 4028, M. W. A., of Cam- eron, was organized 25 years ago or more, its charter being dated July 9, 1896. The charter members were C. E. Bartlett. Hans Bottolfs, D. W. Dodge. M. C. Howard, Mar- tin Larson, D. C. Neeley, Edward Peterson, George H. Rapley, W. H. Ross, Edward Vea- sey, Frank Samson, James Ward and W. M. Witter. The camp has proved itself a live organization and has now 112 members. It holds its meetings in a rented hall.

Pioneer Camp No. 985, Royal Neighbors, was organized in 1898, its charter bearing the date of April 23. that year. The char- ter members were E. A. Ward, Hattie E. Ward, Geo. H. Rapley, Louella J. Rapley,

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D. W. Dodge, Eunice L. Dodge, Jay Pack- ard, Sadie Packard, T. R. Hawkins, Mollie Hawkins, C. E. Bartlett, Annie C. Bart- lett, C. D. Thurber, Bessie A. Thurber, James H. Packard, J. M. Ward, William W. Way, Julius E. Way, A. B. Arneson, Man- nie Arneson, Elsie Witter, Richard A. Bur- ton, Partha Burton, Fritz Schultz and W. M. Witter. This camp has now 60 members.

Cameron Lodge No. 237, I. O. O. F., has a charter bearing the date of Dec. 12, 1903, and has therefore enjoyed an existence of eighteen years. The charter members were Iver Forsythe, Elmer Washburn, H. D. Bartlett, A. L. Arneson, H. C. Swetland, K. O. Lofgren and C. H. Museus. This lodge has grown until its membership now numbers over one hundred. It uses the same lodge room as the Woodmen.

Camerondale Lodge No. 58, Rebekah De- gree, I. O. O. F., is a comparatively recent accession to the societies in the village, its charter being dated June 2, 1920. Thereon are inscribed the names of Lucinda Bartlett, Mollie Hawkins, Martha Allen, Mabel Allen, Hattie Ward, Partha Burton, Lena Holman, Lottie Burton, Mary Kyle, Margaret Bion, Nellie Bartlett, Anna Dyrland, Elsa Hurl- burt, Martha Egstad, Stella Thompson, Rosa Kissling, Marie Saastad, Josephine Martin, Irene Martin, Lillian E. Welch, Pearl Mcclellan, Veva Miller and Efile A. Giles. The present membership is about sixty.

Cameron Homestead No. 4201, Brother- hood of American Yeomen, was organized April 7, 1913, with the following charter

members: C. H. Museus, C. E. Bartlett, F. A. Van Allen, Arnt Lyse, Peter H. St. Louis, Walter F. Erickson, Ray R. Burton, Iver E. Forsythe, Frank J. Pearson, Ole Simonson, Maud Worman, F. J. Roch, Belle St. Louis, Andrew Hanson, M. McKee, L. H. Chafee and Edward Peterson. This organ- ization has now 38 members and holds its meetings in the Odd Fellows' hall.

Some years ago a Beaver lodge was or- ganized in Cameron and is still in exis- tence, though it no longer holds meetings. There was also a lodge of Maccabees, which finally disbanded.

Bernard P. Pieper Post, No. 194, American Legion, was organized in Cameron in No- vember, 1919, and started with 35 mem- bers, but, owing chiefly to removals, the membership has since diminished to about 26. Morton E. Hurlburt was elected as the first commander and has since remained in that office. The post was named after Bernard P. Pieper, who was born in Cam- eron in 1896, son of William and Ernestina (Schultz) Pieper. His service record was in brief as follows: Enlisted at St. Paul, Jan. 4, 1918, in the U. S. Marines; was sent to Paris Island, S. C .; later sailed for France with 144th Company, Third Replace- ment Battalion; landed at Brest; trained and received equipment at St. Aignan; saw service at Vierzy, Soissons sector; Nance; Marabach sector holding the front lines; Limy, the St. Mihiel drive, Toul and Mont Blanc Ridge and Champaigne sector, where he was killed by shell fire Oct. 10, 1918, during a severe barrage which was being put over by the enemy.

CHAPTER XXIV.

DALLAS VILLAGE.

Dallas Village is located in the south- central part of the county, in Section 14, west, Dallas Township, on the Ridgeland- Reserve branch of the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste Marie Railway. The sur- rounding country is more or less rolling, 'and still has some fine hardwood groves. The Upper Pine Creek is here dammed, making a pretty artificial body of water known as Dallas Lake.

In the years 1869 and 1870, three men, . was a fine spring of clear water. On this

all farmers, owned the greater part of the acreage where the village of Dallas now is, and the outlying fields, each one having in the early years a clearing and house and accompanying buildings.

The one nearest the present village cen- ter was Ole Knutson, whose old-fashioned home was near the bank of Pine Creek, where the K. Espeseth residence now stands.

About half a mile up stream on the same (west) side of the stream was the home of Nelse Toliffson. Midway between the Knutson and Toliffson residences, but about

half a mile to the west, was the home of Mr. Toliffson's son, Toliff Nelson.

For a while one Joseph Boyd had a shack on Ole Knutson's land, but as he paid no rent, and was reputed to be a manufacturer of counterfeit money and illicit whiskey, he was pursuaded to depart. About a mile or more south of the site of the present village, William Hufnall, in the early seventies, had a farm on which farm a postoffice was established with Mr. Hufnail as postmaster, to which the name of Sylvan Springs was given. In the spring of 1877, William S. Foster opened a store on the southeast corner of the northeast quarter of Section 22, Dallas Township, about a half mile west and a mile south of the present village. He was appointed post- master Oct. 16, 1877, moved the office to his store, and there maintained it. The name of the office was changed to Dallas.

On Feb. 29, 1878, James A. Anderson ar- rived on the present site of Dallas, and was thereafter its leading citizen for some

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four decades. Attracted by the possibilities of the region, and especially by the possi- bilities of the power which might be con- served by damming the still flowing Little (Upper) Pine Creek, he purchased land and water rights from Nelse Toliffson and Ole Knuteson and started the dam and mill.

In the spring of 1879, Mr. Anderson in- terviewed Mr. Foster, in regard to moving the store and postoffice up near the mill. The suggestion was heartily received and Mr. Foster and his family, the store build- ing, and the Dallas postoffice were in a short time transplanted to a beautiful spot directly across the square from the mill. All this was on the west side of the creek, which by damming had become a pretty lake.

Business on the east side of the pond was started by Knute Espeseth, who started a general store.

Mr. Anderson's mill was at first a grist mill, but later rollers were installed. The mill is still in operation by the son, Matt, who is following in his father's footsteps as one of the active factors in the life of the village. Since 1915 power has been generated in the mill for the village electric light system.

In 1880, Mr. Anderson started a sawmill, and later added planing and shingle depart- ments. In 1894 it came into the hands of Even Erickson and E. Amundson. A year later, Mr. Erickson became sole owner. He operated it until 1900, when it was shut down, dismantled and sold. In that year he built the planing mill which he is still con- ducting, also manufacturing sash and doors and doing other woodworking.

With the dam built, the mills estab- lished, the postoffice located, and the Fos- ter and Espeseth stores running, the vil- lage began to grow. Blacksmith shops wero established at various times by Louis C. Hoyt, Even Erickson, S. A. Severson and John L. Fluent. Mr. Severson added an en- gine and opened a saw and planing mill. Pelton Brothers opened a hardware store, Torger Olson a harness and repair shop, Ole Christianson a shoe shop, William S. Foster the Foster House, Martin Grannis a cabinet shop, and Johnson Malum and Hal- vorson & Moe general stores.

In the early days of the village, the Pa- trons of Husbandry was a strong organ- ization, and a Grange was established in Dallas which flourished for a number of years.

The original plat of Dallas is not on rec- ord. The records show but one deed under the old plat, and in that deed the lot trans- ferred is described in meets and bounds. May 12. 1894, . James A. Anderson platted a part of the present village, the surveyor being D. A. Russell. The principal busi- ness portions of Dallas are not platted, the lots still being described by meets and bounds. West Dallas was platted Sept. 10, 1900, on land of Tolef Nelson. The sur- veyor was H. Brewer.

The Rice Lake, Dallas & Menomonie Railroad was built from Ridgeland to Rice Lake, through Dallas, in 1900, and trains

started running in the fall of that year. This brought new life to the village, and established it as an important trading con- ter. The depot is located on a strip of land a half mile long and 250 feet wide, presented by James A. Anderson.

When the railroad came through James A. Anderson opened a hotel and a number of other new industries were started.

Besides the woodworking mill operated by Even Erickson, Knute Hanson is con- ducting a small steam sawmill. Matt An- derson has a flour mill. There are two grain elevators combined with potato ware- houses, and one elevator not connected with anything else. There are also four potato warehouses not included in those mentioned above. M. A. Gedney of St. Paul, has a pickling station here, and among the other business interests are a lumber yard, black- smith shop, harness and shoe repair shops, a shoemaker's (repair and sales), three ga- rages, a hotel, a moving picture theatre, a bank, two general stores, a hardware store. jewelry store, drug store, three confection- ery stores and restaurants combined, and a barber shop. There is also a Farmers' Shipping Association. Fire protection is furnished by a voluntary department, the apparatus consisting of a chemical, pump- ing engine, hose cart and hook and ladder.

The village of Dallas was incorporated in 1903, the charter being dated June 26, at the circuit court at Superior, A. J. Vinge, circuit judge. The first election was beld on Aug. 15, that year, and the officials elected were as follows: President, R. J. Tuttle; clerk, David A. Russell; treasurer. J. A. Anderson; trustees, Even Erickson, A. P. Manion. S. A. Syverson, E. A. Pel- ton, Isaac Pecore and Harry Halvorson; supervisor, K. Espeseth; assessor, J. M. Pel- ton; constable, J. E. Quam; justices of the peace, J. K. Johnson and F. F. Tibbetts; police justice, D. A. Russell.

After W. S. Foster had served as post- master of Dallas for some twelve or four- teen years, he was succeeded in that office by John G. Johnson. Later Knute Espe- seth had it, and after him Torger Oleson. Then Mr. Johnson was appointed again and served for about sixteen years, or until his death in June, 1914, when he was suc- ceeded by his son, Frank. The latter kept it until the fall of 1916, when the appoint- ment fell to D. E. Thatcher, who is still serving.

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History of Barron County Wisconsin, Part 191

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

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