Winter, like most northern
communities, gained attention of capitalists because of its natural resource,
the white pine forest. Before the woodsman's axe began to fell the
giant trees, a stopping-off place was established for lumberjacks and occasional
travelers near the present site of Winter. It was called LeBoef.
After the Omaha Railroad
was built from Rice Lake to Park Falls, people began to settle in the community
which was called Winter, in honor of Mr. John Winter, an Omaha Railroad
official, who came to the community from St. Paul because of his logging
interests.
Winter developed rapidly
and a need was felt for political organization. In 1905 the Wisconsin
Legislature under Chapter 24, created Township of Winter from a detached
portion of the Town of Hayward. (Sawyer County was created in March
1883 and consisted of a single Township, the Town of Hayward.)
The Hines Lumber Company
was the most important operator in this area. The logs were hauled
to the landing in Winter where they were loaded in railroad cars and transported
to the sawmill at Park Falls.
In the southeast part of
the township the Chippewa Lumber and Boom Company held extensive timber
tracts. Instead of shipping logs to its mill by rail, the Company
floated the logs down the Brunet River and the Thornapple River, then into
the Chippewa River to Chippewa Falls. This method of transporting
logs was called 'driving'.
One of the most exciting
and most publicized incidents in logging history took place in the town
of Winter on the banks of the Thornapple River. The trouble resulted
because of a clause in a deed which reserved flowage rights tot he Chippewa
Lumber and Boom Company.
An employee of this Company,
John
Dietz, purchased a tract of land from the Company through which flowed
the Thornapple River, a stream used for log drives. Prior to settling
on his newly acquired property, Mr. Dietz was employed as a watchman at
Price Dam on the Brunet River. Shortly after moving to the Thornapple
site he tried to collect wages that he claimed had not been paid to him
while he was employed as a watchman.
Mr. Dietz refused to allow
the Company to drive the logs through his property unless it paid a fee
of ten cents per thousand foot for the logs that had passed over his waterway
since he purchased the property. The Company refused to pay.
Mr. Dietz armed himself with a rifle and appeared at the dam to enforce
his claim.
Arguments between Dietz
and the Company persisted for several years. The Company paid the
claim of $1800 for wages but still Dietz would not compromise. The
Company was forced to haul its logs to the Flambeau River which resulted
in additional expense.
The Company entered a legal
complaint and the sheriff and deputies were sent out from time to time
to serve a summons on Mr. Dietz. No one succeeded in apprehending
him.
On another occasion Dietz
had an altercation with the school clerk which resulted in the wounding
of the town marshal by a pistol shot fired by Dietz. The county officials
became enraged over this unfortunate act. The sheriff organized a
posse of the best riflemen in the town of Winter and set out to apprehend
Dietz. A son and daughter were wounded in ambush and taken to Winter
for medical treatment.
The District Attorney pleaded
with Dietz to give up peacefully and settle his troubles in court, but
Dietz refused.
A pitched battle occurred
on October 7, 1910 in which Mr. Dietz was wounded. He surrendered
to the sheriff, was tried by jury, found guilty, and sentenced to life
imprisonment. He served ten years in the state prison and then was
pardoned. He retired to Milwaukee to live with his family and died
in 1924.
A newspaper was established
in 1908 and was printed and edited by Thomas Noyes and his father.
The newspaper, "The Sawyer County Gazette," has been continuously published
and is a very important paper in the county.
The first school was a frame
structure which was destroyed by fire in 1919. In 1920 a new brick
school was built, and today forms a part of the present school. The
enrollment has steadily increased, necessitating the building of additions.
Winter is proud of its present educational facilities and program since
it is an integrated system offering special services, such as: Home Economics,
Industrial Arts, commercial courses, music, health services and adopts
other services and courses as the need arises.
Winter is now incorporated
as a village. It offers many accommodations and services to its residents,
farmers, and visitors in the way of stores, bank, theater, fire protection,
garages and service stations, electric power plant, water system, elementary
and high school, and four churches.
The Flambeau River State
Forest comprises a portion of the town of Winter. One outstanding
feature of this forest is the unusually large white pine tree that is growing
near the Hawkins Road about five miles south of Connors Lake Fire Tower.
No one knows the exact age of the tree, but it is believed to be more than
one hundred thirty-five years old. It measures one hundred thirty
feet in height, fourteen feet eight inches in circumference at about four
and one half feet from the ground. The bark is rough, thick and dark,
and its branches start about three fourths of the way up where the tops
of the other trees end. This tree was left by the lumberjacks in
the 1880s when the other trees were cut. It has withstood many severe
windstorms while other tall trees were uprooted or blown down.
Winter lies in an area attractive
to vacationers, hunters, and other sportsmen. Numerous resorts on
lakes and rivers cater to visitors from all over the midwest. Fishing
and deer hunting are the most attractive sports of the area. A most
interesting sight is to see the deer hunters move in during November.
They make Winter their headquarters during their visit.
