MEMOIRS OF MINDORO

AND AREA

1846-1969

123 year
Sponsored by Mindoro Community Club
In honor of their 50th Anniversary

MINDORO COMMUNITY FAIR


Early Pioneers

The Lewis family, Lorenzo L., Lloyd L., Lodowick L., Luther L., and
their sister, Lucy H. and mother, Mrs. Margaret Lewis, came first to Farmington,
giving their name to the Lewis Valley. The Lewis brothers built the
first mill, a saw-mill, in 1848, and two years later, a grist-mill. Mrs. Lewis
died in 1848 and her death was followed soon after by that of her daughter.
The Lewis family came from the east with an intermediate settlement in
Illinois, and their location in Farmington dates from 1846. Within the one
family they had a farmer, blacksmith, miller and millwright, and their first
mill was built near the place where Mr. Alex Forrest now Jives. Most. of the
Lewis family left the valley many years ago, going to Red Wing, Minn.
Luther Lewis never married. He removed from Red Wing to Pierce county
and then went to Florida, where he remained fifteen years. He returned
north, living in West Superior, Wis., until July, 1902, when he moved to
Minong, Washington county, Wis.. where he died November 2, 1902, in his
eighty-fifth year. His brother, Lloyd L. Lewis, died at the same place, December
24, 1902, in his ninety-ninth year. Another of the brothers died in West
Superior, in 1901, leaving one son and three daughters. The family is noted
in the early history of Farmington for a combination of those qualities which
combine to make the successful pioneer. They were all men of exemplary lives.

Another pioneer, George Sisson, came to Wisconsin from Ohio, his
father’s family having immigrated to that stale from the east. The family
settled about twenty miles east of Cleveland, and the son George moved to
Wisconsin in 1846, coming to Lewis Valley in 1852, where he made his home
until his death. His son, 0. S. Sisson, pension attorney of the city of La
Crosse, was in the Civil War, entering when a mere boy, in the Second Wisconsin
cavalry and serving through the whole four years of conflict. He is
well posted concerning the early history of the town and furnished the following
list of families in the valley in 1852. Beginning at the west there were
the four Lewis brothers, John B. Congdon, Dr. Arvic Hill, Simeon Powers,
David McConnell, Sr., David McConnell, Jr., Hiram Yateman, Jared Stoddard,
Henry Walker, Henry Miller, David Van Austin, Archelas Hobbs,
Michael Traft, Andrew Broadbent, Luther Downer, Benjamin Congdon,
George Sisson, John Jones. Of these old settlers not one is living today. A
number of them moved away from the valley years ago, others died there
and their descendants remain in the county, many of them in La Crosse.
Among them may be mentioned Mr. Sisson and his family, Attorney J. E.
McConnell, and former postmaster J. L. Pettingill, son of Alonzo Pettingill
who caine in 1856. Beside these heads of families there were several single
men, Henry Baker, Thomas Hobbs, Lawrence Frank, John Hobbs, Edwin
Broadbent, about eighty-five persons in all. Lawrence Frank married a daughter
of one of the Lewis’s and they still reside on the old farm in Lewis Valley.
James Quiggle, a brother-in-law of Mr. Geo. Sisson, came about the same
time and settled on a farm adjoining Mr. Sisson’s.

In April, 1846, Luther Downer came to Lewis Valley, from Wayne county,
Michigan, in search of farming land, and having made a selection in section
21, returned for his family. He returned by way of Galena, with an ox-team,


arriving at Prairie La Crosse, November 26. The family stayed at North
Bend until 1848, Mr. Downer in the meantime building a log cabin on his
land into which they moved August, 1848, subsequently moving to land in
section 33. The daughter of Luther and Clarissa Downer, Hannah Loretee,
was the first white child born in Lewis Valley. She married Frank McClintock
and now resides in West Salem. Mr. Downer was famous, even in that day
when all men lived very largely by use of their rifles, as a hunter. He died
suddenly, April 2, 1856. Two of his sons died in the Civil War. Mrs. Downer
survived her husband many years, dying in 1906.

Ethan Roberts, a brother of Mrs. Luther Downer, came first to Lewis
Valley in the spring of 1852. He was of Quaker ancestry, and had the previous
year been engaged in lecturing in the little towns of northern Illinois and
southern Wisconsin. He was charmed with the country and the next year
returned as a permanent settler, with his bride, nee Sarah W. Dana, becoming
one of the leading citizens of the community. He died at his home in Lewis
Valley.

Milo Downer, who came in 1851 was a brother of Luther Downer. He
and his son David, who was a minister, have both passed away. Hiram Yateman,
who came that year, moved to Black River Falls and Michael Trafts to
Cedar River, Nebraska.

Leonard Lottridge, whose name appears as the town clerk in 1855, and
also as justice of the peace, moved to La Crosse where he lived a good many
years, taking an active part in the development of the young city. He afterward
moved to West Salem, where he now resides. He is eighty-three years
old and is still active and interested in all the affairs of life.

TOWN OF FARMINGTON

J. H. DAHL, merchant, Mindoro; firm of Hanson & Dahl. Mr. Dahl
was born in Norway in 1853. He came to Wisconsin from his native country
in 1870. He was engaged in clerking for a time; went into the mercantile
business at Rockland in 1877; came here and established business in 1879.
His partner, Mr. Hanson, is also a native of Norway; came from Norway to
Wisconsin about 1867. The firm of Hanson & Dahl keep a general stock of
goods, and are doing a good business.

MRS. CLARISSA DOWNER, formerly Clarissa Roberts; Mindoro.
Mrs. Downer was born in the town of Collins, Erie Co., N.Y., in 1819. She
removed with her parents to Wayne Co., Mich., in the fall of 1831. Married
in 1837, to Mr. Luther Downer, who was born in Vermont in 1812, and removed
to Michigan with his parents. Mr. and Mrs. Downer came to La Crosse
Co. in November, 1846. Mr. Downer had made a claim in Lewis Valley the
spring before They v ere the first of the permanent settlers who came into
Lewis Valley, and doubtless the first land broken m the valley was on the
claim of Mr. Downer; as there were no settlers in the valley at that time.
Mr. Downer and wife went to North Bend, Jackson Co., till such time as
others should be ready to settle near them. Jan. 1, 1848. they settled permanently
in the valley. The three Lewis brothers, after whom the valley was
named, had then been about three weeks in the valley The breaking above
referred to was in the summer of 1847 The claim of Mr. Downer was adjacent
to—in fact, included the present village of Mindoro In the spring of 1855,

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Mr. Downer settled on Sec. 33, and on this homestead Mrs. Downer still
resides. Her husband died April 2, 1856. They had four children—Joanna,
born in Michigan, March 8, 1839; Cyprian, born May 13, 1840; Anthony,
born April 25, 1842; and Lorette, born Oct. 14, 1848. Lorette is the only one
living, and was the first child born in the town of Farmington. She married
Benjamin F. McClintock, son of Hugh McClintock, who settled in Greene Co.
from the State of Ohio, and came to La Crosse Co. in 1853. He now lives in
the town of Hamilton. B. F. McClintock was born in Ohio in 1844. He served
about one year during the rebellion, as a member of Foster’s Battery. Has
two children—Perry and Clifton. Mrs. Downer’s two sons, Cyprian and
Anthony, were members of Co. I, 8th W. V. I., during the rebellion. The
former enlisted in the fall of 1861, and served three years; he died in 1872.
The latter enlisted in the same company, August, 1862, and died in the hospital
at Memphis, September, 1863. Her daughter, Joanna, married Daniel
L. Calkins, and died at her residence, near Cleveland, Ohio, Sept. 29, 1863.
After the death of her husband, Mrs. Downer and her children spent about
three years with her friends in Michigan, but Lewis Valley has been her home
since she came with her husband to the Territory of Wisconsin, in 1846.

JOHN T. FOWLER, wagon-maker, Mindoro; born in Duchess Co.,
N. Y., in 1815; settled in Lewis Valley in 1855, where he has since lived. He
is a wagon-maker by trade, but had charge of a saw-mill ten or twelve years
after he came to the valley; he came to the village of Mindoro, December,
1865; has worked at his trade here since that time; he came from Ohio to
Lewis Valley. Mr. Fowler was married in La Crosse Co.; has one daughter—
Mary V. Has been Notary Public about six years, and Justice of the Peace
two years.

LAWRENCE FRANK, farmer, Sec. 19; P. 0. Mindoro; born in the
town of Herkimer, Herkimer Co., N. Y., June 27, 1831. He removed with his
parents to Jefferson Co., Wis., in 1842. He lived in Jefferson Co. till 21 years
of age; came to Lewis Valley in 1852, where he has since lived. Married Margaret
O. Lewis, daughter of Lorenzo Lewis, who was one of the original settlers
of Lewis Valley, and who at present resides with Mr. Frank Mr. F.
has seven children—Coma, Stella, ma, Lanata, Eber, Elvin and Ellis. Farm
contains 80 acres.

A. P. FULLER, farmer, Sec. 24; P. 0. Mindoro; born in Alleghany Co.,
N. Y., in 1827. When 9 years of age he removed with his parents to Crawford
Co., Penn. He came to La Crosse Co. in October, 1853, and settled where
he now lives. He purchased his farm of his brother, H. F. Fuller, which the
latter bought of Mr. ilet in 1852. Mr. Fuller married Laura D. Tower, daughter
of Rodney Tower. They have three children—Vivian M., Edgar P. and
Earl R. Mr. Fuller’s farm contains 100 acres; has also 100 acres of timber-land.

J. D. HAVENS, farmer, Sec. 20; P. 0. Mindoro; born in St. Lawrence
Co., N. Y., in 1816; was married tO Mary Terry, born in the State of New
York; she died in 1845. Mr. Havens came to Lewis Valley in the spring of 
867; married Mrs. Elinor A. Raymond, daughter of Hugh Kennedy, who
came to La Crosse Co. in July, 1856. Mrs. Havens, then Mrs. William L.
Raymond, came here in 1856. Mr. R. died in the spring of 1861. Mr. Havens
had four children by first wife and three by present marriage. Mrs. Havens
has two sons by first marriage.

JOHN HOBBS, farmer, Sec. 17; P. 0. Mindoro; born in England in


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1832. His parents immigrated to New York when he was a child. The family
resided for a time in Albany, removed thence to Ohio; thence to Fort Malden,
Canada; thence to Fond du Lac Co., where they lived nine years. Mr. Hobbs
came to La Crosse Co. in the fall of 1851, and settled on the farm where he
now lives. He enlisted Sept. 18, 1861, in the 2d W. V. C.; served till the close
of the war; married Mary Newcomb, born in Pennsylvania. They have eleven
children—four sons and seven daughters. Mr. Hobbs’ farm contains 240 acres.

JOHN B. JONES, farmer, Sec. 24; P. 0. Stevenstown. Mr. Jones was
born in Wales, in 1817. He came to the United States from Canada, when
about 19 years of age, and settled in Walworth Co.. Wis. He was married in
Walworth Co.; came to La Crosse Co. about 1852, and settled upon his
present farm. They have six children—Alfred Albert, born in Walworth Co.,
Wis., November, 1843; George W., John M., Maria, Jackson E. and Lemuel
V. Mrs. Jones is a native of Boston, Mass. Mr. J.’s farm contains 218 acres.

JAMES McCONNELL, farmer, Sec. 30; P. 0. Mindoro; son of David
McConnell, a native of Crawford Co., Penn.; removed to Portage Co., Ohio,
thence to Walworth Co., in 1842, where he removed his family the following
year. He came to La Crosse Co. in 1852, and settled on the farm which his
son James now owns. He died August 16, 1860; mother died in 1873. James
was born in Portage Co., Ohio, March, 1836; came to La Crosse Co. with
his father; he enlisted, in August, 1861, in the 1st Wisconsin Battery; served
three years; was in active service the whole of that time; was engaged in
many of the most important battles and campaigns of the Southwest, including
Sherman’s attack on Vickburg, Grant’s siege of that city; was at the
battle of Arkansas Post, Port Gibson, where he was wounded; Baker’s Creek,
Champion Hills, Banks’ Red River expedition, etc.; was discharged Oct. 18,
1864. Married Mary L. Horn; have four children—William B., Roy Angus,
Nellie and Gertrude. Parents had nine children, all of whom are living.

JAY PETTING1LL, farmer; P. O. Mindoro; son of Alonzo Pettingill;
born in Otsego Co., N. Y. in 1837; came to La Crosse Co. with his father.
Married Adeline Sage, born in Otsego Co. They have one daughter—Stella
M. Mr. Pettingill owns the homestead where his father settled in 1856.

JOHN A. PETTINGILL, farmer, Sec. 28; R 0. Mindoro; son of Alonzo
Pettingill, who was born in Otsego Co., N. Y., December, 1802, where he
was married to Lucy Davis; removed to Michigan in the spring of 1854, and
to La Crosse Co. May, 1856, settled in Lewis Valley, where his father still
lives. Parents had seven children, four of whom are living—Mrs. Martha I.
Mathewson, Jay, J. L. and John A. The latter was born in Otsego Co., N. Y.,
Dec. 1, 1842. Married Aim E. Quiggle, daughter of James Quiggle; have two
children—George L. and Eva. Farm contains 110 acres.

H. S. PHILLIPS, farmer, Sec. 23; P. 0. Mindoro. Mr. Phillips was
born in Chautauqua Co., N. Y., in 1849. He came to Kenosha Co., Wis., in
1851; thence to Dubuque, Iowa, for one year, and to La Crosse Co. in the
spring of 1855. He enlisted, September, 1861, in the 8th W. V. I. He was in
the service four years and six days, and was in active service nearly all of
that time. He entered the army as a private, and was promoted, by successive
steps, to a first lieutenancy. He participated in nearly all the campaigns and
engagements in which the noted “Eighth,” the Eagle Regiment, were engaged.
Among them may be mentioned the siege of New Madrid, Island No. 10,
Corinth, Miss.; was at the siege and surrender of Vicksburg, etc. He had command


of his company (Co. I), from December, 1864, to Sept. 16, 1865. After
the war, he settled in Salem; removed to the city of La Crosse, January, 1875;
was elected Sheriff of the county the following autumn and served two years.
He purchased his present farm of Hugh McDonald, in 1876. Married Marion
Gage, daughter of W. W. Gage, of West Salem, who came to La Crosse Co.
from the eastern part of the State in 1854. He was formerly from the State
of New York. Mrs. Phillips was born in Dodge Co., in 1848. Their children
are William S., Hollister M., Lydia A., Marion G. and Ida M. Mr. Phillips is
engaged quite extensively in the raising of sorghum, and in the manufacture
of syrup. He has this year (1881) 15 acres of sorghum.

PHILLIP QUIGGLE, farmer, Sec. 22; P. 0. Mindoro; born in Geauga
Co., Ohio, September, 1827. His parents, James and Hannah M. Quiggle,
removed to Walworth Co., July, 1843. Mr. Phillip Quiggle came to La Crosse
Co., and purchased his present farm in 1852, where he settled in 1855. His
father came here in 1854; died July, 1870. His mother lives with her son.
Mr. Quiggle went to California from Sauk Co., in 1854. His first wife was
Cornelia A. Ashley, of Columbia Co., Wis.; present wife was Eliza Peck; has
four children by first marriage.

ETHAN ROBERTS, farmer, Sec. 24; P. 0. Mindoro. Mr. Roberts was
born in Erie Co., N. Y., in 1824; he removed to Michigan with his parents
when a child; he first came to Lewis Valley in the spring of 1852; he returned
to Michigan, was married to Sarah W. Dana, born in Amherst, Mass., in
1828; she went to Michigan in 1852. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts came to La Crosse
County from Michigan, in the fall of 1855, and settled in the east part of
Lewis Valley, Sec. 22, Range 5 west, which he bought of the Government.
In 1862, he located on Sec. 22, Range 6 west; settled where he now lives, in
1865. Mr. Roberts has three sons—E. Dana, born 1854; George C., born 1857,
and Fred L. born October, 1862. Mr. Roberts is a brother of Mrs. Clarissa
Downer, who, with her husband, was the earliest settler of Lewis Valley.

GEORGE S. SISSON, farmer, Sec. 21; P. 0. Mindoro. Born in Massachusetts
in 1804, where he lived till 18 years of age, when he removed with
his father’s family to Geauga Co., Ohio. Married in Ohio to Lucia E. Bartholomew;
removed to Walworth Co., Wis., May, 1846; came to La Crosse
County in 1852, and settled in Lewis Valley, where he has since lived; wife
died Aug. 4, 1871; has seven children—Oscar 0., Margaret N., Selena S.,
Olen G., Oree A., Alonzo S., and Francis M. Four of the sons of Mr. Sisson
were soldiers in the Union army during the rebellion. Oscar 0. enlisted in
1861, in the 8th W. V. I., where he served two years; was then transferred to
Company A, 2d United States heavy artillery, where he served five years;
serving altogether seven years as a soldier. Alonzo S. was born in Ohio, 1845;
enlisted in the 2d W. V. C.; served four years; married Mary Chisholm,
daughter of James Chishoim; she was born in Beaver Dam, 1850. They have
two boys—Frank W. and Charles E. Olen G. enlisted in same regiment and
company, and served during the last year of the war.

OREE A. SISSON, proprietor of hotel, Mindoro; born in Ohio in 1844,
enlisted m 1864 in 2d W. V. C.; served till the close of the war. Married Sarah
A. Arnold, daughter of John F. Arnold; she was born in Otsego Co., N. Y.
They have three sons and one daughter.

RICHARD SOLES, farmer, Sec. 31; P. 0. Mindoro. Born in Chenango
Co., N. Y., July 1833; married Maria Skeels; came to Wisconsin June, 1859,


of his stay, succeeded in erecting a very pretty and commodious church. A
bell was donated by an Eastern firm, and since that time has called the
devout to worship. During the year 1873, Mindoro and West Salem were
united, the appointments around Mindoro having been merged into that one.
It is difficult to ascertain just at what time the several religious classes were
formed. Father Atwater was Leader at South Bend as long as a class was
held there. George Sisson, in connection with Rev. Chauncey Hobart, who
was then Presiding Elder, formed the first class in Mindoro, he being appointed
Leader. When the classes were consolidated, George G. Barber was appointed
Leader. The first Mindoro class consisted of J. Parsons and wife, George
Sisson and wife, Ben Congdon and wife, Alonzo Angel and wife, and Ed
Broadbent.

Farmington began its official existence on April 4, 1854, when the first
election was held in the schoolhouse, at which the following officers were
elected: Orlando Crook, chairman; A. M. Mills, H. V. Lacia supervisors; G.
G. Barber, superintendent of schools; Wm. H. Kellow, clerk; John Hineman,
treasurer; Allen Coman, assessor; W. B. Coman, R. H. Brown, justices of
the peace; C. Kimball, A. Hobbs, E. Broadbent, T. H. McPherson, constables;
Leroy Stanford, sealer. Three years later, June, 1857, most of the land in the
valley was taken up and selling for from $10 to $25 per acre.

Farmington, of all the towns, has the largest acreage of all the principal
crops, except barley. In order of the number of acres the list is as follows:
cultivated grasses, 5,738; oats, 4,453; corn, 3,549; rye, 1,288; barley, 906;
wheat, 634. It also has the largest area of growing timber, this being 11,779
acres. With one exception (Washington), it has the largest number of milk
cows, and has one creamery, located at Mindoro.

The total value of the property of the town of Farmington, real and personal,
is $1,263,829, of which $1,019,477 is invested in land. The town is the
largest of the eleven in the county and contains 47,613 acres, but the average
price per acre is next to the lowest, being only $20.86. This is not on account
of the quality of the soil, which, although sandy in the immediate vicinity of
the Black River, is in the smaller valleys very fertile, and was on that account,
one of the first sections of the county sought out by the early settlers. The
low average is, doubtless, due to the remoteness of the markets, and the
nearest, West Salem, being separated from the northern part of the county
by a range of bluffs. Other things being considered, the towns located near
the lines of traffic show the highest average price for land.

Farmington raises more swine than any other town and stands second
in the number of horses, cattle and sheep the numbers are as follows: horses,
733; cattle, 4,193; hogs, 1,559; sheep, 757. The total value of the live stock
is $169,000.

The town officers are E. N. Sebo, clerk; A. M. Hanson, treasurer; John
Storandt, supervisor.

HISTORY OF MINDORO

Luther Downer, a native of Vermont, came with his brother Milo to
La Crosse County in 1846. They traveled by ox team to Galena, intending to
take a boat from there, but the last boat of the season was stuck on a sand
bar, so in company with other wayfarers, the journey was concluded by their



ox teams. Mr. Downer and his wife first lived at North Bend where he worked
for an earlier settler, Mr. Thomas Douglas. The Downer claim, adjacent to
the present village of Mindoro, was too lonely then. However, Mr. Downer
broke twelve acres there early in 1847, this was probably the first plowing
in Lewis Valley. Meantime he built near Black River, a cabin which was
washed away by the next spring freshet. What took, also gave. The river
opportunely washed down flooring and roof boards from the mills, either at
Black River Falls or Sherardtown, both above.

When Luther Downer moved on to his claim in 1848, he first brought
the floor of his second cabin, which held in bounds by stakes, was the bed
of the family for a few nights until he could bring and erect the remainder
of the house. When Wm. Hood of Farmington, who also made the first survey
of La Crosse city, surveyed Newton, as Mindoro was then called, Mr. Downer s
claim lay just outside the city limits The first child born in Lewis Valley
was Loretta Downer (McClintock.)

The Lewis family, from whom the \‘alley got its name were originally
settlers of New York and typical of the American Melting Pot in that they
were compounded of Welsh, English, Scotch and German blood. The family
first moved to Illinois, but it was malarial and was involved in a struggle
with the Mormans. Ludlow stopped in Southern Wisconsin. The three
brothers, Lodowic, Lloyd and Luther Lewis settled Lewis Valley in 1848.
Lorenzo, a carpenter came the next year. Lodowic, a blacksmith, continued
his trade and was patronized by the whole village and even La Crosse. Lloyd
was a practicing physician and Luther, a farmer. Lodowic became a favorite
with the Indians because he could repair guns. In the Indian scare about
the time of the Civil War, he attended to it that the whites had as effective
arms. The Luther and Lloyd farms became Barclay property. The Lodowic
and Lorenzo farms became Davis and McConnel property. The Lewis brothers
subscribed so liberally to secure the first railway, the “Milwaukee,” through
the county, that they decided to sell and start over again in Northern and
newer Wisconsin, where they prospered. The first death in Lewis Valley was
that of Mrs. Margaret Lewis, mother of the Lewis brothers. She has a quaint
stone in Mindoro cemetery.

George Sisson, Leroy Stanford and J. F. Arnold, first proprietors of
Mindoro, met at the house of Alonzo Angel to organize a village government,
and lacking a name, took Newton, the suggestion of Mr. Angel’s daughter. I
am told that the name Newton must still appear on deeds of lots. The first
postoffice, Mindoro, in 1849, in the house of Dr. Lloyd Lewis. No one knows
why he favored that name, but he was a great reader, especially fond of
geography and history, and Mindoro may be an echo of the Philippine Island
City of that name. As a name it has proved popular. it is romantic, unusual,
distinguished and euphonious. Why not end an anomaly by changing the
village name to correspond with the postoffice? Why not put the virile
Mindoro on the road signs, instead of the feminine Mindora?

The Downer and Lewis families entertained the earliest travelers in
their homes. The first and only hotel building still stands as the old Welda
home. I have been told that it has many round instead of square timbers.

The Lewis brothers built the first mill, on Fleming Creek. Later John
Van Ness built several mills in the country north.

The original Presbyterian Church was sold to the Lutherans. The


Presbyterian Church afterward bought the Methodist church building. The
Advent edifice has been torn down, and the early Baptists worshiped in the
school houses.

The first schools in the town of Neshonic, south of Farmington, were in
1852-3. That same winter Jabez Coman, uncle of H. A. Kendrick, taught at
Mindoro, and Louisa Leonard and A. T. Fuller had already taught two miles
west, as evidence seems to show.

The fine new schoolhouse had the same contractor as that at West
Salem, but being built later has some new features. The land on which the
schoolhouse is built, once belonged to U. S. Senator H. Gus Cameron.

There was a large preponderance of Scotch blood in early Farmington
as the names, Pettingill, Barclay, Paisley, Wilson, Hedge, Mathewson, McDonald,
Hogg, etc., indicate, and we know that the Scotch are great readers,
thinkers and educators.

Written by Mrs. I. M. Tilson.

Copied from the La Coulee Annual 1923.

Bank Robbery Foiled

Attempted Bank Robbery in ‘32 will never be forgotten. Four men
worked silently in the early morning darkness as they opened the back
door of the Mindoro Bank at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, October 25, 1932.

A burglar alarm sounded in the nearby store owned by Harry Willey
and he immediately notified Deputy Ed Fox who lived down the road just
past the creamery.

He stealthily came up the road and hid behind a woodpile at the rear
of the bank and as the four men carried an acetylene torch to cut open
the steel door of the vault, he opened fire. The robbers returned about 15
shots before fleeing in 2 cars toward West Salem.

Sheriff Albert (Casey) Riley was notified and several cars full of
deputies were dispatched.

The care were spotted at Midway by Undersheriff Lloyd Johnson. He
opened fire and one of the men was wounded in the gun battle that ensued
before the Undersheriff’s car was halted and riddled by bullets. Undersheriff
C. Riley and 0. Woll hurried to Midway and picked up Johnson and continued
on toward Melrose where they picked up Bernie Finck and headed
for Black River Falls after alerting authorities there.

The robbers eluded a posse there by driving without headlights. La
Crosse deputies arrived and spotted two darkened cars amid a roar of
shots the already wounded burglar was hit and the second one wounded.

The La Crosse deputies succeeded in stopping the lead car and captured
the two wounded men.

The men in the second car also engaged in a gun battle but escaped
at a high rate of speed.

The fugitives abandoned their car at a nearby tourist camp and
escaped capture — even eluding bloodhounds — by staying under water in
the Black River breathing through hollow reeds.

The two were captured two years later in Omaha.

The first two men captured — Charles Ross, 60, and Win. Roberts, 32,
both of Kansas City were brought to La Crosse for trial.


Recollections of Early Days in La Crosse County

W. E. Barber

My parents were pioneers of Lewis Valley, settling there in 1851.
They were farmers, sharing the experiences of early pioneers’ constant
struggle and privations of which the generations of these later years have
but slight conception.

Public conveniences, such as schools, churches and markets for their
produce and all of the advantages which the generations of these later
years are enjoying, are all built upon the foundation laid by those men
and women.

They were mostly a Christian people, deeply impressed with the
teachings of the Bible and interested in spreading the gospel among the
people. Sunday school for teaching the children the spiritual side of life
was held in the district school house during the summer months. There
were some parents who took no interest in the church and Sunday school,
just as there are today.

For amusement, parties were held at different homes where they gave
vent to their mirthful, pent-up spirits in dancing on the kitchen floor and
in playing social games. There was a fiddler by the name of Paul Sullivan
who could awaken the dead with his jig music, which put everyone on his
toes when the fiddle started and the dance was on. Talk about good times!
Those pioneers had them, too. Those parties were a Godsend to that struggling
community. They brought to the surface that mirthful spirit that had
been smothered in ceaseless care and toil. They opened the pent-up avenues
of mirth and gave balance to their lives.

The lives of those pioneers were not all drudgery and humdrum. They
found amusements just as we do today. Their amusements were of a different
character, of course, but they enjoyed their pastimes. The women
had their sewing societies where they gathered at different homes in the
community and made garments for the poor and needy. In case of sickness
in a family, they were on hand to give assistance. It was all done in a spirit
of helpfulness, which was the dominating characteristic of the pioneers.

The donation party for raising funds for paying their minister was one
of the affairs of the church. It was usually held at a member’s home, where
a sumptuous supper was served. The members turned out enmasse, bringing
with them articles of food or things that could be of use in the pastor’s
home. Only a small part of the pastor’s salary was paid in money.

The generations of today owe a debt of gratitude to those sturdy
pioneers for the legacy we have inherited through their foresight and robust
character. They suffered privation and lonely homesickness. They did not
despair in their struggle to establish homes in this land of boundless
opportunities.

The first article of the Constitution of the United States declares
religious freedom of thought and action for every citizen of the United
States. He may worship his Lord and Master in his own way. He may
give vent to his religious emotions in any visionary fashion he chooses,
providing, in so doing, he does not interfere with the rights and privileges
of others.


and Sherman were making successful drives that foredoomed the secessionists
to sure surrender.

The decisive victory of Grant over Lee on April 2, 1865, speedily
afforded the prospect of an immediate termination of this long struggle
when, on the 14th day of the month, President Lincoln was shot in Ford’s
theater, Washington, by John Wilkes Booth. He expired the following day.

The news of Lincoln’s tragic death did not reach our community for
several days, and but few people of the rural districts heard of it for
fully a week.

My mother said to me, “Willie, you go and call your father to dinner.
He is working in the field over back of the orchard. Now hurry, for dinner
is all ready and the victuals will be getting cold, so you must hasten.”

On reaching the field my father took me by the hand as we walked
towards the house, when he noticed that the flag was floating at half mast
from the Liberty Pole at Mindoro, a half mile distant, with a streamer of
black trailing half way to the ground. My father said, “Something terrible
has happened and I fear that President Lincoln has been assassinated.”
He did not stop to eat his dinner but walked to Mindoro, where he heard
the awful news. It was a terrible shock to our small community as it was
to the entire country.

There was a general store at Mindoro which kept a small stock of
goods sufficient for supplying the farmers with groceries and such other
small truck as was in demand. Farmers would bring produce, mostly butter
and eggs, which the merchant would take in trade for merchandise.

An interesting incident happened involving a well known little German
farmer of that community by the name of Barney Harmon, who traded at
that store. Now Barney was an interesting chap, small of stature, who spoke
a language peculiarly his own, which was neither German nor English, that
baffles description. He had a habit of sputtering his words through his lips,
which were well moistened with saliva that was distributed when he spoke,
and the person with whom he was conversing was not long in discovering
that “distance lends enchantment” and would move back out of the rain.

Barney was a regular customer of the little store and was also a frequenter
of the justice of peace court until he finally met his Waterloo in
a transaction that put a quietus to his operations and sent him back to his
little farm home fully convinced that “honesty is the best policy.”

It all happened over a roll of butter. Barney left his farm shortly after
breakfast with his little basket on his arm filled with a nice roll of butter
and a few dozen eggs. He went directly to the store where the merchant
informed him that he was overstocked with butter and he had better go
over to the hotel where he was quite sure he could dispose of both his butter
and eggs. This just suited Barney, for he thought he would get cash instead
of trade, and he needed cash. He sold out to the landlord, getting cash.

The next morning while breakfast was being prepared at the hotel
the servant girl sliced off a chunk from the fine roll of Barney’s butter, and,
lo and behold, she found a great big rutabaga nicely covered with a half
inch of perfectly good butter. Barney was certainly a stormy petrel and
kept his neighbors in a state of mental uneasiness as to what he would
conjure up next to disturb the peace and harmony of the community.

The landlord of the hotel went to the justice of the peace and secured



a warrant for Barney, charging him with swindle. He pleaded guilty and
the court imposed a fine of $10 and costs, amounting all told to $16. This
put a crimp in Barney’s funny tricks and taught him a much needed lesson.

Back in the pioneer days of La Crosse county there was a family by
the name of Gallup living at the four corners of the highway where the
village of Mindoro now stands. Mr. Gallup was the village blacksmith and
received the patronage of the farmers who came from far and near for
repairs of farm machinery and for having their horses and oxen shod.

In those days there were many ox teams, as the country was primeval,
with very few developed farms. The country was by no means a prairie
country as most of it was covered with what was called second growth oak
timber and brush, reaching back into the coulees and hillsides which were
hard to develop into cultivated fields. The ox teams were better adapted
to this pioneering work and they constituted the larger share of the motive
power.

Mr. Gallup, having the only blacksmith shop within a radius of many
miles, was well patronized and among his patrons were many farmers who
had ox teams. During the winter and spring months the roads became icy
and slippery. This required shoeing of the oxen, which was a Herculean
task requiring special fixtures for holding and confining their cumbersome,
unwieldy brutes before the shoes could be nailed to the feet. A stall was
built of heavy oak scantling just wide enough to admit the animal, with a
stanchion at the front end for securely confining the ox. At the four corners
of this stall there were posts set for strapping the feet of the ox while the
shoes were being fitted and nailed. As the ox has a cloven foot, there were
two shoes required for each foot. The shoeing of a pair of oxen demanded
the fitting and setting of 16 shoes, and a full day of mighty hard work.

The district school house was located just a block from the Gallup
blacksmith shop, and it was great fun for the scholars, during intermissions,
to hike over to the shop and watch Mr. Gallup handle and weld the red
hot irons while the sparks were flying in every direction. Of all the interesting
entertainments, the watching of the ox shoeing performance capped
the climax. Not only was this great fun but it also had an educational
value, for it has left in the mind of every scholar a full realization of the
trying times of the pioneers during those difficult days.

My memory calls back the flocks of prairie chickens sitting on a rail
fence making their morning toilet. They are waiting for the morning sun
to melt the frost from the stubble fields, after the grain has been harvested,
where they would fill their crops with the scatterings of wheat.

Then listen — I hear Bob White calling in the distance. His voice is
clear and it sounds as though he is calling his mate for breakfast. Over
yonder a partridge is drumming. The drum beats are far apart at the
beginning, but he gradually increases his speed, and the finish is too fast
for counting. I look around, and there goes a flock of pigeons. I watch
them as they light on the branches of a dead tree down in the lot.

When winter came with its cold wind and snow, there was the vigorous
sport of deer hunting. This sport called out the older and more experienced
sportsmen, for the trails were long, leading over hills, through valleys and
wild timber country.

There was great rivalry among the deer hunters in those days and as


soon as the first snow came they were all primed for the chase. The largest
one day’s kill for a single hunter that I remember was seven deer, killed
by John I. Mathewson. On the same day E. Stevens killed six and Harlow
Havens killed four. I saw the seven deer all loaded on the bob sleigh as
Mr. Mathewson was taking them home. The deer were all killed among
the hills surrounding Lewis Valley.

There were no bag limits on any sort of game in those days, nor were
there any open and closed seasons. Game was free plunder and everybody
was killing with no thought of conservation.

Yes, all of these wild creatures were scattered hither and yon, in every
section of the country when I was a boy, and I remember them. I also
remember the many thrills that coursed my spinal column when my brother
and I hunted them with an old muzzle loading shot gun which was plenty
good enongh (sic enough) in those days.

Then I think of the folks who lived in that beautiful valley, Lewis
Valley, La Crosse County. Its capital was Mindoro. The valley was named
for a family by the name of Lewis who were the first settlers. They did not
settle on the choicest land, which was level and flat. They settled back in
the coulee where the land had better drainage.

The early settlers came mostly from the eastern states and were generally
of American lineage. There were, however, scatterings of German and
a few Irish, such as Terry O’Rourk and Patrick Macquigen. There were
also a few Scotch families, such as Barclay, Paisley and Hodges. Most
were pure-blooded Americans such as Cook, Stevens, Kilmer, Jackson and
Barber.

The most spectacular enterprise, one that I shall never forget, was the
breaking team owned by Bill Kimbell. This team was made up of six
yokes of oxen hitched to a 32-inch breaking plow, which was one of the
most useful and busy institutions in those pioneer days. It was in constant
demand and old Bill was just the sort of fellow for managing such an
enterprise. He was a big man, six feet two inches tall, heavy built and
weighing 240 pounds. He was cross-eyed. One eye was turned completely
inside out. He wore a pair of spectacles which were fastened with a string.
He had a tremendous voice of the basso profundo variety, with a broad
vocabulary of swear words which his oxen seemed to understand, and they
obeyed in fear of the long whip lash that snapped and cracked when his
commands were not obeyed.

Many of the finest fields in Lewis Valley started from the first furrow
of old Bill Kimbell’s breaking team, and they are still sending forth beautiful
yields of farm crops.

Lewis Valley is ten miles long and two miles wide on the average,
with what used to be one of the finest trout streams in Wisconsin running
its full length. It was well stocked with native brook trout that furnished
the finest of sport for all the people. I recall that my brother and I often
went down to the creek, which ran through our farm, in the morning and
we would catch a mess of trout for our family of six people before going to
school at 8:30. We might catch all of them from one hole, using salt pork
for bait, and an alder pole. It is a safe bet that one could not catch a mess
of eight trout in that creek in a day’s fishing in this year of our Lord 1933.

So it is with both fishing and hunting The wild game is practically


gone and the chances are it will never return. Our hunters have increased
while our game is gradually but surely becoming extinct. It is all too bad
in the face of the earnest effort the state is making to conserve this charming
resource. When we think of the mighty flocks of passenger pigeons that
darkened the mid-day sun in their flight across the heavens and not a
single one of these birds is left, is it too much to prophesy the complete
annihilation of every game bird in this country before the dawn of a new
century? It is a calamity, and no country, especially this, supposed to be
the most enlightened in the world, should permit such a tragedy to blacken
our civilization now and forever.

The most heart-rending tragedy in the history of La Crosse County
was the death of Isaac Gulickson, a Norseman who left his family, consisting
of a wife and seven children, in a little mountain home in Norway and
sailed for America, the land of opportunity. He was a strong, healthy man,
six feet tall and weighed 200 pounds.

He found ready employment here, and within a reasonable time he
had earned sufficient money to send for his family. In due time he received
a message from his wife that the money was received, that she had secured
their passports, and that they were to set sail on a Saturday morning,
giving the name of the ship on which they were taking passage.

It was a thrill such as Isaac had never before experienced, when he
opened that cablegram announcing the day that his family was to set sail.
He knew from experience that it required four weeks in those days to
cross the ocean.

During the intervening weeks Isaac rented a house at Mindoro, which
was thoroughly cleaned and made ready for the family when they arrived.
The yard was raked, the fence surrounding the home was repaired, and
everything was spick and span ready for the family reunion.

A message finally came announcing that they had landed at New
Orleans, were transferred to a Mississippi river boat and would arrive at
La Crosse the following Monday evening.

Isaac received this message on Saturday afternoon. He immediately set
about making arrangements for a conveyance to bring his loved ones to
their new home. His arrangements were completed before he retired Saturday
evening. He was so excited in the anticipation of his loved ones’ coming
that he could not sleep and he rolled and tumbled about in his bed. Finally,
in a moment of relaxation, he fell into a sound sleep, and when he awoke
the sun was brightly shining through his chamber window. It being Sunday
morning he did not arise, as he did not want to disturb the family, so he
lay indulging in day dreams. He thought of his dear wife and wondered
if she was as anxious to see him as he was to see her. Then he thought
of Lena, Gunda, George, Peter, Oliver and Torvel. Then he thought of little
Honsina, who was a babe in arms when he left for America. All of these
thoughts played through his mind like a dream as he lay wishing the hours
away.

Finally he heard sounds of the family stirring about the house, and
he arose, and went downstairs happy beyond expression. He wished them
a happy good morning as they gathered around the table for breakfast.

Breakfast over, Isaac strolled out into the garden. It was a beautiful
morning with a mild September wind gently stirring the foliage. As he


stood admiring the surroundings, two little girls came out of the house
and took him by the hands and they strolled through the garden and out
across a meadow to a hedgerow that had grown up along a line fence, where
they saw some wild flowers growing among the brambles. They stopped and
were picking the flowers when Isaac saw a plant which looked the same
as one that grows in Norway, the root of which was a food delicacy in that
country. He pulled up the plant, examined it carefully and was sure it was
the same. He peeled the root, gave each of the children a slice and took a
piece himself, which they were munching when they reached the house.

Mr. Mansergh, at whose home he lived, asked Isaac, “What are you eating?”
He said he did not know the name of it, but it is just the same
as grows in Norway and everybody eats it over there. “No! No!” said Mr.
Mansergh, “that is poison. It is wild parsnip. You mustn’t eat any more.”
He took the pieces away from the children, but he couldn’t convince Isaac
that it was poison, and he continued eating it.

In about an hour after reaching the house they were all stricken deathly
sick. A doctor was summoned and through his effort the children were saved,
but Isaac, having eaten much more than the children, died in excruciating
agony about an hour afterward. Amidst the happiest hours of his life, in
anticipation of meeting his family on the morrow whom he had not seen for
three years, his life ended in the full-flush of vigorous health.

Monday morning a messenger was sent to La Crosse to meet the family
arid convey the sad news of the tragic death of the husband and father
and to bring the family to the home that he had made ready for them
upon their arrival. It was a heart-rending task that there was no way of
escaping, and the selection of the proper sort of messenger was important.
Gilbert Gilbertson, a Norseman friend of the deceased and about his own
age, was sent.

The breaking of the news to the stricken family was tragic. The mother
swooned and fell upon the floor in their room at the hotel as the children
gathered around and eagerly sought every detail of their father’s death.
The mother and children were to end their long, tedious journey, filled with
happy expectations, at the bier of the husband and father in a strange land,
surrounded by strangers whose sympathy and support was impotent to
assuage their deep suffering.

A short time after landing, the engineer discovered that the boat upon
which the family had come up the Mississippi was afire and ordered all
on board off the ship. The fire spread rapidly and within a few minutes the
flames were leaping through the deck and the steamer with its entire cargo
was burned to the water’s edge.

The flames from the burning boat, reflecting through the windows of
their hotel rooms awakened the family and they rushed out to the wharf,
just in time to see all their belongings, excepting the clothes on their backs,
eaten up by the angry flames.

Filled with deep despair, the fond hopes and expectations that had
stimulated them on their long, tedious journey abandoned, they fell into
deep remorse for having left their native land in such an adventure. They
wished they were back in their little mountain home in dear old Norway.
The mother was overwhelmed. She could not understand why all of these
afflictions should have been visited upon her and her seven children the


moment they set foot upon American soil. She paused to think, as her
frame shook with anguish, her heart leaping into her throat as she struggled
for breath, “Are all these forebodings of the stormy life that is facing us in
America?”

Greetings at the Mansergh home were spontaneous. A number of Isaac’s
friends had gathered to be there when the family arrived. They were early
immigrants from Norway who had established homes in that locality, and
their sympathetic response to the distress of the afflicted family was general
throughout the community. The bond of sympathy between those of like
nationality reached a responsive chord with the assurance of their interest
and support in solving the different problems that rested upon the afficted (sic afflicted)
mother.

The funeral, held the second day following their arrival, was largely
attended. People came from far and near, offering their sympathy and
assistance in providing the home, which Isaac had secured with the necessary
equipment for housekeeping. Every detail for the comfort of the family
was made for their entering. They had no heirlooms, keepsakes or pictures
to hang on the walls. All of the cherished belongings of the family were
burned when the ship War Eagle went up in flames at the harbor in
La Crosse a few hours after their arrival.

Of the original family of mother and seven children, but one is living;
the others having crossed the river to the farther shore, and all are buried
in La Crease County. Honsina, now a widow, the youngest of the family
is still living in her farm home just one mile from the family home established
when they came here from Norway.

Mindoro Has Good Community Fair

Third Annual Show Draws Good Crowd Afternoon and Evening.

The third annual Horticultural and Community Fair held at Mindoro,
on Saturday, Oct. 28, 1922, under the auspices of the Mindoro Horticultural
Society and the Mindoro Schools proved far superior in every way to all
previous fairs. More than six hundred people attended the fair and entries
totaled 655.

The following program kept everyone busy during the afternoon and
evening:

1:30 Races, sports and horseshoe contest.
2:30 Entertainments by high school and Mindoro graded schools.
	5:00	Radio Concert	Geo. Staffer
	7:00	Radio Concert	Geo. Staffer
	8:00	Program
		Violin Duet	Hazel Wehrs and Hayel Ruland
		Selection	Girls Glee Club
		The Ladies Department of Our Fair	Miss Teare
		Violin Solo	Hazel Ruland
	The Agricultural Exhibits of Our Fair	Mr. Spreiter
	Address	D. Q. Grabill
10:00 Wrestling Matches:
Brown and Olson (Preliminary)
		Olson and Olson


Mr. Grabill’s address, instructive yet seasoned with many pointed jokes
and stories, was enjoyed by more than 350 people. Mr. Grabill is a lecturer
of unusual ability and his comprehensive view of farm life and farm problems,
gave his speech a sincerity and earnestness of appeal which held his
audience. The radio concert by Mr. Staffer was a unique attraction and was
enjoyed by a large group of very attentive listeners.

The preliminary match by Frederick Brown and Victor Olson resulted
in a draw. The match between Chester Olson and Lynn Olson showed a high
class of wrestling and a great deal of speed agility. Chester won the first
fall on a toe-hold but Lynn came back winning the last two falls on a
reverse Nelson and lever-lock respectively.

Unusual interest was displayed by the seventeen contestants for the
$5.00 prize offered by the Bank of Mindoro for Golden Glow Corn. The
winners were: Adolph Hendrickson, 1st; Norman Pfaff, 2nd; Arthur Hesse,
3rd. Members of the Horticultural Society of Browns Valley were the most
prominent exhibitors in the Horticultural section. John Kastenschmidt,
Milton Pfaff and Harry Sacia carried off most of the top honors. The home
grown pears by Nessler Bros. attracted a great deal of attention.

The number of exhibits in the poultry department was small but the
quality was good and would have done justice to a much larger fair.

There were 265 entries in the ladies department which were largely
in the line of crocheting and embroidery. Only a few articles appeared of
tatting, knitting, and tied work. The number of entries far exceeded that
of former fairs held here and the almost uniform quality made judging a
very difficult task. Very few garments were entered and not many exhibits
appeared in the culinary department.

Mrs. Jewell, among the blue ribbon winners, carried off several premiums
on her specimen of canned goods; Mrs. Oelke on pies and bread;
Edith Glennie on devils food and Mrs. Keppelon, Angel’s food. The faculty
can vouch for the quality of the last mentioned entries.

Twenty-one quilts or comforters were entered, some of them for display
only. They extended along the entire length of two walls, many of them
in one-half section displays. One sheet, brought in by Mrs. A. C. Hanson,
hand spun, hand woven and hand made of the purest linen. This relic is
over 100 years old and naturally highly prized. Mrs. Hanson had the largest
number of entries in the ladies department.

Miss Elsie Lee generously contributed several oil paintings for display
which helped to make the booth more attractive. Awards offered by the
businessmen were distributed as follows: Donald Allen, the tallest man
being 6 ft., 4 in., received a box of cigars from Peterson’s Garage; Mrs.
Jewell, being the heaviest lady, received a box of candy from Hanson’s
Restaurant; Henry Rasmussen of La Crosse, coming the greatest distance
to our fair, received the Fiske inner tube from Ruland’s Garage; and Will
Slater bringing the largest family received the sack of flour from the Pioneer
Store. — The Nonpareil Journal, Nov. 3, 1922.

MINDORO COMMUNITY FAIR

The fifth annual Horticultural and Community Fair, held at Mindoro
on Sat., Oct. 25th, 1924, under the auspices of the Mindoro Horticultural


Society and the Mindoro Schools, proved far superior in every way to all
previous fairs. There was a large crowd in attendance all day, and over six
hundred people attended the evening program. The entries of exhibits totaled
over seven hundred.

A new feature which was added to the fair this year was the calf entry.
Fifteen calves were entered. A large number of these coming from the Holmen
Calf Club from Stevenstown. Prof. Hulce from Madison and H. W. Griswold
from West Salem judged the calves and Prof. Hulce gave a short talk in the
forenoon. Manley Hendrickson, our local tester, showed several cows which
gave positive evidence of the value of testing association work. Mr. Griswold
gave a short talk emphasizing the importance of keeping records, and testing
association work, and used the animals exhibited to verify his statements.
Dinner was served by the Domestic Science girls.

At one o’clock, the stoneboat pulling contest drew its share of attention.
Four teams took part in this event. The judges were unable to decide between
Cohn’s buckskins and McClintock’s bays so the result was a tie between
these two teams. Roy Harper took third money.

The horseshoe pitching contest started at one-thirty. Real talent in
pitching horseshoes was shown, as many veteran pitchers took part. One of
the outstanding facts in this event was the fact that Frank McClintock, the
same personage immortalized by the pen of Hamlin Garland in “The Son
of the Middle Border”, was here and pitched horseshoes. The winning event
was composed of Matt Hoff and Matt Severson.

After the horseshoe contest, the different races took place. The pie-eating
contest drew its share of fun among the younger boys and provided
amusement for everyone. All those taking part were required to keep their
hands behind their backs and then eat their piece of pie from a plate. Some
beautiful pie massages were the result.

The contests were followed by two Calf Club demonstrations. The
Stevenstown Club gave a demonstration on Fitting and showing the dairy
calf. The Mindoro Club gave a demonstration on Judging the dairy cow. The
demonstrations were followed by a program given by the Mindoro Schools.

The judging of the entries took place from five to seven in the evening.
The corn was soft but the vegetables were good and the fine display of apples
would have done credit to any fair. Close competition was found in most
classes and in many cases it took the judges a long time to decide. This was
especially true in the rural school booth competition. A gold-lined, silver
Loving cup was presented to the rural schools whose booth received the
highest score. A school must win this cup three times before it becomes the
permanent property of the school. This year it went to Union Mills. Miss
French judged the articles in the Domestic Science Department while Mr.
Spreiter, assisted by Mr. McNeel judged the different farms entries.

MINDORO 1969

By Estella Bryhn

The Mindoro Community Fair Saturday, Sept. 6 will be a gala affair,
a historic event to remember, for the theme of the fair is the 50th anniversary
of the Mindoro Community club which annually sponsors the fair.

Present officers of the Community Club are Mrs. Everett Hoff, president;


Lee Storandt, vice president; Mrs. Lambert Konze, secretary and Mrs. James
Alens, treasurer.

Scenically, Mindoro is much as it was 50 years ago when the club was
organized. Main street still has the quaint old-west look with its sidewalk
elevated to the stores five feet on one side of the street, several of the buildings
have old false-fronts. The hope that railroad tracks might be laid through
the valley was never realized and so the little hamlet still remains an inland
town. The end of the horse and buggy era and the popularity of the automobile
had an adverse effect on the growth of Mindoro. Main street is also
Highway 108 linking the village with West Salem via the winding road south
through Mindoro Cut. The Cut may soon have a historic marker. Fertile
farms surround the little town which in 1960 had a population of 200.

It still remains the same friendly place with its desire to help fellow
men. One of the customs that has endured through the years, as proof of this,
is the old custom of placing an old cigar box on the counter in the local stores
whenever there is a bereavement in the community, a wedding coming up,
fire, fLood or sickness, the coins dropped in the boxes not only are an aid
financially but offers the knowledge as well that the community also grieves
or rejoices with its fellow man.

Mindoro, 1969, is a busier place than its tranquility and scenic beauty
would lead one to suspect.

May 1, 1968, was a notable date for the First National Bank of Bangor
opened a branch bank in the completely remodeled bank building which had
been closed since the bank holiday of the 1930’s.

Since its construction in 1896, the Mindoro Cooperative Creamery has
been the economic hub of the community. Directors of the Creamery presently
are George Bryhn, Robert Koss, and Hugh Pfaff. Segur Johnson is
president, Milan Kirchner, vice president, and Walter Gilbert, business manager.
Shirley Sullivan is secretary-treasurer. Milk is brought to the creamery
by Floyd Young, Harry Caulum, Archie Achterkirch and Robert Achterkirch.
K and M Haulers owned and operated by Vilas Kirchner and La Verne
Mikkelson.

The feed mill is a busy place with Sid Kirchner the owner and operator.

Alton Olson has the only grocery store in Mindoro since the closing of
the Harold Rhyme store in 1968. The Rhyme store was in the Henry West
building which now stands vacant.

Mindoro abounds in good cooks, and home cooking and baked goods are
served in the three cafes operated by Jack Glennie, Jerry DahI and Don Truax.

Mr. and Mrs. Harley Inglett are the new owners of the town’s only tavern.

After serving the community for over 30 years, Lloyd and Juanita Fisher
sold their service station in April, 1969, to the Farmers Central Co-operative.
The Co-op also has a bulk delivery service. Dale Kirchner is manager, and
Paul Hanson station manager.

The Mobil station is owned and operated by Doug Paisley.

Merchants sponsor a softball team which plays in the La Jac League.
In the fall of 1968, the ball team installed lights, a major undertaking for a
small community.

The Farmington Volunteer fire department consists of 24 members.
Maynard Hesse is president and liv Manske, fire chief. A fire station costing
$11,000 was erected in 1961 to house a new tanker truck and auxiliary tanker.


The old town hall, once the scene of oyster suppers and community
dances and programs, looks very much as it always did. Presently, the active
TOPS organization use it the most, but it is also available for bake sales, rummage sales,
and town meetings.

New buildings were added just east of town as Irv Manske expanded
his construction company activities.

Lloyd Fisher is a dealer for Simplicity mowers and Tow-Low Trailers.

Mindoro Livestock Barn, a modern building recently erected just north
of town on Highway 108, is owned and operated by Lyle Severson.

The American Legion Post is very active and community minded. Present
commander is Jerry Wadel. Hard-working Auxiliary members have Mrs.
Wayne Pfaff as their president.

The old Mindoro Grade and High School is still standing, but in front
of it a new elementary center built in 1968. The old building was partially
destroyed by fire on Nov. 30, 1966.

Two modern beauty shops are located near Mindoro. The one is operated
by Mrs. Dorothy Kreibich, the other by Mrs. Darone West.

Pastor Ivan Vallem serves the Mindoro Lutheran church, and also Lewis
Valley. He and his family live in the attractive modern parsonage nearby.

The Presbyterian church is served by Dr. A. Birchier of La Crosse.

Postmaster Charles V. Timm presides in the post office which is located
in the south half of the Jerry Dahl cafe. Mindoro has one large route, with
Bruce Olson the carrier.

A few new homes dot the area with more under construction.

School buses are familiar sights, for Mindoro is joined to the Melrose
school district with the high school midway between the two towns.

It was 123 years ago that Mindoro was founded, and all those years
there was no central water or sewer system. A grant has been approved for
a project totaling $254,000, and contracts have been awarded. Work is
expected to begin in the near future. Included in the project is a sewerage
collection and treatment system, water distribution pumping station and well.

The Town Board of Farmington consists of George Bryhn, chairman,
Shirley Sullivan, clerk, Marvin Young, treasurer, and Archie Adams, assessor.
Milan Kirchner and Walter Gilbert are directors.

Robert Simonson is president of the Lions Club which was organized in
1968. James Baumer is secretary and Orville Simonson, treasurer.

There are four 4-H clubs in the area: Burr Oak, Browns Valley, Lewis
Valley and Mindoro.

In August, the Tri-County Bookmobile made its first stop in Mindoro.
It will make return visits every three weeks. The County Library Station
located in the Olson store is supervised by Mrs. Irv Manske.

Judging from the growth and activity in Mindoro during the past five
years, it is safe to predict the next five years will be the most productive
span so far in the history of the unincorporated village.