USA > Wisconsin > Trempealeau County > History of Trempealeau County, Wisconsin > Part 35
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Osseo was not materially affected by the arrival of the railroad. Started in the fifties (see account of H. Hyslop elsewhere in this work), the village on June 20, 1887, when the railroad was completed, was already a flourishing hamlet, and the business houses were but little changed by the introduc- tion of railroad transportation.
Among the business industries at that time were the Osseo and Sumner mills, the general stores operated by F. E. Field & Co. and C. H. Shores & Co., drug stores operated by Dr. A. L. Wooster and Hotchkiss (E. S.) & Bewell (George) ; blacksmith and wagon shop operated by John O. Christenson & Co., and blacksmith and machine works by Errick Nelson & Co.
To this list, D. L. Remington adds: J. H. McKenney, hotel and meat market; Fred Smith, harness shop; Valorus Campbell, livery ; Montgomery Reynolds, photographer ; J. Huntington, hardware, and Matt Johnson, shoe- maker. E. J. Matchett adds to the original list: Anderson Brothers, general store; Hewett & Foster, hardware; Smith Brothers, hardware; William Henry, cheese factory; Hiram Field, dealer in stock and horses, Arthur Gates, dealer in machinery, and the Osseo Creamery Co.
An important part of the business section was destroyed by fire on May 29, 1891, but was at once rebuilt with larger and better buildings.
Osseo was platted in September, 1857, by J. E. Irish, county sur- veyor of Richland County, on land of W. A. Woodward, A. McCorkle, Caro- line E. Sexton and Willard H. Thomas. It embraced 116 blocks of 8 lots each, many of which have since been abandoned.
The village was incorporated in 1893. A survey having been made Feb. 23, 1893 by Thomas G. Cox, a census was taken July 3, 1893, by A. C. Gates and E. A. Olson, resulting in a numbering of 305 persons. Aug. 31, 1893, a petition was signed by E. J. Matchett, F. A. Smith, C. H. Shores, A.
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C. Gates, A. L. Wooster, George F. Newell and E. A. Olson, M. D., asking for the incorporation of the village. The petition was granted by the dis- trict court Sept. 4, 1893, and E. J. Matchett, Dr. E. A. Olson and George F. Newell appointed inspectors of election. The election, duly held on Oct. 9, 1893, resulted in a vote of 33 to 8 in favor of the proposition.
The first election of officers was held Nov. 2, 1893, and resulted as fol- lows : President, Dr. E. A. Olson ; trustees, W. K. Lewis, J. H. LeBarron, C. H. Shores, F. M. Smith, Thomas Fox and James McIntyre; treasurer, George Newell; clerk, J. W. Smith; supervisor, E. J. Matchett (J. H. Mc- Kenney, who was tied, lost on a drawing of cuts) ; constable, A. H. Rogers; police justice, A. C. Gates.
About the year 1859, the first school in Osseo was held in the house now occupied by Eric Nelson; at that time it was owned by W. H. Thomas, who used the front part of the building as a general store, and in the rear were rooms used as a dwelling and occupied by Mrs. Buckley, later better known as Mrs. Barber. In one of these rooms school was held and taught by her. There were only four pupils at that time, consisting of the two daughters of W. H. Thomas, now Mrs. Della Field, and Julia Shores, and Kate and Fannie, daughters of Dennis Lawler.
Later school was held in the barroom of a hotel erected by Mr. Thomas on the spot where Bert Humes' blacksmith shop now stands, and still later in an old building located just north of the church where Mr. Horgan's house has since been erected.
As the children grew in number it was deemed necessary to build a schoolhouse, which was done in 1860. It was a one-room building and locat- ed on the site as the present graded school building.
As years passed the number of pupils outgrew the capacity of this build- ing and it was moved across the street where it still stands and is known as the Town Hall, being occupied by the Sixth and Seventh grades, taught by Miss Mabel Hagen. A two-story frame building was erected in its place in 1881. Miss Nettie Tracy, now Mrs. Nettie Jones, was the first teacher and for six weeks had charge of all the pupils in the district, then numbering 59, as the upper room was not completed at the beginning of the school year.
Malcolm McPhail was the first teacher in this room when finished.
In October, 1881, the people voted to have a graded school and admit tuition pupils from outside the district. The result was that the number of pupils increased so rapidly that again the rooms were over-crowded and in the fall of 1892 there were 83 pupils seated in what is the lower north room of the present building, taught by Agnes Hyslop, now Mrs. A. Mc- Kenney. At Christmas time it was decided to hire another teacher and use the Town Hall. Lottie Field taught during the two months' winter term, and in the spring it was decided to use the recitation room instead of the Town Hall, and Agnes Walsh of Fairchild was hired as assistant. Frank Robinson was principal at that time.
In 1894 an addition was annexed to the south side of the schoolhouse to correspond with that on the north.
The building is surrounded by beautiful trees, planted by children and
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teachers. David Isom also took great interest in the planting and caring for them.
Again the building fails to accommodate the number of pupils which have increased from 59 in 1881, to 220, and the corps of teachers from one to seven, and we are compelled to vacate its walls for one more modern and beautiful.
In 1916 the people voted to have a High school and to build a new build- ing which is now, 1917, completed, and is a beautiful, modern, one-story brick building, known as Lincoln High school, located in the northeastern part of the village on a sightly spot known as Lincoln Hill.
It is a structure of which the village of Osseo may well be proud as it ranks as one of the best in the state.
Strum
Strum is a busy trading center in the Beef River valley on the Mondovi line of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway. Like many of the villages in Trempealeau county the village is located at a natural cen- ter of traffic and stores were in existence here long before the coming of the railroad.
The pioneer merchant was Thomas E. Holden, who came here about 1884 and erected a small store north of the river, and just west of where the road turns east toward Osseo. About 1885 came Ole Kittleson. He opened a store north of the river a few rods east of Holden's store. Situ- ated as he was in the western part of the Unity township, he received con- siderable trade from that town and from Albion as well. In connection with his store business he bought home-made butter, and in 1888 he and the farmers organized the Strum Creamery Association.
In 1887 the railroad reached Osseo, and plans were made for continu- ing the line west to Mondovi through Strum. A switch was laid at Strum in 1889. The depot was not built until 1892. An elevator and lumber yard were built near the depot.
Mr. Kittleson then moved his store to the street leading from the de- pot to the river, and thus established the location for the future business of the village, all the stores now being located along this street. The mill was also built on the river bank near the same street.
The growth of the village has since been steady and satisfactory. The original mill, erected by Samuel Hogue, has been replaced with a large structure several rods east of the depot. The original creamery has be- come the flourishing Unity Co-operative Creamery, located on the railroad right-of-way. Two sightly churches have been built, a bank with a most satisfactory amount of deposits is well housed, and the Woodman Hall fur- nishes an adequate place for public meetings and theatrical entertainments. The school, first occupied in 1914, is a subject of considerable pride to the citizens, and furnishes excellent instruction in the usual grade studies.
The fire of Christmas, 1915, which swept the east side of the principal street, did not retard the growth of the village, but rather gave it new life, for a number of larger and substantial business houses soon replaced those destroyed.
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Although Strum is one of the youngest villages in the county, none of the first settlers are now here, and in the neighborhood there are but few of the pioneers of the county. But the newcomers have brought prosperity, and with the constantly increasing improvement of the farms, and the grad- ual development of the county highway system, the hamlet is designed to be a point of still greater importance.
Ettrick
Ettrick is the terminus of the new Ettrick & Northern railroad, and evi- dences of the prosperity and growth which is to follow the opening of that line is already seen. Outside companies are purchasing building lots, and many new business houses are being projected. At the present time the vil- lage has a creamery, a flour mill, a woolen mill, and a new bank and hotel.
It is situated in the valley of the Beaver Creek in the midst of one of the finest farming regions in western Wisconsin.
Ettrick had its beginning in 1870, when Iver Pederson came over from Frenchville, and erected a store here. Later the dam was put in, the two mills built and the creamery started. Gradually a small village grew up at the point. June 20, 1877, the village was platted by Alfred P. Ford on land of James Corcoran, P. J. Huff, Iver Knudson, Hans Christianson and Iver Pederson.
Dodge
Dodge Village is located at a point which has been a center of traffic since the earliest days. Just above the present village was the old Indian ford over the Trempealeau River. At the same ford, was the crossing of the old stage line from Fountain City to Arcadia and Trempealeau. The rail- road came through in 1873, the village was platted Feb. 20, 1874, on land of August Bambenek, and business started that year. Nick Lehrback opened the first store. Fred Hoesley opened the first hotel and restaurant John Noteman, the first grain buyer, was also the first station agent. The first blacksmith was James Tandutschy. The village is not incorporated, but is a busy trading center, and is located in a region of fertile farms and rich farmers. It has a good bank and creamery and several good stores.
Pigeon Creek
Pigeon Creek is the trading center of Pigeon Valley. It is the only vil- lage of any importance in the county, aside from Ettrick, not supplied with railroad service. The village was started in 1867 when Cyrus H. Hine pur- chased a tract of land from George Hale and erected a mill. Shortly after- ward Johnson & Olson put up a store. Peter Ekern came here in 1875, pur- chased the mill and store, and established the varied activities of the place. The estate now owns a large store, the creamery and the mill. In addition to this there are a number of other stores. There are likewise two churches. Good roads extend in various directions, and the village is a most attractive little hamlet with many advantages.
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Trempealeau
Trempealeau is located in the southern part of the county, and spreads along the banks of the Mississippi under the shadows of the overhanging bluffs and back a mile across the prairie to the depot of the Northwestern Railroad, which with the Burlington supplies its railroad service.
The story of the village since its settlement in 1842 has already been told.
Trempealeau now has a village hall, electric light service, a village park, a bank, a newspaper, a public library, and several elevators.
The shipments are farm products, fish and lime.
The present organization of the village dates from March 10, 1900, when the old pioneer village government was reincorporated along modern lines.
CHAPTER XII
NEWSPAPERS
Seven newspapers cover the journalistic field in Trempealeau County. The Whitehall Times-Banner traces its history directly to the Galesville Transcript, founded in 1860, and indirectly to the Trempealeau Times, is- sued in 1858. The Arcadia Leader dates back to the Trempealeau County Republican established at Trempealeau in 1873. The Galesville Republican, itself established in 1897, has absorbed the Galesville Independent which was started in 1874. The Independence News-Wave had its beginning with the Independence Weekly News in 1878. The Trempealeau Herald was es- tablished in 1885. The Osseo News dates from the Osseo Recorder, established in 1890. The Blair Press was established in 1898.
For the most part, the papers of Trempealeau County have been started as commercial ventures. Support of the labor movement has been the motive underlying the establishment of at least two, and some have had the prohibtion cause as their sponsors. Civic pride also entered into the establishment of several of the papers, and the county seat controversies caused the inauguration or change of location of a number of the publica- tions. Two foreign papers flourished for a while.
The first paper published in the county was the Trempealeau Times, issued in the spring of 1858 by Charles and Francis A. Utter, who had brought type and a printing press from Elkhorn, Wis., and got out four is- sues for the purpose of publishing the Buffalo County tax list.
The printing material was used in the publication of the Trempealeau Banner, established Oct. 8, 1858, by J. Ketchum Averill. Averill remained in Trempealeau a short time and then went to Tomah, where he established the Tomah Chief.
The Utters, who still held a mortgage on the plant, foreclosed and sold out, a portion being taken to Galesville for the printing of the Gales- ville Transcript. The Transcript was the most notable paper ever issued in Trempealeau County. Fortunately its early files have been preserved. A bound volume of the first two years is in the possession of the Trem- pealeau County Historical Society. The same society, and also Bert Gipple of the Galesville Republican, are in possession of a large number of unbound issues. "Devoted to home improvements," the paper made its first appear- ance March 16, 1860, with Samuel S. Luce as editor. An important feature was the department of "Law Intelligence," giving in full the proceedings of the Circuit Court of the district. George Gale was the corresponding editor. The paper contains many historical and literary contributions, and was remarkable for the quality of its contributions. Charles A. Leith suc- ceeded Judge Gale as part owner of the paper. In October, 1865, Leith and H. R. Gale became the owners. It continued in Galesville until November,
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1867, when Leith and A. F. Booth, who had purchased an interest, caused its removal to Trempealeau, where it was published under the name of Trempealeau County Record. In August, 1869, Mr. Leith sold his interest in the paper to his partner, Mr. Booth. For a short time A. Atwood was a partner and A. W. Newman editor. Then T. D. Stone purchased a half interest. In January, 1873, Stone and Booth disposed of the paper, the printing materials being taken to Madison to print the Wisconsin Good Templar, and the good will going to Geo. S. Luce, who merged the paper in the Galesville Journal under the title of Journal and Record. He con- tinued to print a column or more of Trempealeau news. Geo. S. Luce sold the Journal and Record in August, 1874, to B. E. Clark, who removed the paper to Whitehall under the name of Trempealeau County Messenger. A committee of citizens under the name of the Whitehall Printing Association took over the paper in June, 1875, and placed Dan A. Camp in the editor's chair. Geo. Eads bought the paper in September, 1876, and in July, 1878, sold to F. B. Wagner, who in September, 1879, sold to B. F. Wing and Dan Camp. In January, 1880, the Messenger (which name it retained as a sub-title until January, 1882), was purchased by Fred E. Beach and the name changed to the Whitehall Times, Camp still being retained as editor. In December, 1880, J. B. Beach became a partner and in 1887 the sole owner. Nov. 5, 1891, the Blair department of the paper had developed to the extent that the paper appeared with the caption, "Whitehall Times and Blair Banner." Jan. 27, 1916, the title Whitehall Times-Banner was adopted. After the death of J. B. Beach in 1915 the paper was leased by Fred E. and Z. T. Beach.
The Trempealeau Representative was founded in August, 1859, and was conducted by Francis W. Newland and S. D. Hastings, until suspended in 1861.
The Galesville Journal was established in May, 1870, by Geo. S. Luce, with J. H. Powers as a partner. Powers sold his interest to H. L. Bunn in May, 1871, Bunn to H. F. Burt in February, 1873, and Burt in June, 1873, to his partner Luce, who thus became the sole owner. Julius C. Chandler was employed as editor from January to April, 1871, and Samuel S. Luce from April, 1871, to May, 1872. In January, 1873, upon the absorption of the Trempealeau County Record, the paper became the Journal and Record.
The Trempealeau County Republican was established in March, 1873, Dy Charles A. Leith at Trempealeau. In July, 1875, Hackston and C. E. Hollenbeck started the Arcadia Leader. In April, 1876, Mr. Hackston sold to Noah D. Comstock and the firm became C. E. Hollenbeck & Co. A year later Mr. Comstock assumed the entire ownership. Later in 1877 the Trempealeau County Republican and the Arcadia Leader were combined and issued at Arcadia, Mr. Leith being the editor and Mr. Com- stock the corresponding editor. H. F. Pond had charge of the Trempealeau department. During January, 1881, the name was shortened to Republican Leader of Trempealeau County, and was next styled the Arcadia Repub- lican and Leader. Following Mr. Leith the editors were: F. F. and E. A. Morgan, January to May, 1884; F. F. Morgan, May, 1884, to January, 1887;
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Morgan and Truman F. Ball, three months; Ball alone, March, 1887, to June, 1888; George Z. Heuston, six months; George and Leonard Mathys, 1889. The Mathys Brothers changed the politics from Republican to Democratic, and in January, 1890, shortened the name to Arcadia Leader. Then came George Mathys and J. G. Faulds, January, 1890, to July, 1891; Faulds and A. J. Cowie, July, 1891, to August, 1893; Faulds alone until February, 1894; Peter J. and L. G. Barth till April, 1896; Peter Barth, April, 1896, to November, 1902 (except March to June, 1901, by W. G. Cameron) ; John Maloney and Henry F. Theuver, November, 1902, January, 1904, when it was sold to Albert Hess, who conducted it alone until Jan. 15, 1914, since when Christ Fuoter associated himself with Mr. Hess as busi- ness manager.
The Galesville Independent was established in October, 1874, by the Galesville Printing Association, and was edited by Cunningham and Luce till October, 1875; by W. M. Doty, November, 1875, to March, 1877, and by S. S. Luce till May, 1881. It was then purchased by Luce and his son, W. S .; conducted by them till 1889. Afterward came T. F. Ball, succeeded by Frank Huntley and then by H. L. Vandervort, who sold the paper to W. A. Tower in January, 1895. Tower was publisher till 1898, when he sold to Bunsen Brothers, who conducted the paper until 1907, when it was sold to Richard E. Smith and Carl C. Gwynne. In 1908 it was absorbed by the Galesville Republican.
Newton P. Tucker established a small paper called the Free Press in 1878 at Trempealeau, where it was published for about one year, when its materials were removed to Galesville for the purpose of setting up the Trempealeau County Democrat. A year later the Trempealeau County Democrat was removed to Arcadia, where it was suspended in the fall of 1880.
The Galesville Republican is the outgrowth of a small job printing plant established by Bert A. Gipple in February, 1897. Mr. Gipple entered the office of the Galesville Independent as an apprentice in 1890 and was with that paper much of the time during the seven years following. He sought to lease or purchase the Independent plant in 1896, but was unsuc- cessful, and the job shop was the outcome of the movement. The first issue of The Republican appeared in September, 1897. It was a four-column quarto, printed on a job press. The little paper found favor from the start. A few months later its form was changed to a five-column folio, all home print, and thus it continued until 1907, when larger quarters were secured and a cylinder press installed. A year later The Republican Print- ing Company was organized and the Galesville Independent was merged with The Republican, which was then, as now, issued as a six-column weekly, with from eight to twelve pages. From the beginning Mr. Gipple held a majority of shares of stock in the new company, and has continued as editor and manager. The Republican was launched as a Republican newspaper, but with no political backing. This was at a time before the split came in the Republican party in Wisconsin. A few years later LaFol- letteism spread and political lines were drawn on this issue. The Repub- lican has always been known as anti-LaFollette.
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The Independence Weekly News was established March 9, 1878, by Geo. E. Gilkey. The Blair Bulletin was absorbed in April, 1879, and for a time the paper was called the Weekly News Bulletin, the original name, however, being soon resumed. In December, 1879, Gilkey sold to W. R. Allison, who conducted it until April, 1880, followed by H. I. Turnbull four months. Then J. R. and W. P. Faulds at intervals, alone or in partnership, owned the paper until 1888. Then came George A. Markham, who in April, 1892, united it with the Independence Wave. Since then it has been styled the Independence News-Wave. It was conducted by George A. and Ada R. Markham until the former's death in July, 1909. Since then Mrs. Markham has been the editor.
The Independence Wave was established about May, 1888, by A. A. McIntyre, and edited by George A. Markham. In March, 1889, it absorbed the Eau Claire Progress (founded October, 1887), and a few weeks later became the property of Markham, who conducted it, assisted by C. G. Simpson, April, 1889, to April, 1891; by O. G. Briggs, until January, 1892, and then by Ada R. Markham. It was united with the News April, 1892. Its politics were Prohibitionist.
The Trempealeau Gazette was founded in 1890. In that year Clarence S. Utter, who had been publishing the Sunday Morning Gazette in Winona, moved his printing outfit to Trempealeau, occupying the old Ford building. now known as the New Hotel. He published the Sunday Morning Gazette, and during the winter F. C. Utter and C. S. Ford joined him in partnership. "We had an old wooden reel press," said one of the firm, "and we used to fill the reel with sand for ballast, and when we run out the paper the machinery made as much noise as a bean thrasher." The following spring the partnership was dissolved, and the editor paid F. C. Utter and C. S. Ford a five dollar gold piece each for their share of the dividend. C. S. Utter then leased his equipment to Chas. Morrison, who ran the Gate City Review in La Crosse for a year, when Utter bought the lease and returned to Trempealeau with his outfit and revised the Gazette as a campaign sheet. But in 1894 he sold out to A. A. Gibson and brother, and they remained a year in the newspaper field, when Utter bought them out and resumed the publication of the Trempealeau Gazette. In June, 1903, Thomas Bohen bought the Gazette and published it until 1909. Then F. J. Pearson con- ducted the paper for a year, after which it was suspended. Shortly after Bohen bought the Gazette he opened up with virile attacks on the former owner of the paper, and in self-defense Utter soon launched the Trem- pealeau Tribune, thus making three newspapers running in Trempealcau at one time. The first few issues of the Tribune were type-set and printed at St. Paul and then sent here for mailing. Later Utter ran the paper with a small outfit of his own. It was suspended for a time and again picked up and run until the fall of 1904, when the outfit was destroyed by fire and the paper ceased.
The Trempealeau Herald was founded in December, 1884. Jacob Tenney conducted it as a labor organ. He sold to Cecil Stewart, a fire- man on the steamboat Belle of Bellevue. Stewart knew nothing whatever about the newspaper business ; moreover, lacking an education he appeared
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to be sadly equipped for the new undertaking. But he secured competent assistants, and with their aid he began his career as a printer. He was an apt pupil and by applying himself under a qualified tutor he soon was able with his typo and printers' devil to turn out a good sheet. Later he held cases on the Milwaukee Sentinel and was classed as a successful printer. Elbert Newton Goodhue purchased the Trempealeau Herald in 1888 and edited the paper October, 1897, and then sold out to his sister, Aletta D. Goodhue, the present owner and publisher.
The Arcadian was established May, 1895, by E. G. Farlin. It was con- ducted by S. G. Wheeler from 1898 to 1900; by David Stevens from 1900 to 1907, and then moved to Beacher, Ill.
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