History of Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas Counties

"History of Lincoln, Oneida, and Vilas Counties Wisconsin"

Compiled by George O.Jones, Norman S. McVean and Others. Printed in 1924 by H.C.Cooper. Jr. & Co., Minneapoli-Winona MN. ill. 787 pages. The first two hundred pages are history of the three counties, the remainder of the book is biographies.

Chapter XIII: continued

corporation two per cent of their earnings, such fund to be used in meeting all requests for donations to war purposes except bonds and thrift stamps."

   The total amount received from donations and subscriptions for all classes and descriptions, firms, individuals and towns, was $55,308.38. In addition to this amount $135 was received from interest on certificates of deposit, and which was deposited in the open or checking account at the bank. This brought the total revenue for the period to $55,443.38.

   The subscriptions were divided into three main classes: (1) Donations to various war aids; (2) entertainments and aid to returning soldiers; (3) general overhead and office expenses. (1). For donations there were spent $40,097.50, the largest donation being made to the United War Activities, which comprised several relief organizations and amounted to $19,500. The remaining amount was divided among the several other organizations.

   The expense under head No.2 had to do with the preparation for the reception of the returning soldiers of Oneida County and included the trip of Company L to Beloit in the amount of $284.91. An item of $275 was expended for yarn, and the remaining amount of $1,827.41 was spent on entertainments, banquets, deco-rations, etc. Total, $2,387.32. The third class-general overhead and office expenses amounted in all to $1,495.56, and was made up of the treasurer's salary, printing and stationery, postage and other incidental expenses incurred during the period.

   The expenditures in the form of donations to various war aids were: Red Cross general fund, $7,000; Xmas Roll Call, $2,886; National War Fund, (Wm. McAdoo, treas.), $5,000; United War Activities, $19,500; National Lutheran Council, $300; Salvation Army War Fund, $500; National War Council M. E. Church, $400; Relief in Near East, $1,750; Kit Fund, $500; Armenian Relief, $400; Fatherless Children of France, $1,861. Total, $40,097.50. The total expenditures to January 20, 1921, were $43,980.38. Total expenditures and balance in fund, $55,443.38.

   The Liberty Loans were over-subscribed by 43 per cent (not counting the Victory Loan), the respective quotas and subscriptions being as follows: First Loan-Quota, $150,000; subscribed, $223,050. Second Loan-Quota, $200,000; subscribed, $362,650. Third Loan-Quota, $250,000; subscribed, $368,550; Fourth Loan-Quota, $350,000; subscribed, $424,550. The sale of war saving stamps amounted to $145,000.

   According to the list compiled by W. P. Colburn, county war historian, Oneida County furnished 1148 service men to the great war. Of these 36 were killed in action, or died as the result of wounds or injuries received, namely: Alex Ahlborn, Fred Anderson, Alden Asmundsen, Frank Blaschke, Carl C. Boden, Anton Boto-zeski, Edward Carley, Geo. W. Chapman, Sam J. Sharpie, Abner Dahlberg. Ray-mond Dawson, Calbert Delapp, Lloyd W. Dolan, Frank J. Dziewiatkowski, Ernest J. Fay, Harry W. Fenelon, Henry Folker, Louie Aswald Grill, Leon Holewinski, Alva Howard, John W. Hughes, Clarence Johnson, Hjalmer Johnson, Joe Frank Katarski, C. E. Laugeson, Carl J. W. Madsen, Reginald Rice, Arthur Rousseau, E. Edwin Samuelson, Charles Saxe, Maurice Stafford, Ingewald Tallackson, Lano Tate, Douglas A. Taylor, Walter E. Thomas and Carl Weight-names deserving to be held in perpetual honor.

   It was after Abner Dahlberg that the American Legion Post (No.7) in Rhine-lander was named. This post was organized in 1919 and has now about 100 mem-bers, meetings being held in the armory. Its successive commanders since organi-zation have been Harold S. Crosby, C. Wesley, Harold S. Crosby (second time) and Harold Collins. The officers of the post in 1923- are: Harold Collins, com-mander; Robert Schuelke, vice commander; C. L. Cass, adjutant; and William Willette, finance officer.

   The Oneida County Fish and Game Protective Association is a large and active organization working along modern lines for the object indicated in its name and title. The work of the association is distributed among different committees, such as the Bird committee, the Wild Game committee and the committee for Planting Fish Fry. In 1922 about 200 cans of fry were placed in Oneida County waters, and in addition wild rice and celery were planted along a number of lakes for duck food. The work planned for 1923 included the planting of over 100,000 trout fingerlings in the streams of the county, besides a large amount of other varieties of fish fry; also the establishment of free camp sites on the shores of many lakes.

   When Oneida County was set off the town of Pelican extended to the state line, but on Feb. 6, 1885, the town of. Eagle River was organized, including what is now Vilas County. The town of Pelican, in which Rhinelander was situated, had been organized in 1882 when Oneida County was a part of Lincoln, and its first chairman was John C. Curran. The first justice of the peace appointed that year was D. L. Barnes. In 1883 D. E. Briggs was elected justice of the peace and held that position for quite a number of years. The various towns in the county were not at first laid out with their present boundaries and area, but in most cases have since undergone various changes, the older ones being much reduced in size from what they originally were, owing to new towns having been set off. These changes and new creations were as follows:

   On March 13, 1889, the county board created the town of Minocqua, from territory of the town of Eagle River consisting of Townships 39 to 44 of Range 4 east; Townships 39 to 44 of Range 5 east; Townships 39 to 44 of Range 6 east; and Townships 39 and 40 of Range 7 east. The town of Hazelhurst was set off March 19, 1890, comprising Townships 36, 37 and 38 north of Range 4 east; Townships 36, 37 and 38 of Range 5; Townships 37 and 38 of Range 6 and Townships 37 and 38 of Range 7, the same being detached from the town of Pelican. On account of opposition, the above mentioned ordinance was set aside by the circuit court. An appeal in favor of it was taken to the supreme court by the attorney for the county board, but the matter was adjusted in December through an ordinance providing that Townships 36 and 37 north of Range 4 east, and Townships 36 and 37 north of Range 5 east should be returned to the town of Pelican. On March 21, 1893, the town of Woodboro was created, consisting of territory detached from Pelican Township, namely: Ranges 4, 5, 6, and 7, and the west half of Range 8, Township 36; and Ranges 4 and 5, Township 37. In this same year the creation of Vilas County took away from Oneida all that part of the latter county lying between Ranges 5 and 10 east (inclusive), north of the line between Townships 39 and 40; Townships 39 of Ranges 6 and 7 east, and Township 40 of Range 4 east. At the same time Townships 41 to 44 inclusive of Range 4 east, were detached from Oneida and annexed to Iron County. On March 30, 1895, in accordance with a petition, Sections 21, 28 and 33 in Township 36, north of Range 8 east, was detached from the town of Woodboro and attached to the town of Pelican. In 1897 occurred changes in the outline and area of the county, as under the laws of that year (Sections 1 and 2, Chap. 278) the north half of Township 39 of Range 10 east was detached from Oneida and annexed to Vilas County; Townships 35 of Ranges 9 and 10 east were restored to Oneida from Forest; and Townships 35 to 39 of Range 11 were taken from Forest and annexed to Oneida. This gave to Oneida County two new towns, Gagen and Schoepke, in regard to which, May 13, 1897, two ordinances were passed whereby: (1) Township 38 north, Range 10 east, and the south half of Township 39 north of Range 10 east, previously embraced within the limits of the town of Gagen, was detached from the town of Gagen and made a part of the town of Pelican; and (2) Township 35 north of Range 9 east was annexed to the town of Schoepke. .On Jan. IS. 1897, the board detached Sections 29 to 32 in Township 36 north of Range 8 east from the town of Woodboro and attached it to the town of Pelican. Nov. 18, 1898, from the town of Pelican there was taken all that part of Section 1, Township 36 north of Range 8 east, not within the limits of the incorporated city of Rhinelander; Sections 2 and 3 of same town-ship and range; all of Township 37, Range 8. not included within the limits of the incorporated city of Rhinelander; Township 38 north of Range 8 east, Township 39 north of Range 8 east, and the north half of Township 39 north of Range 9 east, which territory was organized into a town denominated Newbold. On Nov. 18-19, 1898, the town of Sugar Camp was formed, consisting of all of Township 37 north of Range 9 east not included within the limits of the incorporated city of Rhine-lander; Township 38 north of Range 9 east; the south half of Township 39 north of Range 9 east; Township 38 north of Range 10 east ; and the south half of Town-ship 39 north of Range 10 east was detached from the town of Pelican and organ-ized into the town of Sugar Camp. On June 5, 1899, Township 38 and the south half of Township 39, both of Range 10 east were detached from the town of Gagen and attached to the town of Sugar Camp. July 15, 1899, the west half of Town-ship 38 and the west half of the south half of Township 39, both of Range 10 east were taken from the town of Gagen (Three Lakes) and attached to the town of Sugar Camp. Nov. 14, 1900, the east half and the northwest quarter of Township 38 north of Range 7 east was detached from the town of Hazelhurst and attached to the town of Newbold, and the north half of Township 39 north of Range 9 east was detached from the town of Newbold and attached to the town of Sugar Camp. Nov. 15, 1900, the south half of Township 37 and 36 north in Range 11 east was detached from the town of Gagen and organized into a new town called Monico. Nov. 17, 1900, the east half and the northwest quarter of Township 38 north of Range 7 east was detached from the town of Newbold and attached to the town of Hazelhurst. Dec. 4, 1902, the town of Lynne was created, the territory (detached from the town of Woodboro) corresponding to that now contained in the two towns of Lynne and Little Rice. On the same day Township 37 north of Range 6 east, and the west half of Township 37 north of Range 7 east was detached from the town of Hazelhurst and attached to the town of Woodboro. Feb. 12, 1903, the town of Crescent was created from" all that part of Range 8 east in the town of Woodboro" and "all that part of Range 8 east in the town of Pelican." On the same date the town of Cassian was formed from Township 36 north of Range 6 east, Township 37 north of Range 6 east and the west half of Township 37 of Range 7 east, detached from the town of Woodboro. Dec. 3, 1903, the town of Pine Lake was created, to consist of Township 37 north of Range 9 east, detached from the town of Sugar Camp. Nov. 29, 1904, Sections 1, 2 and 3 in Township 36 north of Range 8 east (except that part included within the limits of the city of Rhine-lander) were detached from the town of Newbold and attached to the town of Crescent; and all that part of Township 38 of Range 7 lying east of the Wisconsin River was detached from the town of Hazelhurst and attached to the town of New-bold. March 29, 1905, the town of Enterprise was created of Townships 39 north of Ranges 9 and 10 east detached from the town of Schoepke. June 27, 1905, the town of Woodruff was created, to consist of Township 39 north of Range 7 east, and Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 of Township 39 north, Range 6 east. Feb. 12, 1907, all that part of Township 37 north of Range 8 east lying east of the Wisconsin River was detached from the town of Newbold and attached to the town of Pine Lake. March 25, 1908, the town of Piehl was created to consist of Township 37 north of Range 11 east, detached from the towns of Gagen (Three Lakes) and Monico. On the same date Sections 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 34, 35 and 36 of Township 36 north of Range 10 east were detached from the town of Pelican and attached to the town of Monico. On May 27, 1909, the name of the town of Gagen was changed to that of Three Lakes. Nov. 10, 1909, the town of Little Rice was formed of territory detached from the town of Lynne, namely: Townships 36 and 37 of Range 5 east, excepting Sections 31 and 32 of Township 36. On March 22-24, 1910, that part of Township 37 of Range 7 east situated in the town of Hazelhurst was detached from said town of Hazel-hurst and attached to the town of Cassian; and Sections 31 and 32, Township 36 north of Range 5 east were detached from the town of Lynne and attached to the town of Little Rice. Jan. 8, 1913, Sections 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 23 and 24 of Township 35 north of Range 10 east were detached from the town of Enter-prise and annexed to the town of Schoepke, Sections 4, 8 and 16 were left in the town of Enterprise tin Jan. 23, 1913, when they too were attached to the town of Schoepke. Jan. 15, 1914, Sections 1, 2, 11, and 12 of Township 37 north, Range 7 east were detached from the town of Cassian and made part of the town of Hazel-hurst. April 28, 1914, the town of Tomahawk Lake was created, consisting of all that part of Township 38 north of Range 7 east, west of the Wisconsin River, and Sections 1, 2, 11 and 12 of Town 37, Range 7, the same being detached from the town of Hazelhurst. May 25, 1921, the town of Stella was created from the territory comprising Township 37 north of Range 10 east detached from the town of Pelican.

   The political complexion of Oneida County for the last 40 years, has at nearly all times been strongly Republican. One has to go back to the days of Grover Cleveland to find a majority of the voters of this county favoring a Democratic candidate for president. In the presidential campaign of 1888 Oneida County gave Cleveland 868 votes as against 771 for his Republican opponent, Benjamin F. Harrison. In the same year the vote for governor showed practically the same balance as to parties, 871 votes being cast for the Democrat, James Morgan, while the Republican candidate, W. D. Hoard, received 697. The contest for the governorship in the off year 1890 resulted in Oneida County giving Geo. W. Peck (D) a vote of 803, as against 697 ballots cast for Hoard.

   Cleveland, who in 1884 had beaten James G. Blaine and had in 1888 been beaten by Harrison, tried the issue against Harrison once more in 1892 and was successful. From Oneida County he obtained 1,317 of the votes that helped to make him president, while Harrison secured 1,149. Since then the largest number of votes cast in Oneida County in any presidential election has been for the Repub-lican candidate, and the same holds true with respect to the governorship up to the year 1920. The vote for governor in 1892 tallied closely with that for presi-dent, Geo. W. Peck (D) receiving 1,322 ballots and John C, Spooner (R) 1,143. But in the off year of 1894 William H. Upham (R) defeated Peck for governor by a plurality in the state of 53,900, Oneida County contributing to Upham's triumph by giving him 1,182, while she cast but 601 for Peck.

   Next came the presidential year of 1896, with William J. Bryan and William McKinley as the respective standard bearers of the Democrats and Republicans. McKinley secured 1,453 votes from Oneida County, while Bryan, who stood for the free coinage of silver at a ration of 16 to 1, got but 563. In the gubernatorial contest that year Edward Scofield (R} secured 1,405 votes, while Willis Silver-thorn (D) got but 604. In 1898 it was (for governor) Scofield (R) 1,095, Sawyer (D), 708.

   In the presidential campaign of 1900 McKinley again defeated Bryan, this time (in Oneida County) by a vote of 1,802 to 708. While for governor Robert M. LaFollette (R) received 1,802 votes and Louis G. Bomrich (D), 719. The county's vote in the gubernatorial campaign of 1902 was: Robert M. LaFollette (R), 1,154; David S. Rose (D), 760.

   In the year 1904 Oneida County gave Theodore Roosevelt as candidate for the presidency the liberal support of 1,710 votes, while Alton B. Parker (D) received but 375. E. V. Debs, who ran on the Social-Democratic ticket, received 130. In the race for governor the county gave LaFollette 1,424 votes, while Peck (D) got 689, and Edward Scofield (Nat.-Rep.) received but 39. In the off year 1906 the county cast 1,197 ballots for James O. Davidson (R) and 613 for John A. Ayl-ward (D) for governor.

   The year 1908 saw W. J. Bryan (D), William H. Taft (R) and Eugene V. Debs (Soc.-Dem.) in the presidential race, which was won by Taft, for whom Oneida County cast 1,536 ballots. Bryan received 688 and Debs 354. The county sup-ported Davidson against Aylward for governor by a vote of 1,453 to 684. In 1910 in the gubernatorial race 1,109 ballots were cast in this county for Francis E. McGovern (R) and 441 for Adolph H. Schmitz (D).

   The presidential campaign of 1912 saw some half a dozen candidates in the field, the three principal contenders, however, being Woodrow Wilson (D), William H. Taft (R) and Theodore Roosevelt, the last mentioned of whom made an inde-pendent campaign on the Progressive-Republican platform, thereby splitting his own party and causing the defeat of Taft and the triumph of Wilson. Oneida County still remained true to old-line Republicanism, though barely, giving Taft 774 votes, Wilson 717 and Roosevelt 431. E. V. Debs, the Social-Democrat, was given 175.. In the race for governor Francis E. McGovern (R) beat John C. Karel (D) by 1,107 votes to 700, Carl D. Thompson, the Social-Democrat capturing 169. The gubernatorial vote in 1914 was: Emanuel L. Philipp, 933; John C. Karel (D), 547; John J. Blaine (Ind.), 202.

   The presidential vote in Oneida County in 1916 came very near to being even, Charles E. Hughes (R), with 1,089 votes having but a small advantage over Wood-row Wilson with 1,054. For the governorship E. L. Philipp (R) beat Burt Wil-liams (D) in this county by a vote of 1,165 to 813. In 1918 Philipp secured 868 votes, while his Democratic opponent, Moehlenpah got 715.

   In the presidential campaign of 1920 Oneida County went back to her former impressive majorities for the Republican candidate, casting 2,424 ballots for War-ren G. Harding (R) to 833 for James M. Cox (D). E. V. Debs, Socialist, then serving a sentence in a Federal prison for speeches and propaganda calculated to injure this country in its war activities, was given 426 votes, presumably by a certain portion of the labor element. The Republican candidate for governor, Blaine, though successful in the state, fell considerably behind the head of the ticket, in Oneida County, receiving only 1,571 votes, while the Democratic candi-date, McCoy, received 1,074.

   During the early period of Oneida County's history there was no systematic educational system, due to the fact that most of the county was a wilderness with-out white population, except in the vicinity of the lumber camps. Where the lumbermen went accompanied by their families, schools were established for their children, but were abandoned and re-established in some other place when the lumbermen moved on. The first county superintendent was Mrs. A. W. Shelton, who, like all the other first officials of the county, was appointed by Governor Rusk in January, 1887. She served two years, or until January, 1889, when she was succeeded in the office by Albert Prideaux, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, who had become principal of the Rhinelander schools in the fall of 1887, the two offices being then united in one person. As county superintendent Mr. Prideaux had some trouble with the board, who took steps to force his resig-nation. Without going into the merits of the controversy, it need only be said that he remained as superintendent for some years and was finally succeeded by George Peterson, whose successors will be found mentioned in the article on the schools of Rhinelander, included in the history of that city.

   At the present time (1923) Oneida County has 30 school districts, including 53 rural schools, 10 state graded schools and 2 high schools. The state graded schools are divided into two classes, those of the first class, with three teachers or more, being located respectively at Woodruff, Minocqua and Three Lakes, while those of the second class, with two teachers, are located respectively at Enterprise, Hazelhurst, Pelican Lake, Jennings, Starks and Gagen. The high schools under county jurisdiction are located respectively at Minoc-qua and Three Lakes, that at Minocqua having four teachers and that at Three Lakes having three teachers. The latter, which has just been completed, gives a four-year course, The school years of 1921-23 saw eight new buildings com-pleted, namely: the Three Lakes high school; a state graded school at Enterprise to take the place of the previous rural school; two two-room buildings in the town of Crescent to take the place of the four one-room buildings in previous use; a four-room brick building at Monico in place of the previous building which was burned; a rural schoolhouse in the town of Pelican, another in the town of Cassian and a third in the newly created joint district of Cassian and Tomahawk Lake. Three Lakes has the only kindergarten in the county outside of Rhinelander.

   The rural schools in Oneida County are most of them frame buildings, but there are seven of brick construction and the school at Enterprise is of stucco. Among those of brick are the schools at Three Lakes, Monico and the two in the town of Crescent, all of which replaced frame buildings. The equipment in general is being improved and a higher standard set. The following figures, obtained from the county superintendent, are governed by the date of June 1, 1923, at the end of the school year of 1922-23. The number of teachers, not including those em-ployed in the Training School, is 81. Number of pupils: Rural, 975; 'state graded, 652; high schools, 79; total, 1,706. Miss Martha Johnson, who became county superintendent in 1921, will be succeeded in September, 1923, by J. Marion Reed, recently principal of the Minocqua school.

   The Teachers' Training School-The board organized for the establishment of a Teachers' Training School in Oneida County met for the first time in May, 1910, with Arthur Taylor as president, A. W. Brown, treasurer, and F. A. Lowell secre-tary. On July 5, that year, B. Mack Dresden was engaged as principal, Miss Margaret E. Sutton having been previously engaged (June 7) as assistant. In August the necessary furniture was bought and installed in the old court house building, which has since remained the home of the school. On September 10 the city of Rhinelander was given the use of two rooms on the first floor for school purposes-combined first, second and fifth grades-for $17.50 a month for nine months, the Training School to have the privilege of practice-teaching in these rooms when necessary. Mr. M. V. Boyce in February, 1922, sketched the subse-quent history of the school as follows: "Oneida County Training School opened its doors to those students who would fit themselves as rural school teachers in the fall of 1910. The faculty then consisted of B. Mack Dresden as principal and Margaret Sutton as assistant. During the year 1912-13 Miss Sutton resigned and Miss Nellie Plugh was engaged as assistant. In the fall of 1914 a Model School was added to furnish practice work for the seniors and Miss Bernice Newell was placed in charge of this work. In the fall of 1918 the school opened with an entire new faculty. Mr. W. N. Macken served as principal, Miss Maude Calvert as assistant and Miss Minnie Schofield was given charge of the Model School. In the following year M. V. Boyce was chosen principal. In the fall of 1918 Miss Minnie Schofield left and her place in the Model School was given in charge of Miss Jennie Levings, who remained but one year. In the fall of 1919 Miss Dora McKibben was engaged in place of Miss Maude Calvert and Miss Catherine Rhodes followed Miss Levings as Model teacher. In the fall of 1922 Miss Elizabeth Quin-nell came to us to take charge of a new Model School, consisting of two rural schools transported in from rural districts. Later in the year Miss Voila Hopkins was engaged to teach methods and to do some academic work. During this time the school had a varied experience in passing through the war period, when it was difficult to get suitable students to prepare for teaching, but it is now on sure foot-ing with a senior class of 38. Since organization the school has graduated 148 teachers. The enticing salaries paid and the opportunity for a valuable experience and training are encouraging many of our best young men and women to enter this field of work and the indications are that the Training School will be filled to its capacity from now on. "

Transcribed Sept 2004

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