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Hello Forest County Residents!

This week I was getting the Forest County Historical Society Museum into shape for another summer season. While rearranging the school room exhibit I came across an interesting packet of papers. It was a high school newspaper created by the Crandon High School junior class in January of 1947. The two editors-in-chief were Jeanne Sturzl and Cliff Asbach. There was also the sports editors: Bob Marsh and Bonnie Duff, gossip editors: Lillie McCabe and Jerry Cronce, humor editors: Bill Mountain and Margie Greisinger, music editors: Jane Russell and Danny Dehart, and advertising editor, Allan Stranz.

The front page article details what they believe Benjamin Franklin’s New Years resolutions would be based on the rules that governed his life. The second page is the humor page which features gems like a song matching contest like: “Rootin Tootin Cowboy” for Loyal Abney, “Why Did I Kiss that Girl” for Rod Chartraw, and “Rum and Coca Cola” for Mr. Geske. The third page names everyone in chorus (60 people!) and explains what the group is doing in the new year.  The last page is my favorite, the gossip column. There are a few of the most interesting contributions:

” What girl is taking inventory of all the available men in high school? That’s right Virginia Sharon!”

“Why was Rosie Spencer crying in her coke at Marsh’s Tuesday night? Is Joe Mean to her?”

“Miss Broulais came back from Christmas vacation with a sparkle in her eye and a sparkler on her hand! Wonder when the big event will be?”

I sincerely wish the local high schools still had newspapers they published because it is wonderful to look back on a certain time through the eyes of teenagers. I found three copies of this school newspaper at the museum but if anyone has other school newspapers I would love to see them.

 

Hello Forest County Residents!

Everyone knows about the large town cemeteries located around the county but not everyone is aware of the smaller burial sites that are no longer used. Cemeteries hold valuable information for researchers and genealogists. The gravestones can give the person’s birth and death dates and the location of the person when they died. This information can be used to conduct more in-depth research into county records and the archives.

Recently, a research request was made for information about a small burial plot outside of Crandon known as the Gibson Cemetery. With further investigation I learned that it was actually a burial site not a cemetery because the town never owned the property. According to research done by a Forest County Historical Society member the Gibson Cemetery began when a lumber jack working on the George Gibson farm as a laborer for the summer suddenly died. The man’s name and date of death were not recorded. As time passed the Gibson family allowed the area to be used by their neighbors as a final resting place for their loved ones. The burial site has approximately twenty graves but not all of the people have been identified. Some of the graves were marked with wooden crosses and field stones except for one grave that is marked with a headstone. The woman with the headstone was Clarinda Smith and she died eighty-seven years ago today. My hypothesis is that she died in child birth because a baby girl was buried with her that shared the same death date. Not much is known about the individuals who were laid to rest on the former Gibson Farm. I could not find an obituary or census information for any of them. This must have been an isolated community that formed outside the town of Crandon. It is a common belief that is community was mostly made up of migrants from Kentucky.

Around 1996 a small group of Forest County community members banded together to clean up the Gibson burial site and replace the deteriorating wooden crossed with metal ones. Since this time the cemetery has again fallen into disrepair. The land is now owned by the county and I think it would be in the county’s best interest to form a task force to once again clean up the cemetery area. If anyone is interested in being a part of this group please let me know. If you have any information on the individuals buried in the Gibson Cemetery or know any other small cemeteries in the county please contact the Crandon Public Library.

People Buried at Gibson Cemetery

Clarinda Smith B. December 1, 1888-D. May 1, 1928

Baby Girl Smith B. May 1, 1928-D. May 1, 1928

Sara June Pence B. October 5, 1912-D. September 25, 1914

Lula Smith Pence

Charles Reva D. September 28, 1922

Eliga McPherson D. July 7, 1931

Columbus McPherson

Mrs. Columbus McPherson

Robert McPherson December 12, 1923

Andrew Brown

Roddie Osburn

Baby Roda Gibson

Baby Girl Westimayer B. May 4, 1941-D. May 4, 1941

Baby Eckart B. December 5, 1919-D. December 5, 1919

 

Hello Forest County Residents!

We all know that city budgets can be tight especially in small towns but at least we don’t have the monetary issues that past Crandon residents had to deal with. According to the April 20, 1939 edition of the Forest Republican, so many community members did not pay their real estate taxes that the city was forced to turn all the street lights off. The city was to remain in darkness until some funds flowed into the city treasury. The budget for that year was $29,000 but only $17,000 was received. The city was not able to keep all of the money they had received they had to turn $4,000 over to the grade school and $4,000 to the high school. The city was in “tough financial straits for the next year” (Forest Republican 1939).

Hello Forest County Residents!

Check out these sections of maps created by the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Company in 1917. To see the full railroad maps of Forest County and the surrounding area visit the Crandon Public Library.

Hello Forest County Residents!

In honor of National Library Week, which begins April 12th, I thought I would share with you some details of the humble beginnings of the Crandon Public Library. A newly discovered newspaper article revealed that the Free Library in Crandon was launched November 14, 1899. According to the Forest Republican(1899) a public meeting at the church was held for the purpose of introducing the new traveling library to people and enlighten them regarding the rules of book use. The meeting was called to order by Egbert Wyman, President of the Local Library Association. Miss Ella Helm played a selection on the organ and G.Y. McClathcie, the chosen librarian, explained how the books could be borrowed. If a person wanted to check out a book they first had to sign a card stating they agreed with all of the library regulations and then another person put their signature down testifying that the original signer was a responsible human being! A person could only check one book out at a time for a two week period and could renew it once if no one else requested the book. There was a fine of one cent per day if the book was not returned on the due date. After the rules were laid down there was more musical entertainment by community members (which I wish existed at current library meetings). The Reverend R.B. Norton spoke on the types of books available and let people know which ones he preferred. Reverend E.B. Rankin gave a speech about the positive attributes of reading and the dangers of bad literature. The President then appointed a committee to create a constitution and by laws and the meeting ended with the people present being allowed to peruse the books. I find the end of the article the most poignant:

“It is the desire of many of our citizens that this small beginning may, in the near future, result in an establishment of a permanent library in this village. Good books are like wise friends, advising and instructing, an uplift to those who seek their counsel” (Forest Republican 1899).

It is heartening to know the desire of the community for a library over one hundred years ago has not lessened over time. There are many patrons that visit daily that have the same thirst for knowledge and love for the library!

Happy Easter Forest County Residents!

This week digital copies of three photographs from the Bingham family were donated to the Crandon Public Library and Forest County Historical Society.

This photograph features Henry Bingham and his wife Mary Ella Johnson Bingham with children:  Allen, Harriet, Nellie, Henry, Maud and  baby Ray.This picture was taken at a photography studio in Clintonville in the early 1890s (Bingham, Lowell 2015). Henry Bingham was born in Royalton, New York in 1850 but moved to Michigan as a young child. His family did not settle in one place long, he moved from Michigan to Illinois and finally to Wisconsin. He wed Miss Ella Johnson in 1880 and in 1885 he moved to Norrie, Wisconsin. While residing in Marathon County he held a number of prominent public positions and farmed the land. Around 1908 he moved to Crandon where he lived until his death in March of 1928. Bingham was known in town for the janitorial work he did on a daily basis for the Methodist Church. He was seen always with a smile and a kind word to his fellow Forest County residents (Forest Republican 1928). A large number of the Bingham family are buried at the Lakeside Cemetery.

The photograph above is Howard Henry Bingham in his World War I uniform. Henry was born in Clintonville, Wisconsin to Henry and Ella Bingham. He moved to Crandon, Wisconsin with his family in 1908 where he spent the remainder of his life. Howard worked in the woods for a living. He married Viola Fredrick in 1934 and had two children. Howard died in the Veterans Hospital in Wood, Wisconsin in 1940 and there are records of his burial at Lakeside Cemetery as well as a veterans cemetery in Milwaukee (Forest Republican 1940, Burial Registers, Military Posts and National Cemeteries, 1862-1960).

It is always wonderful to learn a new story and see physical evidence of a past Forest County resident. The Crandon Public Library always welcomes donations of local history photographs so we can continue to provide new information about our unique history.

 

 

Hello Forest County Residents!

To end National Women’s History Month I would like to tell you the story of a local teacher who was discriminated against because she was a woman but persevered in the end. Grace Ison was born in Pholox, Wisconsin to Andrew and Iva Schmidt in 1925. She graduated from Antigo High School in 1943 then went on to Normal School and received her education degree in 1945. After graduating she taught in Lynnhurst, Wisconsin for one year. In 1946, she married George Ison and the couple settled in Crandon. Grace continued her career as a teacher in Crandon at the Range Line School and then continued at the School District of Crandon (Forest Republican, Nov. 20, 2002). But Grace’s career as an educator came to a crashing halt when she became pregnant in 1957. According to resolution put in place by the Crandon School District:

” Married women teachers now employed, or married women teachers that may be employed in the future, that in the event that they become pregnant the respective teacher is to resign when her condition becomes apparent or the fifth month of pregnancy has been reached whichever comes first” (Chester Jackson, 1957).

Concerned about this resolution Mrs. Ison wrote to the State Superintendent to plead her case. She detailed her confrontation with the District Superintendent and principal in the letter. When she first alerted principal of her condition he assured her that she could finish out the school year, have the baby in the summer, and return to teaching in the fall. But on March 18, she was called into the office and the Superintendent explained:

“We are always glad to have a family increase but after five months of pregnancy our teachers are asked to resign. And we must replace you for another year as we do not know the baby will be born on time, and we can’t afford to hire two teachers. We have had to use force in some cases but its a nasty situation so we’d rather not have trouble. You will not need to come back after April 1st” (G.E. Watson, 1957).

This would cause her to lose her insurance and her career! She said she was willing to take two months leave without pay and without insurance but she would not resign. The State Superintendent responded by saying they did not like to get involved with contractual status of teachers. Soon after Grace received a letter not renewing her contract for the following school year. They had replaced her with the secretary in the office (Jackson, 1957).

According to her obituary, Grace Ison continued her teaching career until the Fall of 2001 so in the end Grace came out on top and got to carry on with the job she loved. The passing of Title IX in 1972 did away with these horrible sexist resolutions put into place by school boards (www.nwhm.org). Women’s rights have come a long way but women still make thirty cents less an hour for doing the same jobs as men. So follow the example of passionate women like Grace, and stand up for equal rights!

Happy Spring Forest County Residents!

I had briefly mentioned the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in an earlier blog post but I would like to revisit the subject because of a book that was found recently. There was a hand written inscription in the cover of the Louisa M. Alcott book “Eight Cousins” published in 1902 found in the library. The cover informs us that the book was given as first prize in the 1907 Forest County Fair to Helen Andrews in the category of essay on the effects of alcohol by a child over ten years. This book is historically significant for a few reasons. First, it is signed by Fannie VanZile, one of the first pioneers to live in Crandon. Her husband served in several prestigious positions in Crandon’s history. Fannie was also an important historical figure as President of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, member of the Eastern Star, Women’s Relief Corps, Royal Neighbors, and Workers of the Presbyterian Church (Forest Republican 1955).  Secondly, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union had a significant affect on our nation’s history. Currently,  the WCTU is the oldest voluntary, non-sectarian woman’s organization in continuous existence on the planet. Before women had the right to vote this group gave them a voice in the political sphere and allowed them to make positive social changes. The WCTU helped establish: shelters for abused women and children, eight hour work day, equal pay for equal work, founding of kindergartens, federal aid for education, women’s right to vote, penalties for sexual crimes, uniform marriage and divorce laws, pure drug and food act, and many more positive changes (http://www.wctu.org/earlyhistory.html). Locally, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union had a large impact on the regularization of alcohol consumption in the county as well as educational reforms. It just goes to show that you never know what you will find in your local library!

 

 

Hello Forest County Residents!

I am continuing to celebrate Women’s History Month by bring you a piece of local history that pertains to the ladies. For much of America’s history women were barred from voting which subsequently led to laws that discriminated against women. Women were not protected against rape and domestic abuse. Women could not own property, divorce their husbands, and were not allowed to work in many professions. Many women were also trying to create better conditions for children and the poor in this country but found it difficult to do without having any power over legislation.  The movement towards votes for women began in 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York at the first women’s rights convention. It took  70 years of educating the public, staging peaceful protests, and lobbying with government officials by women like: Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and thousands of others to finally pass a Constitutional amendment allowing woman to vote(https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/progressiveera/suffrage.html). These women were often thrown in jail, beaten up, threatened, and force fed through tubes but never gave up the fight. “With all the pressure from publicity generated by the White House pickets, the arrests and forced-feedings of women protesters, President Wilson finally lent his support to the suffrage amendment in January 1918. Congress approved it, and on August 18, 1920, with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, women achieved the right to vote” (http://www.americaslibrary.gov).

Local women were first given the chance to vote September 7, 1920, The Northern Advertiser, a local Wabeno newspaper, described the experience: “Bob Miller wins for Sheriff, Poppy nominated for treasurer, Woodbury Register of Deeds and Conway Clerk of Court. Tuesday’s election in Wabeno passed off quietly. The vote was light, only 382 votes being cast. Of this number 15 were Democratic, 2 Prohibition, 2 Socialist, and the rest Republican. Quite a few women cast their initial vote for state and county officers and all seemed to enjoy the experience. The required very little help to vote properly”. Imagine that! Forest County ladies please remember to vote because it is a right that should not be taken for granted. I hope this blog inspires more women to run in local elections!

Hello Forest County Residents!

March is National Women’s History Month so I will be exploring issues and stories tied to local women’s fight for equality. I chose to focus on girls’ high school sports  because of the local high schools finishing up their basketball seasons. I am very proud of all the lady athletes in the county, they are a wonderful representation of talent and hard work. Currently it is a matter of choice if a young woman would like to participate in a sport. But I am sure many community members can remember when girls were barred from high school athletics. Not until the passage of  Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 were girls included in organized sports. The law states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance” (www.gilderlehrman.org).

In the early 20th century girls would play sports in gym class but there was no organized competition. Women were not encouraged to keep score because being competitive was thought to be too masculine. Girls were told that they would not be able to have children or no one would want to marry them if they engaged in sports. As time passed schools  did allow young women to play sports but they would make them raise money for their own uniforms and they were never featured in the yearbooks (http://www.gilderlehrman.org).  Girls sports were not represented in the Crandon High School yearbook until a year after the passage of Title IX in 1973. The girls’ teams were all placed on one page with no mention of their season or their place in the conference. The boys teams each received two or more pages for every sport. I applaud the local women that participated in the first year of organized sports. You must have dealt with discrimination and under representation. I encourage all former female athletes to share their stories, we are grateful for your perseverance!