USA > Wisconsin > Marathon County > History of Marathon County, Wisconsin and representative citizens > Part 53
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This town was one of the hardest for the settlers to reach, because the distance to Wausau from its nearest point was twenty-four miles and twelve miles to the line of the Wisconsin Central, west, but there was no road to it for years. The absence of roads made the township hard of approach and delayed settlement. Some of the first settlers, who had come at the end of the fifties, John Millert and Ziebell, left and abandoned their farms in that town after having made quite an improvement.
The town is now fairly well settled, and roads lead in every direction, more particularly to Athens, which is the trading point for the whole of this town, and one cheese factory has been established for some years, giving a good market to the farmers for their milk.
There are now four school districts in the town, each with a good school- house.
There are no churches is this town yet, but the resident farmers hold membership in the near churches in Athens and neighboring towns.
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THE TOWN OF CLEVELAND.
This town was set off from the town of Mosinee November 14, 1884, and organized in the spring of 1885, electing its town officers with Edw. Hayes as chairman-a deserved compliment to the oldest settler in the territory constituting the new town. Grover Cleveland had been elected president in the same fall, and the town honored him by taking his name. It embraces township 27, range 4 east.
This town formed part of the "Irish Settlement," as the name of the first settlers sufficiently indicate, namely: Hayes, Hughes, Bradley and others, whose descendents are living in the town on large, good cultivated farms. Other old settlers are the brothers Kurtzweile. The German emigra- tion set in after the building of the Wisconsin Central Railroad and the Chi- cago & Northwestern Railroad from Wausau to Marshfield, among the first of that nationality being the Kaiser family and Louis Spindler.
The Chicago & Northwestern enters this town one-half a mile southwest from Fenwood and leaves the town at Stratford on the west. On the south side of the town is situated a railroad, running east from Stratford to sec- tion 10 in township 27, range 5 east, in town of Emmett. It was originally built as a logging railroad by the Connor Company to supply their mill at Stratford with logs, but it was obliged to incorporate under the law as a general railroad in order to exercise the right of eminent domain.
One saw mill, doing custom sawing, exists in this town and is owned by Albert Naehring. There are two cheese factories, having a large output.
Of schoolhouses there are four, one in each district.
A German Evangelical Reformed congregation has a fine frame church building and pastorage, where Reverend Schroedel is the resident minister. It is a strong united congregation existing for about 23 years.
THE TOWN OF EAU PLEINE.
The town of Eau Pleine was set off from the town of Brighton on No- vember 14, 1884, and in the election the following spring, the town elected its first officers with Edw. Lessig as chairman. The territory of this town is township 27, range 3 east.
Two large saw mills were running in this town before its organization and have been in operation ever since. One, the "Stadts" mill, so-called, is situated on the Northwestern railroad, about two miles southwest from Strat-
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ford; the other owned by the firm of Dowd, Sons & Co., is situated at the little village of March Rapids nearly in the center of the north boundary line of the township.
A logging railroad extended from the village of McMillan six miles into this town, hauling the logs to the McMillan Brothers' mill at the village of McMillan. This mill has shut down for good for want of timber. There are two cheese factories in this town.
The farm settlement in this town was very weak in numbers when the town was organized. The town is now fairly well settled, especially the western part. The religious services were held sometimes in private houses under the lead of a visiting minister. In the year 1899 an organization was effected and the services were held in a schoolhouse in the village of March Rapids. In 1899 the congregation was incorporated and a church building was erected, 34x52 feet in dimensions in the year 1900. The resident minis- ter of the Evangelical Lutheran church of the town of McMillan ministered to the spiritual needs of the congregation, consisting of thirty-one families. The present pastor is Rev. August Paetz, resident minister of the Evangelical Lutheran St. Peter's congregation in the town of McMillan.
There are five school districts and five school houses in good state of effi- ciency.
A few Catholic families in this town erected a chapel over 20 years ago at a place called "Weber town," which is now a mission of the Catholic parish in the village of Stratford.
THE TOWN OF KRONENWETTER
was set off from the town of Mosinee November 12, 1886, to consist of township 27, range 8, and all of township 27, range 7, lying east of the Wis- consin river. It was named after the pioneer Sebastian Kronenwetter, who was duly elected as its first chairman. At the time of its organization there were but few farmers in the town, and the only industrial enterprise therein was the saw mill of S. Kronenwetter located on Bull Junior, where it empties into the Wisconsin river.
The town has undergone a great chance since. New settlers have come and large farms with good substantial buildings are now the rule not the exception. The little saw mill on Bull Junior is no longer operated, but another establishment of large dimensions exists now in this town. It is the plant of the
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WAUSAU SULPHATE FIBRE COMPANY,
the first complete plant of this kind built in the United States, which is a source of great pride taken by the citizens of Wausau and of Marathon county, as showing the great advance made in this county in industrial pur- suits, and as an example of what the splendid water power of the Wiscon- sin river is to be used for in the future. At this plant there is manufactured both sulphate pulp and sulphate paper, popularly known as Kraft pulp and paper. The mill manufactures about 50 tons of pulp a day and 30 tons of finished paper. The latter is used mainly as wrapping paper, although it is also used for sandpaper, bag paper, cover paper, and envelope paper. In the manufacture of this pulp there is utilized the various coniferous woods that grow in our country. The mill also uses to some extent the refuse from the saw mills. In the erection and planing of this mill special attention was given to the welfare of the employes in the heating, lighting, and the ven- tilation of the rooms. The main building is 548 by 74 feet, and contains rooms for paper machines, beaters, wet machines, and screens, washing tanks, digesters and alkali tanks. Another building is 160 by 80 feet and contains boiler rooms and soda recovery department. The third building is of wood 120 by 40 feet, a four-story building with basement. Besides there are sev- eral smaller buildings and the pump house. The chimney is 205 feet high. The power house is located in the village of Mosinee across the river on the spot where the Joseph Dessert mill was operated for so many years. It stands about 2,000 feet away from the factory proper, and has two A. C. gen- erators with a capacity of 2,000 K. W.
The machines in the paper mill are driven practically each by an individ- ual motor drive. The mill, power house and dams are constructed in the most substantial manner, and the machinery is the outcome of the latest development in pulp and paper mill machinery construction. The total out- put of sulphate pulp and Kraft paper manufactured in 1912 was 10,200 tons of pulp and 6,600 tons of paper. The production is increasing so that there is now a daily output of thirty tons of paper and fifty tons of pulp. The mill employs 200 men. The company was incorporated in 1910 with a capital stock of $700,000.
The officers of this corporation are: President and manager, Carl Mathie; vice president, Louis Dessert: secretary, W. C. Landon; treasurer, F. P. Stone, who with Neal Brown, M. C. Ewing, G. D. Jones, and B. F. Mc- Millan constitute the board of directors.
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The farmers have felt the need of a cheese factory and have erected one, running on the cooperative plan.
Three school and one joint school district take care of the education of the growing generation.
THE TOWN OF PIKE LAKE.
This town was created December 30, 1886, and had for its first represen- tative in the county board and chairman, August Marks. Its present ter- ritory consist of townships 26 and 27, range 9 east. The settlement of this town began from Portage county after the building of the Wisconsin Cen- tral railroad; for many years there was no communication or road to Wau- sau, the county seat, and people did their trading at Stevens Point. Then roads were opened and good communication from Wausau to Bevant, the village in this town, and clear to the south boundary line at a little place called "Pike Lake," by roads, also telephone connections, exist now.
The soil of that territory is excellently adapted for the raising of pota- toes and corn. Some farmers raise thousands of bushels of the root crop, especially since the railroad takes them to market. The Chicago & North- western Railroad runs a railroad clear through townships 27 and 26 in range 10 from Eland junction to Roshhold in Portage county, which is near enough to enable the farmers to market their crop at this railroad.
The inhabitants of Pike Lake are nearly all of Polish nationality with few Bohemians and Germans. There is a little village called Bevant, where there is the Catholic church and the meeting place of the people. At that place are two stores keeping general merchandise; one is being conducted by Roman Woijtasik, another by Peter Knippel; also a creamery operated on the cooperative plan by farmers. A blacksmith shop is conducted by Joseph Cherek. J. Wanta operates a portable saw mill in this town.
There are seven school districts with as many modern up-to-date school- houses.
The first Catholic church and parsonage was built about 1883, but a large new edifice was erected in 1896 at a cost of $15,000. It is contem- plated to commence building a parochial school this year. About 200 fami- lies are members of this congregation. The present rector of the church is Rev. Ignatius Latorski.
THE TOWN OF NORRIE.
The town of Norrie was created out of the territory of the towns of Knowlton and Weston on December 30, 1886, and elected its town officers
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HISTORY OF MARATHON COUNTY
in the spring of 1887, with I. M. Jennie as chairman. It was organized as a separate town in the year 1887 with townships 26 and 27 north of range IO east as its territory.
There is a very beautiful small lake in that town, known as "Mayflower" lake, on the shores of which are several very neat cottages belonging to Wausau people who spend their summer vacation there. The Chicago & Northwestern Railway traverses the town, the railroad station being eighteen miles east from Wausau. Like all the rest of Marathon county, this part was heavily timbered, there being little logging done until the railroad ran through the town on its way to Wausau, in 1880. Then a number of saw mills came in, one at the village at Norrie, which sawed a very large amount for nearly twenty years, and then shut down. The earliest settler in that town-in the village rather, before there were any farmers around there- was Richard Jewsen who built a hotel in the village and a saw mill. He died some years ago and his saw mill quit running when the timber near the mill was exhausted. There is now one little saw mill in the village operated by William Kuehn, who does custom sawing mainly.
The farm settlement is still light, but there is another village in the same town named Hatley, where there also were saw mills which have disappeared.
There are five schoolhouses in the town with as many districts.
At Hatley there is a Polish Catholic church styled the St. Florian church, which was erected in 1898, while Reverend Garus was in charge of the con- gregation. The first organization of the parish goes back to February of that year. First services were held in the schoolhouse, then R. E. Parcher who operated the mill at that time gave the society fifteen acres of land for a church site, and in the same year the church was built and consecrated. For some years there was no resident pastor, and the services were con- ducted after Reverend Garus by Rev. Leo Jankowski, Rev. John Adamowski, and Rev. John Kula. The spiritual affairs were conducted later on by the Franciscan Fathers of Green Bay for nearly a year up to July, 1903, and by Rev. Hieronimous Schneider. The following pastors visited once or twice a month and held service, to-wit: Stan. Elbert, Ladislaus Slisz. Then the following became the resident pastors: Rev. Ignatius Mordaski, Rev. Joseph Miller. Rev. J. Orlowski, and the present pastor, Rev. John Karcz. Under the administration of the last named one, the church debt has been paid, and $1,200 are now in the treasury for the purpose of erecting a new and larger church. It is expected that in the year 1913 a new edifice will be built, for which plans have been adopted; it is to be a solid brick building 135 by 50 feet. The congregation was very small when originally organized,
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but now it numbers over 135 families. It belongs now to the diocese of La Crosse. The present trustees are: Rev. John Karsz, president; John Koz- meja, secretary, and John Podjaski, treasurer.
There is also a Catholic church in the village of Norrie which is a mis- sion of the church in Hatley and served by the same priest.
The Congregationalists have a church in the village of Norrie, named the First Congregational Church at Norrie, which was organized on Feb- ruary 22, 1892, with Rev. Margeret Elliot as pastor and nineteen members, and the present house of worship erected during the same year. Since that time some of the old members have moved away, some (Norwegians) have joined the Scandinavian church, which has been organized since, and others have come to take their places. The present congregation numbers eighteen and it has no resident pastor. The Sunday school has been kept up regu- larly, is well attended and has a total membership of sixty, including home department and cradle roll. Mrs. A. R. Bucknam is the clerk of the con- gregation, and to her earnest and faithful work is due the continuous flour- ishing condition of the congregation.
There is also a German Lutheran church in the village of Norrie, which is a mission and has no resident minister.
A cheese factory exists in the village of Hatley, in the town, which is well supplied with milk during all of the season.
The village of Hatley has voted to incorporate and will be an independ- ent political entity in 1913.
Hatley has become an important shipping point for train loads of pota- toes raised in the vicinity.
THE TOWN OF ELDRON.
This town was organized with the election of town officers in the spring of 1888 and I. S. Ingersoll was elected the first chairman. When established the town embraced townships 26 and 27 in range 10 east, but later township 27 was set off and established as the town of Franzen.
This town borders on Shawano and corners with Waupacca county, and some settlers came in from that territory before the building of the Milwau- kee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad, now the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. A spur track of that road runs now clear through these two town- ships in range 10, and into Portage county to a place named "Roshhold," giv- ing passenger service although the main traffic consists in taking out freight, such as logs and farm produce. There was much logging and lumbering
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HISTORY OF MARATHON COUNTY
done in this town after the railroad came in, and not much attention was given to farming. The mills have now all gone out, except one small saw mill owned by August Sigasz, which is doing custom sawing for farmers.
Farms have become larger and more in numbers lately, and there is suf- ficient stock to keep one creamery supplied with milk all during the season, and milk is shipped out by railroad. The best farms are on the eastern por- tion of the town, and there is also the biggest population at present, and it is fast advancing as a farming community.
The largest farm is owned by A. J. Plowman, who has a fine stock of registered Guernsey cows and is a very successful breeder of this class of cattle. The population is mixed, there being Germans, native Americans, Scandinavians, Polish, and Scotch people, the Germans seemingly to be the most numerous. The first settlers in this town were Calvin Day, who came in 1880, and G. V. Ackerman and Joseph Hall, Samuel Williams, who came in 1882.
At the station "Eldron" quite a village has grown up where much business is done. The village is lit by electric lights; it has the central office of the Eldron Telephone Company which has toll lines into Wausau, Roshhold, Wittenberg, Eland Junction, and Bevant. John Dexter has a carpenter shop, and another one is William E. Allen. Ed. Vance is the blacksmith and wagonmaker of the village.
Stores keeping general merchandise are conducted by Thomas O. Thomp- son, Mr. Charbeneau, and T. M. Hicks. A. J. Plowman conducts a flour and feed warehouse, and the Stark Company and P. N. Peterson conduct potato warehouses. Potatoes are an important article of commerce and are shipped in large quantities from this locality. There is a hotel kept by Fred. Evert and a restaurant by William Donahue. A canthook stock factory is run by the Eldron Produce Company.
THE ELDRON STATE BANK
was organized at the beginning of this year (1913) by A. J. Plowman. It has a capital of $10,000. Its officers are: President, Carl Roshhold; first vice president, A. J. Plowman; second vice president, E. J. Benson : cashier. Berg Olson, who, with L. S. Jacobson, Frank Scholz, Roman Woitosek, and Peter Cherek constitute the board of directors.
This town, young as it is, has a splendid future before it, the lands being excellently adapted for potato culture as well as for corn and grains, and are a fine field for embarking in dairy farming.
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The public school in the village is a solid brick building, with a state graded school of two departments. The principal is Mrs. Mabel C. Darms; assistant, Miss Mae St. Marie. This with the other four schoolhouses in the town will soon give it decided American character.
There are two neat frame churches; one belongs to a Scandinavian Lutheran congregation, the services being conducted in the Norwegian lan- guage by a visiting minister from Wittenberg and was built in 1904-05. The other is called a "Union" church, situated in the village of Eldron, built four years ago by people of different Christian confessions, with the under- standing between them, that service might be held therein by any of the congregations desirous of so doing, which agreement has been faithfully kept. There are now regular religious services conducte dy a minister from Wittenberg for the Scandinavian population, and the Methodist congrega- tion is regularly visited by a student of theology from St. Lawrence Col- lege in Appleton, who conducts the service. The congregations hold their worship in true Christian spirit of toleration and harmony.
THE TOWN OF HARRISON.
Harrison was set off as a separate town December 20, 1888, from por- tions of the towns of Easton and Texas; its present territory embraces only township 30, range 10 east. It organized in the spring of 1889, and J. C. Hogarthy was elected as its first chairman. Hogarthy was one of the first native Americans in Marathon county to go farming and remained on his farm until his death after 1900, only doing some occasional logging on the Eau Claire river near or on his land. Like all other lands this township was heavily timbered, and all of the pine was floated down to the three mills on this river and there manufactured.
There is now a small portable mill in this town doing custom sawing for farmers. The farm settlement is getting stronger in later years, but clearings are not yet very large. Much of the income of the farmers is derived from the sale of hardwood logs brought to the railroad landing in the town of Hewitt, and the hemlock is floated down the Eau Claire river to the mill of Manser or the John Ross mill, being in the village of Schol- field.
There is as yet no cheese factory or creamery in this town, but they will soon be in existence as the clearings grow and more stock can be kept.
The town has four school districts with a good modern schoolhouse in each, and the population is of mixed nationality, some native Americans, some Scandinavians and some Germans.
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HISTORY OF MARATHON COUNTY
There are no churches in this town, but religious services are conducted in schoolhouses by visiting ministers.
THE TOWN OF McMILLAN.
This town was set off from the town of Spencer on December 21, 1888, and consists of township 26, range 3 east, less 760 acres which lie in the village of McMillan. It organized in the spring of 1889, electing its town officers with Fred. Brandt as chairman. The first settlement has been referred to in the chapter on early settlements. A strong emigration set into that town, new settlers, nearly all Germans, coming in from Marshfield, and this town shows now many large and finely cultivated farms.
One saw and plaining mill owned and operated by Aug. Junnemann does custom sawing for farmers, and with four cheese factories constitutes the industries of the town besides farming.
The town is divided into six school districts, each with a modern school house.
In 1880 a number of German Lutherans united in a congregation and incorporated in 1881 as the Evangelical Lutheran St. Peter's congregation. They built a small church of logs, 25x35, and visiting ministers from Auburndale, later from Spencer, and later still from Marshfield, conducted the services. The present stately church edifice was erected in 1894 and renovated in 1905. A parsonage was built in 1900 and a parochial school- house in 1903. Since 1899 the congregation had resident ministers; the first one to reside there was Rev. T. Engel, and the present pastor is Rev. Aug. Paetz. The congregation consists now of seventy-one families.
THE TOWN OF EMMETT.
The name indicates the nationality of its population. When it was cre- ated, there was a wish on the part of the inhabitants to commemorate the name of the pure Irish patriot and martyr by giving the town his name. It was organized in the spring of 1889 with the election of officers, and Felix Maguire was elected chairman and representative in the county board. Its territory consists of township 27, range 5, and a large part, about nine sections in the south part of township 27, range 6 east. This town was settled from the village of Mosinee in early days and is included in what was then generally known as the "Irish Settlement," which stretched over the present towns of Mosinee, Emmett, and Cleveland. The whole of this town is splendid farm land, and there are some of the very finest farms that
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can be found in this county. The descendents of the first Irish settlers are mostly all living on their fathers' farms; but few have emigrated, but it is no longer a pure Irish settlement. The population is a mixed one, there being Austrians, Germans, and Bohemians, and a few of Polish nationality, but all getting along in the best of harmony, vieing with each other in dis- playing the genuine American spirit of enterprise and loyalty to American institutions.
A saw mill owned and operated by Fred. Wunsch saws logs for farm- ers so that they can get their building material without much cost, and he also buys logs for manufacturing purposes.
There is a busy little country village named "Halder," from the name of an old settler, which is the name of the postoffice at the place, and there are the following business enterprises carried on :
A general merchandise store by Mich. Strefter, a tavern by John Ken- nedy, a blacksmith business by William Dalski, and a cheese factory and a feed mill. Another store building owned by John Schirkpe is occupied by William Ress in the absence of the owner, who is the present treasurer of Marathon county. Another cheese factory, owned by farmers and con- ducted on the cooperative plan, exists in this town.
The town has five school districts, each with a good schoolhouse. The school at Halder is a state graded school with two departments, giving instructions up to the eighth grade. The principal in that school is Miss Anna Hoard; assistant, Miss Edna Wachtel. The enrollment is sixty-five.
The population with few exceptions adheres to the teachings of the Catholic church. A church building was erected soon after settlement began, but in 1906 to 1907 the old church was replaced by a new edifice, a solid brick building, at a cost of over $12,000, named St. Patrick's Church. It is still a mission of the parish of Mosinee, but a parsonage is being built now, and there will not doubt be a resident priest at Halder within a short time. The congregation is large, including about two-thirds of the population. The prominent members of the church with respect of length of residence are the families of Robert Freeman, the O'Connors, the Maguires, and the Fitzgeralds.
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