USA > Wisconsin > Buffalo County > History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties Wisconsin (Volume 2) > Part 65
USA > Wisconsin > Pepin County > History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties Wisconsin (Volume 2) > Part 65
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The first newspaper published in Durand was the Home Mirror, estab- lished in October, 1861, by Myron A. Shaw, and conducted by him one year, from March to October, 1862, in partnership with W. W. Wood. Mr. Shaw then sold to George Van Waters, the paper two months later being called the Alembic. Early in 1863 it became the Durand Times, and was conducted by Van Waters till June, 1869, during the last six months in partnership with Sidney A. Foster. It was then sold to Foster and J. D. Powers, and after February, 1870, was conducted by Foster alone till October, 1873. Its proprietor from that time to June, 1876, was W. H. Huntington, his successor being W. H. H. Matteson, who conducted the Times until November, 1878, when the office was destroyed by fire. Soon after that disaster the subscription list was transferred to the Pepin County Courier. The paper was styled the Durand Weekly Times after April, 1871. In politics it was Republican.
The Pepin County Courier was started by W. H. Huntington in December, 1877, and in November or December of the following year he secured the subscription lists of the Times from W. H. H. Matteson and changed the name of his paper to the Pepin County Times and Courier. In January, 1880, Mr. Huntington dropped the word "Times" and his
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paper became the Courier only. In January, 1885, J. D. Eldridge and E. F. Morsbach became the owners of it and published it until 1889, when Mr. Huntington again became its proprietor. He had as partner one time E. F. Morsbach and at another time B. E. Barton. The next owner was J. D. Eldridge, who conducted it until March, 1908, his widow subsequently continuing its publication. In June, 1914, Mrs. Eldridge sold the Courier to Ed. M. Bardill and Emil Bardill. These young men were born in Alma, Wis., and had considerable experience in the newspaper field. Ed. M. Bardill took charge of the editorial work, while Emil Bardill supervised the mechanical department. In April, 1918, both young men being in the draft, they were compelled to dispose of their business. Consequently they sold out to Barton & Crippin, of the Entering Wedge, who combined the two papers under the title of The Courier-Wedge.
The Entering Wedge was founded in July, 1893, by C. A. Ingram and John N. Kirk, as the "entering wedge" of a new movement in local politics. Mr. Kirk continued as a partner until April, 1894, when he sold his share to James W. Lloyd. Mr. Lloyd sold to LeRoy A. Goodrich in March, 1895. In January, 1902, Mr. Goodrich bought out Mr. Ingram and became sole owner. In March, 1904, Mr. Goodrich formed a partnership with B. E. Barton. Four years later, C. A. Ingram purchased the interest of Mr. Goodrich, and he and Mr. Barton published the paper for about a year. Then L. N. Poquette joined them in the firm which was incorporated under the name of the Entering Wedge Co. About fifteen months later, Mr. Ingram sold his interest to his partners, retiring in July, 1909. Sep- tember 1, of that year, the paper was purchased by August Ender and family. Early in November, 1914, Mr. Ender sold the Entering Wedge to B. E. Barton and A. W. Crippin. In April, 1918, Messrs. Barton and Crippin bought the Pepin County Courier and combined the two papers under the name of the Courier-Wedge.
The paper has developed from its original purpose as a political organ to one that voices the general welfare along all lines worthy of discussion, so its pages are filled with breezy local items and the current happenings of the world. Its makeup and general character reflect experience and complete knowledge of the demands of each respective department. It is a seven-column quarto fully up to the standard of high-grade newspaper endeavor, and in full sympathy with the progressive sentiment of the day. A bright newsy paper, it meets with liberal support and appreciation. Messrs. Barton & Crippin both are men of demonstrated ability. B. E. Barton, who supervises the mechanical end, had been interested in both local papers before his present purchase, besides working in some of the large print shops of other cities. A. W. Crippin, the editor, has been asso- ciated with newspapers in Kansas and Illinois and is thoroughly familiar with the duties of his position.
C. J. Roland, now a newspaper man at Clear Lake, S. D., writing to the Entering Wedge under date of Jan. 19, 1918, gives some sketchy but strong outlines of some of the early Durand journalists. He says in part: "I don't know whether a line from me would be of interest in your 'Non- Resident' issue, or not. I used to call Durand my home, and I spent
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many happy years there; in fact, I learned my trade in the printing offices of that town prior to the year 1876. I first saw Durand in the year 1868, just 'after the war.' My mother's people lived at Arkansaw, and after my father's death in the war, mother, with her three children, moved from Auburn, N. Y., to Durand. I had had some experience in a newspaper office in Auburn, and naturally drifted into the office when I reached Durand. George Van Waters published the old Durand Times at the time, and besides teaching us to stick type, he taught us all the mean things about a printing office that were known to the craft at the time. He after- wards sold the plant to Sid A. Foster, and I was one of the "articles" trans- ferred. Foster was more of a politician and general mixer than he was an editor, and as a consequence he lasted but a short time in the business. He sold the plant to W. H. Huntington, and as I was still an asset of the old plant, I was transferred to him. Before Huntington actually purchased the Times, Foster engaged him one winter to take charge of the paper while he filled a clerkship in the legislature in Madison. And here, I want to tell you, Huntington and I gave the people of that old town such a news- paper as they had never had before, and as a result some of the leading merchants of the town-Tarrant, Dorwin, Topping, Vautrot and others- urged Huntington to buy it, and he did. Huntington was a good writer, a good fellow, but he soon drifted into other lines, and the paper took a slump."
The Lean Wolfe was issued here in 1869, for about three months, by George Van Waters, and then transferred to Menomonie.
The Durand Zeitung was published in German here for a few years. The Bank of Durand was organized in 1884. About 1915 the bank building was remodeled and modernized into an attractive banking house, of substantial construction and pleasing and tasteful exterior. The interior is the embodiment of refinement and good taste in its finish, furniture and equipment, in which marble, mahogany and tile combine to produce an attractive whole. The present official force is made up of A. J. Wallace, president; George Tarrant, vice president; Joseph Weber, cashier; John Gillmore, assistant cashier, and a directorate consisting of A. J. Wallace, George Tarrant, Joseph Weber, H. M. Orlady, W. A. Gillmore, Dr. W. W. Cassidy and H. P. Nicklas, all men of affairs and prominence hereabouts, who inspire the fullest confidence and trust. The bank's report of condition at the close of business, March 4, 1918, showed: Resources-Loans and discounts, $531,999.73; overdrafts, $2,091.55; bonds, $4,750.00; banking house, furniture and fixtures, $14,658.67; due from banks, $169,745.27; cash on hand, $16,625.84; total, $739,871.06. Liabilities-Capital stock, $25,000.00; surplus and undivided profits, $45,078.84; deposits, $669,792.22; total. $739,871.06. The guiding principles of the institution are "to share with our customers the benefits of our facilities, equipment and resources -to give each individual banking account personal attention."
The First National Bank of Durand was founded as The State Bank of Durand, in 1890, and was re-chartered as a national bank in October, 1915. Its building is one of the city's most handsome structures, extern- ally and internally, and so equipped in bank fixtures and pro-
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tection as to harmonize with modern progress in efficiency, ap- pearance and character. The bank is officered as follows: : John Brunner, Jr., president; E. Osterreicher, vice president; George L. Howard, vice president; K. K. Brainard, cashier; Joseph F. Poeschel, assistant cashier. The statement of condition of this insti- tution for March 4, 1918, showed the following resources and liabilities : Resources-Loans and discounts, $306,065.22; overdrafts, unsecured, $442.18; U. S. bonds and certificates, $80,000.00; stock in Federal Reserve Bank, $1,350.00; Liberty Loan bonds, unpledged 31/2 and 4 per cent, $4,250.00; securities other than U. S. bonds, $2,695.00; banking house and fixtures, $15,000.00; due from other banks, $25,541.96; cash on hand and due from other banks, $52,732.47; total $488,076.83. Liabilities-Capital stock, $35,000.00; surplus, $15,000.00; undivided profits, $937.49 ; dividends unpaid, $32.00; deposits, $437,107.34; total, $488,076.83.
The Auditorium and Grand theatres cater to the amusement fancy. The former is for the spoken drama and the latter for the motion pictures. The auditorium was built in 1912 at a cost of $16,000 by the local order of the Catholic Knights of Wisconsin. It is a credit to their enterprise and an honor to the city. It is a brick building of imposing construction and design, with an interior and stage equipment equal to much larger places. Its seating capacity is about 600.
There are two organizations devoted to instrumental music: Hoeser's Brass Band of 18 pieces, under the direction of William Hoeser, and Har- rington's orchestra, so plenty of good music is available for festal occasions.
The Home Telephone Company has established a service and price system that nas made the use of the telephone hereabouts a practical economy in commercial and home management. As a result it has a satisfied patronage which now use about 400 phones connecting with all local and long distance lines. This company is practically a family organ- ization, made up of members of the Lobdell family, who are the executives in charge of its various operations, and whose management has given the public entire satisfaction in the way of an economical and reliable service.
The Durand Creamery, of which W. G. Roepke is the proprietor, was started April 4, 1913, and has been gradually built up into a prosperous venture, which in 1916 paid patrons $44,237.19 for butterfat. In the fall of that year Mr. Roepke remodeled a stone building into an attractive, up- to-date creamery, with full equipment, including one churn with a capacity of 800 pounds of butter, two ripeners of 600 gallons capacity and an ice cream freezer of 20 gallons capacity. The creamery gives employment to six people, and has about 150 cream patrons. In 1917 it paid for butterfat $65,271.32, and sold 174,878 pounds of butter and 3,500 gallons of ice cream, receiving for the same $75,605.26.
The Durand Brewing Co., whose plant is one of the pioneer breweries of Wisconsin, was founded in 1863 by Philip Lorenz, who conducted it until he went out of business, the plant ceasing to do business in 1882. In 1890 the property was bought by Frank Baur, who put it into operation again, and it met with almost instant success. For a short time Mr. Baur had for a partner N. H. Mertis, but the latter sold his interests to Jacob
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Breunig, the style of the firm them becoming Baur & Breunig. In Janu- ary, 1915, Mr. Breunig retired from the business and later on bought the Bloomer Brewery. The plant comprises an imposing brick and iron struc- ture, 56 by 200 feet, which houses the malt house, ice storage, brewery, and other departments. Here about 3,000 barrels of beer are made yearly and several people are employed. The product is sold mostly in Durand, but Mr. Baur has also quite a shipping trade in both the keg and bottle beer. The bottling works occupy a separate building. The beer is all made from artesian water and other pure ingredients, without the admix- ture of anything injurious, and Mr. Baur has made his own malt since starting. The beer has been kept at a high grade and has obtained a wide reputation.
Mrs. M. D. Prindle was born in Barnston, Lower Canada, Jan. 8, 1842, daughter of Frederick and Atlanta (Glover) Ide, both natives of New England. Frederick Ide had secured contracts for building railroad bridges in Canada, owing to which reason the family had moved there. Mrs. Prindle says: "I came to Wisconsin with my parents in 1854, first settling on Fox Lake, where we remained a short time. Early in 1856 a wagon train of thirty teams, including three of our own, left Fox Lake bound for the Farrington settlement in Buffalo County, which was afterwards named Mondovi by my uncles. Chester Ide and E. B. Gifford built the first hotel there. All there was there when we arrived was the log house belonging to the four Farrington brothers.
When I first came to Durand, Peter Gerber had a house where he kept boarders. My husband, Miles Durand Prindle, had the first store. There was a sawmill on Bear Creek run by Mr. Babcock. The river in the early days used to run so full of logs and lumber that a person could almost walk across on them.
The first school here was taught at the little place called Chippewa by my sister, Emma Ide, and the first school in Durand was taught by Mary Morse, who was succeeded by my sister, Emma, the school being held in a small shanty. The second schoolhouse was built of stone and was used for a number of years. It is still standing and now used for a residence. My husband came from Derby, Conn. He came up the Mississippi River to Reed's Landing, and then up the Chippewa River by keel boat, in 1856, arriving at what is now Durand. Here he found Charles Billings, who had a small shanty, with whom he stopped a while, locating his land. He bought a part of the land where Durand now stands, from Mr. Billings, and he and Mr. Billings platted the town and named it Durand, after Mr. Prindle's middle name.
I had worked and earned the money to build a little home across from where the Court House now stands, and where I was living when the mob lynched one of the Williams, or Maxwell, brothers to a tree in the court house yard, for the killing of the Coleman brothers, the sheriff of Pepin County and the deputy sheriff of Dunn County. When they had these boys on trial in the court house I went over to see how they looked, and after seeing the men I started to go back home. When I came down the steps I saw a coil of rope on one of the steps, but saw no men, but
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before I got out of the court house the mob had the man, and when I got outdoors his body was hanging from one of the oak trees. I was never so scared in my life.
It was the custom here in early days to dedicate all the new buildings erected with a dance, and many enjoyable times were had on these occa- sions, the people dancing to the music of the Ide band. After the big fire burned the hotel we raised the roof of our cottage-put on a corner here and a corner there-and turned it into a hotel, which was called Prindle's Little Inn.
Among my husband's papers I find a sketch of the first celebration ever held in Durand, and for the benefit of the rising generation I will give it to you. There was a small shanty with a stone fireplace in one end, situated where the Gerber block now stands. The side fronting the river, opposite the postoffice, was covered with pine siding, and our artist cut with a knife the name Durand. This was the first time the name of our village had been displayed. The village had been surveyed a few days previous to this anniversary by Lorenzo G. Wood. The cornerstone is located on the northeast corner of the court house square. The plat was recorded in Dunn County, of which this was a part. I was then in Mondovi, waiting the return of my sister Emma, who, with my aunt Samantha Ide, accompanied the Ide band to Durand to celebrate the Fourth. They had a big time, roasted an ox and had an orator from La Crosse. In return for the speech Miles gave him a village lot. The ball in the evening was attended by over one hundred, and the supper was served by John Stafford, and was pronounced a success. It was served on a long table constructed of sawhorses covered with boards-pretty expensive. too. For a tablecloth they had a good, long strip of unbleached cotton. There was plenty of game, for there were no wardens in those days to say "what ye should eat and what ye should drink," and while the deer would often swim the Chippewa we could have venison without stint, so you may imagine the supper was a success.
The first hotel, the "Bean Sandwich," stood where Rosenthals' store now stands, and was then run by Alexander Grippen and his bright little wife. My recollection is that the capacity of the place was tested to the utmost, but the grove and platform would accommodate a good many people, and we had more confidence in each other than we have nowadays. I remember what a royal time they had, and I never tired hearing them tell of it.
The second anniversary that I shall allude to is the celebration of 1856. I know more personally about this than about the others. The number present was few, and the flags less. My recollection is that we didn't have any flag. There was present some six or seven persons, of whom I remember Charles Billings, Charles Wetherbee, Peter Gerber and family, Michael Smith, John Schnell and some river men.
Frank D. V. Browne, in a recent letter to the Entering Wedge, from Madison, Wis. (published Feb. 14, 1918), recalls some reminiscences of his boyhood, several years of which were spent in Durand. His father being a Methodist minister, was stationed successively at various places in
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neighboring counties, and from time to time for a number of years Frank made visits to this city. He says, in part: "How many will recall the times when we went swimming down at the mouth of Mill Lake. As for a bathing suit, the most popular style was patterned after the one Adam wore previous to the time he ate the core of Eve's apple. Then with these bathing suits on we spent more time crawling over saw logs than we did in swimming, and I never was able to determine whether the bark scratches on my stomach or the sunburn on my back were causing the most trouble. At any rate, neither hurt was sufficent to prevent us from doing the same thing over again. And then how many remember when the town cattle were herded up on the bottoms at the mouth of Bear Creek? The charge, as I remember it, was 15 cents per week for each. While the wages were not large, the fun we had was worth many times what we received as com- pensation, and I believe there were very few boys in the east end of town who did not at some time or other engage to do this work. Further than this, we always had plenty of assistants. I wonder how many remember the circus performances we used to have in Tarrant's barn. This event usually followed closely after "The World's Greatest Shows" had given an exhibition in the town. I do not recall any one ever having been injured, but the stunts undertaken certainly put us in a class that would be termed 'hazardous occupation' by any insurance company. The great event of the year, of course, was the Pepin County Annual Fair, lasting for three whole days, and mighty unfortunate, indeed, was the youngster who could not attend. I can recall to mind many things that were in common with any county fair-the poultry, live stock, fruits, vegetables, fancy work, art work, not to mention the games of chance, horse races, and so on- but the one event that looms strong in my memory was the bicycle race in which 'Willie' Dyer entered with his 'Star,' and cleaned up the whole field. This, of course, was in the days of high wheelers, and not the modern safety. Yes, there is one more event that is fresh in my memory, and that is the cigar I won throwing at the doll babies. I can see today just how it looked. It was of the ordinary size, but the color was a very light brown-well, about the color of a dead cabbage leaf. I undertook to smoke the thing, and, in fact, did burn up at least half of it, but after that the fair had no more attraction for me. Not even the 'Silver Cornet Band,' with Anse Morsbach playing the baritone solo, 'Put Me in My Little Bed,' could induce me to remain longer, and as fast as the whirling condition of the path would permit, I sought the nearest way home and went to my little bed without asking anyone to put me there."
William Manor, Sr., who was born in Clinton County, New York, in 1848, came to Pepin County in the fall of 1866, with his parents, who settled on Dead Lake Prairie. For four seasons he was engaged in steam- boat work, at first on the Idell Prindle, the captain of which was Chester Hall. In a letter to the Entering Wedge (published Feb. 14, 1918, from Rice Lake, Wis., he says: "In those days the Chippewa had in the steam- boat line the Idell Prindle, the Silas Wright, the Johnnie Smoker, the Peter Wilson and the Monitor. The captain of the Peter Wilson was Philip Schakiel, the captain of the Silas Wright was Lowe Maylon. The
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Johnnie Smoker was commanded by Captain Duffie, the Monitor by Captain Douglas. In the year 1868 the Ida Campbell was built in Durand by Joseph Gazley. She was brought to Wabasha, where she received her machinery when she was completed." Mr. Manor, who afterwards engaged in farming, lived in Pepin County for fifty years and four months, but is now a resident of Rice Lake.
George P. Gerber was born in Oneida County, New York, in 1844, the son of Peter and Catherine Gerber, the former of Germany and the latter of Alsace, France. Mr. Gerber relates his experiences as follows: "In the spring of 1856 I left the state of New York with my parents for the West. We traveled by train via Chicago to Dunleith, Ill., thence by boat up the Mississippi River to Reed's Landing, Minn. From there we came by keel boat up the Chippewa River to what is now Durand. At that time there was nothing here but a small shack, built by Charles Billings for a resi- dence, he being the first man to settle on the village site. M. D. Prindle came at about the same time as we did, and he and Mr. Billings platted and laid out the village of Durand. Mr. Prindle gave father a lot to build on, and father put up a building which was used as a boarding house. Our family lived with Mr. Billings while erecting this building. The land was all timbered, and Mr. Prindle had it cut off from the town site. Alexander Babatz owned land upon which he later laid out Babatz's addition to Du- rand. The brewery now stands on a part of that land. After locating the town Mr. Prindle gathered around him several men, among whom were Mr. Wells, a carpenter, and Mr. Gilester, a mason, and Charles Weatherby. Gilester opened a lime kiln in the bluff and burnt the lime used in plaster- ing the buildings in town. Mr. Prindle erected a building, which he used for a store. Alexander Grippen erected another building, which was used for a hotel called the Bean Sandwich.
When we first came here there was a small town a mile and a half up the river, named Chippewa, afterwards by some called Bear Creek. There was a couple of stores, a sawmill and two hotels there. This place was nearly wiped off after a few years by a big flood, and part moved to Du- rand and some of the buildings went for farm houses. In 1857 a sawmill was built by Fred Prindle and Washington E. Hayes on the lake above Durand. At first village growth was slow, but settlers commenced to come in and the town started up, and at the time the railroad came it had a population of about 1,300. The old stage line from Wabasha to Eau Claire used to pass over the hills just in front of where my residence now stands. This was in 1859, or 1860. Scott & Harding built a chair factory here in 1861, which they ran for a number of years, then sold to Bruenn & Kuhn, who later sold to Jacob Fritz. For about twenty years we burned lime and kept boarding house in town, and ran the farm, which is now in the city limits. During the fire of 1882 our boarding house burned down, and father then built a residence on the farm. We used to get our mail from the town of Chippewa until the postoffice was established here in 1858. At one time, before the town of Chippewa was flooded out, the Indians had a big war dance, to which we all went; and it was fun to see them act. The early settlers were all of a social character, and we had many good times
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