USA > Wisconsin > Monroe County > History of Monroe County, Wisconsin, past and present : including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county [microform] > Part 33
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Eighteen hundred ninety-three marked the Thayer bank fail- ure at Tomah and Sparta, which affected the financial interests of so many people of the county and wrought great hardship upon many. and adding to this the fact that it was panic year business in all lines suffered in consequence.
Eighteen hundred ninety-four was quite a lively year in politics, especially on the Republican side, for it was the time of the memorable convention in this senatorial district to nominate a candidate for state senate, the district comprising Jackson, Monroe and Vernon counties. It was in this celebrated contest that C. A. Goodyear. D. F. JJones and J. J. Gillivray were candi- dates, a deadlock causing several adjournments to different places.
In September of that year, after considerable agitation, a spe- cial election was held upon the question of the issuing of $15.000 bonds for a water works system. The election resulted in a ma- jority of 303 for the proposition, and the following year the first water works system was installed.
On September 23, 1894, occurred the first disastrous fire in the city's history. It started about 9:20 in the evening. breaking out in the second story of the Joe Disper building, in block 25, in the business district on Superior avenue. A high wind blowing at the time soon spread the flames to adjoining buildings and the entire block of business buildings was consumed. A. W. Rice's small frame building. used as a barber shop and dwelling. was partially wrecked in an attempt to check the flames. The fire department consisted of a chemical engine, which was totally inadequate to handle such a fire. The block on the opposite side of the street was threatened but by the heroic efforts of the fire- men and citizens it was saved.
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Stocks of goods were moved out into the streets and thieving began more or less, and in order to aid the police force in guard- ing all of this property that night, the men of Company K volun- teered for that service and stood guard until morning, when arrangements were made by the several owners to care for their goods. Following is a list of the losses, and it will be noted how small the value of buildings is compared with the present time : Gondrezick building, $2,000; Grutsch building, $2,000; stock, $350; Disper building, $1,000; Johnson & Simpson, hardware, building and stock, $2,800; G. Reel, building and stock, $4.000; Aller & Button, $1,600; Blome building and stock, $1.800; Barnes building and stock, $4,000; Rice building and stock, $1,300; Root stock, $200; Johnson & Bongers, stock, $2,000. Building opera- tions were at once begun and the year 1895 saw the block rebuilt with substantial brick business blocks and in better shape than ever.
From this time until 1898 business resumed its normal condi- tion ; prosperity reigned, business in all lines was good. In that year the war cloud began to take form early. Trouble with Spain had been brewing for some time. The blowing up of the Maine in Havana harbor was the needed touch to fire the American spirit, and war was formally declared by congress. This meant troops and at once. After all the years that Company K had been in existence, after all the criticism that it, in common with other companies of the Wisconsin National Guard, had received from some classes of citizens who, perhaps, might have been thoughtless in their statements, after all the years of being "tin soldiers" in the minds of some. the opportunity came at last for active service in the field, and how was it met by this little com- pany of home boys? It was necessary as the law then stood, the national guard being state troops, that the men volunteer in- dividually for service in this war. Early in April the company was assembled for this purpose and the proud fact was recorded that sixty-seven out of the entire sixty-eight officers and men volunteered to go to the front.
On April 27, at 4 o'clock a. m., Captain Warren received tele- graphic orders to proceed to Milwaukee, where the regiment would be mobilized together with the other two Wisconsin regi- ments. That morning the special train bearing the other com- panies on this line took Company K. equipped, eager and ready for the business in hand. That they met the issue, every officer and man, and came back with a record to stand for all time to their credit, is told in another chapter.
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The community was shocked on June 20th at the shooting of William Wetzel by A. F. Lynch. This affair resulted in two long and expensive trials, which resulted finally in Lynch being de- clared insane and sent to Madison.
In June, Lient. Frank L. French, of Company L, Third Wis- consin Volunteer Infantry, was sent back to enlist recruits for the Second battalion, Companies B, K, L and M. and from the 17th of June for a few days enlisted enough men to fill up Com- pany K to war strength, they being promptly sent on to Chick- amauga park, where the regiment was then in camp.
In August the first note of sadness came from the war with the death of Private Paul Curtius. of Company K. of typhoid fever, at Charleston, S. C. His body was returned home and the funeral held on August 15th, which was largely attended.
Time dragged slowly on. News came from the boys : now they were at Charleston, then embarking to go to Cuba. Orders changed, they were on their way to Porto Rico, where they ar- rived in July. After that the news from the front came only occasionally. Many anxious hearts at home waited. for they did not know what. The campaign was soon over as far as hostilities were concerned, but danger, greater than ever, of fever in that tropical climate, still remained and wrought havoc in the ranks. At last. however, the latter part of October came the joyful news that the "boys are coming home." Great preparations were at once undertaken, committees appointed, and a fitting celebration of their return arranged for. On the morning of October 31st the special train hearing the Second battalion steamed in the station at Tomah amidst the cheers of thousands assembled to greet the boys. They filed out of their coach, each to be greeted by his loved ones ; then swung into line for their last march of the campaign, to their armory. But they were no longer boys. Hardship and suffering had left their mark on every one. The boys of a few months before were men now with lines on their faces, but-they were "home." After an informal lunch at the armory they dispersed to their families and friends.
On Thanksgiving day, in November. a great banquet was ten- dered to the company, an elaborate program was carried out. The company, in common with the other companies of the regi- ment, were placed on furlough for sixty days, and finally mus- tered out of the service of the United States the following January.
On December 29, 1898, the new Catholic church was formally
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dedicated by Bishop Schwebach. This handsome structure, erected at a cost of many thousands of dollars, standing on an eminence. is one of the show places of Tomah.
In May, 1899, the Third regiment was reorganized as a state organization, with Orlando Holway as its colonel, and Company K was mustered into the service of the state in May by Col. George Graham. many of the veterans of the Porto Rican cam- paign going into the company, and its commissioned officers were the same who had recently been mustered out.
On February 12, 1901, a serious fire occurred in the store of the Tomah Cash Mercantile Company, which had succeeded C. A. Goodyear, in which there was a loss of about $2.000, mostly on the stock.
"Wash" Snow, as he was familiary called, a veteran engineer in the employ of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Company. and a long-time resident of Tomah, was killed June 25th at Portage. James P. Galiger, at one time county superintendent of schools, passed away on July 21st.
At the school meeting in July the proposition came up to build a new high school building, the old building being over- crowded and it being very evident that a move of that kind was necessary. The meeting adjourned without taking any action until early in August. At the adjourned meeting. after consid- erable discussion, a resolution was passed appropriating $25.000 for a new high school building. resulting in the erection of the present handsome and well-appointed structure.
The assassination of President Mckinley shocked the com- munity. as it did all others. On September 19th a memorial meeting was held at the armory in which addresses were made by Captain Butters, Rev. Johnathan Smith, Rev. Louis Wurst and others. At about this time the agitation was commenced for a sewerage system and for street paving by the Advancement Association, and went to the extent of consultation, and E. Sands. a civil engineer, as to the cost, ete. This matter came up later on for action and caused considerable heated discussion among the citizens as will be seen.
On the night of November 31, 1902, the postoffice was broken into and robbed of stamps and cash to the amount of $1.400. The safe was blown open by the burglars and some of the fittings of the office damaged. The robbers made their escape.
Tomah had for years numbered among her citizens many men who were almost experts with the shotgun. A shooting
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club or gun club had been in existence for a number of years, which had joined the Wisconsin League of Gun Clubs, and Tomah was successful in securing the fourth annual tournament of the organization, which was held May 25 and 26, 1903. At this meeting there were gun clubs from Appleton, Antigo, Columbus, West Superior, Merrill, Marshfield, Monroe, the Na- tional Gun Club and the South Side Gun Club, of Milwaukee, Palmyra, Rhinelander, Racine, Sparta, Two Rivers, Viroqua, Waupaca, Wansan and Marinette, in attendance. There were eighteen contests or events on the program. The big event, how- ever, was the one of twenty-five targets for the championship of the state. This was won by Charles D. Johnson, of Tomah, who made the remarkable record of twenty-five straight hits.
During the month of May a unique school institute was held at the government Indian school, being an institute conducted somewhat on the lines of public school gatherings. The insti- tute was conducted by Superintendent Compton, of the Tomah Indian school, and was participated in by about fifty instructors and superintendents from five or more different states. The meeting was held May 6th and 7th, and was very interesting. As a result of the agitation mentioned before regarding sewerage and paving, the first step was taken in September, 1903. when macadam pavement was put on two blocks of the business sec- tion of the city, a much-needed improvement. as before that the street had been simply a clay road, requiring constant filling and working, and in wet weather was sometimes inches deep with mud.
Word was received that R. P. Hitchcock, a former resident. passed away at St. Louis, Mo., on November 20th. Mr. Hitchcock was one of the early merchants of Tomah, and for a great many years prominent in municipal affairs. He was appointed post- master by President Cleveland, serving one term.
During November of this year the city authorities closed a deal by which the city became the owner of the old "Whitfield " property, for use as a city market. A little later on. however. the dwelling upon it was, and is now, used for housing the public library, and the premises have not been used for market purposes. Here will undoubtedly be the site of the new "Buckley" public library building.
On May 11, 1904. Company K inaugurated the custom of cele- brating the date when the company was mustered into the gov- ernment service in the Spanish war. A large parade. headed
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by the Third regiment band, including Company K, Spanish War Veterans and others, went to Gillet park, where appropriate exercises were had, followed by sports in the afternoon and a large ball in the evening. This custom has been continued since with the exception of one or two years.
Alva Stewart Goodyear, formerly lieutenant and later cap- tain of Company K, died at Chicago, May 13, 1904. He was a graduate of the Tomah High School and a veteran of the Spanish- American war. His funeral was attended by a large delegation of his comrades and friends. An old pioneer in the person of Amos Greenfield passed away on May 16th. Mrs. C. A. Good- year, mother of Captain Goodyear, soon followed him and de- parted this life at Chicago, May 25, 1904. In December of this year this section was visited by a very severe blizzard, which resulted in considerable suffering, especially by live stock. It lasted for three days, December 28, 29 and 30, and will long be remembered by the inhabitants. Railroads were blocked, tele- graph and telephone communication cut off for some time, and business generally was demoralized.
In January, 1905, on the 6th, Company K indulged in a jolli- fication in unveiling the "Pfister trophy," which the company had won during the past year by its excellent work in all departments. This trophy is given for the best all around com- pany in the state and is held for one year until won by some other or the same company upon its record. In February the Crescent Glee Club, of Sparta, with about thirty-five male voices, visited Tomah, gave a short program at the Indian school in the afternoon for the pupils and a concert at the armory in the evening, which was greatly enjoyed by a large audience.
February 23rd, the old Advancement Association having passed into history. the business men of the city met in a pre- liminary session to take steps to organize a new Advancement Association. This was brought to a succesful conclusion, the society organized and a formal opening of the rooms secured for it in the Lynch block took place on the evening of March 24th. This organization has been a great benefit to the city in many ways, as it makes concerted action possible on propositions affect- ing the commercial interests especially. Its committees have been, and are, active in the interests of the city generally and through their efforts many municipal improvements have been furthered. Another block of macadam paving was put in dur- ing the spring of 1905 on Superior avenue, between Monowa and
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Juneau streets. With the completion of this the agitation for sewerage and paving was renewed, and this marked the begin- ning of a long fight in the city council, which resulted in a dead- lock in September and nothing was accomplished that year.
On January 23, 1906. Harvey Seymour, a conductor on the Valley division of the Chicago. Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, was instantly killed in the vards at Tomah. In February, on the 16th, Oscar Zimmerman Camp No. 20. Spanish-American War Veterans, was organized with Capt. W. W. Warren as com- mander. The camp was named after a member of the company who died in Porto Rico during the campaign. The organization has been successfully maintained, as has a good membership.
The spring of 1906 marked a hot campaign for municipal officers. The long drawn out fight on the former council regard- ing sewerage and paving resulted in a united action of the people who desired those improvements. Hon. Thomas McCaul. under whose administration of former years as mayor the first improve- ment was inaugurated, that of water works, was drafted as the candidate for mayor of the party in favor of improvements and a campaign began which was the most bitterly fought, perhaps, of any in the history of the city. It resulted in the election of Mr. McCaul and enough members of the council to break the deadlock which had existed before that, and prospects then began to look bright for paving.
Tomah was now indeed a city with all the things that go to make up municipal life. so there must be a strike: and there was one. not a very big one to be sure, but a num- ber of men employed in the bridge works of the Chicago, Mil- waukee and St. Paul company took it into their heads to walk out. which they did, claiming increased pay. The strike was of short duration, however, as men were too easy to get in this locality. The strikers went back to work and the industrial war was over.
Lieut. Irving Jones, first lieutenant of Company K during the Spanish war, was instantly killed at the town of Lake, near Mil- waukee, by the cars. on July 2. 1906. Mr. Jones had formerly been employed in the bridge shops of the St. Paul company here as a painter. He served with distinction in the campaign in Porto Rico, and when the company reorganized became first lien- tenant of the company, which position he held for a short time until he moved away with his family.
As was stated in this chapter, quite a number of the citizens of Tomah enlisted in Company H. Tenth Wisconsin Infantry,
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during the rebellion, and on October 7th and 8th a reunion of the Tenth Wisconsin was held at Tomah, participated in by a large number of the survivors of that regiment. The sessions were marked by much interest in the way of reminiscences. A banquet closed the meeting fittingly.
The advance of years had began to tell upon the earlier citi- zens, and one by one they dropped away. January 6, 1907, Capt. Charles K. Erwin, so long identified with Tomah, died at Savanna, Ill., the funeral being held at Tomah on January 11th. Captain Erwin came to Tomah in 1868 after a brilliant record in the war of the rebellion. He went into the mercantile business, in which he continued until 1892. In 1881 he was elected state senator from this district, and served in that office until 1888. In 1889 he was appointed postmaster at Tomah and at the expiration of his term of office was made superintendent of the new State Home for the Feeble Minded, which had just been built at Chippewa Falls, which position he held for a number of years. He was prominent in the councils of the head organization of the Wood- men of the World. and was well known throughout the state in his time. He enlisted in the Forty-seventh Illinois on October 22, 1862, and rose through the various grades to the rank of cap- tain. Ile was a member of the Loyal Legion and of Henry W. Cressy Post, G. A. R.
An old land-mark went up in smoke the latter part of Janu- ary in the old freight depot. This building was the depot and freight house of the St. Paul road in early years. A new building was erected by the company farther west for freight purposes.
At a meeting of the common council, February 19, 1907, plans were adopted for a sewerage system for the city and five and one-half miles was ordered laid. Tomah received a boom in the form of the railroad shops, which were located here and build- ings erected during 1907. The works were moved here from Milwaukee and brought a large number of families. This, in con- nection with the bridge works, which had been moved to the city in 1890, made a large plant employing several hundred men, with a pay roll of several thousand dollars per month, added greatly to the growth and prosperity of the city. Nineteen hundred and seven was a year of tornadoes. On July 5th the city barely es- caped the effects of the terrible cyclone which did so much damage in the town of Oakdale. This storm, which wrought so much damage and loss of life in the northeastern part of the county, passed within a short distance of the city, but fortunately, did no damage here. In August, on the 10th, however, the city did not
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escape so easily. A tornado struck the place with much force, tearing down the partially completed walls of the new Cash Store on the old Sherman House corner, wrecked the hay barn of Henry Meinecke on his farm just west of the city limits. blew down telegraph and telephone lines and did much damage in a minor way to buildings in the city.
John Little, an old-time resident. a veteran of the civil war, and one of the oldest engineers on the St. Paul road, died in Col- orado on October 20. 1907. Mr. Little was an old and respected member of the community. a member of Henry W. Cressy Post, and for many years identified with the growth and improvement of the city. He was a strong Mason and served in several capacities at different times in that order.
In January, 1908, Tomah people contributed liberally to the relief of the cyclone sufferers and $1,300 was raised by the Busi- ness Men's Club and used for that purpose. The old fight on street paving came up in the council in February and was again held up in that body, and the war began once more. At a meeting on March 16th plans were adopted by the council for paving Superior avenue. At the spring election W. J. MeMullen was elected mayor and the project was again halted after a fight between the mayor and the council. The council meeting of July 6th was a warm one indeed. Brick paving was adopted, however, by a close vote, but at a later meeting in July the entire project received a body blow from which its advocates did not recover until about the middle of August. By that time the people had practically settled down to what they wanted, and on August 18th the paving ordinance was finally adopted.
The remodeled and enlarged Catholic school building was dedicated by Bishop Schwebach on September 17. 1910. On July 22nd of this year William Feiting, one of Tomah's solid business men, passed away at his home. He came to Tomah in 1868 and engaged in the tailoring business. In 1890 he built the present Feiting block on Superior avenue, in which the business has ever since been conducted, his sons. William and Frank, succeeding to the management. Mr. Feiting was a progressive business man, always found on the right side of municipal questions, and highly respected by his business associates and the community generally.
But the worst was to come, that is, some people might say so, and some say it was the best. for after a campaign on the tem- perance question Tomah went "dry" at the spring election of 1910 by a majority of five votes. This vote was so close that the gentlemen who had theretofore been engaged in the "wet goods"
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business determined to have a contest upon the matter and ac- cordingly engaged attorneys and brought the matter into court. But after one or two hearings the contest was dismissed and Tomah was sure "dry," and it stayed dry, the law being rigidly enforced by the authorities.
This condition existed for a year and in the meantime an election had been held on the amount of the license, which was increased to $800.00. The following spring another election was held on the license question at which license was carried by a fair majority and the city has remained "wet" up to this time.
After all the agitation, turmoil and strife over the paving question the final completion of the brick paving of Superior ave- nue and the continuation of the maeadam road from the head of Superior avenue out to the cemetery, was nevertheless a matter of great pride and rejoicing to the citizens generally, for nowhere in the country can be found a handsomer street ; outside of the business district the boulevarding of the center, with its closely clipped lawn and artistic setting of shrubbery makes a beauti- ful appearance in the summer months. With this has come the desire of the citizens in some section to improve the side avenues, and with the improvements in Gillett park it can truly be said that no prettier or well-kept city can be found anywhere in this great state. In addition to that there is pervading the atmos- phere of Tomah a sort of a progressive spirit which can best be described by saying that its people "hang together" when any- thing important is necessary. It is true that among themselves they have honestly differed upon questions of municipal policy, but let any matter of general interest to the city be proposed and they get into line quickly as one big community and tackle any question which may arise with true "Tomah spirit," and gener- ally carry out what is undertaken. This is a happy condition for any municipality and its benefits are more than demonstrated in this hustling little town. It has increased in population until it is now but a few hundred behind its sister city, the county seat ; its business interests are large and varied and the volume of busi- ness transacted in the course of a year compares with that of the county seat most favorably and. in fact, is greater than most cities of its size in the state. Surrounded nearly on all sides by a good farming country, it is the central market for a large region, affords excellent markets for stock and produce, and now has the benefit of transportation over both the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul and the Chicago and Northwestern Railways. Every- thing points to a healthy growth in the future, and could old
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Chief "Tomah" come back from the "Happy Hunting Grounds" and gaze upon his namesake he would surely feel a great thrill of pride that such a city bears his name, wrap his spirit blanket around his tall form, turn and stalk back into the Great Beyond with a smile of contentment on his noble countenance that for all time his name would be perpetuated.
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