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About 2,000 People Gathered at Memorial Park at
Washburn Last Sunday to Honor Old Citizens and Celebrate County's 75th
Anniversary.
Iron River Pioneer - June 26, 1941
Contributed by Zoe
Lappin
Bayfield County was created by an act of the
Legislature of the State of Wisconsin in the spring of 1866, and a copy
of that act, bearing the approval of Governor Lucius Fairchild, the
one-armed veteran of the Civil War who served this state for three
terms, was one of the interesting exhibits on display at the County-wide
celebration of the county's founding held at the Municipal Park at
Washburn last Sunday.
The County Board of Bayfield County, taking
cognizance of that historical event, appointed a committee consisting of
I.L. Alcott, of the town of Bayfield; Herman Hanson, of the town of
Mason; A.G. Johnson, of the Town of Iron River; Miss Elizabeth Hawkes,
district attorney; Daniel L. Brace, county superintendent of schools,
and S.E. Squires, chairman of the Bayfield County Board, as a committee
to arrange a celebration.
Hundreds of folks from all corners of
the county were there early and partook of lunch on the grounds. A cool
breeze fresh off the waters of the bay found many folks seeking the
sunny spots rather than the shade to find personal comfort, but it was
not too cold, and the bracing air was such as has made Memorial Park
famous for those who sought relief from excessive heat.
County
Superintendent Daniel L. Brace was master of ceremonies, and he opened
the formal program, announcing numbers by the Cable and newly-organized
Bayfield School bands.
He then called upon Charles Sheridan,
Washburn journalist, who gave a quite detailed history of the Upper
Wisconsin country and the various shifting of the territory which is now
Bayfield County from one county to another until its final permanent
creation as it now exists by the Wisconsin legislature in the spring of
1866 when the name was changed from from LaPointe to Bayfield and some
changes took place in the area. Mr. Sheridan closed his story with an
account of the historic fight which resulted in the removal of the
county seat from Bayfield to Washburn in the year 1903. He quoted that
part of the story from an account written by the late John A. Jacobs,
who was in the thick of that fight, and it revealed that there was a lot
of of pretty sharp practice and tricks pulled by the forces behind the
county removal scheme to accomplish their purpose. Iron River then was
quite a sizeable "boom" town with a great many votes, legal and
otherwise, and it appears that a great deal of money was spent here to
influence that election. The Town of Iron River was carried for the
removal, but the managers of the removal group admitted afterwards that
every vote they got in Iron River cost them $15.00. It must be a source
of some pride to present residents of Iron River to know that their
early fathers did not sell out to cheaply when politicians attempted to
corrupt the electorate here.
Former District Attorney Charles F.
Morris was next called upon and he added to the historical lore given
out by Mr. Sheridan by relating the rise and fall of the saw milling
indistry thoughout Bayfield county, during which he spoke regretfully
that in those early days our government did not see to it that practical
methods of timber conservation was adopted and enforced, which would
have insured a permanent lumber industry such as they have in Sweden and
many of the other European countries.
P.J. Savage, of Iron River,
the next speaker, pointed out that Bayfield county's forests are coming
back, owing to the same reforestry programs now being put into practice,
and he predicted that many people now living in Bayfield county will
live to see the day when logging will be resumed on quite a grand scale,
but under such practices as will insure a steady growth and continued
supply of timber for all time. Nature made this area particularily
suitable for the growth of forests and if man will but let nature alone,
and not destroy the trees through carlessness with fire, the forests of
Bayfield county in the future will be a sight to behold.
Edwin
Bryan, who, despite his 82 years of age, still has a vigorous mind,
spoke at length on the labor conditions of the earlier days in this
region as compared to the present, and of the heroism of the mothers who
had to plan their household economy in the panicy days of from 1893 to
1897 to make as little six dollars often times stretch over an entire
month of living expenses. While some of the new er generation may have
thought that the WPA wages were low, and doubtless it is, yet if the
laborer furing that earlier period of hard times could only get his
hands on $40.00 a month he would have thought himself a millionare.
Next followed the interesting ceremony of burning the last of the
bonds which Bayfield county issued to refund their debts, and which were
paid recently. This ceremony was carried out by Chairman S.E. Squires of
the Bayfield County Board, and County Clerk Ludwig Traumal, and numerous
cameras clicked to make a permanent record of the ceremony. They
reminded the audience that Bayfield County is still confronted with
serious financial problems with a greatly decreased assessed valuation
and greatly expanded costs of government, which included nearly $400,000
a year for charity and correction charges.
The next feature of
the program was the presentation of the older residents of the county to
the audience.
Mrs. Grace O'Malley, of Bayfield, 91 years of age,
was the oldest county resident present and probably the oldest resident
of the county alive today. She has lived in the county for 72 years.
Her daughter, Elizabeth, also present, was the next in point of
residence, for she was born in Bayfield 69 years ago.
The older
residents of the county presented are given below and following the
their place of present residence is given the number of years they have
resided in the county:
Harvey Irish, Washburn, 57; Arthur
Anderson, Washburn, 56; John O'Sullivan, Washburn, 59; John Wilder, Town
of Kelly, 58; Ed Bryan, Washburn, 56; Nels Myhre, Washburn, 56 (Mr.
Myhre is the oldest county officer in the state of Wisconisn today in
point of service); Mrs. C.H. Mattson, Town of Lincoln, 56; Mike
Kromberger, Town of Lincoln, 57; John Rogers, Washburn, 56; Mr. and Mrs.
J.P. Jacobson, Washburn, 57; Peter Olson, Town of Mason, 55; H.J.
Axness, Mason, 57; Mrs. Anne Swanby, Washburn, 56; Mrs. E. Korberger,
Town of Lincoln, 57; Gus Levin, Town of Lincoln, 59; Amanda Levin, Town
of Lincoln, 61; I. Crystal, Cable, 56; C.A. Wallin, Town of Pratt, 54.
John C. Chapple, editor of the Ashland Daily Press, led the singing
of patriotic songs which opened and closed this interesting program.
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