USA > Wisconsin > Buffalo County > History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties Wisconsin (Volume 2) > Part 63
USA > Wisconsin > Pepin County > History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties Wisconsin (Volume 2) > Part 63
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The Exemption Board appointed June 21. 1917, consisted of W. P. Taylor (chairman), W. C. Richardson (secretary), E. F. Woods, N. A. McMahon, C. J. Swanson, Virus Dorwin, and Dr. W. W. Cassidy. S. B. Tarrant served on the board from August, 1917, to July, 1918. Dr. Cas- sidy died Oct. 25, 1918, and on November 2, 1918, Dr. J. J. Morgan was appointed examining physician in his place. The first chief clerk was Virus Dorwin. He was succeeded by Henry Brunner, who in turn was suc- ceeded by A. C. Smith. The first appeal agent, W. E. Plummer, was suc- ceeded Jan. 31, 1918, by S. B. Ingram.
It was the practice in raising men to act on the orders of Provost- Marshal General Crowder at Washington. He telegraphed his orders to
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Hon. E. L. Philipp, governor of Wisconsin, and he passed them on to. Hon. Orlando Holway, adjutant-general of Wisconsin, or direct to the local Exemptin Board, as seemed best. Governor Philipp was a busy, hard working man for his state during war time. He was the agent of the state to receive and act on the orders from the War Department, and filled an in- teresting and responsible position in the part Wisconsin took in the great war. It was his ambition to place and keep his state at the forefront in everything desired by the national administration. Every proclamation, order or call made by President Wilson was promptly re-echoed by our governor and sent to the people. Although each man is a partisan as to his own political party, there is nothing in the war record of our President and governor that shows there has been a division of counsel with respect to the conduct of the war. It takes plenty of money and a united people to carry on a successful war. So far as Pepin County acted she did her bit in every way. It was upon the County Council of Defense that the burden of the civilian activities fell. This body was organized pursuant to the law enacted by the legislature that was in session when the war was declared. Its first meeting was held in the court house at Durand, May 3, 1917.
Auxiliary to the Executive Committee were the Publicity Committee, the Liberty Loan Committee, the War Savings Stamp Committee and the Speakers' Committee. The Publicity Committee was composed of A. W. Crippen of the Entering Wedge, and Ed. Bardill, of the Pepin County Courier, with George Tarrant and K. K. Brainard, all of Durand. The War Stamp Committee was composed of George Tarrant, chairman; H. Pattison (postmaster), Ed. Pattison, K. K. Brainard and C. C. Clemens, all of Du- rand. The Speakers' Committee consisted of C. A. Ingram, chairman ; H. A. Miles, Prof. L. U. St. Peter and A. W. Crippen.
The Food Administrator was George W. Kees, for Pepin County. Mr. Kees, although 76 years of age, took hold of war work as vigorously as men two score years younger. He was busy all the time to see to a fair distribution of food products at fair prices. He drove his own car at his own expense in winter time to distant parts of the county to arrange with merchants on quantities to sell and prices to be charged. The people owe him a debt of gratitude for his services that money cannot pay.
W. A. Parker, of Albany, proved an efficient public-spirited servant in work on Y. M. C. A. drives and Liberty Loans, both in Pepin and Buffalo counties. He gave generously of his time at his own expense to all forms of war work.
The Legal Advisory Board for Pepin County, appointed by the Gov- ernor about Dec. 1, 1917, was C. M. Hilliard, chairman; C. A. Ingram and E. S. Pattison. They met December 10, and C. A. Ingram was made secre- tary of the board. At that meeting it added to its membership Louis Guildner, of Albany; John Brunner, of Lima; Richard Walters, town of Durand; A. C. Smith, first ward of the city, and Roy Kins, second ward; Paul Leiffering, town of Waubeek; Henry Hortung, Waterville; Sheridan Livingston, Frankfort; C. J. Thies, village of Pepin; Edwin Edblom, town of Pepin; Hjalmer Wallin, town of Stockholm, and H. R. Anderson, village of Stockholm. Mr. Anderson resigned during the summer of 1918, and
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A. F. Peterson, the same village, filled his place. These men, with efficient aid by C. P. Lasyne, John Weishoppel and others, of Durand, Wis., filled the questionnaires before the second and third enrollments of Aug. 24 and Sept. 12, 1918, and with the aid of Mrs. W. A. Gilmore, Mrs. Cora Horner and Clarissa Drier, all of Durand, wrote the questionnaires after Sept. 12, 1918, until all were written.
The first appointment made to the office of Government Appeal Agent was W. E. Plummer. Owing to Mr. Plummer's declining health the Governor filled his place by naming S. B. Ingram, of Waubeek. Mr. Ingram proved to be an intensely loyal, active and watchful officer. He gave liberally of his time to the duties of his position. By working with the local draft board Pepin County made up her quota of soldiers in time for each call made upon her.
Resident physicians in Pepin County when the war broke upon us were J. J. Morgan, A. C. Huleatt, E. C. Jacobs, W. W. Cassidy and J. V. King, who lived in Pepin, but later removed to Bismarck, N. D. W. W. Cassidy was selected for chief government examiner and proved efficiency in all his work. He died Oct. 25, 1918. In his death the community sus- tained a great loss, and the government lost a faithful public officer.
It so happened that few remained to be called for examination, and Dr. J. J. Morgan attended to the work until the close of the war.
Governor Philipp visited the annual county fair of this county in 1918 and addressed the people on the subject of the war. His official position enabled him to do the subject justice. His declaration that Wisconsin now had about 115,000 men in Europe was the first information we had as to what the state had been doing in this line. He urged loyal co-operation of all citizens, and expressed the hope to the assembled parents that their sons would soon be returned to them ..
By the scourge of Spanish influenza that broke out among the soldiers and cantonments in the late summer of 1918, the harvest of death garnered in some of Pepin County's young men. Arthur Percy, of Durand, and George Larson, of Stockholm, both died, Percy at Camp Grant and Larson at Indianapolis, Ind. Both were brought home and buried on the same day and hour in their home cemeteries.
One of the best fields for obtaining results for war work was Red Cross auction sales. Frank Ecklor, of Ella, in Pepin County, is one of the most experienced of auctioneers. Sales were projected and held in Pepin, Pierce and Dunn counties, tributary to Durand. Mr. Ecklor con- ducted twenty-two auctions, and the amount of the sales reached about $13,000. He gave his fees in all cases and paid his own expenses, and when it is realized that his fees are as a rule 2 per cent, it is easily seen how much he contributed to Red Cross work of his time and money. He, with S. M. Kirkpatrick, of Red Cedar, Wis., conducted the sales of Durand on Court House Square, May 8, 1918, when $3,100 was netted to the fund for soldiers' aid "over there."
In addition to the committees and individuals already mentioned who did efficient and valuable work for the county were the following:
Fuel Administrator, W. H. Biles, of Durand. Women's Committee,
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Mrs. H. M. Orlady, of Durand, county chairman; Mrs. B. R. Tarrant, of Durand, president of the Red Cross organization. Labor Committee, K. K. Brainard, of Durand, county chairman; N. J. Dunlap, of Pepin. Agricul- tural Committee, Charles Longsdorf, of Arkansaw, county chairman; soils, Alfred Biles, of Pepin ; field crops, Charles Longsdorf, of Arkansaw; dairy- ing, G. L. Howard, of Durand; livestock, Mat Brunner, of Durand; labor, Will Harmon, of Arkansaw; markets and exchange, H. Nicklas, of Durand, and N. Harmon, of Arkansaw; meetings and demonstrations, A. C. Throne, of Eau Galle, Wis.
Educational Committee, Miss Cynthia Carlisle, of Durand; L. U. St. Peter and F. W. Goodrich, also of Durand.
Transportation and Communication Committee, Oscar Swanson, K. K. Brainard, F. J. Vautrot, Loyd Lobdell and John Weishapple, all of Durand,
The following are the city, village and township Councils of Defense. Durand-First Ward, Dr. A. J. Will, chairman; executive committe, H. Marquardt, Will Black, H. A. Miles. Committee at Large, Second to Third and Fourth avenue, East Prospect, H. Marquardt, chairman; C. P. Layne, N. W. Bowman, A. W. Hoeser, R. Schoenbeck, A. C. Smith. Blocks between First and second avenues, H. A. Miles, chairman; C. Hewett, H. Goodrich, William Streese, James Carlisle, Lee Leffering. Third avenue, east of tracks, Will Black, chairman; J. A. Breunig, George Sanders, Andrew Nuss- berger, Robert Semple, John Quixtner. Third avenue, west of tracks, A. J. Will, chairman; L. Boehm, A. Oesterricher, Walter McMahon, Jake Bauer, Frank Bauer. Second Ward, F. J. Vautrot, chairman. Executive Committee, H. C. Olson, L. U. St. Peter, J. Weishapple. Committee at Large, W. Hurlburt, Tom Boehrer, Charles Smiley, R. Doughty, F. X. Albedinger, Will Roepke, F. Polzer, H. Engeldinger, C. A. Van Brunt, W. E. Paul, Bert Barton, E. Pericol, E. Insco, M. H. Carroll, H. Brunner, H. Hel- big, Jr., S. Erickson, D. Constantine, J. Wiessinger.
Waterville Township-Will Harmon, chairman; executive committee, E. M. Miles, Thomas Murry, E. N. Rounds, George Brooks. Committee at Large, Charles Donley, Judy Cody, M. F. Farnham, Erve Holden, Charles Fleishauer, Harry Ogden, Earl Proue, Clint Taylor, James Liddy, E. L. Curtiss, Frank Keys, James Black, J. P. Auth, Ad Coburn, Henry Hartung.
Pepin Township-O. K. Anderson, chairman; executive committee, Charles Maxe, Axle F. Moline, George Wheeler, B. A. Jahnke, Antone Wallin, Albert Peters, Edwin Edblom. Committees at Large, Charles Maxe, chairman; Alfred Sundberg, Oode Larson, Charles Saline, Roland Johnson. Edwin Edblom, chairman; E. Welberg, Norten Nelson, Mannie Wallin, Edward Gustafson. Axle Moline, chairman; J. F. Marska, John Bergmark, Herman Frank. George Wheeler, chairman; C. B. Gardner, Ed. Singen, David Gore, Phill Flint. B. A. Jahnke, chairman; Clarence Hawkins, Erle Hicks, Cyrus Allen, John McKain. Antone Wallin, chair- man; Peter Busk, Emil Halling, Eddie Sundvall, David Jackson, Emanuel Newlund. Albert Peters, chairman; Charles Brunkow, Elmar Haglund, -
Lawrence Dorwin, S. S. Wright.
Village of Pepin-O. M. Axtell, chairman; executive committee, E. Langers, L. A. Axtell, R. D. Newcomb, W. O. Marks; committee at large,
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T. H. Lage, Sherman Fleming, Dr. King, Walter Hunter, Frank Raditz, J. L. McKowan, A. G. Allen, H. A. Thies.
Waubeek Township-A. C. Throne, chairman; executive committee, George McGilton, Sam Ingram, Pete Thompson. On account of the small- ness of the township, which contains but forty families, there was no committee at large.
Frankfort Township-Charles Longsdorf, chairman; executive com- mittee, Ruben Anderson, Elic Johnson, Theo. Olson, George Schruth, L. J. De Marce; committee at large, S. E. Livingston, Delbert Minder, Napoleon Coady, John Setterlund, Charles Byington, Frank Ecklor, John Anderson, Francis Biles, Emil Anderson, William Moline.
Lima Township-Council of Defense, John Brunner, Jr., chairman; executive committee; L. M. Goss, T. J. Pattison, Boyd Weber, Ed. Koller ; committees at large, L. M. Goss, chairman ; Charles Brunner, John X. Bauer, Louis Bauer, Ludwig J. Bauer. Boyd Weber, chairman; John Danzinger, Joe P. Bauer, John Abledinger, Elmer Rushenberg. T. J. Pattison, chair- man; Frank Weber, Art Dickson, Tom Anibas, George Sankey. Ed. Koller, chairman; Ed. Catt, Leo Mason, Pete Massey.
Village of Stockholm-E. T. Josephson, chairman; executive commit- tee, Oakley Olund, H. R. Anderson, Andrew Bock.
Stockholm Township-Charles Moline, chairman; executive committee, C. P. Norcross, Hjalmar Wallin, Samuel E. Steien; committee at large, Lewey Runquist, Tom Carpenter, Gust Julin, Edwin Westerberg, Nels Quarnstrom, Aug. Edelin, Lars A. Melcher, Friden Lindgren, Olaf An- derson.
Albany Township-W. A. Parker, chairman; executive committee, Lewis Thalacker, John Melrose, E. D. Hakes, Antone Bauer; committee at large, Lewis Machmeier, August Schreiner, Henry Weber, Frank Rosenthal, Gustav Wild, Charles Pabst, Robert Brandtner, John Mackintosh, Joe Hoover, Sever Broberg, John Komro, Florin Bauer, Leo Bauer.
Durand Township-H. A. Vrandenburg, chairman; executive commit- tee, Ed. Van Brunt, R. A. Achenbach, August Pelke; committee at large, John McQuin, R. E. Walters, Nate Plummer, Alex Koller, Henry Kees, Tom Weiken, Frank Abelinger, William Yarrington, W. T. Plummer.
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CHAPTER XXI CITY, VILLAGES AND TOWNSHIPS
Pepin County has one city, Durand, two incorporated villages, Pepin and Stockholm, and several hamlets such as Arkansas and Lakeport.
DURAND
Durand, the judicial seat of Pepin County, is a prosperous incor- porated city of about 1,600 population, located on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, 30 miles from Eau Claire and 20 miles from the Missis- sippi River. The location is very picturesque. It is on the east side of the Chippewa River, which is more than a quarter of a mile wide at this point. On the east is a range of sandstone bluffs, which is thickly studded with trees whose summer foliage tends to make a charming background to the general view. North of the city is Waubeek Mound, on the west side of the river. Towering above everything else it forms a conspicuous land- mark. The softness and dryness of the atmosphere is remarkable and the climate is considered very healthful. The commercial section of Durand is confined largely to Main street, being about six blocks long, the business houses being mostly constructed of brick, and containing stock suited to the trade of this section, which is of both a commercial and agricultural character. Their patronage is drawn from a radius of many miles, includ- ing Pepin, Dunn, Pierce and Buffalo counties. The makeup of the com- mercial population comprises over 100 firms or individuals, this representa- tion being equal to that of places of much larger size, a fact emphasizing the importance of Durand as a trade center. Mail stages run daily to Arkansaw and Eau Galle.
The churches, some five in number, represent the Catholic, German Lutheran, Methodist Episcopal, Congregational and Church of Nazarene denominations. The public school system consists of two buildings and a staff of eleven teachers. The high school is on the accredited list and the general efficiency of the system embodies the essential advantages for which Wisconsin is distinguished. A Catholic school also assists in the good work of local education, for which purpose it has the best and most up-to-date school building in Durand. As an adjunct to the schools, the public library fills a mission of usefulness in educational work. It is a Carnegie contribution, and its list of books comprises about 3,500 volumes. The local press consists of a weekly paper and The Link, a monthly pub- lication, devoted to the interest of the Eau Claire district Methodism, both of which are well qualified to represent the class of literature with which they are identified. About all the leading fraternal, benevolent and social organizations are well represented and supported.
Public and private utilities and conveniences, to a large extent, reflect the character of the inhabitants, in pride, progress and public spirit.
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Durand is provided with good light and telephone systems and service, both of which are owned by private corporations.
With the influx of settlement in the Chippewa Valley during the early fifties, and the increasing development of the Chippewa lumber regions, it became apparent that there was an opportunity for the establishment of a village which would form a convenient stopping place between North Pepin and Eau Claire. To Perry Curtiss, who, in 1846 had settled near Eau Galle, in Dunn County, and opened the first farm in this entire region, the mouth of Bear Creek, in Pepin County, appeared to be an ideal location. Accordingly, in 1855, he started a hamlet which he called Chippewa. Quite a settlement sprang up, including a hotel, several stores, a postoffice, and a number of residences, making in all some thirty buildings. But it was soon found that the site was subject to overflow in high water, and after several spring floods the hamlet was abandoned. Several of the buildings were removed to Durand.
Durand had its beginning in the summer of 1856, when Miles Durand Prindle, a native of Derby, Conn., journeyed up the Chippewa River in a keel boat, and took government land on the site of the present city. He was not, however, the first arrival. Alexander Babatz had been living in a claim shanty in the neighborhood for several years, and Charles Billings had a small board cabin on the bank of the river, which he used when traveling up and down the river. No real roads had been built, but there was a lumberman's trail on each bank of the Chippewa. Miles D. Prindle and Charles Billings laid out a village in July, 1856, the survey being made by Lorenzo G. Wood. On July 4, 1856, a board was put up with the name of Durand on it, and the village was started on its career. Peter Gerber bought the first lot, and erected a building in which he opened the first boarding house. Miles D. Prindle and Charles Weatherbee opened the first store. Alonzo Allen put up a blacksmith shop. Casper Hugg started a boarding house which he named the "Bean Sandwich," a popular place for passing woodsmen. The next year, W. F. Prindle, George Ellsworth and W. E. Hays erected a sawmill with a capacity of 15,000 feet of lumber a day.
In 1858 the postoffice was moved in from Chippewa, and that same year Dan Rankin commenced to build a hotel. It passed through the hands of several parties before it was finished by A. W. Grippin and opened in 1859. It was called Grippin's Hotel, and was the first one in the village worthy of the latter name.
Four miles up the river, east of Durand, a water-power grist mill on Bear Creek was built by V. W. Dorwin, in 1859. It was a small, old- fashioned stone mill. In 1879 several additions and improvements were made to it, and in 1880 it was operated by the V. W. Dorwin Mill Com- pany, which was organized in that year with a capital of $25,000. This ' same company owned and operated the carding-mill, built in 1876, and a cheese factory, erected in 1871 on the farm belonging to Mr. Dorwin. A new factory was built in 1891, and production commenced in it in May of that year.
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Among the early settlers of Durand were: George Tarrant, who came in 1863 and opened a store on the present Frank Fox corner; A. J. Wallace, who learned the plumbing trade in Mr. Prindle's store, and later, in com- pany with William Hammond, established what is now the Durand hard- ware store; Fraser & Houghton, the first lawyers in Durand, as Clay Wil- liams, was at Bear Creek; Samuel Plummer, who came from Boston, being followed by other members of that family; Dr. E. C. Baker, who also owned a drug store; M. D. Bartlett and John Meggett, attorneys; Harding & Scott, woodworkers; H. C. Green, contractor; W. H. Bailey, painter; M. H. Tucker, cabinetmaker; E. R. Foster, dry goods; Thomas McGuire, brickmaker; Thomas Stokes, owner of the Eagle Hotel; Dr. M. A. Shaw, publisher of the Home Mirror, the first newspaper in Durand; Philo Bar- ton, one of the first owners of a meat market, for some time in partner- ship with E. Oesterreicher; Alexander Grippen, uncle of William Grippen, an early proprietor of the "Bean Sandwich," a hotel which stood where Rosenthal's Fair store stands today; Charles Billings, who opened the Billings Addition, and Kuhn & Snell, who also opened up additions to the village, together with Charles Weatherbee and Peter Gerber, N. Plummer, R. R. Root, D. C. Topping, Capt. V. W. Dorwin, George Babcock, J. J. Stafford and P. E. Hardy. All of them were industrious, persevering, enduring and enterprising men; otherwise it would have been impossible for them to surmount the obstacles in the way to their advancement, or endure the hardships attendant upon settling in a region away from any civilization, except that which existed among themselves, and many miles distance from any place where the comforts of life could be procured, assuming that they had the means to do so. The struggle was an arduous one for several years, out success crowned the efforts of many of them in the end, and they rose to be men of mark and substance in the community. Even in the early days they found time occasionally for social enjoyment and the celebration of public anniversaries. The "Glorious Fourth" in 1857 was celebrated in the usual patriotic American fashion. The services of Mr. Brown of La Crosse, had been secured and the customary patriotic speech was delivered, Harry Eaton being the chairman of the evening. The speech was so satisfactory that Mr. Prindle gave Mr. Brown a village lot. The festivities concluded with a dance in the evening. Christmas of the same year was celebrated with a barbecue, a large steer being roasted whole.
As the agricultural resources of the county became developed, Durand was found to be the nearest market to a large wheat-growing country and quite a flourishing business was soon established in shipping that cereal to Eastern markets. It was not a place that held out great inducements for the investment of capital, and until the coming of the railroad the peo- ple were handicapped by the lack of adequate means of transportation. All merchandise had to be brought up the Chippewa River by steamboat in the summer, or by teams from Menomonie and Read's Landing in the winter. The railroad, constructed in 1882, supplied the one element lack- ing to the growth and prosperity of the town. Since then the enterprise
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of the citizens has done the rest, and by industry and economy they have surrounded themselves with a fair amount of the comforts and elegancies of life.
On Dec. 25, 1882, the Ecklor House was discovered to be on fire. The fire being beyond control when discovered, efforts were made to save the contents. A strong wind was blowing and in a few minutes several build- ings across the street were on fire. A clean sweep of both sides of the street was made from the Ecklor House corner to the post office, including in all 34 buildings. The losses were as follows: W. H. Huntington, Ecklor House; Mons Anderson, meat market; E. A. Holser, shoe store; Joseph Schul, harness shop; H. E. Houghton, "Whirlpool Corner," two store build- ings, residence and barn; Seth Scott, feed store; L. D. Parkhurst, barber shop; Arkansaw Furniture Co .; Mark Moore, household goods; George Moore, household goods; Tiffany's store, occupied by Wells & Harrison's railroad store; P. M. Barton and family residing upstairs; Peter Gerber's residence and barn; Tarrant & Dorwin's store building; S. J. Humphrey's drug store; J. Van Norman's harness shop and hardware store (George Dunlap and family residing upstairs) ; the meat market of Philo and Henry Goodrich ; the Brown & Davidson dress-making rooms; E. B. Parkhurst's two-story building; the Hutchinson drug store; H. C. Page, dentist; the railroad station, total loss ; S. M. Scott, saloon; E. Oesterreicher, meat mar- ket; Barton & Co., meat market; William Seely, confectionery store; Van Trot Bros., hardware; H. E. Houghton, law office; A. J. Wallace, store building; W. L. Bachelder, photo gallery ; Mrs. Houghton, millinery store; D. C. Topping, store building; R. B. Goss, store building; H. D. Dyer, post office; Mrs. Miles, millinery store; H. A. Knapps, barn; Charles Wright, house and barn with most of contents. The damage sustained, particularly to the stocks in trade, was placed at $100,000. The total insurance was $48,000. Each of the Freemason, United Workmen, Temple of Honor, Good Templars and Odd Fellows organizations had handsomely furnished lodge rooms; everything was lost except the charters. When the blocks were rebuilt the business houses were substantially constructed of brick, as this product is easily obtainable. James T. Dorchester operated a brick- yard a short distance northeast of the city, with an output of several hundred thousand each season. It was established in the summer of 1880.
The city has been visited by several severe floods, which have caused serious inconvenience, but no great loss of property.
Durand was incorporated as a village by a special act of the legislature, in 1871. The first president was D. C. Topping. Another act of the legis- lature in 1887 incorporated Durand as a city. The first officers were: Mayor, A. Vantrot; clerk, W. H. Huntington; treasurer, P. W. Goodrich; assessor, A. G. Coffin; aldermen (first ward), E. Oesterreicher, J. H. Park- hurst and Henry Bruen; (second ward), H. A. Knapp, G. W. Dunlap and H. E. Stanton. The officers for 1918 are: Mayor, Finley Goodrich; alder- men-First Ward, Lee Seiffring and H. P. Nickolas; Second Ward, William: Bartlett and Christ Hougen; clerk, C. P. Layne; treasurer, R. E. Kins; assessor, Fred Polzer.
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