vol-10-issue-3 · 2017. 7. 20. · Title: vol-10-issue-3 Author: jerry Created Date: 2/4/2017 7:40:57 AM

Volume 10 Issue 3

Official Publication of the Portage County Historical Society of Wisconsin

The Vanishing Downtown Plover by Dave Simonis

For those of you who haven’t visited “downtown” Plover recently, one thing will definitely be noticeable on your next visit, the lack of struc-tures along business highway 51.

Due to a Wisconsin Department of Transportation project (widening Business 51 and adding a center turn lane), many of the existing structures that sat in the path or too close to the new road were purchased by the state and demolished, or will be very soon! While the project is set to be completed in phases through 2020, property acquirement, business reloca-tion, and structure demolition began a few years ago. This has resulted in a radically changed landscape from even the past road project of the 1980’s. In the former project, buildings and businesses mostly along the west side of Business 51 were affected and demolished (or in several cases moved to our PCHS Heritage Park). In the current highway project, existing structures along the east side of Business 51 were affected.

These two highway improvement projects – some 30 years apart – have erased any resemblance to my younger days of a bustling downtown village. Remember when Post Road was a two lane highway and folks could park directly in front of businesses along the street? I recall us parking in front of Cash N’ Carry many times and waiting in the car as my dad ran in to get something he needed. Just about that time we’d hear the blast of a Green Bay and Western locomotive and get to see it cross Business 51 right in front of us. That was before crossing gates were installed and back when the railroad had plenty of traffic. Let’s not forget about the cheap soda a kid could afford at both the pop machine out front of Dan’s Liquor Store and the old bottle dispenser in back of Cash N’ Carry! I can fondly recall many shopping trips to Lila’s store for groceries too. Lila’s kept that small-town store feeling even after they built the new site north of the tracks! Finally, mix in memories of buying milk and gas at the Transport station, getting stamps at the old post office, watching local farmers do business at the FS feed mill, or seeing the Plover VFD quickly assemble at the former

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While our sites are closed for the season, special events are still occurring. Many groups and organizations will have meetings, private tours and classes at our sites. Contact us if your or-ganization wishes a private tour or hold a meeting at one of our sites.

Synagogue Open Memorial Day to

Labor Day Saturday & Sunday 1 - 4pm

By appointment 715-344-4423 Closed for the Season Friday, November 6, Mt. Sinai Congregation of Wausau will conduct a Shabbat service at 7:30 pm, with Rabbi Dan Dan-son officiating.

Historic Fire House No. 2 Open Memorial Day to


By appointment 715-344-4423 Closed for the Season


D a t e s To

R e m e m b e r

Page 2 Volume 10 Issue 3

Heritage Park Open Memorial Day to


By appointment 715-344-4423 Closed for the Season

Rising Star Mill Friday, Saturday & Sunday, Oct. 2, 3 and 4, THE RISING STAR MILL'S OPEN HOUSE 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Featuring "The Barns of Portage County". Scheduled to coincide with The Hidden Studio Art Tour, our Open House will once again feature this photographic ex-hibit of area barns. It has been a very popular show for four years and promises to be a vis-ual treat once again in 2015. Stop by, enjoy the artwork, explore our historic mill, and enjoy refreshments in the "Feed Sack" room.

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D a t e s To

R e m e m b e r I would like to welcome Sarah Scripps to the board of directors. Ms. Scripps is in the history department at the UWSP. She is also a member of the Historic Design and Review Commission of Stevens Point. We are looking for-ward to working with Ms. Scripps. Our museum season is now over with the coming of Labor Day. All four of the society’s museum sites had a successful season. The board is now in the process of putting together programs for next summer. This may in-clude a “Bring your Doll to Tea” event at Heritage Park. Next summer will be the second (and final) year for our doll display and we feel that an event such as this would be a great way to bring young people to the park. The Pierce Barn (Farm Museum) project has over $50,000 toward the building of the structure. However, the society has only until June 6 next year to complete the fund drive and build the shell of the barn. If this goal is not reached, based on the conditions placed by the State on the project, it will have to go back to square one and begin again. Anyone wanting to help with this project can contact the society at the address contained in this newslet-ter. (see page 7.) Any help would be greatly appreciated. The society has, over many years, developed a very good local history library and archives. If anyone has books, letters, pamphlets or photos related to the county and its inhabitants and wish to donate them please contact us. The materials can, potentially, provide researchers with a great deal of infor-mation. Please let us now if you have inquiries. The board of directors does have a open chair. If anyone is interested in, perhaps, serving on the board please let us know. The board meets at 6:30 on the second Wednesday of each month excluding December. We are also looking for docents for next year’s summer season. As above anyone inter-ested in becoming a docent please let us know. Thank you for your continuing support of the Portage County Histori-cal Society.

firehouse. Only then does one realize the quantity of everyday life that was present “downtown” in those days. Of course, I can’t leave out mention of Plover’s drinking establishments. From the Golden Sands bar down to Johnnie and Elaine’s and on to Chet and Ruth’s, I vividly recall witnessing some wild times by the patrons within. While the bars changed names and owners over the years, their vicinity to one another kept the area lively!

If you just happen to peruse through “downtown” Plover in the near future, and start to feel a bit nostalgic for the good old days, swing a few blocks east when you are “south of the tracks”… and visit our society’s Heritage Park. We have some of the former downtown Plover saved - you only need to bring your memories!


Visit our website at: www.pchswi.org

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Synagogue Report by Mark Seiler

The Summer season at the Synagogue Museum on Water Street came to a close on Labor Day. Tem-ple Beth Israel was open Saturday and Sunday afternoons beginning on the Memorial Day weekend. We wel-comed 180 visitors from Wisconsin and out of state. In addition we hosted a book-signing by former Portage County Sheriff Dan Hintz, as well as Laura Keyes’ dramatic presentation about Laura Ingalls Wilder, “Life as a young Prairie School Teacher” which was attended by some 30 parents with their children. Thanks to board member Beverly West who hosted Laura Keyes in her home. We were fortunate to have two student-docents, both UWSP History majors, helping us this summer. Lauren Erdmann worked on a data base during the Spring semester and helped out during the summer at the Synagogue Museum. Heather Carroll logged 78 hours as docent during the summer. Without her help, we would not have been able to keep the Synagogue open on several weekends. Also a special thanks to Merida Hauser, who recently gave up her position on the Historical Society Board of Directors. Merida did a superb job advertising our special events, and assisting our docents during the book-signing session. Although the Synagogue is closed for the season, we will be hosting one more event: On Friday, No-vember 6, Mt. Sinai Congregation of Wausau will conduct a Shabbat service at 7:30 pm, with Rabbi Dan Dan-son officiating. We are happy to host these Shabbat services, which are meaningful to our Jewish neighbors in Stevens Point and students at the University. The public is welcome at this religious service.

Rising Star Mill By Jim Walker

The first event of the 2015 year was the 28 Annual Art Show and Sale on Memorial Day weekend in May 2015. On June 26 the first musical group of the year, Art Stevenson and Highwater, performed to an en-thusiastic crowd of Highwater devoties. That was followed on July18, with a performance by the sophisti-cated Jazz group “Uptown.” Annually we offer a free movie night and this year on August 7, it was “Iron Will,” a rollicking Disney movie, filmed in Ashland ,Wisconsin. On August 29, the musical group, Dekorra, a local favorite, brought in a loyal following to their concert. On September 12, our concluding musical group, Eddie Biebel and Vickie Besar performed with their friends Ken and Karen Stillman. They gave a memorable and well appreciated concert. On October 2, 3 and 4 the Rising Star Mill will conduct it’s annual Open House and Barns of Portage County picture exhibit. This event usually attracts many locals who want to see pictures of barns that use to be on their farms but, which may no longer exist. In the Spring, near the end of the school year, the Rising Star Mill hosted “Field Trips” from several local elementary schools. Volunteers from the Mill Committee conduct these tours. The children are always amazed when it is explained to them how the Mill use to work. For the second year in a row, the RSM will be the site of an October wedding. Several young couples seem to like the rustic nature of the Mill as a back-drop for their special memories. We managed to complete a long planned project, when a new deck was built on to the back of the Mill which will enable outdoor seating in the summer. Special thanks to volunteers Fred Guyant and Jim


Miller. They did a beautiful job. We have purchased three new windows to replace three deteriorating win-dows in the Granary. We still will be looking into having the Mill repainted, possibly in 2016. The Tomorrow River, which runs behind the Mill, continues to draw fishermen, Kayakers and canoers who find easy access to the river and the Mill provides a prominent meeting destination. We will continue to promote local participation on the Rising Star Mill Committee from the residents of Nelsonville. September will see our last Mill Committee meeting of the year and the next meeting will not be until February, 2016.

Fire House Update By Karen Zinda

We would like to thank the following docents who kept Historic Fire House No 2 open this summer: Diane Lang, Larry Zimmerman, Merida Houser, Beverly West, Tim Siebert, Dan Hoppe, John Zinda and Karen Zinda. We also want to thank the AP History Class at SPASH for their great tri-folds. A number of them are on display at the Fire House, and some have been sent to Plover to help enhance displays there. This off-season we hope to have the wiring done in the back room and get the ceiling insulated. The wiring must be finished before the insulation can be put in. We have a budget to do the electrical portion and, as always, welcome donations to this building. Donations of $100 or more will be listed on the plaque in the day room of the Fire House.

Deering/New Ideal Binder By Milo Harpstead

Here is a shot of the Deering binder near Torun Rd in 2013 It is a Deering binder from about 1912 with many spare parts from a Deering-New Ideal binder. Both were found in Portage County in badly rusted con-dition. I consider it to be the "crown jewel" of the farm implements on display. Originally It was probably pulled with a 3-horse hitch and later modified to be pulled by a tractor. It is now hitched to a 1940 Case VC tractor. I did most of the binder restoration on my bale wagon. I took pictures before I took units apart, so that I could reassemble some of the parts. Having the spare binder that remained mostly assembled was also very important to me. Based upon a few years of using a grain binder on the farm as a youth I found the reas-sembly very logical.


WILLIAM W. SPRAGGON November 10, 1836 - August 2, 1901

Mayor of Stevens Point 1866 - 67, 1878 - 1880, 1886 - 1887, 1890

In the early years of Stevens Point's history, it is Albert G. Ellis and William W. Spraggon who share the distinction of service, as mayors of Stevens Point, for a considerable number of terms. The difference is that Ellis's service was somewhat sequential with three minor interruptions, while Spraggon served his six terms over two and a half decades. His tenures reflect the growth of the City and major issues of his time. From the available records we find William W. Spraggon to be a hard working unflappable gifted business man, who was trusted by members of the community and who was dedicated to public service. He was "self reliant", able, popular and honest by all accounts. He was a new arrival to a new city, an entrepre-neur, political activist, school board member, alderman, and the 6th Mayor of Stevens Point. Spraggon was born in Rothbury, Northhumberland County, England, on November 30, 1836. He was trained in the baking business from his youth, till he went to London in 1851 to finish his apprenticeship in his chosen trade. There is no record of his level of education in his youth. In January of 1854 he emigrated to the


Note the yellow wheels for placing the binder in transport mode. The yellow wheels are part of the spare binder from west of Junction City. They were half buried in the mud by the spare Deer-ing/New Ideal binder there. They are valuable for the display, and when in place the binder is nearly perfectly balanced along the long axis to make it easy to hook up for transport. In its day not every farmer had a binder, so it was important to transport it from farm to farm easily.


United States and worked in New York in his trade till 1856. Then he came to Wisconsin. For a few months, in this state, he worked with his brother in Adams County before he settled in Stevens Point on November 14, 1856. For the next three years he practiced his trade with others, before he started his own bakery, con-fectionery and grocery store. Later he also erected the first stone business building and stone business block of the city, which still stands today. By 1873, he initiated a steam bakery "which became one of the most prosperous industries" in the community and the first of its kind in this part of the state. He was in business all of his life. At the time of his death, he was president of the Citizens National Bank and Coye Furniture Company. His business experience of a lifetime served him well in his public service duties. By 1873 he was al-ready a veteran of public service. He was member of the Board of Education for a term, he served as alder-man from the 2nd Ward (1864 - 66) when he was elected for his first term as Mayor of Stevens Point. He was member of the County Board of Supervisors for many years and its chairman. He at one time was an unsuc-cessful candidate for the State Assembly. Later in his retirement years he found public service to be burden-some and "on several occasions declined to become a candidate", but "when things have gone amiss in city affairs he was the man to whom the people instinctively turned to help right the wrong." Over the years he regularly responded. Mike Riley's research tells us that "W. W. Spraggon and the City of Stevens Point faced a variety of issues that many growing communities of the late 1800's did. Some of the problems were mun-dane, while others touched raw emotional nerves of the local citizenry." This included such things as issues with roads, floods, fire, water systems, city lighting, street signs, railroad scams, educa-tional issues, murders and scandal involving some of the most prominent families and alleged local govern-ment corruption. No wonder Spraggon found this burdensome. On Septemberl2, 1858 Spraggon was married to Bridget Kinseller Masterson, who was from Ireland and with her first husband, was an early settler of Stevens Point in 1849. There were no children from this union. She died on April 17, 1881. On September 18th 1883 he married Mary Spraggon, who was the daugh-ter of his foster brother, Robert Richley Spraggon. Robert was never adopted by Williams parents. Mary came to Stevens Point in 1881. They had two children, William, who died from scarlet fever at age four and Phillis, who survived both of her parents. Mary Spraggon died on December 27, 1897. William died on Au-gust 2, 1901 from "consumption of the bowels" ( stomach cancer), at the age of sixty five and is buried in the Forest Cemetery with the rest of his family. Our thanks for this most interesting man was written on October 13, 1945. Alex Wallace wrote about Spraggon, - "as a rule we most always have many fme things to say about a man after he is dead, whether he deserves it or not, but Mr. Spraggon deserved all the fine things said about him, and more."



"The purposes of this organization are exclusively educational and shall be to preserve, advance, and disseminate knowledge of the history of Portage County, Wisconsin."

Joining the Historical Society couldn’t be easier! Just fill out the form and mail it today. Membership runs from January - December of the calendar year. Please circle the level at which you are joining or renewing.

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Photo to Remember

A view of Plover looking south along Post Road (south of the railroad tracks) circa 1920’s. The Build-ing on the far left was the former Johnny and Elaine’s Bar (more recently Jeeper’s Gin Mill).

Documents

vol-10-issue-3 · 2017. 7. 20. · Title: vol-10-issue-3 Author: jerry Created Date: 2/4/2017 7:40:57 AM