USA > Wisconsin > Langlade County > History of Langlade County, Wisconsin, from U. S. government survey to present time, with biographical sketches > Part 6
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26
HISTORY OF LANGLADE COUNTY.
125,000 acres of Langlade County territory (one-fifth of the total area of the county) passed into the hands of a few. For many years later tax deeds on Chi- cago & Northwestern railroad lands in Langlade Coun- ty were signed by Samuel Tilden, Democrat Governor of New York, who attained fame for his exposure of the Tweed Ring and his contest for the Presidency with General Rutherford B. Hays, Ohio Governor, and Re- publican President of 1877.
village plat bordering on the line of the road, together with the right-of-way over all lands in which he was interested. Truly he was public spirited.
The first "mixed" train arrived in Antigo, Novem- ber 9, 1881, with Conductor Sylvester Graves in charge. The Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western was sold to the Chicago & Northwestern railroad August 19, 1893. All Langlade County property of the old Lake Shore system was taken over then.
AN OLD "WOOD BURNER" OF THE 11. L. S. & W. RY.
This type of engine was used for many years in and out of Antigo on the Lake Shore road. The work train was at Summit Lake, Upham township when this picture was taken years ago. Among those in the crew were Albert Stats, Sr., Herman Walter. Joseph Gardaphe, Charles Wojan, Anton Reinsch, Dennis Greening, Theodore Kupper, Albert Kupper, Albert Koles, William Draeger, Jacob Kunz, Frank Daskam, August Beckman, Wencel Cherwinka. Sr., Al. Billings, Conductor, Julius Pe- trowski, Peter Petrowski, Rudolph Helby, Ed. Walch, Charles Lentsche, Jacob Kolachek and Adam Glu- gla. Engines No. 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33, New York Central property, were used for eight years in and adjacent to Antigo. They were converted wood burners. Pioneer engineers can remember them.
THE MILWAUKEE, LAKE SHORE & WESTERN.
August 15, 1881, the first train pulled into Antigo and the old Indian trail, tote road, ox team and pack horse, marks of progress and development, diminished in usefulness. Demands for rapid transportation were about to be met. As the small engine No. 31 of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western railroad, with its work car and caboose pulled into the wilderness, a band of villagers gathered around the Engineer, Charles Abrams, his fireman, James O'Connel and Conductor John Gordon. Antigo was then a strong temperance village. Thus the citizens did not fea- ture Marse Henry or "hard lickker" of the Volstead violaters of today. Instead a great barrel of lemon- ade was provided by the womenfolk and the feasting on sandwiches and the rejoicing and merriment of the pioneers centered about the large barrel. There were no brass bands nor the flare of the bugle to herald this epochal event in Antigo's history. Less important things have occurred since in Antigo and have been given inflated publicity.
Hon. F. A. Deleglise, after considerable negotia- tions, succeeded in inducing the railroad officials to change the survey of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western to its present route. Originally they had sur- veyed two miles west of the present site of Antigo. Mr. Deleglise gave the railroad eight blocks of the
THE WISCONSIN & NORTHERN.
The Wisconsin & Northern railroad was built origi- nally to serve the timber products of the Menasha- Woodenware Company in eastern Langlade County. It was completed in 1907 or thereabout and has since been purchased by the Soo line. The road has been surveyed into Antigo but nothing definite about a spur into Antigo from Phlox can be stated. It is interest- ing in this connection to note that since 1883 citizens of Antigo have constantly talked about "another railroad coming in."
CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE & ST. PAUL.
The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad runs through sections 19, 30, 31 and 32 of west Ackley town- ship, but serves no beneficial territory in Langlade County.
THE CHICAGO & NORTHWESTERN ENGINE HOUSE.
January 25, 1883, the first engine house of the Mil- waukee, Lake Shore & Western railroad was complet- ed at Antigo. It was a two stall structure located be- tween Third and Fourth Avenues, east of the railroad main track. In 1893, when the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western was sold to the Chicago & North- western railroad the engine house was moved to the present site, northeast of block 1. The new house
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HISTORY OF LANGLADE COUNTY.
was built with twelve stalls. In 1905, owing to the increased importance of Antigo as a Division point, fifteen stalls were added, making a twenty-seven stall roundhouse. The turn-table operates by electricity. A yard office, weighmaster's office, machine shops, de- pot, freight depot and warehouse, lumber yard and purchasing agent's office constitute the other railroad buildings.
THE ANTIGO DEPOTS.
The Chicago & Northwestern depot was completed at a cost of approximately $65,000.00, October, 1907. Division offices were moved into the new headquart- ers then. The contract was let to Charles W. Gin- dele of Chicago. Work commenced in March, 1907. The depot was built in two sections, one containing waiting and ticket rooms with offices of telegraph op-
meter. These bicycles tipped easily and many mis- haps resulted. John Blinn, son of W. H. Blinn, first Antigo jeweler, owned the first bicycle in the county. Bicycles soon became popular, tournaments and races were held in Antigo, but with the approach of the au- tomobile the bicycle era passed. It is now used whol- ly as a business convenience.
THE FIRST ROAD PETITION.
George Ratcliffe, Charles Herman and twenty-eight settlers of Antigo, Carpenter, and Rolling, petitioned the first county board to establish a road commencing at the southwest corner of section 21, township 30 N. of Range 11 east and running in a northeast course. The petitioners prayer was granted and the first com- mittee on roads, consisting of James Quinn, A. Van
THE OLD MILWAUKEE, LAKE SHORE & WESTERN DEPOT.
The man standing near the engine holding a white flag in his hand is James Driscoll, a well known Antigo man in his time. Engine No. 26 was used for a long time in this region. The faithful old "Dobbin" of the American Express Company which cooperated with "Lon" House in the distribution of the city's express can be seen near the depot. A small group of Indians are gathered in a circle near the waiting passenger train. Observe the old fashioned bicycle of that time.
erators, dispatchers, clerks and Division Superintend- ent above and the other containing a lunch room, bag- gage and express rooms and employes dressing room on the first floor with offices of the Division Engineer on the second floor.
The depot was formally dedicated November 5, 1907. A banquet was given at the Hotel Butter- field. Those present who spoke were: W. A. Gard- ner, Vice-President of the road, E. H. Heyser, Wiscon- sin Attorney for the road, George W. Latta, Antigo Attorney for the road, J. C. Lewis, banker, Attorney W. H. Mylrea of Wausau, Ex-Congressman E. A. Morse, R. C. Richards, General Claim Agent, Attorney F. J. Finucane and Mayor George W. Hill.
Contrast the new modern depot with the little frame two room depot of the old Lake Shore system which was remodeled once before its career ended.
THE BICYCLE ERA.
In 1884 the first bicycle made its appearance in An- tigo. The front wheel was a large one to which pedals were attached. The rear wheel was very small in dia-
Zile and V. Simmons, were selected to report damages for lands taken preparatory to construction. The road was needed as it afforded settlers of Rolling and Nor- wood better facilities to get into Antigo, the county seat.
The second road petition was received from James Kennedy, W. C. Battrell and thirty-one others, resi- dents of Polar and Antigo townships (18 from Polar- 15 from Antigo) asking for a county road from the east 1/4 post of section 25, township 31, range 12 east and following the 1/4 line west to the Village of Antigo.
FIRST ROAD APPROPRIATION.
The first actual road construction appropriation was made by the county June 15, 1881. $500.00 was ap- propriated to the Town of Norwood to open and im- prove a road, commencing at the SW post of section 35, then running north on the 1/4 line of sections 36 and 26; thence to the center of said section 26, then west to the west 1/4 post of section 26; thence north on sec- tion line to the SE corner of Section 22; thence west on the section line to the SW corner of section 20.
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HISTORY OF LANGLADE COUNTY.
$300.00 was applied to opening and improving a road running on or near to the section line running from the southwest corner of section 20 to the northeast corner of section 6, all in township 30, north of range 12 E.
FIRST COUNTY ROAD-1881.
The first road built by the county in 1881 commenc- ed at the southwest corner of section 21, township 30, north of range 11 east and then went north to Neva; thence east one mile; thence in a northeastern course to section 16, township 33, range 12 east; thence to section 34, township 34, range 12 east; thence by the Military Road to a point three miles north of Freeden- land P. O. and then on a route between ranges 14 and 15.
dren were amazed to see this marvelous machine so easily propelled by some invisible power.
The automobile has demonstrated its value and is in constant use everywhere in Langlade County. An- tigo has eleven garages where able mechanics repair automobiles. Every township has its garages. The number of automobiles owned in Langlade County is 1,536. Five hundred and forty-nine of these are owned by Antigo residents. Antigo township has more automobiles than any other township, 159 being its total.
The aggregate assessed value of the automobiles in the county is $640,083.00.
The motorcycle has come into general use within the period of the automobile era and many people own and operate a motorcycle as a convenient method of travel.
C. & N. W. Depot, Antigo, Wi8.
Chicago & Northwestern Depot, Antigo, Wis. cost of $65,000.00.
Erected in 1907 at a
THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY.
The most advanced means of travel on highways is the modern automobile. The first to appear in Antigo came in 1902 and was owned by W. L. Elliott, Antigo business man. It was a "one lunger" Oldsmobile with a high odd looking top. It aroused townsfolk with its odd Chug! Chug ! Men, women and chil-
W. L. ELLIOTT'S OLDSMOBILE. First Automobile in Langlade County.
THE AEROPLANE AND LANGLADE COUNTY.
Langlade County has many experienced aviators who served in the World War, but it has no aero- planes. The first flying exhibition in Langlade Coun- ty was held by John Schweister in 1910 at the county fair. A great crowd gathered to see him perform. John Kaminski, Milwaukee aviator, was the second to exhibit in an aeroplane in Antigo. The best aeroplane flight ever witnessed by Langlade County citizens was during the county fair of 1912, when the late Lincoln Beachey, renowned aviator, went into the clouds be- fore thousands of thrilled spectators.
Today airplanes are used extensively in warfare and in arts of peace. It is not uncommon to see them pass over Antigo. The county fair grounds are frequently used as a landing place. The day will come when air lanes will be regulated everywhere as highways are today.
HIGHWAYS-ROAD COSTS-MACHINERY.
Highways No. 47, 39 and 64 traverse Langlade County. Thousands of tourists from every section of the union pass through Antigo on their way to and
29
HISTORY OF LANGLADE COUNTY.
from the great tourist resorts of the Badger state.
Langlade County spent $188,007.78 on road con- struction and improvements in 1921. Contrast this with $500.00 spent the first year the county was or- ganized. There are 160 miles of state aid and 62 miles of state trunk lines in the county. The average cost of ordinary graded roads in Langlade County is $2,000 per mile.
AUTOMOTIVE DEALERS ASSOCIATION.
The Langlade County Automotive Dealers Associa- tion was organized May 1, 1920 at Antigo. Annual au- tomobile shows are given by it.
LANGLADE COUNTY BRIDGES.
As Langlade County has within its borders two large rivers, the Wolf and Eau Claire, together with numer-
FIRST COUNTY BRIDGE.
December 11, 1883, the county board was petition- ed to build a bridge across Wolf river at the lower Post Lake dam in section 16, township 33, range 12 east. The petition was signed by Jos. M. Jackson, H. B. Polar and 16 others. After reference to the Road and Bridge Committee, the county voted $1,200.00 to build the bridge. Bids were received by Supervisor Joseph Duchac. The contract was award- ed to Hi. Polar, March 6, 1884 for $925.00.
IMPORTANT BRIDGES.
The most important bridges in Langlade County are located at Langlade, over Wolf river; at Lily, over Wolf river; at Pearson, at Elton, at Rezula, Ackley township. They are all steel bridges except the last named. The Rezula bridge cost $12,000.00. It was
THE REZULA CONCRETE BRIDGE On Highway No. 64, over the west branch of the Eau Claire River.
ous rivulets and smaller streams, bridges have played a very important part in its development.
It was difficult for the early homesteaders to travel in their day. They lost no time in erecting bridges to cross rivers and streams. The first bridge was probably built by W. L. Ackley over the Eau Claire in 1853, as it is safe to presume that he needed one to log and get back into the country known now as west Ackley.
The first bridge we have record of was built in 1874 by S. A. Taylor near lower Post Lake over the Wolf river. Many bridges were built and destroyed before then, no doubt. The Indians bridged the streams in their primitive way.
The S. A. Taylor bridge was constructed of heavy timber and rough sawed lumber. When Langlade County was organized Mr. Taylor sent a bill to the County Board declaring, that inasmuch as he had built the bridge and it was a public necessity the county ought to reimburse him for his labors, which they did to the extend of $1,400.
erected in 1916-17, and is of concrete. The longest bridge in the county spans the Wolf river at Lang- lade.
Many small wooden bridges of minor importance span small streams and rivers through various parts of the county. When the first settlers came to Antigo, Springbrook was spanned by a wooden bridge put in by John Cherf. It has since been replaced by con- crete.
The ruins of many pioneer bridges can be located on various streams throughout Langlade County. Some of them have been obsolete for the past quarter of a century or more.
HIGHWAY COMMISSIONERS.
Langlade County has had two County Highway Commissioners. The first T. W. Humble was select- ed by the County Board in 1911. He served until 1916 and was followed by Charles Olson of Elcho, who is still in the service. Wm. Wolfe is Mr. Ol- son's assistant.
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HISTORY OF LANGLADE COUNTY.
CHAPTER IX. Pioneer Lumbering on the Wolf and Eau Claire Rivers
Improvement Concerns-Pioneer Lumbermen-The Great Log Drives-Dams on the Wolf and Lily Rivers-Maine Timbermen in Langlade County-A Pioneer Camp.
Lumbering was the principle industry in Langlade County for many years after its organization and twen- ty years before 1880, the first prospectors and early settlers engaged in that industry. Only pine was cut. River channels were improved by various private im- provement companies and logs were driven down the streams to Shawano and Oshkosh on the Wolf River, and to Wausau on the Eau Claire River.
The Wolf River Improvement Company was owned by Oshkosh people. The River Improvement Co. was a firm created to improve the west branch of the Big Eau Claire River. It was organized February 26, 1894, by A. C. Campbell, A. M. Lanning and G. W. Hogben. The Big Eau Claire River Improvement
Dodge of Shawano, cut the first pine north of the In- dian Reservation on Section 7, township 31, Range 15 East for L. Beecher of Boston, Mass. Other pioneer lumber operators were: Dewey George of Shawano, Weatherby & Crowe of Oshkosh; T. Crane of Shaw- ano; Welcome Hide, land locater, from Embarrass, Waupaca County, who came first into Langlade County with his fifteen year old son and then moved to Vir- gin Lake, five miles east of Three Lakes; George Gery of Appleton, George Gilkey of Oshkosh and Choate & Bray of the same place. Logs of each operator were marked and boomed.
The river drives meant an influx of woodsmen, cruisers and operators into the Wolf river country.
THE GARDNER DAM SITE
On the Wolf River near the old log cabins on the Military Road. The dam was named in memory of the Stockbridge Indian. who first conducted a stopping place on the Lake Superior Trail.
Company was organized by John D. Ross, Walter H. Bissell and J. S. Clements. Its object was to im- prove the Eau Claire River course, to handle, sort and deliver logs and timber in the territory adjacent to the river in Lincoln and Langlade Counties. The Deer- skin Log Driving and Improvement Company, organiz- ed by Alexander Stewart, Walter Alexander, Thomas Scott and F. P. Hixon, improved Deerskin River from Section 24, Township 42, Range 11 to Section 13, Township 40, Range 10 East at which it then "flowed into a lake in the counties of Langlade and Lincoln."
Pioneer lumberman who operated extensively in the Wolf River country in Langlade County as early as 1875 were: Philetus Sawyer, Seymour Hollister, George Buckstaff, George Rich, Lyman Rumery, Kel- logg & McCoy, Asa C. Hicks, all of Oshkosh; Daniel Fitzgerald and Col. Hansen of Oshkosh. Theodore
Often the drives were not completed until August. Many logs would sink and frequently log jams were costly. A jam of logs would hold the entire drive up and it was necessary many times to break up the jam for miles on the river. The work was strenuous and exceedingly dangerous and many a pioneer lumber- jack and river driver was drowned or suffered a broken limb during one of the exciting drives. Logs were frequently intentionally jammed, during low tide, to raise the water and thus take in the rear. The improvement companies were under a heavy expense to maintain clean river channels to transport the thou- ands of feet of logs that moved down stream.
The Wolf river and other Langlade County streams were equipped with dams to facilitate log movement. Important dams on the various rivers of eastern Lang- lade County were: The first dam was below Pine
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HISTORY OF LANGLADE COUNTY.
Lake, followed by another just below Rice Lake. The next was at Pelican, known as the Pelican dam. Near Crandon, Forest County, the Little Chute dam was lo- cated and below it we come into Langlade County, where the Upper Post Lake dam is found. The wa- ters from Upper Post Lake formed the principal res- ervoir dam for log driving on the entire Wolf river south of it. The flood started in the Upper Post Lake and until the logs were nearing Shiocton, dams were necessary. Other dams were: Lower Post Lake dam, Lily river dam, Larzelere dam, George Gardner dam, Keshena Dells dam. On Lily river there were six dams on the main stream and one on Bob Brook.
a ways." A regular mat of ground and cedar had grown over the river south of Gardner's dam from which he drew his conclusion that the river "flowed out of the ground."
ISAAC FARROW'S MISTAKE.
Isaac Farrow, pioneer settler in the Lost Nation, wanted to drain White Lake and make a natural hay meadow out of it. He started a drain at the out- let of White Lake (N. E. part). The bottom of the lake was found to be white marl, used to clean silver- ware, etc., and would be of no value for hay meadow- ing. His deed is now called Isaac Farrow's mistake.
"NOT AS A CONQUEROR COMES, THEY, THE TRUE HEARTED CAME."
Oxen, horses and sturdy men played their part in the slaughter of Langlade County pine. The camping headquart- ers of Louis Sands of Manistique, Michigan, and W. B. Bonnel of Chicago, Ill., are reproduced here. The Sands & Bon- net camps were located on section 33, township 31, Range 11 East on the site of the J. J. Laughlin farm. Henry Hud- son, Superintendent, who came from the Pine Tree State, is shown back of a snow covered stump in front of the cen- ter shanty. The first building at the left is the cook shanty, the second is the sleeping shanty and the log structures at the right are hovels used to house the oxen and horses.
The camps shown were erected in 1881 and at the close of oper- ations in 1885, 20,200,000 feet of pine had been cut. A shingle mill was then erected and in 1886-87, 25,000,000 feet of the
by-product was manufactured. The great forest of pine and hardwood shown back of the camp buildings has long since
been replaced by modern farms. The pine from this camp and many others in Langlade County was hauled to the J. H. Weed mill in Antigo township. The old Sands & Bonnel camp granary is still in existence.
They were Lake Dam, at Robert's Lake; eighty rods below was Lake Dam No. 2; one-half mile below was Bowser dam, named after John Bowser and next was the Choate & Bray dam, Turtillotte dam and Big Roll dam, Hayter dam and Craine dam. There was a dam on the east branch of the Lily River. On Pick- erel Creek there were two dams; on Swamp Creek there were two dams, and above and below Freedenland (Louis Motzfeld's place) on Swamp Creek two dams were erected. The Keshena Improvement Company owned many of the dams in Langlade County.
GILMORE'S MISTAKE.
A Civil Engineer and surveyor whose surname was Gilmore surveyed the course of the Wolf River in 1868 for Oshkosh lumbermen and reported that "no pine could be driven on the river as it ran underground
WOODSMEN SCOFFED AT ANTIGO FLATS.
In 1874 two hardy woodsmen journeyed over the In- dian trails from Wausau through the present limits of Langlade County to the camp headquarters of Moore & Galloway, three miles east of Dobbston. They told the Camp Superintendent, the timber prospectors, cruisers, lumberjacks and drivers of the wonderful re- gion to the west. One of the men remarked to Henry Hudson: "The country is full of pine and splendid tracts of hardwood, but it would take a whole year to get 1,000 feet of the product to the Wolf River." He never realized that the "Iron Trail' 'as the pioneer call- ed the railroad, would penetrate into that same terri- tory before seven years passed, and that in fifty years the same region would be the most productive agricul- tural section of the territory now comprising Langlade County.
32
HISTORY OF LANGLADE COUNTY.
PIONEER LUMBERMEN FROM MAINE.
Maine has long been known as the Pine Tree State, because of the vast areas of pine forests within its limits. Years ago the woodland area of Maine cov- ered over three-fourths of the total area of the entire Commonwealth. With the passing of the primeval forests of that state many of its native sons moved westward. Thus the pine forests of Maine furnished to Langlade County many of the pioneers in the logg- ing, river driving and lumbering industry of the Wolf River country. These sturdy followers of the stately pine often took up lands and homesteads in the re- gions slashed with the result that the descendants of many are still living along the route of the Military Road or in other sections of the county. Many of the Maine pine men moved on westward and their progeny are found at this day in the great forests of Canadian- British Columbia.
With the pine slashed, the purpose of the pioneer lumberman was accomplished. Hardwood was a bur- den and an expense. The knotty and poorer grade of logs were usually left in the forests to become a prey to future raging forest fires. At first only the pine timber along the banks of the Wolf and Lily rivers was cut, but with timber operations increasing, the ex- tent of the slashed area also increased. The "cut- over" land of that day was then placed on the market to be taken up by the first settlers. Often they be- came discouraged and would abandon their "hole in the woods" as the first clearings were called. Land was then considered worthless. It would not in many in- stances yield sufficient products to pay taxes. Thus the land speculator, the tax-title lawyer, great land agencies and many who invested "pine profits" took up the lands of the county. They paid the munificent sum of from fifty cents to two dollars per acre for land that today could not be purchased for $150.00 per acre. The delicate problems envolving the owner- ship and the title to thousands of acres of land demand- ed expert attention. Thus the tax title attorney be- came a necessity. Attorney W. H. Webster of Ocon- to and Attorney George W. Latta of Antigo, were the acknowledged tax title experts in the vicinity.
The story of the pine hunter is now but a memory on- ly to the oldest settlers. The lumberman and timber cruiser of that era are passing away swiftly. Only through the story teller of tomorrow-"the art preser- vative of arts" will the traditions of the early lumber districts be preserved.
And the tales they will tell the people Will be of logging camps and saw mills At a time by few remembered
When this land was dense with forests.
Tales of swamping, sawing, skidding, Rafting, driving, logs and lumber, How they felled the forest timber.
Tell of lumber jack and camp boss, Of the cook and sleeping shanties,
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