Surnames: ANDING BARTH BROOKS HANDTKE KLEINSCHMIDT LEVI MARSH NELSON OPELT RIEDEL REISNER ROLLINS URE SCHUTZ SCHWANTES SHORT STERNITZKY VIRNIG WAGE WASHBURN WESENBERG WESTON WILLIAMS YANKEE

----Source: Granton community Memories 1856-1976

Town of Lynn, town history (to 1976) 

TOWN OF LYNN The founders of the Town of Lynn in 1856 were George Ure and Gottlieb Sternitzky On their way to Lynn they drove through Sparta. Sparta in the old days was also the town all the settlers would get together to go for flour once a year. However, there are conflicting statements as to the authenticity of this statement, as other articles indicate Samuel S. Weston was the first to enter land in the Town of Lynn, as early as October 1854, being sections 17, 18, 19, 20 and 30. According to records, George Kleinschmidt files on land in section 1, which May very well be land that still belongs to Kleinschmidts.

Records available show that in 1870, Alonzo Brooks was the town chairman. He served as one of the 8 members of the County Board. Each organized township had one representative. Interesting to note as compared to today's assessments the Town of Lynn was assessed one and a half per cent of the 2,594 school tax, in the amount of 195.00. Of the 30,000 county tax levy, Lynn was apportioned 2,459.02. The 1975 total tax levy is 179,000.00. The Lynn Township was created in 1862, consisting of the present Town of Fremont and part of Grant. Logging was the prime occupation. Some of the early settlers were: Yankees, Kleinschmidts, Sternitzkys, George Williams, John D. Wage, Bartemus Brooks, the Marshes, Nelsons and Levis. It is recorded that Frederick F. Kleinschmidt was the first white child born in the township. At one of the first records of the proceedings of the town meetings, in 1884, the following was recorded "A motion was made and carried that hogs and sheep be shut up and kept off the regular public highway and that the penalty for neglect of the same be 50 cents to go to the person taking them up, also 50 cents per head to the pound master. A motion was made and carried that the sheep and hogs be allowed to run on the public highway from the first of November until the first day of April. A motion was made and carried for the Town Board to insure the Town Hall." The auditors list in 1909 included 2 creameries, Lynn-Enterprise Creamery and also the Star Cheese factory, now Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church located 2 miles south of Lynn. Early maps of the Town of Lynn indicate a warehouse, a feed mill, a depot, saloon and a blacksmith shop. Also a Grocery, Feed mill and Stave mill. A combination saloon, hotel and livery stable, a General store, post office, machinery, hardware drug and meat market, a shoe shop, repair shop and milliner. Also shown on the map is a Doctor's office, garage and the town Hall, still in use today, built in 1880. Still in existence today is the cheese factory of 1898, presently owned by William Schwantes. This is one of the biggest cheese producing factories in the state.

The Town of Lynn was the site of several rural schools. Lynn was a station on the branch line of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad up from Babcock where it connected the main line. This line crossed the Omaha railroad a half mile from Lynn. The two roads were built at the same time and there was a sharp clash when the construction crews met at the junction. The Omaha was pushing through from Neillsville to Marshfield and the St. Paul had dreams of a through line to Superior country. The St. Paul got to the crossing first and chained an engine to the tracks and had a carload of armed men guard the right of way and for several days excitement ran high although it subsided without any physical violence. However, the St. Paul never actually completed its line. According to records on file, Alonzo Brooks was chairman in 1883 with Chas. Sternitzky as clerk.

The first record of a town levy was 900, April 1884. Since then many people have served as town officers some for long periods of time. Edward Sternitzky served for 26 years as clerk (1904-1930). Alfred Riedel was Chairman for 16 years, his first term in 1944. There have been few changes in the past 2 decades. Rose Virnig and Elsie Short were the first women to serve on the board. Mrs. Virnig served 18 years before resigning and moving to Marshfield. Mrs. Short served as treasurer for 16 years before retiring in 1971. Fred Wesenberg served as second supervisor 18 years before his death in 1971. Present board members are George Schmitz who has served as chairman for about 14 years. Supervisors, Duane Anding, and Raymond Barth assessor, Alfred Riedel treasurer, Shirley Barth and Clerk, Frieda Rollins. Today Lynn consists of 2 taverns, 2 repair shops, Lynn Dairy and Lynn Protein plant. It is and unincorporated town , as compared to 1890 when the population was 525. The Town of Lynn is one of the oldest towns in Clark County and is a prosperous dairy farming community.

The first threshing rig in Lynn was owned by Fred Handtke and John Riedel about 1910. The first silo in Lynn stood inside a barn of Gotlieb Reisner's in 1900 on the Fred Schutz farm. The silo was square. Lynn had 4 saloons at one time. Crusaders came to Lynn to hold services in the Town Hall. Storm's bar is the only building and business still in a Relatives' management. Lynn had a ball team about 1900 - ball park was about the same place location. Lynn had a hotel. The first cars in Lynn were owned by Bob Washburn and Max Opelt. Bob owned a Ford and Max an International. Peabody Shows came to Lynn and set up by the R.R. On the south side of the road. Lynn had electricity before 1917. Lynn had telephones before 1910. Sylvester Marsh was the first white child born in the Mapleworks-Granton Area. Windfall Corners was the location of the first area school. Did you know that one had to pay for a Montgomery Ward catalog in 1901 Fifty cents could buy the paperback, while 1 bought one with a hard cover.