History of Glidden, WI.
It is probable that few people have thought much about the History of
Glidden, but there are most likely many who are interested in it. For the
benefit of these people the material in this book has been as carefully
gathered as possible. Although there
is some uncertainty as to the location of certain buildings and certain exact
dates, we have tried to be as exact as possible. It has taken much time and
work on the part of the class to assemble this book, and we sincerely hope
that our effort will prove valuable.
Clyde Travis, Editor
The men's camp, and the cooking shack,
The ding dong in between,
An absent chant of shanty boys, The Missing pine trees green,
Romantic stirring enterprise
That gives the heart a pang,
The forests' soul, a waste of stumps
In the wake of the logging gang.
By Joe Moran
We, the members of the Freshman class of 1935, hereby dedicate this volume,
THE HISTORY OF GLIDDEN, to the old settlers of Glidden in gratitude to them
for starting our town and organizing it so as to afford us an opportunity to
gain an education and live in a happy and prosperous community.
The immigrants were coming over to settle in Ohio. There was a man that went
there and brought these immigrants here.
In 1878 Glidden was an important headquarters for logging activity. The
village was born directly as a result of the logging operations in this
district.
Henry Fleischbein, as late as 1896, drove over the rapidly dimming tote roads
on a visit to the latter place being "The Last of Mohicans."
John Pearl had charge of the drives along the Chippewa From dawn of 1875 and
built the dams upon the river when Glidden was known as Chippewa Crossing.
August Fehring is supposed to be the first settler in the agricultural
district. Abraham Dryden owned the land immediately north and east of the
town, then known as Chippewa Crossing. His land included the site of Mount
Hope Cemetery.
In the early 70's W.J. Cornell surveyed a tract of land for a town site about
one mile due north of Glidden. Glidden was to have been built around the
Meltz farm. Steps were taken as far as to build a post office there, but in
November of 1876 the Cornell survey was abandoned, and the Wisconsin Central
Railway made the survey for the present site of Glidden.
The view of the town site, when surveyed, was like many miles of the
surrounding territory, a forest of heavy timber. Clearings were made by
felling trees, cutting them into long lengths, rolling them up into piles and
burning them. Some were used for fuel and a small amount of cordwood was
sold to the railroad company for locomotive fuel.
During the first few years no grading of streets was done. The people simply
wiggled around between the stumps. Later First Street, where Alexander's
store now stands, was out down about ten feet.
A great many of the people that came to Glidden took up homesteads. They had
to live on the land for a certain amount of time. If he did not keep it for
this time, someone else could claim it of his. A building also had to be
erected on the land. Some of the land had to be cleared and the place
improved before the person could go to Ashland and prove to the authorities
that he had improved the place. He had to take with him, certain witnesses
before the government would grant him his land.
Some of the earliest homesteaders were Simon Schram Sr., H.C. Henning, Matt
Bucheger, William Hameton and William Weinskie. One of the oldest women
homesteaders just died recently-Mrs. Schwilke.
The town, now termed Glidden, used to be called Chippewa Crossing. The town
had its beginning in 1876 when the railroad went through here, and with the
railroad came Granny Fox. The name changed to Glidden after Charles R.
Glidden, a prominent railroad man of that time. This change in name occurred
in 1878.
It was not until about 1885 that the people started to settle on the McClean
addition which composed all of the territory south of the Chippewa.
In 1880 the town consisted of hardly anything more than the depot, a house
situated where Alexander's store now stands, a store where Julius Schroeder's
Hardware store is now, a rickety wooden bridge, a log structure where the
Blatz Brewery now is, and a saloon on the South side of the bridge.
In 1876 the first houses in Glidden were built. The first was built by
Granny Fox where Alexander's store is now. Later, in about 1882 the Olson's
moved in and enlarged this house into the Chippewa House. There were a t
first, two brothers and two sisters. While shingling the roof one of the
boys fell off and was killed, leaving only Christ Olson and the two sisters.
The sisters ran a rooming house or hotel upstairs and Christ had a saloon
downstairs. This building burned on New Year's Eve in 1894 while under the
proprietorship of Mike Katan.
Where Mike Carey has his saloon there used to be a store. Dan Tyler and A.D.
Smith were in partnership in this store. At this time the building where the
band is was not graded down or dug out. To get into this store it was
necessary to climb a flight of stairs. This building was later torn down.
Next to this store Granny Fox's house was located. It was set back from the
street about thirty feet. Next to this, where the stone wall is still
standing, Thede Pearce had a saloon. He dug this hole in the bank, placed a
foundation there, and built a saloon on top of it. He connected the saloon
to Granny Fox's house by building another room that reached the house. Later
these two buildings were torn apart and made into two houses. These are the
two buildings located southwest of the Catholic School at present. They are
occupied by Engstrom and Kenyon but are owned by Mrs. Jacobs.
Then on the South side of Thede Pearces's saloon or where Val Beaser now
lives, George Kern ran a meat market. One house southeast of the Beaser
building, Fred Gehring had his meat market. This was about 1883. This was
the first meat market in Glidden.
In 1882 a blacksmith shop was kept where Christ Schulz's house is now. Mr.
Seiferd built a blacksmith shop in 1885; this building was located where
George Schmidt's saloon is at present. In 1905 August Schultz started a
blacksmith shop in Glidden. His son, Christ helped him. In 1916 Christ took
the entire work over. He still owns the shop and Mr. Metz is his assistant.
He also sells many kinds of farm and garden implements, and repairs garden
and farm implements.
George Knab was an incumbent in the office of chairman for the years
1882-1887. C.W. Kline took over the office in 1887. He held it until 1889
when he was succeeded by Wm. McKaskill. McKaskill, in turn, was defeated by
Fred Goerhring in 1892. George Kern was in office in 1893. He retained the
office for three successive terms, and then in 1896 George Deringer won the
office. In 2898 Charles Kline again returned to power for that year and
George Kern resumed the chair in 1899, and held it until 1902 when D. Tyler
was chosen to serve three years. In 1905 John Fleischbein took the chair and
held it until 1906. Dr. Frick was chairman in 1907, D. Tyler in 1908-1911,
George Deringer in 1911, Tyler in 1912-1913, Deringer in 1914-1915 while
Tyler served again in 1916. George Deringer started on his longs reign in
1917, when he continued as town chairman until 1926. Jason Kimball was
chairman from 1925 for a one year term. George Deringer was again in office
in 1925. George Kern Jr. served as chairman in 1927, and was followed by
Frank Deringer. In 1931, Frank Deringer was chairman. In 1932 Heinske was
elected; he was also in office in 1933, but resigned in favor of Frank Huber.
Since then George Deringers has been chairman.
Probably one of the most outstanding people in the history of Glidden in one
who is known to the whole countryside as Granny Fox. She was a widow who had
three sons, Tom, Dan and William Tyler. Mrs. Fox was know throughout the
community for her kindness and generosity She was always giving her service
to someone in need, nursing the sick and laying out the dead. As soon as
anyone was ill it was the custom of the people to send for Granny Fox.
Mrs. Fox cooked in a box car for the men who were building the railroad north
of Glidden. As the men advanced further North, she moved her box car to make
it more convenient for the men. During this time Granny Fox financed the
building of the Emigrant House. This house proved to be temporary lodging
for the people who came from foreign countries until they found a permanent
house. At one time there were twelve families living in this house.
When the railroad was completed as far as Upson, Mrs. Fox built a boarding
hose at Upson. She was here running this boarding house until she was too
old to care for it alone. Then her son, Dan, built her a house where Deane's
now live. She lived here until she became too old to care for herself; she
then made her home with her son, Dan.
Mrs. Fox kept a supply of herbs, stones and rattlesnake bones, according to
tradition, which she used to cure her neighbors of ailments. She was old
fashioned and clung to her Irish traditions. One of her favorite sayings was
"In my day we were satisfied with oxen, but now they have to drive an iron
horse."
We find that the first postal station was on Meltz's farm, just a place from
which the mail was thrown when the train went through. The second post
office was in a log building, now a part of the Keafse (???) Kup building.
This post office was built by McClean in 1876. The log building was later
covered with siding.
George Sell had our third post office in a little two or three room house
where the water fountain now is situated on the hill by the Hillside Filling
Station. Charlie Klien had the third post office in the building that is now
the jewelry store. In 1895 or 1896 D. Tyler has the post office for a short
time in the building where Scharff's now have their store.
In 1900 McAskill built a large wooden building on the hill where the Hillside
Filling Station now stands. In 1901 mail was delivered to Shanagolden by C.
Klien. Before that time Jim Nash had delivered the mail riding a pony. Mr.
McAskill died in 1905. Then his wife, Mrs. Mary McAskill took the place as
post mistress. Our fifth post office burned in the spring of 1910. Then
fire broke out about eleven o'clock on a March night. The mail and
government records were saved, and her household property was also rescued.
She resumed her duties as post mistress in the building that is at present
the Koffee Kup. She was taken out of the office with the election of
President Wilson. Mr. Fleischbein was the first postmaster to be in the
present post office. He was postmaster until 1919. On his resignation,
Charles Roser became postmaster, and held the office until August, 1933. Due
to a change in political part Mattew J. Hart then too over the duties, and he
is at present the postmaster.
The first bank was located in a part of the King Store and was conducted by
Wm. G. Fordice who is now living in Butternut. It was called the "Glidden
Exchange Bank." There was also another bank located where the Superior
District Power company have their offices. This was owned by Mr. Tyler. We
have no further information up to the year when the American State Bank
closed on March 3, 1933 during the national bank moratorium. The bank was
reopened when it was considered safe to do so.
Harking back again years -- thirty-seven years we find ourselves at eighteen.
We are on the carpet before the high school board of the town of Jacobs
which at that time was functioning under the township system - 1898. The
occasion was the fall meeting wheat contracts were awarded and the board
apparently desired a personal appraisal. Much brawn was required as well as
learning in a school master who hoped to enter rural service. The make up of
this tolerant body consisted of pioneer farmers, aside from its secretary,
the brilliant and whole-souled "Billy" McAskill, with Lorenz Walter,
President.
After a somewhat paternal verbal quizzing, the clerk made out our initial
teaching contract, which document; golden with age; we still retain. Thus,
untrained and none too well grounded in the subjects we were to teach, the
first day of school found us "holding forth" to the handful of scholars of
the Traxel School, located some six miles Southwest of Glidden. It would be
hard to find a more sequestered spot; one more isolated, or more sparsely
populated. The register contained the names of nine hopefuls.
Physical equipment of the room. It was a case of "Garfield on the one end of
the saw log and the students on the other!" We discover no dictionary on
looking about. The teacher evidently was to assume the functions of a
walking encyclopedia. Whatever reference books there are must be supplied by
the teacher. Next we look in the room for a bookcase. Such a commodity was
not to be installed for several years to come. Various accessories such as
chalk, white and colored ink, writing paper, pens, copy hook; oh yes; they
were the vogue then, the vintage of the 80's, set off with a test to
zealously copy with increasingly indecipherable characters, or ten minutes
before recess.
Our salary, which embraces janitor work, as well as instructor, consisted of
forty dollars per month. This was the assignment wherein we were "bawled
out" for presenting whole signs of ideas in a row. Otherwise know as words
in print. To get back to what was in the room-There were twelve single and
two double seats, also an elongated bench, later used for recitations but at
this time mainly utilized as a seat for ..........The teacher's desk boasted
a hand bell and an eight inch globe. The desk was on a five foot square
platform. A box stove toward the door faced with imperial dais.
The first means of transportation was the river. In 1888, when the
foreigners came to Glidden, they hauled their furniture down the Chippewa
River on a canoe to the place where they were going to settle. If their home
was not on the banks of the river, they had to carry their goods inland. In
1889 there were still no roads through most of the country; trails were the
only routes, In 1900 the men started clearing places where they built the
corduroys. These were roads built out of logs. The roads that later came
into be were sand. These were not a success because when the snow melted and
it rained they were muddy and full of deep ruts. The roads of today in these
parts of the country are either tarred or graveled.
Farming in the old days was not as successful as today because it was done
almost entirely by hand. For cutting the grain they had a scythe called a
cradle which could cut the grain and gather it at the same time. Then the
people would have to tie it into bundles by hand. The women also had to go
into the fields and work because it was a long slow process with just the men
working.
Today we have modern machinery which takes the place of hand labor. We have
the reaper which cuts, picks up and ties the grain. It can be pulled by
horses, but the tractor is rapidly taking the place of the horse in this form
of labor. After the bundles are bound by the reaper, they are picked up, put
on a wagon and hauled to the barn by means of horses. In the old days the
people had only oxen which were so slow to haul their grain from the fields
into the barn. Today threshing is done by machine, but in the old days when
a threshing machine was unheard of, this process was also done by hand.
For tilling the soil they had a walking plow which was driven by horses. The
plow had to be held down by means of pressing the hands on two long handles.
Today men can sit on their plows and control it by means of levers. Rocks
were a great difficulty to the early farmer in this region, and many hours of
discouraging labor were spent picking the rocks out of the fields. Seeds in
the old days were planted by scattering them by hand.
Hay in those days was also cut with a scythe. It was picked up by a hand
rake; now it is picked up by a rake drawn by horses.
Pearl's cam at Bear Lake dam was noted because of its ursine mascot, an
enormous black bear that none but "Joe the Bull", a hero of the gore stick
could in any wise placate. As it was a constant means. Dick Pearl finally
shot it to the grief of none but excepting this same master of the ox.
Glidden had more scenery in the olden time than was seemingly necessary and
in the feverish activity of driving back approaching forests, her citizens
overlooked the fact that some pines were intended to adorn; for instance that
alluring vista sweeping Southward from the bridge on Grant Street; an
embowered waterway, with tree crowned shares a view of pines that is no more.
Possibly it was such a reminiscence that prompted a certain board of
supervisors long ago to expend some public money, and with admirable
foresight, to the future need, acquire for the town, a park site before the
nearby woods were gone.
In spite of the criticism, they did this at a time when the advocating of
parks in small towns was considered visionary. Just what the import of those
aged trees in Marion Park would have meant to the world in a commercial world
would be hard to say, but what that basky, sylvan bower means to Glidden now
is no longer a disputed point.
We are indebted to Mr. Moran for this.
Doctor Haddi was the first doctor Glidden had. He came here in 1880 and had
his office where P. Stoltz's store now is. Doctor Scallon was the second
doctor. He also had a drug store where the Rex Theater now is in 1885.
Then Dr. Weigel, a German doctor, built the house that is now the home of Mr.
Arnold. The home was built in 1892, and the doctor used it as his home and
office for several years.
Dr. Law had his first office next to the jewelry shop in the old McClean
house about 1894. In 1894 Dr. Rhodes had his office in what is now
Alexander's store. In about 1904 Dr. Frick built a building that is now
George Deringer's home and intended to use it as a hospital. Before this, in
1903, Dr. Goeltz had his office in a building along side of the bank. This
building is now gone.
Dr. Tupper came in 1918; Dr. Gatze in 1920; Dr. Jojowski in 1924. Dr. Aston
had an office over the bank building in about 1925. In 1930 Dr. Gonzalez had
an office over the bank building. Dr. Tupper is at present the only doctor
in town.
The original survey for the Wisconsin Central Railway crossed the Chippewa
River at Glidden. Because the panic of 1872-1873 construction work of the
railroad stopped and before further operations were begun, a new survey was
started and the railroad was planned to cross the river where it now does.
Construction of the railway required several years and slow progress was made
from Ashland south. This is, the railroad was being built from Ashland
south, and at the same time from Glidden north. For a number of years,
Glidden was the terminal of the railroad from the South. Both ends were
joined in June 1877 at the point about one mile north of Glidden.
Charles L. Colby and other officials were on hand for the occasion. A hole
was bored into the tie where the rails were joined, and a gold spike abut one
half inch square and three inches long was in and a complete rail line
existed. This event was a very important one and consequently it was greatly
celebrated. Several speeches were made. T.J. Tyler, assistant road master
drew the golden spike, handed it to President Colby who carries it to Boston,
which was then the headquarters of the company.
The citing of the railroad had a great influence on the logging industry
because all the hard wood could now be shipped.
For some time before the completion of the railroad, Glidden was the North
terminus. It was then known as Chippewa Crossing. A mixed train was due
every other day. During the season of deep snow, they arrived any time,
often two or three days late.
Later, the Wisconsin Central sold out to the Soo Line. The Soo Line is now
the line going through Glidden.
The first depot, a small wooden shack about ten feet by fourteen, was brought
to Chippewa Crossing on a freight flat car. It was placed two or three rods
from where the Blatz warehouse now stands. A year or so later it was shipped
to White River and used there as a depot.
After our first depot was transferred, another depot was built below the
District Power Company office. Because this land was swampy and very wet,
the depot was built so high above the ground that the platform was even with
the floor of the freight cars. Later when the land was filled in, the depot
was moved to the present site and enlarged.
The railroad that runs out toward Shanagolden was put in about 1903. This
railroad was first run by the Nash Lumber Company. Next it was taken over by
the Mellen Lumber Company. These companies used the tracks to haul the
lumber products from Bear Lake. This railroad was taken out in 1931.
The contract to buy the mill machinery was made out March 15, 1919. The mill
was built that summer, and was first put into use after the harvest of that
year. It was operated until June 1927 when the owner moved. For the years
1927 and 1928, the owner made trips to the mill occasionally to take care of
what little business there was. Business was flourishing for the mill during
the early years of its existence, but it is now closed to all businesses.
Roger and Emmens had a mill along the river bank on the South end of Glidden.
This mill made hardwood and hemlock lumber. Later it was destroyed by fire.
There was also a veneer mill located northwest of Butcher's hill where the
present mill now stands. This was torn down and replaced by the broom handle
factory, and was owned by the Northern Woods Product Company. Mr. Lee was at
the head of the mill.
There were also several small mills. The one that burned on the North end of
town on the East bank of the river was built by Acey Taylor. It was turned
over to Schraufnagel's and later it burned. There was a shingle mill west of
the depot built by Henry Fleischbein. It was changed into a tie and lath
mill when Keller took it over. Then Huber and Gerlock bought it and changed
it into a shingle mill again. They started to run the mill only a short time
when it was destroyed by fire. The season had been dry, and the building was
quickly destroyed.
Another mill was located at Kern's Hill. This was the Glidden Manufacturing
Company. It made staves and box boards. It also burned. This mill was
owned by Schroeder, Conrad Mohr and Boheim.
The South kilns were built in 1888. It was started running in 1889, and
stopped in 1902. This was sixty cord kiln and it took six days to char this
amount. There were ten men working in these kilns all the time and it took
many more farmers to supply the necessary wood. It was the building of these
kilns that really caused a great increase in the growth of the community.
Wood was bought for $1.75 to $2.00 a cord. There was also another set of
kilns located one and a half miles north of Glidden. These were a smaller
set, being only forty cord kilns. The wood was thrown in through the top of
the kiln. It was lighted and all the air shut off. For six days it was kept
burning all the time. After six days it was raked out and carried in bushel
baskets to railroad cars. Most of it was shipped to Ashland.
Mostly all of the hauling in this village was done in winter when the swamps
could be traversed. Oxen did the hauling since there were no horses in the
region from about 1875 to 1885. One logger, Rutledge, who logged in the
Ghost Creek region used oxen until he finished in 1876 with his logging
activities.
One reason for the common use of oxen in these days was an economical one
since hay was difficult to tote. Their flesh also furnished the company with
feed. They could travel where horses could not penetrate effectually. The
major portion of Northern Wisconsin pine was hauled to the riverside by these
powerful creatures. Up to 1890, oxen were used entirely for skidding.
By 1900 oxen were done away with and horses took their place, universally in
the North woods. At first they were used only for toting and sleigh hauling.
The coming of the railroad in 1877 revolutionized many conditions in the
village. Many of the commodities which pioneers had to do without, were now
brought to them at much less cost. The railroad also explains why
immigration took such a sudden jump about 1880 to 1890. The object of this
immigration was home seeking.
It was in 1914 that the other great change came to the community that has
doomed the horse as our reliable friend in so many activities. This was the
coming of the first automobile, owned by Henry Fleischbein.
The first logging was carried on by men who came from Chippewa Falls and Eau
Claire. The came on the tote roads from Chippewa Falls to the East and west
forks of the Chippewa River. Logging supplies were hauled over this road by
two four horse teams, sometimes by oxen. In the very early days oxen
outnumbered horses in logging operations. Pine was the only timber cut. The
logs were floated down the river into the main Chippewa. Some logs were even
floated won the Mississippi to Muscatine and Davenport, Iowa and Hannibal,
Missouri. Hardwoods did not float and therefore were not cut until railroads
came to these parts.
Glidden was a north woods town where the lumber jacks got action for their
money in many ways. One of the loggers of this time was Harry Combs; he was
said to be one of the hay wire loggers. When he hired men, he made them
promise to stay until a certain date or reduced their pay.
John Pearl had charge of the drive in 1876 and he constructed the dam at East
Fork. Between Glidden and Bear Lake there was a stopping place known as
"Stock Farm." A noted team of sawyers, Cascanette and Mitchell, worked this
neighborhood. At that time, the region was entirely covered with pine.
Pearl's crew ran from ninety to a hundred men. Expert sawing teams, felled
and cut the average of 20,000 feet of lumber per day. The men were paid $32
a month. The foreman set a scale and those who cut that many logs won a
"Stetson hat."
The swamper had a busy life limbing trees and cutting brush for the racing
sawyers. At the broom yards the logs were sorted and scaled.
The timber east of Glidden was hauled across the country and rolled in the
river so they could be driven the other twenty miles. In winter when the
roads were well iced, a load carrying 6,000 to 12, 000 feet could be hauled.
Most of the pine could not be cut until it froze. In 1894 pine logging had
practically ceased on the East Fork. Ten miles across the corduroy, log
buildings were built to shelter weary teams and men. Timber wolves were
known to be about the camps at night and were frequently heard during the
day. When men came from town with loads of beef or pork, the packs would
smell this and follow the sleighs to camp.
Moses and Gaynor logged off the Upper Fork. Kelley operated on both the
Moose and Torch. These streams were well equipped with several large dams.
F.C. Leonards was the biggest logger of all. In the winter of 1895 he cut
and landed over 40,000,000 feet of logs from four camps.
When the men drove the logs down the river, they had to wade in water up to
their waists. Driving began in April when there was still snow in the woods
and ice could form on the shallows at night. About sixty days was required
to take the logs from head waters to the junction of the streams. Each man
was equipped with an oil sack to keep his emergency rations dry. Two heavy
meals were served at the camping grounds. The midday meal was carried to
them no matter where they worked. They heated their food over a campfire.
Christ Olson, who was later host at the Chippewa House, cooked at the Iron
River Camps.
George Roders was also a logger and a saw mill man. Rogers had two brothers.
Many of the logs cut were sawed in Rogers and Emmons Mill at Glidden.
Unique at the band saw mill was Abe Bonney.
Mr. O'Connell was a foreman at Middle Dam when the massive square timber was
hauled. Along with Caskinet, Knox, "Black Joe and the Indians," Kennedy, Mr.
O'Connell's brother, furnished thrills when the logs rolled under Grand
Street Bridge each spring.
One of the finest stands of timber (pine) was known as McGee Creek. This
region lies about six miles northeast of Glidden. McGee drove his timber to
the Chippewa's where it was connected with the main drive from the head
waters. The saw mill was located in Shanagolden. Sawing started in the fall
of 1903. Almost all the logs were carried by railroads.
Glidden in 1876 started as an important logging country. The first set of
pine was logged off the homestead of Frazer and MacLean. Sam Hall cut much
of the timber in the East Fork territory. After this came the railroads.
John Pearl had charge of the drives along the Chippewa from 1876. In 1879 a
few logs were used to build depots for supplies. The timber standing on the
brink of the Chippewa to the eastward was hauled to the river with oxen. The
pine land in this neighborhood were cruised by Henry Albright.
Oliver Mogie, who came from Durand to Glidden, logged the white pine in the
Pine Curve district one mile from Glidden. Frank Bonney was foreman and the
camps were built where the Pine Curve school now stands. In 1899, the
Glidden Veneer Company put in a right of way into Mogie's old choppings. The
last sets of camps were built in 1892 by George Sell.
"Chuck" in the early camps was crude. Flour, rice, beans, peas and salted
meats came in barrels. Likewise molasses, brown sugar and tea were carried
to the camps. Meat was scarce. When an oxen broke its leg, they made it
into roasts. Fish and game were also plentiful at times.
Abe Bonney was a second Paul Bunyan. One time there was an old millwright
who fussed around with everything that he did. He thought he had to do
everything just so. One time he made a heavy hardwood beam and had it
setting on two saw bucks. He had whittled on it all day to make it perfect.
Having finished, he felt himself free to leave on an errand. During his
absence, Paul Bunyan (Abe Bonney) came along, and seeing that the millwright
was gone, thought it would be fine to play a trick on him. The beam was
tremendously heavy; it would have taken a good many ordinary men to have
turned the beam, but Abe turned it over like a straw. When the millwright
returned he became so flustered, thinking he had done it wrong, that he did
not even notice the men standing around laughing. He decided there was just
one thing to do now, and that was to remodel the beam. But someone saved him
the trouble by telling him what had happened. The millwright exclaimed, "I
might have known it was that clown up to some of his tricks."
Abe Bonney was the heaviest man in this part of Wisconsin. He weighed six
hundred pounds. He had black curly hair, and a dark complexion. Abe was
good natured and well liked by all; especially the children. He was a
teamster at the veneer mills. When a load of logs would become stuck in the
mud in the spring, Abe would get off the team, and the horses could go ahead.
He had a gigantic appetite. In spite of his weight, Abe was light on his
feet. He could reach his arms out straight to a rod and jump over it. He
played ball and was the fastest runner in Glidden. He was one of the best
jiggers in the community. He once stopped a runaway horse by hanging onto
the end of the buggy.
He died when only thirty-six years old, due to a fatty condition of the
heart. Before dying, he asked for a glass of beer, and said "This is my last
glass of beer." Because of his unusual size, a special coffin had to be made
for him. His coffin and body weighed over eight hundred pounds. He was
buried in Mount Hope Cemetery. He was born in 1872 and died in 1908.
Rosy Bauch (Old Rosy), wife of a Civil War veteran, continued his homestead
two miles west of Glidden after his death. At that time the town was known
as Chippewa Crossing. She not only kept the house, but ran the farm. She
did the field work, split the wood, and hauled it in 40 degree below weather.
This wood was usually taken to the coal kilns south of Glidden.
|She is one of the numerous women in the 1880' and 90's where the greater
part of the responsibility was shouldered by the women.
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