USA > Wisconsin > Marathon County > History of Marathon County, Wisconsin and representative citizens > Part 49
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The first settlement was mentioned in a former chapter; the settlers increased more in the farming community east and west of the village in both counties, the lands being exceptionally inviting.
The business population is almost equally divided on both sides. On the east, or in Marathon county, are the following business houses: The Unity Manufacturing Company, runs a saw mill and cheese box factory. General merchandise stores are conducted by : Groelle & Hamann, the Unity Mer- cantile Company, and H. L. H. Weyers. Perske & Cutts keep hardware, and August Weide a meat market. C. Vogt & Son are in the machinery business, and Linskog & Jarvis are the blacksmiths. Harness and leather works are kept by Philip Klein. C. Nelson is the proprietor and manager of the Nelson Hotel, and another hotel is kept by William Galman. There is also a creamery and cheese factory on this side operated by Otto G. Rhodes. Dr. J. H. Clark is the physician and surgeon and keeps a drug store. E. L. Messer is the village postmaster.
On the Clark county side are the following business houses: William Creed, general merchandise; farm products by the Unity Produce Company : hardware by W. E. Morgan; furniture by John P. Kuehnan; wood, lime and farm products by J. F. Koch ; hotel by William Laabs; wagonmaker, J. P. Johnson ; livery by F. Jarvis, and a barber salon by V. R. Misener.
The Unity State Bank, organized in 1909, makes a good showing, espec- ially in their deposits, giving evidence that if the population is not so very large, it is well doing, to say the least. The following is a copy of the bank statement on February, at the close of the business on February 4, 1913:
The Unity State Bank, located at Unity, Marathon county, at the close of business on the 4th day of February, 1913, pursuant to call by the Com- missioner of Banking :
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
Resources.
Liabilities.
Loans and discounts $48,980.71
Capital stock paid in .... $10,000.00
Overdrafts
649.19
Surplus fund 600.00
Banking house
2,500.00
Undivided profits
22.48
Furniture and fixtures ...
2,158.37
Due from approved reserve
banks 15,289.51
Checks on other banks and
15,779.68
cash items
361.74
Savings deposits 17,824.37
Cash on hand
2,891.34
Fire insurance premium
Total $72,917.16
advanced
86.30
Total
$72,917.16
The officers are: President, C. E. Blodgett; vice president, O. C. Ha- mann; cashier, S. J. Falck, who, with J. H. Clark and L. H. Weyers, con- stitute the board of directors.
THE MARATHON COUNTY REGISTER
is the weekly local newspaper of the village, faithfully recording all inter- esting happenings, like most all country newspapers, a seven-column paper. It is in the eleventh year of its existence and may be said to have become of age in the newspaper world. It is located on the Marathon county side, hav- ing a job office in connection with its printing outfit. It was founded by Louis Cook, the present county clerk, who sold his interest therein to the present owner and editor, E. L. Messer.
SCHOOLS.
Unity has an excellent school building, new, modern and sanitary, as good as any in the county. It has a high school, with a full four-years' course, with three departments below the high school.
The principal of high school is O. L. Stinsor; assistant, Jessie L. Swan ; grammar department, sixth, seventh and eighth grades, Delia Meyers; inter- mediate, third, fourth and fifth grades, Clara Brown; primary, Emma Schultz.
Individual deposits subject to check 28,690.63 Demand certificates of de- posit
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HISTORY OF MARATHON COUNTY
CHURCHES.
Three churches are in the village, the oldest being the Methodist church, the congregation of which organized in 1873, with the beginning of the settlement. The church was built somewhat later. The next church to be erected was the Scandinavian Lutheran church, which was built in 1906, and lastly the Church of "Christ Disciples," which was built in 1909. There are no resident ministers, the churches being missions attended by ministers from the nearby villages and cities.
THE VILLAGE OF SCHOLFIELD,
formerly a part of the town of Weston, was incorporated in 1904. It adjoins the city at its southeast side, and the Wausau Street Railway runs to and through the same to Rothschild. Its first supervisor on the county board was Christ Volkmann.
The large steam saw mill of the Ross & Brooks Lumber Company is located in that village, and gives employment to a large number of men who own their homes in the village. The pine and hemlock on the Eau Claire river has vanished, and the logs come a great distance to the mill by railroad from the north. It stands on the south side of the river, simewhat higher up, where in olden times stood the Martin mill.
The Ross & Brooks Lumber Company purchased the mill from C. P. Hazeltine, to whom it was conveyed by his sister, Mrs. Mary B. Scholfield, the widow of Dr. Scholfield, who built the mill in the forties. The mill still goes by the name of "Scholfield Mill." and the village has the same name from its pioneer founder.
The pond formed by the dam is a wide sheet of water, coming up close to the Wausau & South Line Road, over which the street cars run to Roth- schild. On this pond, on the east side of the road, are situated the pleasure grounds of F. B. Fulmer, where boats, both row and gasoline, can be had to boat up the Eau Claire river, with its beautiful scenery.
These playgrounds have become very popular among Wausau people, and are much frequented in the summer months by family pleasure parties and others. There are swings for children and other outdoor plays. for them, and fishing in the pond, besides boating. A milk and ice cream salon adds to the attractions. On the river further up are cabins for bathers.
The village has two general stores. one conducted by F. B. Fulmer, the other by Louis Jones, both well stocked with merchandise. Julius Wendorf has a blacksmith and wagon shop, and makes also boats of all descriptions, which can go out on the Eau Claire river into Lake Wausau.
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
The workmen around there nearly all own a large piece of ground with their homes, sufficient to raise all vegetables for their table use, and to spare.
The population is given in the census table, and it is safe to say that it is larger today than it was in 1910. L. H. Jones is the postmaster of Scholfield.
SCHOOLS.
The schoolhouse is a large, solid brick building recently erected at a cost of $20,000. The village and part of the town of Weston form a joint dis- trict. It is a seven-department state graded school, where instruction is given up to and including the ninth grade. The principal of the school is A. C. Huebner; assistant and seventh and eighth grades, Miss Myrtle Benson ; sixth grade, Miss Ella Schmeling; fifth grade, Miss May Riley; third and fourth grades, Miss Margareth Glassow; second grade, Miss May Rassmus- sen ; primary, Miss Eleanor Benson.
Up to the year 1900 the people of Scholfield attended the Evangelical Lutheran churches in Wausau, and sometimes the pastors would go down to hold service. But during 1901 to 1902 there were built the two Evangelical Lutheran churches, and after a few years both congregations were put in charge of resident ministers. One of these churches is in charge of Reverend Betts, and the other has Reverend Berger for its resident minister. There is also a Christian Science church in the village.
THE VILLAGE OF SPENCER
was incorporated in 1904 from part of the town of Spencer, and George Far- rington was elected its first representative in the county board. It became a village almost simultaneously with the building of the Wisconsin Central Railroad, and for some time had a very fast growth. The territory was thickly studded with big, heavy pine timber, and as early as 1877 there were four large saw mills situated in the site of the present village. In the congres- sional election of 1878 the town of Spencer, which then included the present town and village (but there was hardly any settlement in the territory outside the village), cast over two hundred votes, the largest that was cast in any town or village in Marathon county outside of the city of Wausau. From that time on the vote decreased continually. The saw mills pulled out one after another as the timber vanished, until all had disappeared. But in nearly the same degree as the mills and the mill population decreased, the farming settlement increased, and while the village lost, the town gained year after year, and Spencer village became a good country village.
There is now one saw mill situated in the village, the mill of Herman 32
524
HISTORY OF MARATHON COUNTY
Martin, which does custom sawing for the farmers and lumber dealers. There are nine stores in the village, most of them with a large assortment of goods to supply all demands without resorting to mail order houses.
The Graves Mercantile Company has a department store. It is incor- porated with a capital of $15,000, with J. D. Graves as president, and S. E. Graves as secretary and treasurer. George Farington has a general store, and there are besides the following others: Fair Store, owned by A. Mosel- neck, and A. Harschmann, manager; Max Stoltenow and Otto Plathner; Farmers' Cooperative Store, with Fred Rienow as manager ; Cool & Luepke have a hardware store; F. A. Allar deals in general produce and as commis- sion merchant ; G. H. Heath keeps the drug store, and Mrs. C. K. Richardson a millinery; Charles Haslow does a large business as stock buyer.
Herman Schwantes keeps the National Hotel, and Phil. Bonville the Johnstone Hotel. There is also a restaurant kept by Roy Crawshaw. Martin & Wellnitz have a livery stable. There is a cheese factory in charge of John Holzchnh; a blacksmith shop kept by Herman Facklam, and a garage by E. G. Ingham. Herman Siemers is a tonsorial artist: Frank W. Heath is postmaster. There are two duly licensed physicians and surgeons, Dr. F. A. Soles and Dr. Don. Miller.
THE BANK OF SPENCER
was established in the year 1908, and to its existence and careful manage- ment is due much of the growth of the village and the surrounding farming community. Its condition is reported officially at the close of business on February 4, 1913, as follows :
Resources.
Liabilities.
Loans and discounts .. $ 94.508.73
Capital stock paid in ... $ 10,000.00
Overdrafts
11.03
Surplus fund 2,500.00
Bonds
9,500.00
Undivided profits 2,534.99
Banking house
2,375.00
Individual deposits sub-
Furniture and fixtures .. .
1,479.86
ject to check 38,602.93
Due from approved re- serve banks
17,623.35
Time certificates of de- posit
43,901.28
Checks on other banks
Saving deposits
29,525.15
and cash items
1,021.3I
Cashier's checks outstand-
Cash on hand
5.309.12
ing
4.764.05
Total
$131,828.40
Total
$131,828.40
-
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
The officers of the bank are: John D. Graves, president; George Far- rington, vice president; A. L. Boock, cashier. Board of directors: J. D. Graves, George Farrington, Frank Neumann, Wesley Vanderhoof, William Reinheimer, Herman Manthe and A. L. Boock.
SCHOOLS.
The village school is a brick building with ample room space. It is a state graded school, the course of instruction including the ninth and tenth grades, equal to the first and second year in a high school.
The principal in 1912-1913 is Henry Schellhause, with Mrs. Agnes Pickett as assistant. Clara Oberlatz is in charge of the intermediary and Miss Ines Fulton is teacher of the primary department. The school term is nine months, the average attendance is one hundred and twenty.
CHURCHES.
There is a German Evangelical Lutheran church and one Methodist church. The St. Trinity Evangelical Lutheran congregation was organized in Sep- tember, 1882, with about twenty charter members, of which the following are still members: Karl Craemer, Gottlieb Voelker, Otto Plathner, Karl Stoltenow, Franz Korth, Franz Luebke, John Mueller and August Griepen- trog. The first resident minister was John Schuette; he was succeeded in 1884 by Rev. F. H. Siebrandt, who remained with the congregation until 1893, when he was in turn succeeded by Rev. John Toat, who remained until the year 1899, and was followed by Rev. August Imm, who remained in charge of the congregation until he was succeded in 1901 by the present pastor, Rev. Karl E. J. Schmidt. The present church edifice was built in 1896 and dedicated the same year; the congregation number seventy four families. The parochial school has an average attendance of twenty-five pupils, under the instruction of the pastor. The following are the officers: Rev. Karl E. J. Schmidt, pastor; Wilhelm Foht, Herman Plathner and August Griep- entrog, deacons; Karl Craemer, Franz Luebke and Franz Korth, trustees ; Herman Schwantes, chairman; Gottfried Rindfleisch, treasurer; Karl Ditt- mann, secretary.
The Methodist church congregation is organized, but has no resident minister. Rev. D. S. Householder is the visiting minister. Both congrega- tions have a Ladies' Aid Society.
The First Baptist church was organized June 19, 1878, with eight mem-
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HISTORY OF MARATHON COUNTY
bers, by Rev. A. B. Green and Rev. H. W. Stearns general state Baptist mis- sionaries. The church building was dedicated June 24, 1879. The following are the eight original members : J. W. Lowe, Susannah Ring, Eliza Saunders, Martha Lowe, Frank Cressy, Isaac Ring, Reuben Ring, S. E. Brooks.
THE VILLAGE OF BROKAW
was a part of the town of Texas before its incorporation in 1906. Its first representative in the county board of Marathon county was F. J. Edmonds. The village owes its existence to the building of the Wausau Paper Mill Com- pany's plant at that place.
In the years 1880-1881 the Wausau Boom Company erected the dam across the Wisconsin river at that spot for the purpose of making slack water to facilitate the dividing of logs for the Wausau mills and points below; the current being too swift to allow that work to be properly done, the creating of slack water became a necessity.
That was the sole object of putting in the dam in the first place, and it was authoritatively stated that the cost of the dam was $100,000. The great water power created thereby was supposed to be put to some use in the near future, but nevertheless it took nearly twenty years before it was utilizied.
In the year 1899 a corporation was formed by some foreign business men, represented by the brothers Edmonds, and with some business men from Wau- sau, the Wausau Paper Mill Company was organized, and the mill erected, which has been in continuous operation ever since, running at its full capacity day and night, and employing on an average two hundred and seventy-five men.
Many of the workmen in the mill live at Wausau and are taken to and from the mill by a special train on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Rail- road, called the "Scud," but the majority live in the village in houses built by the company. The company has built a clubhouse for the workmen, and also a church of the Methodist denomination, with a resident minister since 1903. The present minister is Rev. Roland Scott.
The incorporated capital of the company is $750,000, with the following persons as officers : President, Walter Alexander ; vice president, C. C. Yaw- key ; secretary and manager, W. L. Edmonds, and E. A. Edmonds, treasurer.
The distance to the village from Wausau is five miles, and it is connected with the Wausau telephone system at city of Wausau rates.
The postmaster of Brokaw is G. A. Runkel.
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
THE VILLAGE OF STRATFORD
was incorporated in the year 1910, and its first supervisor in the county board of Marathon county was W. F. Goetz. When it became a certainty that the extension of the railroad from Wausau to Marshfield was to be built and a station would be established at that place, which was platted by Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railway, the R. Connor Company erected a large saw and planing mill at that place, which has been operated every year since 1892, and at a very conservative estimate has manufactured from twelve to fifteen million feet of lumber annually. The company owns timber lands enough within a radius of twenty-five miles to keep the mill stocked for at least ten years more, without going further for logs. It operates a railroad which runs fifteen miles south and east, to the town of Emmett, which, originally built as a logging railroad, is now operated as a public carrier. This company also manufactures barrel headings and operates a general store, with a large stock of merchandise of all kinds. It employs a large number of men and is one of the biggest business concerns in Marathon county.
Other business houses conducted at Stratford are: The Maxson Lumber Company, which deals in lumber, hardware, farm machinery, automobiles and has an auto repair shop. Chrouser Brothers, who operate a lath and tie mill, and John S. Bannach, a blacksmith and wagon shop. Dan Mahoney & Co. keep a general store and. deal in flour and feed, etc. The Stratford Equity Company deals in flour, feed, hay, grain, live stock, and all farm products. H. L. Klemme operates a cheese factory ; L. B. Weber a livery and sale stable and dray line. Louis Klumb conducts a meat market, C. A. Hahn a harness shop and Ignatz Pruell a shoemaker's shop. Mrs. Anna Butke keeps a con- fectionery and restaurant, and Mrs. R. Haase a restaurant. The Northern Milling Company of Wausau has a warehouse for all farm products, such as grains and hay, etc. Hotels are kept by E. C. Leiteritz, Herman Reichert and R. A. Groff ; barber shops by John J. Kaiser and E. P. Rifleman.
Stratford also has an opera house, where traveling troups frequently ap- pear in theatricals and which is a very fine hall for all social entertainments, which is owned and managed by John S. Bannach. The village has a large town hall for the conduct of its public business.
The Stratford Reporter is a six-column, full sheet newspaper, in its fourth year, which appears every Friday. It enjoys the patronage not only of the people of the village but of many outside parties, and accurately publishes the minutes of the village board. A good job printing office is connected with the newspaper office. Its owners and editors are F. J. Curtin & Son.
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HISTORY OF MARATHON COUNTY
Stratford can boast of a military band which practices every Monday and Saturday evening at the High School Building. The medical profession is represented by Dr. N. S. Wahl and Dr. C. O. Fuller, physicians and surgeons. W. F. Goetz is the postmaster.
BANK OF STRATFORD.
Stratford State Bank, located at Stratford, State of Wisconsin, at the close of business on the 4th day of February, 1913 :
Resources.
Liabilities.
Loans and discounts .. .$ 72,109.48
Capital stock paid in. . . . $ 10,000.00
Overdrafts 13.10
Surplus fund
6,000.00
Bonds
17.712.50
Undivided profits
732.52
Banking house
3,500.00
Dividends unpaid
40.00
Furniture and fixtures ...
2,000.00
Individual deposits sub-
Due from approved re-
ject to check 37,934.09
serve banks
37,830.53
Time certificates of de- posit
56,568.82
Saving deposits
21,661.27
Cashier's checks out-
standing
3,805.98
Total .$136,742.68
Officers: President, R. Connor; vice president, Chr. Franzen; cashier, Walter Oby; directors, H. L. Klemme, William F. Goetz, and H. S. Wahl, M. D.
SCHOOLS.
The village of Stratford and the towns of Eau Pleine and Cleveland maintain together a union high school. The school building is a modern fine brick structure, one of the finest in the county. The principal of the high school is Miss Emma Mortinsin, with Miss Margaret Clellintine as her assistant.
There is a state graded school with three departments with the following staff of teachers : Principal, B. A. Waterman; intermediary department, Lillie Rifleman; primary, Miss Rosalie Bory. There are 25 pupils attending high school and IIo in the graded school.
Cash on hand
3.577.07
Total
$136,742.68
529
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
CHURCHES.
St. Joseph Catholic Church-On the last Sunday of November, 1897, this congregation held a meeting and decided to build a church. The founda- tion for the present edifice was laid in September, 1898, and it was com- pleted in 1899. The first trustees of the congregation were J. C. Kiefer, Edward Fulmer, and Ph. Burkhard. Rev. J. Gara from Rozellville attended to the religious needs of the congregation until in 1902 the parish received a resident pastor in the person of Rev. M. Casper. In the beginning the parish consisted only of 40 families, but at the present time it counts more than 140. There is a substantial solid brick parochial school, with four departments, conducted by the school sisters. The present resident pastor is Rev. Fredrick Foster.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Incorporated Towns in Marathon County-Historical and Descriptive Sketches of the Towns of Wausau, Weston, Mosinee, Teras, Marathon, Knowlton, Berlin, Stettin, Easton, Maine, Wien, Bergen Hull, Brighton, Holeton, Hamburg, Spencer, Rib Falls, Rietbrock, Day, Johnson, Halsey, Cleveland, Eau Pleine, Kronenwetter, Pike Lake, Norrie, Eldron, Harri- son, McMillan, Emmett, Frankfort, Plover, Cassel, Hewitt, Ringle, Fransen, Bern and Flieth.
THE TOWN OF WAUSAU.
What was the name of the first town in Marathon county? This ques- tion is not so easily answered. By the act establishing Marathon county, the "village of Wausau" was named as the county seat. The village of course was not incorporated at that time, and was named a village only because of the number of mills and buildings close together village-like. The election was held and the vote for county officers canvassed in the village, and the report of their canvass is recorded and appears in the minute book of the county board, or as they were then termed "the board of supervisors," and their report speaks very distinctly of a "town of Wausau."
The report certifying to the election of county officers is signed by Charles Shuter, justice of the peace; John Stackhouse, clerk of board of supervisors ; Edward A. Pierson, supervisor, and underneath the following : Attest :
D. R. Clement,
Town clerk, Wausau, Wis.
Underneath appears the following entry :
"Copy of returns on file in this office :
"We the undersigned board of canvassers for the town of Wausau in Marathon county, Wisconsin, do hereby certify that we presided this day to canvass the votes polled in the several precincts in said town on the first
530
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
Tuesday in April, A. D. 1850, and the result being ascertained, we the board do determine :
That
James Moore
Andrew Warren, Jr. by a majority of votes are elected justices of the peace.
Morris Walrad
E. W. Pencost
Isaac Gunsolly
Alva Newton
by a majority of votes are duly elected constables.
That
D. R. Clement by a majority of votes is duly elected town clerk.
As witness our hands this 9th day of April, A. D. 1850.
[John Stackhouse, Chairman.
(Signed) Edward Pierson, Supervisor.
Attest :
D. R. Clement, Town Clerk, Wausau, Wis."
It will be noticed that all these officers certify as officers of the town of Wausau.
The whole county was governed by three supervisors elected by the peo- ple of the whole county, and while there were at least three election pre- cincts, they were elected together by the people of the county. The whole county was only one town, that is, under one town government. There is nothing in the further proceedings which throws more light, but in the min- utes of the board of supervisors held on the first Tuesday in January, 1853, there appears this entry: "C. A. Single, Hyram E. Dillon and B. F. Berry were appointed as assessors for the town and county of Marathon," and these two designations "town and county of Marathon" are found several times afterwards.
So it would seem that the town was named "town of Marathon," although it speaks first of a town of Wausau. In the meeting of the supervisors held on the 12th day of November, 1856, present Doolittle and Judson, the fol- lowing appears :
"The board then proceeded to divide the town and county of Marathon into towns, with separate town organizations as follows: The town of Wau- sau to embrace all of township 28, ranges 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 and sections 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of township 28, north of range 8 east, and all of townships 29. 30, 31, and 32 of ranges 2 to 8, inclusive. The town of Mosinee to embrace
532
HISTORY OF MARATHON COUNTY
that part of the county lying in townships 26 and 27, north of ranges 2 to 9, inclusive, and the town of Eau Claire to include all of town 28, range 8, except sections 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of township 28, and townships 28, 29 and 30, north of range 9 east," and the following voting places were fixed :
The first town meeting in each town to be held on Tuesday, December 16, 1856, for the town of Wausau at the village of Wausau, for the town of Mosinee at the house of William G. Blair, and for the town of Eau Claire at the house of Milo Kelly. That disposed of the town of Marathon for good at the time, because the whole territory of the county, at least that part which was surveyed, is included in the division of the three towns.
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